Abstract: Conferencing methods and systems are disclosed wherein tags are associated with conferencing endpoints. The tags provide information enabling a decision-making entity to determine the preferability of one or more processing aspects of the endpoints. In a multipoint conference a tag can allow a decision making entity such as an MCU to determine the most appropriate mode for rendering video or other signals sent from a tagged endpoint. The tag itself can indicate the most appropriate mode or can contain information from which the decision-making entity can determine the most appropriate mode using an algorithm. A tag can be associated with an endpoint manually, for example based on a user's or controller's inputs concerning the endpoint. Alternatively, the tag can be assigned automatically based on automatically sensing one or more conditions at an endpoint or analyzing one or more parameters of a data stream transmitted from the endpoint.

Abstract: An image processing system processes images such that a proportion of area of regions of interest within the image can be increased at the expense of regions of lesser interest. First, regions of interest, such as portions of the image including participants, are determined. Then compressible background regions are determined and compressed. This results in the proportion of the area of the regions of interest to increase. After the image is stored or transmitted, the regions of interest can be seen more clearly both because they are larger and because any loss of detail caused by down-sampling or lossy image compression needed to limit the amount of image information is reduced due to the smaller image size. The process also preserves more of the relative spatial relationship between various regions of interest than prior methods.

Abstract: A communication system automatically mutes a microphone in response to a key event detected from a coupled keyboard to prevent delivery of noise generated by the keyboard to a far end of the communication session. A timer is initiated for a time period when the key event occurs, and the microphone remains muted for the time period of the timer. The timer may be restarted to maintain the microphone mute in response to a subsequent key event detected while the timer is running. If the timer expires before a subsequent key event is detected, the microphone can be restored to its previous state (usually un-muted). The system can be applied to a computer coupled to the keyboard and a microphone and having a communication application operating on the computer. Alternatively, the system can be applied to a computer coupled to the keyboard and coupled to an external conferencing unit having a communication application.

Abstract: An image processing system processes images such that a proportion of area of regions of interest within the image can be increased at the expense of regions of lesser interest. First, regions of interest, such as portions of the image including participants, are determined. Then compressible background regions are determined and compressed. This results in the proportion of the area of the regions of interest to increase. After the image is stored or transmitted, the regions of interest can be seen more clearly both because they are larger and because any loss of detail caused by down-sampling or lossy image compression needed to limit the amount of image information is reduced due to the smaller image size. The process also preserves more of the relative spatial relationship between various regions of interest than prior methods.

Abstract: Conferencing methods and systems are disclosed wherein tags are associated with conferencing endpoints. The tags provide information enabling a decision-making entity to determine the preferability of one or more processing aspects of the endpoints. In a multipoint conference a tag can allow a decision making entity such as an MCU to determine the most appropriate mode for rendering video or other signals sent from a tagged endpoint. The tag itself can indicate the most appropriate mode or can contain information from which the decision-making entity can determine the most appropriate mode using an algorithm. A tag can be associated with an endpoint manually, for example based on a user's or controller's inputs concerning the endpoint. Alternatively, the tag can be assigned automatically based on automatically sensing one or more conditions at an endpoint or analyzing one or more parameters of a data stream transmitted from the endpoint.

Abstract: Conferencing methods and systems are disclosed wherein tags are associated with conferencing endpoints. The tags provide information enabling a decision-making entity to determine the preferability of one or more processing aspects of the endpoints. In a multipoint conference a tag can allow a decision making entity such as an MCU to determine the most appropriate mode for rendering video or other signals sent from a tagged endpoint. The tag itself can indicate the most appropriate mode or can contain information from which the decision-making entity can determine the most appropriate mode using an algorithm. A tag can be associated with an endpoint manually, for example based on a user's or controller's inputs concerning the endpoint. Alternatively, the tag can be assigned automatically based on automatically sensing one or more conditions at an endpoint or analyzing one or more parameters of a data stream transmitted from the endpoint.

Abstract: Conferencing methods and systems are disclosed wherein tags are associated with conferencing endpoints. The tags provide information enabling a decision-making entity to determine the preferability of one or more processing aspects of the endpoints. In a multipoint conference a tag can allow a decision making entity such as an MCU to determine the most appropriate mode for rendering video or other signals sent from a tagged endpoint. The tag itself can indicate the most appropriate mode or can contain information from which the decision-making entity can determine the most appropriate mode using an algorithm. A tag can be associated with an endpoint manually, for example based on a user's or controller's inputs concerning the endpoint. Alternatively, the tag can be assigned automatically based on automatically sensing one or more conditions at an endpoint or analyzing one or more parameters of a data stream transmitted from the endpoint.

Abstract: A communication system automatically mutes a microphone in response to a key event detected from a coupled keyboard to prevent delivery of noise generated by the keyboard to a far end of the communication session. A timer is initiated for a time period when the key event occurs, and the microphone remains muted for the time period of the timer. The timer may be restarted to maintain the microphone mute in response to a subsequent key event detected while the timer is running. If the timer expires before a subsequent key event is detected, the microphone can be restored to its previous state (usually un-muted). The system can be applied to a computer coupled to the keyboard and a microphone and having a communication application operating on the computer. Alternatively, the system can be applied to a computer coupled to the keyboard and coupled to an external conferencing unit having a communication application.