Andrew D Poole

US Patent:

56153384, Mar 25, 1997

Filed:

May 24, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/449727

Inventors:

Andrew D. Poole - Carlsbad CA
Gernot M. Engel - Del Mar CA

Assignee:

Titan Information Systems Corporation - San Diego CA

International Classification:

G06F 1300

US Classification:

39520004

Abstract:

In a video conferencing system including stations at a plurality of different sites, and in which system first and second video channels are simultaneously displayed at each site station on a picture-in-picture video monitor, a site controller causes a video decoder at the site to decode either a video signal generated at the site or a video signal received from another site via the first video channel. The site controller also responds to a channel assignment signal generated by a system controller by assigning the first video channel to either a first predetermined broadcast frequency or to a second predetermined broadcast frequency and by assigning a second video channel carrying a video signal received from another site to the other of the first and second predetermined broadcast frequencies. The system controller processes channel allocation request signals from the different sites to generate the channel assignment signals for the plurality of sites in accordance with a predetermined priority among the various sites with respect to assignment of the first video channel and the second video channel.