Device, computer program product and method for providing touch control of a video conference

#The present invention relates to a touch screen control device for a video conferencing system, and more specifically a method, computer program product, and device for controlling a camera of a video conferencing system.

#Conventional video conferencing systems include a number of end-points communicating real-time video, audio and/or data (often referred to as duo video) streams over and between various networks such as WAN, LAN and circuit switched networks.

#In most high-end video conferencing systems, high quality cameras with pan-, tilt, and zoom capabilities are used to capture a view of the meeting room and the participants in the conference. The cameras typically have a wide field-of-view (FOV), and high mechanical zooming capability. This allows for both good overview of a meeting room, and the possibility of capturing close-up images of participants. The video stream from the camera is compressed and sent to one or more receiving sites in the video conference. All sites in the conference receive live video and audio from the other sites in the conference, thus enabling real time communication with both visual and acoustic information.

#The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic overview of an exemplary communications network in which the present invention may be applied,

#FIG. 2 is a schematic overview of a prior art remote control,

#In the following, the present invention will be discussed by describing various embodiments, and by referring to the accompanying drawings. However, people skilled in the art will realize other applications and modifications within the scope of the invention in light of the present teachings.

#The presented invention relates to a system and method for controlling the operation of one or more cameras associated with a video conference endpoint in a video conference call. A camera control unit (remote control) according to the present invention is a touch enabled end user component that presents to the user graphical objects representing video conference endpoints currently connected in a conference call, and/or one or more live video feeds currently captured by the video conference endpoint's cameras, and allows the user to manipulate a camera's pan, tilt and zoom using a touch screen display embedded in the camera control unit.

#Illustrated in FIG. 1 is an example of a communications network 10 in which the present embodiment may be applied. Each user is connected to the communications network through an endpoint apparatus 12. The endpoint apparatus is described in more detail below. The communications network is an internet protocol (IP) network 14. However, users may also be connected to a different communications network such as the Integrated Digital Services Network (ISDN) 16 or other digital communications network, including a packet switched network or a circuit switched network. An MCU (Multipoint Control Unit) 18 may also be connected to a communications network 14, 16 over which the video conference call can be provided. Alternatively one of the endpoint apparatuses 12 includes an embedded MCU for providing multipoint services. A number of endpoint apparatuses 12 residing at different sites may participate in the same conference through one or more MCU's, performing e.g. switching and mixing functions to allow the audiovisual terminals to intercommunicate properly. Each endpoint and hence each audiovisual stream is provided with its own unique endpoint identifier (ID).