Patent · US Expired

User interface control for communication system

US4987492A · kind A · utility

73Cited by
13References
18Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 28, 1987
Grant dateJan 22, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 28, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M3/567
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Switch connections in a communication network are represented and displayed to a user, enabling the user to provide switch request signals based on the state of the connections. The representation is presented on the display of a workstation, and the user provides a sequence of switch request signals with the workstation's keyboard and mouse. A control procedure executed by the workstation generates a sequence of switch control signals based on the switch request signals. The switch control signals are provided to a switching server that converts them into commands to a switch that, in turn, switches connections between communication devices, such as cameras, monitors and microphones. These devices are positioned in groups, each group with one of the workstations. The representation may include a separate display feature representing each group, each group's display feature being at a separate location. Connections may be represented by lines between the groups that are connected. The control procedure also provides data so that the representation shows the current connections, including update data when connections are switched. This update data is based on a connection data struc…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.