Patent ID: 9386271
Filing Date: 2016-07-05
CPC Classification: G09B,H04N

Claim Text:
1. An e-learning system comprising: a local classroom comprising a fixed local student station, including a local student microphone, and a fixed instructor station, including an instructor microphone, such that local students at the local student station and an instructor at the instructor station face each other directly along a first viewing line; a first remote classroom having a fixed first remote student station, including a first remote student microphone, and a first instructor display, including a first instructor audio speaker, such that first remote students and the instructor display face each other directly along a second viewing line; a first planar display in the local classroom, positioned at an angle to the first viewing line, visible only to the instructor at the instructor station and dedicated to views of the first remote students for the instructor; a second planar display in the local classroom, positioned at an angle to the first viewing line, visible only to the local students at the local student station and dedicated to views of the first remote students at the remote student station; a first planar electronic whiteboard and at least one first planar electronic presentation board behind the instructor station in the local classroom, each with its respective plane orthogonal to the first viewing line; a third planar display in the first remote classroom, positioned at an angle to the second viewing line, oriented toward the first remote students and dedicated to views of the local students at the local student station; a plurality of video cameras in the local and first remote classrooms, individual ones of the video cameras positioned and focused to capture video of the instructor, the local students and the first remote students straight on, and others ones of the video cameras positioned and focused to capture video of the instructor, the local students and the first remote students at angles other than straight on; first connection apparatus at the local classroom connecting electronic elements of the local classroom to a network; second connection apparatus at the first remote classroom connecting electronic elements of the first remote classroom to the network; and a server having a processor executing coded instructions from a non-transitory physical medium, the server connected through the network to the first and second connection apparatus; wherein the server monitors video streams captured by the video cameras for gestures by the instructor or students, monitors audio signals captured by the microphones for key words or phrases, places the system in individual ones of exclusive states based upon one or more of pre-programmed rules, the gestures by the instructor or students, or the key words or phrases, and switches audio and video in each one of the exclusive states to the speakers and displays in a manner that video and audio of the instructor, the local students and the first remote students, as seen and heard either directly or via speakers and displays by each of the instructor, the local students and the remote students presents to each as though all are interacting in the same room.