US Patent No: 4,987,492

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

User interface control for communication system

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Importance

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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 structure in a shared file accessible by all the workstations on a network. A locking file in the same shared file system prevents interference between switch request signals from different users. A user can modify the switch control signal sequence based on a switch request signal sequence by accessing a signal data structure used by the control procedure to generate the switch control signals.

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First Claim

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddressTotal Patents
XEROX CORPORATIONSTAMFORD, CT17085

International Classification(s)

  • [Classification Symbol]
  • [Patents Count]

Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Abel, Mark J 3800 E. Orchard R., Littleton, CO 80121 2 114
Goodman, George O 16770 NW. Coburg La., Beaverton, OR 97006 1 70
Harrison, Steven R Portola Valley, CA 5 255
Laursen, Jane J 16972 SW. Greentree Ave., Lake Oswego, OR 97034 1 70
Merrow, Thomas E Portland, OR 3 222
Stults, Robert A 2290 Yale St., Palo Alto, CA 94306 2 146
Trow, Jay 1924 San Ramon, Mountain View, CA 94043 1 70

Cited Art

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Patent Citation Ranking

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