Videoconferencing bandwidth management for a handheld computer system and method

Abstract

Methods of establishing communication sessions from multiple mobile devices as well as managing available conferencing bandwidths is disclosed. One of the methods disclosed includes establishing a communication session between mobile devices and a group of conferencing servers. The method also includes checking the load of each server. Further, the method includes determining whether the load of each server is above a predetermined threshold. Further still, the method includes routing subsequent mobile devices to communicate through specified conferencing servers selected from the group of conferencing servers if the load of particular servers is above a predetermined threshold.

1 - 46 . (canceled)  
     
     
         47 . A method of utilizing a mobile computing device in a videoconferencing session between a user of a mobile computing device and a plurality of participants, the participants utilizing a plurality of computing devices, the method comprising: 
 establishing the videoconferencing session through a server;    receiving video images of the plurality of participants at the mobile computing device;    presenting a video display of the video images of the plurality of participants on a video display of the mobile computing device, wherein the video images of the plurality of participants are displayed simultaneously; and    displaying additional data simultaneously with the video images of the plurality of participants.    
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the server is selected from a plurality of available servers based upon the load of the selected server being below a predetermined threshold.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein each of the plurality of computing devices and the mobile computing device is coupled to a camera for capturing and communicating video.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the additional data includes at least one of a word processing document and a presentation slide.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the mobile computing device is a handheld computing device.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising displaying a video image of the user of the computing device on the video display with the video images of the plurality of participants.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising: 
 monitoring the available bandwidth for the server during the communication session; and    selectively issuing camera shutdown signals to the computing devices during the communication session based upon the available bandwidth of the server and whether a participant using a computing device is currently speaking.    
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising receiving a text message from at least one of the plurality of computing devices and displaying the text message with the video images of the plurality of participants on the mobile computing device.  
     
     
         55 . A method of utilizing a mobile computing device in a wireless videoconferencing session between a mobile computing device and a plurality of computing devices, comprising: 
 establishing the wireless videoconferencing communication session;    receiving video at the mobile computing device;    presenting the video on a display in the mobile computing device; and    providing a text message with the video to be displayed on the mobile computing device.    
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the wireless videoconferencing session is established over a fixed communications network.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the mobile computing device and each of the plurality of communication devices are coupled to a camera for capturing and communicating video.  
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the mobile computing device is a handheld computing device.  
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 55 , further comprising communicating video from the mobile computing device to at least one of the computing devices.  
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59 , further comprising communicating a text message from the mobile computing device to the at least one computing device while communicating video to the at least one computing device.  
     
     
         61 . A method for establishing a communication session using a mobile computing device, comprising: 
 identifying a first wireless network, the first wireless network utilizing a cellular telephone communications protocol;    identifying a second wireless network, the second wireless network utilizing an IEEE 802.11 communications protocol;    selecting one of the first and second wireless networks to initiate a wireless communication session, the selected wireless network being selected based upon at least one criteria; and    initiating the wireless communication session through the selected wireless network using the mobile computing device.    
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the at least one criteria is the available bandwidth of a server associated with at least one of the first and second wireless networks.  
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the mobile computing device is a handheld computing device.  
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the wireless communications session is established with a plurality of computing devices.  
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the mobile computing device comprises a camera.  
     
     
         66 . The method of claims  61 , further comprising: 
 receiving video signals at the mobile computing device during the wireless communication session.