Abstract:
An “Alert” tab or button is displayed on the Graphical User Interface (GUI) of a videoconference terminal when a problem is detected in the embedded system. Selecting the tab or button—e.g., with a pointing device—causes the display to switch to a diagnostic page which provides a specific indication of the problem which has occurred. In some embodiments, the diagnostic page may provide a graphical indication of the status of various sub-systems.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates to videoconferencing systems. More particularly it relates to Graphical User Interfaces used to control the operation of a video conference terminal.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Videoconferencing systems are relatively complex. They typically involve a plurality of video signals, audio signals, processors, apparatus and/or software for data compression and decompression, directional microphones, speakers, video display units, feedback-prevention circuits, cameras and connections to telecommunications networks with associated interface devices.  
         [0005]     During a videoconference, a problem in the system may require the immediate attention of the user in order for the videoconference to proceed without interruption. In the past, a system malfunction might be signaled, but the user was required to troubleshoot the problem without specific guidance from the system. The number of subsystems typically present in a videoconferencing system leaves the user with a large number of status indicators to check in order to identify a malfunctioning component. The present invention solves this problem.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     An “Alert” tab or button is displayed on the Graphical User Interface (GUI) of a videoconference terminal when a problem occurs in the embedded system. Selecting the tab or button—e.g., with a pointing device—causes the display to switch to a diagnostic page which provides a specific indication of the problem which has occurred. In some embodiments, the diagnostic page may provide a graphical indication of the status of various sub-systems. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a video conference terminal for use in a videoconferencing system.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is the main page of a graphical user interface for a videoconferencing system with an “Alert” tab displayed.  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is the system status page of a graphical user interface for a videoconferencing system showing a disconnected ISDN line.  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is a “help” page.  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  shows an ISDN configuration page. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary video conference station  100 . For simplicity, the video conference station  100  will be described as the local video conference station, although the remote video conference station may contain a similar configuration. In one embodiment, the video conference station  100  includes a display device  102 , a CPU  104 , a memory  106 , at least one video capture device  108 , an image processing engine  110 , and a communication interface  112 . Alternatively, other devices may be provided in the video conference station  100 , or not all above-named devices provided. The at least one video capture device  108  may be implemented as a charge couple device (CCD) camera, a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera, or any other type of image capture device. The at least one video capture device  108  captures images of a user, conference room, or other scenes, and sends the images to the image processing engine  110 . Typically, the image processing engine  110  processes the video image into data packets before the communication interface  112  transmits the data packets to the remote video conference station. Conversely, the image processing engine  110  also transforms received data packets from the remote video conference station into a video signal for display on the display device  102 .  
         [0013]     Videoconferencing systems may include an interface for a packet-switched network such as the IP network and/or an interface for a switched network such as the public telephone system. Due to the bandwidth required, a videoconference connection over the telephone system frequently involves one or more ISDN lines. ISDN PRI and ISDN BRI lines differ in the number of channels involved. The network interface may comprise a gatekeeper, time server, Global Address Book (GAB) server, and/or a Global management (GM) server. A gatekeeper functions as a call manager or multi-point control unit. If an IP connection is lost, all of the foregoing may be lost.  
         [0014]     The type of problem which may cause a system status alert may be a “local problem”—i.e., a problem which prevents the near-end system from communicating with, for example, the ISDN card or the gatekeeper. When such a problem is detected by the system, the ALERT tab or button may be displayed on the MAIN screen. User selection of the ALERT tab or button with, for example, the local system&#39;s remote control, causes-the local system to display the SYSTEM STATUS page on the system&#39;s display device which may be, for example, a television monitor.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  depicts an example of the MAIN page  10  of one particular videoconferencing system. The page includes data entry area  12  which may be used, for example, to enter the telephone number of a remote videoconferencing unit to be called. “Tab” or virtual “button” (hereinafter “tab”)  14  may be selected by the user in order to display a telephone directory of remote videoconferencing systems. Tab  16  may be selected by the user to display a list of recently-made calls thereby winnowing the number of displayed phone numbers to those frequently used.  
         [0016]     Selection of a tab may be made in any of the ways known in the art for selecting “hot areas” on a video display screen which acts an output device for a processor-based system. By way of example, appointing device such as a mouse or light pen may be used. Touch screens are another suitable input selection means, as are infrared or radio-based remote control devices.  
         [0017]     MAIN screen  10  also includes video window  18  which may display the video signal from either the “near” or “far” end of the videoconference. In the particular example illustrated in  FIG. 2 , video window  18  contains a footer which displays the user&#39;s IP address and ISDN telephone line number.  
         [0018]     Tab  20  is the SYSTEM tab which may be selected by the user to access certain administrative functions. In some embodiments, these administrative functions may be password protected.  
         [0019]     Also shown in  FIG. 2  is ALERT tab  22  which may appear on MAIN screen  10  when a problem in the embedded system is detected. As shown in the example of  FIG. 2 , ALERT tab  22  is highlighted (by, in the illustrated example, a change in the background color of the tab).  
         [0020]     Selection of ALERT tab  22  by the user causes the display to change to a page which indicates the particular item(s) causing the fault condition. In the illustrated embodiment, the page used for this function is SYSTEM STATUS page  30 . An example of a SYSTEM STATUS page is illustrated in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0021]     Various subsystems may be shown on the SYSTEM STATUS page such as:  
         [0022]     Auto-Answer Point to Point mode indicator  31 ; Remote Control Battery  32 ; Microphones  33 ; “Visual Concert” subsystem  34  which, in the particular embodiment illustrated, is used for notebook computer and projected displays; Timer Server  35 ; Global Directories availability  36 ; IP Network  37 ; Gatekeeper  38 ; and, ISDN BRI Slot  1 . In some embodiments, the SYSTEM STATUS page may be available on the World Wide Web if the videoconference is using an IP connection. In this way, a remote diagnosis of a problem may be effected.  
         [0023]     Associated with each displayed subsystem is a status indicator. For example Auto-Answer Point to Point mode  31  has associated indicator  42  which, in the illustrated example, is a rectangular status indicator which is indicative of a mode which does not affect the particular videoconference in progress—i.e., although not active or selected, the mode is not a system fault.  
         [0024]     Subsystems  32  through  38 , inclusive, have associated status indicators which are upwardly pointing arrows  44  in the illustrated example. An up arrow indicates a fully functional or “normal” state.  
         [0025]     As seen in  FIG. 3 , ISDN BRI Slot  1  indicator  39  has four associated downwardly pointing arrows  46  numbered  1  through  4 . Down arrow  1  has flag color  48  which may be used to indicate a problem or fault on ISDN line number  1 —for example, the line may have been disconnected. The standard background color of lines  2  through  4  indicates that no particular problem has been detected, but the down arrow  46  indication may be used to show that these lines have not been selected for use in the particular videoconference being conducted.  
         [0026]     Subsystem indicator  39  is shown with highlight  52  which may be used to indicate selection by the user. In some embodiments, initial highlighting of a subsystem having a fault condition may be performed by the system. The user may defer to the system&#39;s selection or may choose to select a different subsystem for further information.  
         [0027]     Activation of the selection may, in some embodiments, be used to access a “help” screen containing more detailed information on the particular subsystem selected. An example of a help screen for the ISDN BRI Slot  1  of a particular videoconferencing system is illustrated in  FIG. 4  as screen  60 .  
         [0028]     More detailed information on the selected subsystem may be made available on such a “help” screen. In the illustrated example, the display includes: interface identifier  61 ; data transmission rate indicator  62 ; protocol status indicator  63 ; line  1  status indicator  64 ; line  2  status indicator  65 ; line  3  status indicator  66 ; and, line  4  status indicator  67 .  
         [0029]     In the example illustrated in  FIG. 4 , it can be seen that ISDN line  1  is down ( 63 ); lines  2 , 3 , and  4  are disabled ( 64 ,  65 ,  66 ); no communications protocol is detected ( 63 ) (inasmuch as the only communications line is down); and the data rate is down to zero ( 62 ). The user may return to the previous screen by selecting the OK button  68 .  
         [0030]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , there is shown a representative example of ISDN line configuration screen  70 . In some embodiments, this screen may be accessed by a CONFIG button or tab (not shown) on the “help” screen. The selected country is shown in country selection indicator  71  and the associated country code may be displayed in country code indicator field  72 . Line  73  contains data entry fields for area codes and telephone numbers. Associated with each line is line selection indicator  74  which may be toggled by the user. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , an enabled line is indicated with a check mark in the rightmost column on the screen. For the convenience of the user, all data entry fields may be cleared by selecting “clear” button  75 .  
         [0031]     While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this present invention.