...that when IBM conducted a market study of Chester Carlson's invention in 1959, the company concluded that it would take only 5000 units of his new product to saturate the market? IBM therefore declined to be part of the new product introduction. Too bad for IBM. Carlson's invention was the xerography process, and his new product was the beginning of the Xerox Corporation. It is estimated that every day, worldwide, 3,000,000,000 copies are made!!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7668120 | Virtual IP-based A/V inputs for universal media servers In one embodiment, a universal media server (e.g., a set-top box) has zero or more physical audio and/or video (A/V) inputs configured to receive A/V data, and at least one Internet Protocol (IP) input configured to receive IP data. In particular, the universal medi... | 02/23/2010 |
| 7664056 | Media based collaboration using mixed-mode PSTN and internet networks A method which allows standard telephone users to audio conference with video conferencing participants over IP networks in a private secure environment. A dial-out is performed from one or more conference client terminals bridging audio between the Internet and the... | 02/16/2010 |
| 7664057 | Audio-to-video synchronization system and method for packet-based network video conferencing Synchronizing audio and video streams in packet-based networks requires synchronization of packet timestamps. The present invention provides such synchronization without resort to a network time standard. In one embodiment of the present invention, pairs of timestam... | 02/16/2010 |
| 7664058 | Method and apparatus for providing spontaneous multi-way telephone conversation with inserted messaging The present invention provides a method for simultaneously broadcasting a message to a plurality of end-point devices. More specifically, the present invention receives a request to initiate a teleconference from a subscriber. The plurality of end-point devices is t... | 02/16/2010 |
| 7643436 | Apparatus and method for combining network conferences that are not co-located An audio management apparatus manages simultaneous streams of packet-switched audio data for a network conference tool, and allows the combining of conferences that are not co-located. The apparatus uses at least two audio bridges, each of which receives audio input... | 01/05/2010 |
| 7639633 | Apparatus and method for setting up a conference call A method of provisioning a conference call in order to preserve bandwidth on a network, and thereby allowing a larger number of participants to actively take part in a conference call. The method includes providing all participants in a conference call with a simple... | 12/29/2009 |
| 7630328 | SIP-based session control These exemplary embodiments utilize Sessions Initiation Protocol (SIP) for admission control. The use of the SIP allows a SIP server itself to perform the admission control function. The use of RSVP linkages is reduced. The use of SIP for admission control allows an... | 12/08/2009 |
| 7626950 | SIP-based session control among a plurality of multimedia devices These exemplary embodiments utilize Sessions Initiation Protocol (SIP) for admission control among a plurality of multimedia devices. The use of the SIP allows a SIP server to perform admission control functions. The use of RSVP linkages is reduced. The use of SIP f... | 12/01/2009 |
| 7623475 | Real-time multimedia conferencing over an ATM network using an intelligent ATM cable modem and hybrid fiber-coax access A technique for providing real-time multimedia conferencing services with guaranteed performance, in a hybrid networking environment, by interconnecting cable modem-based premises networks via hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) access networks and an ATM wide area network i... | 11/24/2009 |
| 7619994 | Adapter for use with a tandem-free conference bridge A conference bridge adapter for processing data carried on a media path between, on the one hand, a conference bridge operative to communicate composite packets carrying media information and auxiliary information pertaining to the media information and, on the othe... | 11/17/2009 |
| 7619995 | Transcoders and mixers for voice-over-IP conferencing Transcoders and mixers having reduced algorithmic delay and processing complexity. An improved mixer for signals having encoded speech parameters wherein the parameters obtained through decoding are used by a parameter estimator to improve the encoding by providing ... | 11/17/2009 |
| 7613137 | Data stream communication A method for communicating a subset of data streams includes steps of monitoring a plurality of data streams communicated between a plurality of standard users, recognizing at least one primary data stream, and communicating the at least one primary stream to a prim... | 11/03/2009 |
| 7606181 | Apparatus, method, and computer program for processing audio information of a communication session An apparatus, method, and computer program process audio information in a communication system. The apparatus, method, and computer program identify one or more silent channels of a communication session. The apparatus, method, and computer program also mix audio in... | 10/20/2009 |
| 7596103 | Call optimization in ad-hoc conference calls A method and system for adding a participant to a conference call. A feature of the method and system is that with respect to individual invitees to ad-hoc conference calls, the conference call can essentially be “turned around” and treated “as if” the indiv... | 09/29/2009 |
| 7596102 | Image exchange for image-based push-to-talk user interface A visual interface for a PTT user terminal displays user images of participants in a PTT conference. When a PTT conference is established, a controller determines whether an image associated with each participant invited to the PTT conference is stored in memory on ... | 09/29/2009 |
| 7593354 | Method and system for low latency high quality music conferencing A method and system for real-time, low latency, high quality audio conferencing are disclosed. The system allows delivering low latency during peer to peer transmission of high quality compressed audio streams between remotely located participants. The system provid... | 09/22/2009 |
| 7586858 | Group call management mechanism The invention relates to a method for supporting group communication between group members served by two or more controlling network elements in a communication network. The first subscriber (MS—1) in the group requests a speech item in a group c... | 09/08/2009 |
| 7586857 | Fast network SIP/SDP procedures for conference operations upon request from end user with optimization of network resources The apparatus and method are fast network SIP/SDP (Session Initiation Protocol/Session Description Protocol) procedures for conference operations upon request from end user with optimization of network resources. The apparatus has an SIP/SDP based network controller... | 09/08/2009 |
| 7580374 | Systems and methods for setting future teleconference calls Systems and methods relate to setting-up a future telephone conference between a host party and at least one participant party. The host party dials into a system and enters the meeting date/time and meeting parties' telephone numbers. At the meeting time, the syste... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7580375 | Scalable moderated audio conferencing for multicast and unicast endpoints and gateways Providing a conference call includes establishing a bidirectional first class stream for each of a set of first class endpoints. A second class stream is established for each of a set of second class endpoints. Mixed streams are generated using the bidirectional fir... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7580376 | Methods and apparatus for providing high speed connectivity to a hotel environment Methods and apparatus are described for providing access to a network via a first one of a plurality of network access nodes in the network. The network access nodes each have a network address associated therewith which is unique on the network, the first network a... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7577110 | Audio chat system based on peer-to-peer architecture A peer to peer audio communication screen in system with adaptive bandwidth control. The peer-to-peer system can be used, for example, in classroom applications. More interactive peers are moved to a position where they will receive lower latency from the peer-to-pe... | 08/18/2009 |
| 7577109 | Method and apparatus for selecting user data A method selects user data that is transmitted between a calling user and at least one called user via at least one telecommunication network before call establishing is complete. The calling user uses a called user's reception address data contained in a reply mess... | 08/18/2009 |
| 7573837 | Establishment of multicast Push-to-X over Cellular (PoC) communication A method for establishing multicast PoC communication is disclosed. To establish multicast PoC communication, a multicast-join process will be coupled with a PoC session setup process, and the PoC server will function as a multicast content server, to multicast PoC ... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7570606 | Managing a communications system by offering participants the opportunity to respond to requests submitted by other participants Participants who are in communication with a communications system can be placed in contact with one another by assigning each participant an agent profile allowing contact requests to be assigned to that participant in the capacity of an agent. One participant subm... | 08/04/2009 |
| 7564807 | Method for controlling recorded announcement and interactive voice responses in packet networks The invention relates to a method for controlling recorded announcements and interactive voice responses for calls made outside an exchange, using a packet network (PN), by means of peripheral equipment (LTG) of a switching system, which does not provide any HW-orie... | 07/21/2009 |
| 7561535 | System and method for providing dynamic call models for users as function of the user environment in an IMS network Systems and methods for providing dynamic call models for users in an IMS network. A system and method provisions dynamic call models within an IMS network having a serving call state control function (S-CSCF) for providing session control for user endpoint (UE) dev... | 07/14/2009 |
| 7558220 | Method and device for providing a communication session A method and device for providing a communication or chat session with a plurality of users, in particular for mobile radio networks according to Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) standards. A first use... | 07/07/2009 |
| 7558221 | Method and system for recording videoconference data A recording system for capturing videoconference session data is provided. The recording system includes a packet intercepting unit configured to identify packets related to the videoconference data being transmitted over a network. The packet intercepting unit is f... | 07/07/2009 |
| 7551573 | Method and system for maintaining video connectivity According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for maintaining video capability includes receiving at a device from a source a plurality of packets representative of video data. The plurality of packets include a payload and a header. The method also include... | 06/23/2009 |
| 7545758 | System and method for collaboration summarization playback A system for collaboration summarization playback includes a graphical user interface (950) for displaying summarization categories (952) associated with recording cues and clips of the multimedia conference. The categories may be arranged as a list or... | 06/09/2009 |
| 7529200 | Method and system for fast setup of group voice over IP communications A method and system for fast setup of group Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications. The method and system provide a lower VoIP signaling overhead and a faster setup-time of group calls such as N-way audio and/or audio-video conference calls. Multi-party ... | 05/05/2009 |
| 7522542 | Dial up telephone conferencing system controlled by an online computer network In a telephone conferencing system, a digital communication network such as the Internet is used to establish and control the telephone connections between multiple conferees with the telephone network being the means of exchanging verbal information. Each conferee ... | 04/21/2009 |
| 7505423 | Telephone conferencing system and method Processing separate audio input packets from each connection of a telephone conference assigns audio input packets from each connection to a sequence of output periods. Each connection is then sequenced a first time during each output period for processing any input... | 03/17/2009 |
| 7505424 | Voice conference apparatus, voice conference system and method for realizing a voice conference A voice conference apparatus consists of at least one base conference block having three or more signal ports, each including an input for a digitalized voice signal and an output for a digitalized voice signal, wherein a base conference block is configured such tha... | 03/17/2009 |
| 7499415 | System and method for preserving bandwidth in a RSVP environment A communication system includes a call agent that coordinates and supervises communications between endpoints. The call agent allocates a QoS agent for each endpoint involved in a call. The QoS agents generate reservations for the call in order to provide the call w... | 03/03/2009 |
| 7496056 | Conference connections using dynamic topology switching for IP and circuit-switched fabrics A system for call conferencing a plurality of participants is provided that includes (a) an input operable to receive, from a conference call participant A-E, at least one of (i) a selective listening request and (ii) a request to remove selective listening, wherein... | 02/24/2009 |
| 7492730 | Multi-site conferencing system and method A system and method for cascading local conferences into a multi-site conference is disclosed. The local conferences are located in different sites where each site has endpoints served by a local multipoint control unit (MCU). An invitation to a multi-site conferenc... | 02/17/2009 |
| 7492729 | Method and system for reserving resources of a multipoint conference A method for reserving conference resources includes communicating a conference notification to each of a plurality of conference invitees. The conference notification is associated with a multipoint conference. The method includes receiving, from each of a first nu... | 02/17/2009 |
| 7492728 | Call handling in a packet voice network An improved system and method is disclosed for call handling in a packet network such as a CDMA, UMTS, GSM, and other networks similarly configured. The system may include an anchor media gateway that remains in a communication path even if the call has been handed ... | 02/17/2009 |