Television – Two-way video and voice communication – Conferencing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-23
2003-01-07
Ramakrishnaiah, Melur (Department: 2643)
Television
Two-way video and voice communication
Conferencing
C348S014070, C348S014120
Reexamination Certificate
active
06504568
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a line reserving system for a multipoint teleconference.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In a multipoint teleconference, a communication line is reserved when a user of the system transmits predetermined information from a teleconference terminal apparatus to a center of the system. To achieve the line reservation, the conventional multipoint teleconference system includes a computer on each side of the teleconference terminal and the teleconference center. Namely, a communication line is reserved through an intercommunication between the computers.
FIG. 1
shows in a block diagram a conventional example of the multipoint teleconference system. In this connection, the configuration of
FIG. 1
primarily includes constituent elements directly associated with the line reservation. Other known components related to the teleconference are not shown or are shown in a simplified fashion.
The teleconference system
102
includes a plurality of teleconference terminal apparatuses
106
mutually connected to each other via an integrated services digital network (ISDN)
104
and a center
108
connected via the ISDN
104
to the teleconference systems
102
teleconference terminal apparatuses
106
). Each terminal apparatus
106
includes a user terminal
110
, an input device
112
, and a television monitor
114
. On the other hand, the center
108
includes a center terminal
116
and a multipoint teleconference controller
118
. Furthermore, the teleconference terminal
106
includes a computer
120
and the center
108
includes a computer
122
. The computers
120
and
122
are connected to each other via a local area network (LAN)
124
.
The user terminal
110
of the terminal apparatus
106
fundamentally includes functions for the teleconference such as a function for the encoding and decoding of video and audio signals, a function for the connection to the ISDN
104
, and a function to process signals received from the input device
112
. Similarly, the center terminal
108
includes fundamental functions for the teleconference, for example, a function for the encoding and decoding of video and audio signals and a function for the connection to the ISDN
104
.
As is well known, the teleconference terminal
106
operates under supervision of the controller
118
of the center
108
to receive video and audio signals via the ISDN
104
so as to present images of users and the like on the monitor screen
114
for the teleconference.
Before a teleconference is held, the user is required to reserve a communication line for the conference. The line reservation is accomplished by the computer
120
of the terminal apparatus
106
. Concretely, the user operates the input device
112
in a predetermined manner to display a screen image for line reservation on the monitor
114
.
The image includes input fields for time of the teleconference, a user's name, a name of a user to attend the conference, and the like. From the input device
112
, the terminal user inputs information necessary for each field of the image. As a result, the computer
120
recognizes the details of the line reservation and then sends the inputted information via the LAN
124
to the computer
122
of the center
108
. The computer
122
reserves lines in accordance with the information from the computer
120
to establish connections of lines from the teleconference terminal
106
to the controller
118
.
The line reservation above is essential for a smooth operation of the teleconference and hence an ordinary multipoint teleconference system includes the line reserving function.
However, since the line reservation above requires the computers
120
and
122
dedicated for the reservation and the LAN
124
, the conventional multipoint teleconference system
102
becomes expensive. Moreover, for example, when the software installed in the computer
120
is to be updated for a higher performance of the line reservation, an engineer is required to visit each installation site of the teleconference terminal
106
for the update of the software.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention, which has been devised to remove the drawback above, to provide a line reserving system for a multipoint teleconference in which the computer dedicated for the line reservation for each teleconference terminal apparatus becomes unnecessary. This leads to decrease in the cost and increase in maintainability.
To achieve the object in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a line reserving system for a multipoint teleconference including a plurality of reserving terminals connected to each other via communication lines and a reservation center. The reservation center includes image generating means for generating image information to display a list of numeric and nonnumeric characters or a list of numeric or numeric characters and the reserving terminal includes a display, image display means for receiving via the communication line the image information from the image generating means of the reservation center and displaying in a screen of the display a list of numeric and nonnumeric characters or a list of numeric or numeric characters in accordance with the received image information, input device capable of a position input operation and a selection determining operation pointer display means for displacing a pointer image at a position of the screen indicated by positional information generated by the input device in response to the position input operation conducted from the input device, and information transmitting means for transmitting via the communication line to the reservation center the positional information being produced from the input device when the selection determining operation is conducted in the input device. The reservation center further includes information receiving means for receiving via the communication line the positional information from the information transmitting means of the reserving terminal and line reserving means for reserving communication lines in accordance with the image information created from the image generating means and the positional information received by the information receiving means.
In the line reserving system for a multipoint teleconference in accordance with the present invention, the image generating means of the reservation center generates image information to display numerals or characters in a list or both of numerals and characters in a list. In the reservation terminal, the image display means receives the image information via the communication line from the image generating means and then displays in accordance with the received information a list of numerals or characters or a list of both of numerals and characters. On the other hand, when a user inputs a position from the input device, the input device outputs positional information in response to the operation. The pointer display means displays a pointer image on a screen of the display at a position indicated by the positional information.
While visually checking the image of the screen of the display, the user operates the input device to move the pointer image to a position of a desired numeral or character and then conducts a selection determining operation. Then, the information transmitting means sends positional information being produced from the input device via the communication line to the reservation center. In the center, the information receiving means receives the position information and the line reserving means reserves lines in accordance with the image information generated by the image generating means and the positional information received by the information receiving means.
Consequently, for example, when a value of time is to be specified for the teleconference, the user moves the pointer image over numerals indicating the time in a sequential manner and conducts the selection determining operation for each of the numeral. Resultantly, positional information of the numeral
Dickstein Sharpiro Morin & Oshinsky LLP
NEC Corporation
Ramakrishnaiah Melur
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