A thin multimedia communication device and method

摘要

A communication system comprises endpoint devices, each of which has one or more audio transducers 23 -26 and a touch screen 29, 31. The devices are connected by a network providing non-dedicated communication paths to servers. An application is resident in each of the servers and has the ability to affect the image displayed on at least part of the screen 29. The servers performs signaling for controlling an audio connection between the devices. The touch screens 29, 31 are interactive and are able to initiate the audio connection. The application allows the screen 29 or each screen of the devices participating in the audio connection to display the path of consecutive measured positions of a pointer 30 on the screen 29 from one or more of the connected devices. The screen 29 is able to display an image supplied by a remote server or other apparatus after the audio connection has been initiated. This can be used with broadband telephony.