Patent ID: 7185054

Claim:
A teleconferencing system for conducting a teleconference among a plurality of participants comprising: (a) a plurality of video display devices each having associated (i) participant video capture capabilities, and (ii) participant audio (1) capture and (2) reproduction capabilities; and (b) at least one communication path (i) along which signals (1) representing participant audio and video (ii) can be transmitted, (c) a graphical rolodex displayed on a participant's video display device and including a scrollable listing of entries of video-enabled potential participants; and (d) a quick dial list, listing icons representing video-enabled potential participants copied from the graphical rolodex, wherein the system is configured to allow an initiating participant to (i) initiate collaboration by selecting at least one participant listed in at least one of the graphical rolodex and quick dial list, and (ii) automatically establishing one of a plurality of communication types, with a selected participants upon a communication type being selected or by default when the participant is selected.