Polycom Patent Applications

Compensating for Different Audio Clocks Between Devices Using Ultrasonic Beacon

Granted: May 2, 2013
Application Number: 20130108076
A videoconferencing system has a videoconferencing unit that use portable devices as peripherals for the system. The portable devices obtain near-end audio and send the audio to the videoconferencing unit via a wireless connection. In turn, the videoconferencing unit sends the near-end audio from the loudest portable device along with near-end video to the far-end. The portable devices can control the videoconferencing unit and can initially establish the videoconference by connecting…

Pairing Devices in Conference Using Ultrasonic Beacon

Granted: May 2, 2013
Application Number: 20130106977
A videoconferencing system has a videoconferencing unit that use portable devices as peripherals for the system. The portable devices obtain near-end audio and send the audio to the videoconferencing unit via a wireless connection. In turn, the videoconferencing unit sends the near-end audio from the loudest portable device along with near-end video to the far-end. The portable devices can control the videoconferencing unit and can initially establish the videoconference by connecting…

Portable Devices as Videoconferencing Peripherals

Granted: May 2, 2013
Application Number: 20130106976
A videoconferencing system has a videoconferencing unit that use portable devices as peripherals for the system. The portable devices obtain near-end audio and send the audio to the videoconferencing unit via a wireless connection. In turn, the videoconferencing unit sends the near-end audio from the loudest portable device along with near-end video to the far-end. The portable devices can control the videoconferencing unit and can initially establish the videoconference by connecting…

Background Compression and Resolution Enhancement Technique for Video Telephony and Video Conferencing

Granted: April 4, 2013
Application Number: 20130083153
An image processing system processes images such that a proportion of area of regions of interest within the image can be increased at the expense of regions of lesser interest. First, regions of interest, such as portions of the image including participants, are determined. Then compressible background regions are determined and compressed. This results in the proportion of the area of the regions of interest to increase. After the image is stored or transmitted, the regions of interest…

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGEMENT OF PERSONAL DEVICE ALERT MODES VIA PROXIMITY TO A TOTEM

Granted: March 21, 2013
Application Number: 20130072173
Alert mode configuration of a mobile device can be automatically modified based on the mobile device's proximity to a totem transmitting a beacon signal. The beacon signal can include a totem ID and/or a command. When the mobile device receives a totem ID, the mobile device can access and execute stored user selected alert mode configuration. When the mobile device receives a command, the mobile device may execute alert mode configuration that is site or location selected. For totems IDs…

SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATIC CALL INITIATION BASED ON BIOMETRIC DATA

Granted: March 14, 2013
Application Number: 20130063548
A videoconferencing endpoint can provides a caller with the ability to make unscheduled video calls to a callee without having knowledge of dialing information of a videoconferencing endpoint where the callee is currently located. The videoconferencing endpoint searches a location database using an identity of the callee provided by the caller, where the location database can store dialing information of a videoconferencing endpoint where the callee is known to be located. The…

Automated Calendared Conference Rescheduling and Forwarding

Granted: February 14, 2013
Application Number: 20130038673
Systems and methods are disclosed to automatically rescheduling and optionally transferring audio/video conferences when a conference runs longer than its previously allocated time. The disclosed relocation process incorporates one or more of a plurality of input sources such as electronic calendars, face/voice recognition systems, proximity systems, enterprise maps, and/or resource databases to assist in schedule adjustments. For example, if it is determined a meeting is running long…

Tag-Aware Multipoint Switching For Conferencing

Granted: January 10, 2013
Application Number: 20130010050
Conferencing methods and systems are disclosed wherein tags are associated with conferencing endpoints. The tags provide information enabling a decision-making entity to determine the preferability of one or more processing aspects of the endpoints. In a multipoint conference a tag can allow a decision making entity such as an MCU to determine the most appropriate mode for rendering video or other signals sent from a tagged endpoint. The tag itself can indicate the most appropriate mode…

Automatic Camera Selection for Videoconferencing

Granted: December 20, 2012
Application Number: 20120320143
In videoconference camera selection, audio inputs associated with cameras for a videoconference are each processed into first and second audio energies respectively for first and second frequency ranges. The selection then determines which of the audio inputs has a greatest ratio of the first audio energy to the second audio energy and selects the associated camera view for outputting video for the videoconference. The selection can also process video inputs from the cameras either alone…

Artifact Reduction in Time Compression

Granted: December 20, 2012
Application Number: 20120323585
Various techniques are disclosed for reducing artifacts generated by time compression. by adapting the time compression based on the state of the received audio. The amount of time compression may be bounded based on audio characteristics. Another feature provides a way of determining the most correlated portions of segments of audio. Voiced speech may be distinguished from unvoiced speech. Another feature provides a way of distinguishing between silence, voiced speech, and unvoiced…

Extended Presence for Video Conferencing Systems

Granted: December 6, 2012
Application Number: 20120306996
Systems and methods of providing extended presence information for multi-user devices are described. Communication devices used in conference rooms represent a different nature than single user devices such as a personal computer. Conference rooms also have attributes that may be added to existing presence information and provide an enhanced experience for scheduling and dissemination of conference room capabilities. Information such as actual people in attendance may be added to the…

Scalable Audio in a Multi-Point Environment

Granted: November 15, 2012
Application Number: 20120290305
Use of a scalable audio codec to implement distributed mixing and/or sender bit rate regulation in a multipoint conference is disclosed. The scalable audio codec allows the audio signal from each endpoint to be split into one or more frequency bands and for the transform coefficients within such bands to be prioritized such that usable audio may be decoded from a subset of the entire signal. The subset may be created by omitting certain frequency bands and/or by omitting certain…

Method for Creating a Videoconferencing Displayed Image

Granted: November 1, 2012
Application Number: 20120274729
A user can design their own custom composed view for a videoconference depending on the users' individualized needs. The view can include segments (windows) in which participating conferees' video images are presented and accessory elements such as window borders, text, icons, and the like. The content of the accessory elements can be linked to events within the conference or the content of other objects within the view. A custom composed view for a video conference can be designed…

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IN-BOX ELECTRONIC DEVICE PROVISIONING

Granted: October 18, 2012
Application Number: 20120262281
Configurable electronic devices contain identifying information in a dual-ported memory. A plurality of un-configured units are assembled into a set. Using identifying information, a provisioning server matches each particular unit to configuration settings needed to appropriately configure that device for use by a specific end user. The configuration settings and/or data may be transmitted to the devices via their embedded RFID systems and stored in their dual-ported memory (via the…

Direct Eye-Contact Enhancing Videoconferencing Unit

Granted: October 11, 2012
Application Number: 20120257004
A desktop videoconferencing endpoint for enhancing direct eye-contact between participants can include a transparent display device and a camera placed behind the display device to capture images of a near end participant located in front of the display device. The display device can alternate between display states and non-display states. The camera can be operated to capture images of the near end participant only when the display device is in the non-display state. The camera can be…

Method and System for Switching Between Video Streams in a Continuous Presence Conference

Granted: September 20, 2012
Application Number: 20120236111
An MRC system includes an MRM and an MRE that handle needs for Intra frames in an efficient way, improves the conferees experience, and reduces the load on the resources associated with that MRC videoconference by reducing the number of Intra frames and lowering the impact of Intra frames when they are needed. In some embodiments, when a requiring MRE requests an Intra frame for a video stream received from a presenting MRE, an MRM may respond by requesting the presenting MRE to send a…

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING BLUETOOTH DEVICE PAIRINGS

Granted: September 20, 2012
Application Number: 20120238216
A system and method manages Bluetooth connections between Bluetooth devices. A first Bluetooth device can have a virtual Bluetooth device associated with it. A virtual Bluetooth device can include Bluetooth parameters and values that when adopted by a second Bluetooth device, would allow the first and second Bluetooth devices to begin communicating as already paired devices. The first Bluetooth device can be configured to allow a Bluetooth connection with the second Bluetooth device only…

Methods and System for Simulated 3D Videoconferencing

Granted: September 20, 2012
Application Number: 20120236107
A system and method for manipulating images in a videoconferencing session provides users with a 3-D-like view of one or more presented sites, without the need for 3-D equipment. A plurality of cameras may record a room at a transmitting endpoint, and the receiving endpoint may select one of the received video streams based upon a point of view of a conferee at the receiving endpoint. The conferee at the receiving endpoint will thus experience a 3-D-like view of the presented site.

Method and System For Context Sensitive Content and Information in Unified Communication and Collaboration (UCC) Sessions

Granted: September 13, 2012
Application Number: 20120233155
Systems and methods are disclosed to identify and generate keyword searches in real-time or near real-time for active participants in an on-going Audio, Video and Data Collaboration meeting (also referred to as “Unified Communications and Collaboration” or UCC). In one embodiment, multiple input sources are screened to detect text data and generate search strings from the deciphered keywords. Keywords are deciphered from presentation materials and other forms of data input to a UCC…

Method and System for Composing Video Images from a Plurality of Endpoints

Granted: August 16, 2012
Application Number: 20120206563
The present application discloses a method and apparatus for a multipoint video conferencing system that can offer a wide variety of layouts and the ability to support a large number of conferees. A received stream of NALs from a plurality of endpoints can be processed by an exemplary NAL Processor Module (NPM) and be arranged into a stream of NALs that are referred to in this disclosure as organized NALs (ONALs). Two or more streams of compressed video organized into ONALs can be…