초록 ▼

A conferencing system facilitating interactive video and audio communication between an individual (such as a criminal, defendant, or a witness in a court proceeding) at a remote station, and a group of individuals at a local station (such as a judge, defense counsel, and a prosecutor or plaintiff\s

A conferencing system facilitating interactive video and audio communication between an individual (such as a criminal, defendant, or a witness in a court proceeding) at a remote station, and a group of individuals at a local station (such as a judge, defense counsel, and a prosecutor or plaintiff\s counsel in a courtroom). The system preferably includes a recording unit for producing a permanent, combined video and audio conference record. Preferably, the system includes a local module, a remote module, and a control module. The local module includes a loudspeaker, and a video camera, a video monitor unit, and a microphone for each conferee. It is contemplated that the local module equipment may be disposed in a courtroom, for use by a judge, two attorneys, and a witness. The remote module includes a video camera, a video monitor unit, a microphone, and a loudspeaker. Where the remote module is intended for use by a criminal defendant in police custody (i.e., at a jail), its video monitor unit preferably includes a monitor including a two-way mirror behind its screen, and its video camera is preferably mounted behind the mirror so that the defendant may maintain direct eye contact with both an image on the screen and the video camera.

대표청구항 ▼

An interactive video conferencing system for use by at least two local conferees, including: a video camera for each conferee, wherein each video camera generates a video signal; a picture in picture video monitor, having a large picture area and a small picture area; a composite video signal genera

An interactive video conferencing system for use by at least two local conferees, including: a video camera for each conferee, wherein each video camera generates a video signal; a picture in picture video monitor, having a large picture area and a small picture area; a composite video signal generation unit connected to each video camera and to the monitor, for receiving video signals from the video cameras, sending a principal one of the video signals to the monitor for display in the large picture area, and sending each of the other video signals to the monitor for display in a distinct region of the small picture area; a microphone for each conferee, wherein each microphone generates a microphone signal; and video signal selection means for receiving the microphone signals, identifying an active one of the microphone signals, and sending a control signal to the composite video signal generation unit, wherein the control signal identifies said principal one of the video signals, and said principal one of the video signals corresponds to the active microphone signal. An interactive video conferencing system for use by at least a first conferee in a local module and a second conferee in a remote module, including: a first video camera positioned in the local module and aimed at the first conferee, for generating a first video signal representing an image of the first conferee; a video monitor positioned in the remote module for receiving the first video signal and displaying the image of the first conferee; a partially reflecting mirror positioned in the remote module and a substantially transparent screen positioned in the remote module relative to the video monitor so that the mirror reflects the image of the first conferee through the screen, and so that the second conferee may view the reflected image of the first conferee through the screen; a second video camera positioned in the remote module and aimed at the screen and positioned relative to the mirror so that when the second conferee views the reflected image of the first conferee through the screen, light reflected from the second conferee will propagate through the screen and the mirror to the second video camera; a third video camera in the local module for generating a third video signal representing an image of a third conferee, wherein the monitor displays a composite video signal having component signals including the first video signal and the third video signal; and a means for supplying a video prompt to the monitor, in a manner so that the video prompt is another component video signal of the composite video signal.