Field of the invention

The present invention relates to video conferencing and data col loborat ion , and in particular to pairing personal computers and video conferencing appliances.

Background of the invention

Video conferencing systems are now widely being used as substitutes for personal communication and meetings. Video conferencing endpoints are often fixed installations in meeting rooms, offices and other office premises.

Fixed installations limit mobility of the users. On the other hand, portable personal computers are widely being used and are often accompanying participants in video conference calls.

There is often a need for connecting computers and video conferencing endpoints, e.g. for displaying a presentation, sharing documents, or even accessing the endpoint' s user interface through the computer. The connection is usually provided by a cable, e.g. an analog screen cable. Problems related to screen settings, interoperability and connectors may then occur. Analog cable connectors are also exposed to wear and tear when frequently being connected an

disconnected .

Accessing the endpoint' s user interface or transferring calls from the computer to the endpoint is only possible if the devices are aware of each other's network identities, and there is no way for the computer and endpoint to

identify each other through a standard cable connection. Bluetooth is an open wireless protocol for exchanging data, over short distances using short length radio waves from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks (PANs) . It was originally conceived as a wireless

alternative to data cables. As Bluetooth is limited to PANs, it is not able to operate on LANs or WANs or fetch network addresses. Conventional video conference endpoints are usually not Bluetooth enabled, neither are all

computers, which may also be difficult to configure

correctly .

Hence, there is a need for a wireless method of connecting a computer to a video conference endpoint.

Summary of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and a computer readable storage medium in a computer that overcome the above-described problems.

The features defined in the independent claims enclosed characterize this method and medium.

In particular, the invention provides a method for pairing a computer with a video conference appliance, the computer being identified with a randomly generated identification token and having at least one loudspeaker connected

thereto, the video conference appliance being identified with a unique identity and having at least one microphone connected thereto, wherein both the computer and the video conference appliance are connected to a communication network, wherein the method further includes the step of generating an identification token on the computer, modulating the identification token to an audio signal, emitting ^" the audio signal from the loudspeaker, receiving the audio signal in the microphone, demodulating the audio signal to the identification token in the video conference appliance, sending at least the identification token and the unique identity to the computer, and establishing a communication session through the network from the computer to the video conference appliance enabling control of, and data transfer to, the video conference appliance from the computer .

Brief description of the drawings

In order to make the invention more readily understandable, the discussion that follows will refer to the accompanying drawing .

Figure 1 is an illustration of a pairing situation between a computer an a video conference appliance according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of the present invention

In the following, the present invention will be discussed by describing example embodiments. However, people skilled in the art will realize other applications and

modifications within the scope of the invention as defined in the enclosed independent claims.

The present invention discloses a method and a computer readable storage medium in a computer for pairing the computer and a video conferencing appliance (endpoint, terminal, client) by emitting encoded and/or modulated sound from the computer' s loudspeaker being captured by microphones of the video conferencing appliances in

proximity. The encoded/modulated sound includes a special signature recognizable for pairing compatible appliances followed by a randomly generated identification token generated by the computer. Assuming that both the computer and the nearby endpoints are connected to the same

communication network like a LAN, WLAN or WAN, video conference entities will be able to identify, be aware of and access each other.

According to one example implementation of the present invention includes a computer software client application, a server and a number of video conferencing appliances. The client application is at least able to generate a random identification token by using the underlying operating system's APIs. The client application is further adjusted to modulate and/or code the identification token in a sound which is emitted from the computer's loudspeaker. The code has a heading with a signature unique for the system or application recognizable for system compatible appliances. The client application should also have a User Interface through which a user can interact with the system. For example, when a user carrying his computer enters a meeting room with a video conferencing appliance installed, he should be able to initiate pairing with the endpoint through the User Interface. Alternatively, the application could by default regularly send out modulated/coded sound to exhibit its presence to nearby appliances. The

application must include a transmission routine being able to encode and/or modulate the identification token to audio which is possible to emit from the computer's load speaker. Many modulation techniques could be used, but the well- known Phase Skift Key (PSK) or Frequency Skift key (FSK) could be imaginable. The audio could or could not be perceivable by the human ear, but the frequencies should preferably lie within the frequency area of conventional video conferencing microphones.

An appliance compatible with the system will have a

software routine installed adjusted to continuously receive signals from a microphone connected to or integrated in the appliance. As the routine recognizes the signature sound, it starts demodulating and/or decoding the following audio using the demodulation and/or decoding technique being set for the system. The routine should also be able to sense the sound level of the audio with the recognizable

signature. Once the computer identification and sound level is provided, the computer identification token, the sound level and the appliance identification (being e.g. the IP address of the endpoint) will be tried transmitted back to the computer.

There are several ways of reaching the computer. If both the video conference appliance and the computers are connected to a relatively small LAN, the data can be broadcasted to all entities in the LAN. The video

conference appliance does then not have to be aware of which computers are registered in the system. It does not even have to be aware of the computer' s identity, as it can simply transfer the demodulated/decoded data to the entire LAN network, and the computer initiating the pairing will be listening for broadcast messages on the network, and fetching them as they appear. As such messages contain the identification token they are responses for, the software will be able to disregard responses intended for other computers. In the case of a larger LAN, a different

solution could be used. In such a case, the computer software could use IETF' s Zeroconf standard to contact a server and register its interest in such messages. Such a request could include the identification token about to be modulated/encoded, so the server can send the response only to the computer that emitted the audio signal.

When the client application installed on the computer receives the data originating from its own pairing call, the software uses the identity to contact the appliance from which the data was sent over the network, typically determines the make and model, and presents the appliance in the User Interface. If the computer receives data from more than one appliance within a limited time period, the application can use the sound level measured by the

respective appliances to sort them in a list in the User Interface. The user is then invited to select the one appliance with which he/she would like to pair his/her computer.

When the preferred appliance has been selected, the

application establishes a communication session between the computer and the appliance, e.g. through a well-defined protocol run over TCP/IP. The appliance can then be

controlled by the application from the computer e.g. at the same level as a conventional remote control. Control functions such as placing a call, adjusting volume, camera control are obvious features that should be available through the User Interface.

As an alternative to a direct communication session between the computer and the appliance, the computer could also get access to the appliance through an existing video

conferencing management programs/suits by installing a proxy application on a server. The proxy application should able to receive and parse instructions from the client application translate them to instructions compliant with the video conference management program, and act and respond accordingly. Video conferencing managing programs typically have access to and are able to control most telecommunication units and network resources within a corporation and an up to date phone book. The initial pairing communication as discussed above should then also totally or partly run via the video conference management server. In present example, when an appliance receives an audio signal recognizable as a pairing sound, it would always send the perceived sound level and the following identification to the video conferencing management server, and leave it to the server to relay the information to the right computer and manage the following provision of access to the appliance from the computer. This could be a

reasonable implementation because video conference management programs already have indicated features for managing registered appliances and providing access to controlling them remotely.

Also important in the setting of a personal computer being paired with a video conference appliance is the possibility of displaying presentations, documents and other files and screen contents stored in the computer on the appliance and for other participants in a conference in which the

appliance participates. The content could e.g. be sent from the computer over the communication session as screen shots appearing at the appliance and in the conference as a presentat ion .