Abstract: A multimedia interface circuit is used to connect multimedia signal sources such as a telephone to a network. The multimedia interface circuit has a telephone communication interface circuit for receiving the telephone signal from the telephone. A signal conditioner receives the signal from the telephone communication interface circuit and conditions it for use on the network. A phone environment simulator cooperates with the signal conditioner to add an artificially simulated phone environment to the signal. The signal is then sent by a network communication circuit to the network. Personal computers and video sources may also be connected by the multimedia interface circuit to the network.

Abstract: A digital video switch system comprising a smart control terminal is coupled to a digital access controller and to a multipoint control unit. The smart control terminal is provided with a plurality of function keys, each of which is designed to provide automatic interconnection of input and output ports of the digital access controller and the multipoint control unit so that a predetermined interconnection of video and audio signals from remote conferencing sites are interconnected via input/output ports of the digital access controller with each other in a desired format to provide central teleconferencing control of a plurality of sites from a central control site.