The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 11, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 05, 1997
Jon Benedict Hales, Grand Prairie, TX (US);
Michael David Mills, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Nancy Elizabeth Hendrick Miracle, Colleyville, TX (US);
Intelect Systems Corporation, Richardson, TX (US);
Abstract
The distributed video communications system includes a plurality of nodes (,). Each of the nodes interfaces with a network that is comprised of a messaging layer (,) and a data transmission layer (,). Data is transmitted from each of the nodes to the data transmission layer in a multicast protocol such that all of the other nodes have access to the information transmitted thereto. Each of the nodes has configuration information stored in a conference configuration block (,) which is received through the messaging layer (,). A conference can be initiated by any of the nodes (,) by transmitting information as to the conferees in a conference to the other of the nodes in the conference. Each of the nodes (,) independently determines from the configuration information associated therewith the manner in which data is to be extracted from the messaging layer (,) and the manner in which it is displayed. The information consists of video and audio information which is compressed and/or decompressed utilizing a wavelet algorithm. The operation of each of the nodes (,) is independent from the operation of the other nodes with the configuration information also being determined solely by the associated node.