TH29648A - Equipment, methods, and systems for conferencing with incoming audio and video calls. And telephone system - Google Patents

Abstract

The DC60 (08/12/40) Video Access Device (110, 150) provides audio-visual teleconferencing and telephone services via the first communication channel (103), which communicates with a network (140), such as a public telephone exchange or an ISDN network. The Video Access Device (110) contains a telephone line network interface (210) for receiving the first protocol signal to generate the received protocol signal and for transmitting the second protocol signal to generate the transmitted protocol signal; a radio frequency modulator/demodulator (205) to convert the baseband video output signal to a radio frequency video output signal and to convert the radio frequency input video signal to a baseband input video signal; a user interface mechanism (215) for receiving the first control signal among the control signals; and a processor arrangement mechanism (190) that responds via a set of program instructions and, in response to the first control signal, converts the radio frequency input video signal to a baseband input video signal. The received protocol signal is converted into a baseband video output signal and into an audio output signal, and to convert the baseband video input signal and audio input signal into a second protocol signal. The video access device (110,150) provides a teleconferencing system with audio and video transmission and a telephone system via the first communication channel (103) which communicates with the network (140), such as a public telephone exchange or an ISDN network. The video access device (110) has a telephone line network interface (210) to receive the first protocol signal to generate the received protocol signal and to transmit the second protocol signal to generate the protocol signal, and to transmit it via a radio frequency modulator/demodulator (205) to convert the baseband video output signal into a radio frequency video output signal and to convert the radio frequency video input signal into a baseband video input signal. The user interface mechanism (215) receives the first of the control signals, and the processor arrangement mechanism (109) responds through a set of program instructions, and the processor arrangement mechanism (190) responds through a set of program instructions and in response to the first control signal to convert the received protocol signal into a baseboard video output signal and into an audio output signal, and to convert the baseboard video input signal and audio input signal into a second protocol signal.

Claims (8)

1. The image access device has the following components: a telecommunications network interface that connects to the first communication channel to receive the first protocol signal, to generate the received protocol signal, and to transmit the second protocol signal to generate the transmitted protocol signal; a modulator and radio frequency demodulator to convert the baseband video output signal into a radio frequency video output signal, and to convert the radio frequency input video signal into a baseband video input signal; a user interface for receiving the first control signal, among the control signals and processing mechanism; a processing mechanism connected to the telecommunications network interface, the modulator and demodulator, and the user interface mechanism; a radio frequency processing mechanism that responds to the user interface mechanism; a processing mechanism that responds via a set of program instructions and in response to the first control signal to convert the received protocol signal into a baseband video output signal and into an audio output; and a processing mechanism that continues to respond. It functions to convert the base station's input video and audio signals into a second protocol signal. 2. Audio-Video Conferencing System: This system transmits audio and video signals through communication channels. A video conferencing system typically includes the following components: an audio interface, a video display device, a video camera, a camera interface connected to the video camera, a video access device connected to the audio interface, and a video access device connected to the display device and the camera interface via communication channels. 3. A conferencing system with audio and video transmission, as specified in Claim 2, whereby the video access device shall have a user interface for inputting control signals, including control signal 1 for selecting the audio and video conferencing mode and the video conferencing system. 4. A conferencing system with audio and video transmission, as specified in Claim 2, where the telephone mode of the audio and video conferencing system is selected transparently in the absence of a control signal. 5. A video-conferencing system as defined in Claim 2, where the audio interface is a telephone, and the telephone is connected to the video access device for inputting control signals, for audio input, and for audio output when the video-conferencing system is in video-conferencing mode, and for the telephone system when the video-conferencing system is in telephone mode. 6. The video-to-audio conferencing method consists of the following components: (a) receiving the first protocol signal to generate the received protocol signal; (b) converting the received protocol signal into baseband video output and audio output signals; (c) demodulating the baseband video output signal to generate a radio frequency video output signal; (d) transmitting the radio frequency video output and audio output signals; (e) receiving the radio frequency video input and audio input signals; (f) demodulating the radio frequency video input signal to generate the baseband input video signal; (g) converting the baseband input video and audio input signals into a second protocol signal; and (h) transmitting the second protocol signal to generate the transmitted protocol signal. 7. Video Access Equipment, which has the following components: A telephony network interface capable of connecting to the first communication channel, where the telephony network interface has an ISDN interface for receiving the first ISDN-encoded H32x digital video/voice protocol signal, for transmitting the second ISDN-encoded H32x digital video/voice protocol signal, and for receiving and transmitting digital telephone signals; a radio frequency modulator to convert the NTSC/PAL encoded baseband mixed video output signal to a radio frequency amplitude modulated sideband video output signal; a radio frequency demodulator to convert the radio frequency amplitude modulated sideband video input signal to a NTSC/PAL encoded baseband mixed video input signal; and an audio/user interface for receiving the first control signal among the control signals for the analog audio input and converting the analog audio input to a digital input. The digital audio input and conversion of the digital audio output to analog audio output, and for analog audio output, is handled by a microprocessor-based subsystem connected to the telephone network interface and the audio/user interface. This microprocessor-based subsystem responds via a set of program instructions and, in response to a control signal, decodes the first ISDN-encoded H32x digital audio/video protocol signal to generate an H32x-encoded digital audio/video output stream. The microprocessor-based subsystem then further converts the H32x-encoded digital audio input and H32x-encoded video input streams to a second ISDN-encoded H32x digital audio/video protocol signal. A subsystem for audio/video descaling and amplification is also connected to the microprocessor-based subsystem and remains connected to the module. Radio frequency modulators and demodulators are subsystems for reducing and enlarging audio/video signals through a set of programmable instructions. They convert and reduce the size of a mixed NTSC/PAL baseband encoded video signal into an H32x encoded input video stream; convert and reduce the digital input audio signal to an H32x encoded digital input audio signal; and expand and convert the H32x encoded digital audio/video input stream into a mixed NTSC/PAL baseband encoded video output signal and a digital audio output signal. 8. Image Access Device, which has the following components: A network interface using a telephone line, capable of connecting to the first communication channel; a network interface using a telephone line, which has a telephone interface for receiving and demodulating analog H32x audio/video protocol signals encoded with V.x 1 to generate a digital H32x audio/video protocol signal encoded with V.x 1 for modulation, and passing a digital H32x audio/video protocol signal encoded with V.x 2 to generate a transmitted analog H32x audio/video protocol signal encoded with V.x 1, and for receiving and transmitting analog telephone signals; a radio frequency modulator to convert the NTSC/PAL encoded baseband mixed-band video signal into a radio frequency amplitude modulated residual sideband video signal; a radio frequency demodulator to convert the radio frequency amplitude modulated residual sideband video signal into a radio frequency amplitude modulated input signal. The radio provides a mixed video input signal encoded at NTSC/PAL baseband. The audio/user interface receives control signals, one of the control signals for analog audio input and conversion of digital audio output to analog audio output, and for outputting analog audio signals. A microprocessor subsystem is connected to the telephone network interface and the audio/user interface, and a subsystem for audio/video scaling is connected to the microprocessor subsystem and also connected to the radio frequency modulator and demodulator. The audio/video scaling subsystem responds to the microprocessor subsystem and the audio/user interface via a set of program instructions and in response to the first control signal to decode, expand, and convert the protocol signal. The digital audio/video signal H32x, encoded V.x I, is converted into a mixed NTSC/PAL baseband encoded video output signal and a digital audio output signal, and it continues to respond to encode, reduce, and convert the mixed NTSC/PAL baseband encoded video input signal and the digital audio input signal into a digital audio/video protocol signal H32x, encoded V.x II (Clause 8, page 6, figure 12).