Intelligent switching system for voice and data

Abstract

A teleconferencing system for voice and data provides interconnections among user sites via a central station. User stations at user sites each alternate operation between a data mode connecting a user computer and modem to a user telephone communication path and a voice mode connecting a telephony circuit to the communication path. The teleconferencing system is adapted for conducting a voice conference over standard telephone lines while allowing simultaneous viewing of data objects such as slides, graphs, or text. A host computer connected to the central station serves as a central repository for storage and retrieval of data objects for use in teleconferences.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A conferencing system comprising:
 a central processing unit (CPU);   a memory coupled to said CPU; and   a computer-readable, tangible storage device coupled to said CPU, said storage device containing instructions that when carried out by said CPU via said memory implement a method of conferencing, said method comprising:
 interconnecting a plurality of computers to a conference; 
 receiving a data object from a computer included in the plurality of computers to the conference; 
 disseminating the data object to one or more computers included in the plurality of computers to the conference; 
 providing an audio and video data to the one or more other computers included in the plurality of computers to the conference; and 
 providing instructions to the one or more other computers included in the plurality of computers for retrieving the disseminated data object, receiving the provided video data and displaying the data object and the provided video data.