Multi-media conferencing system

1. A multi-media conferencing system for conducting an electronic meeting for meeting participants including at least one meeting presenter and a plurality of attendees through a plurality of computer stations interconnected by a communication network, comprising:

a conference server, coupled to the communication network and configured to receive from the presenter prior to the meeting a plurality of different conference material files, including a plurality of different types of information resources;

a presenter computer station, coupled to the conference server via the communication network, configured to present a presenter conference display;

a plurality of attendee computer stations, each coupled to the conference server via the communication network, configured to present an attendee conference display;

a reporting system configured to maintain a record of the meeting, in which the record of the meeting includes: an identity of each meeting participant, a length of the meeting,

means for presenting on a presenter display a map showing a physical location of each of the participants;

means for receiving an indication from the presenter that allows the attendees to access at least one information resource during a presenter-defined portion of the meeting:

means for presenting at least one quiz on each attendee conference display, receiving responses from each attendee to the quiz and displaying results of the quiz on the presenter display in real time; and

means for presenting on each attendee conference display an item requiring a response from the attendee within a predetermined time and disconnecting any attendee from the meeting who fails to generate the response within the predetermined time,

each attendee conference display including at least a first presenter-controlled sector, a second presenter-controlled sector and an attendee-controlled sector,

the first presenter-controlled sector and the second presenter-controlled sector of each of the plurality of attendee computer stations each displaying a different set of information simultaneously under control of the presenter so that identical content is presented in each presenter-controlled sector of each of the plurality of attendee computer stations simultaneously,

each attendee computer station configured to permit a corresponding attendee individually to select content in the attendee-controlled sector selected from a plurality of different content options selected from the plurality of different conference material files and to manipulate the selected content individually.

2. The multi-media conferencing system of claim 1 , further comprising a conference recorder, coupled to the conference server, that is configured to record the meeting so as to record each of the information resources displayed during the meeting on a central server and to allow play back of the meeting after conclusion of the meeting.

3. The multi-media conferencing system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a. means for presenting a whiteboard on each attendee conference display; and

b. means for screen casting electronic information on the whiteboard, the electronic information including information selected from a group consisting of: a photograph, a video, an audio clip, a text document, and combinations thereof.

4. The multi-media conferencing system of claim 1 , wherein the reporting system records information including: the name of each of the attendees, how long they are in a meeting, how many times they leave the meeting, when they come & go, all activities done during the session, performance and test results both after the fact and in real time.

5. The multi-media conferencing system of claim 1 , further comprising means for assigning at least two subsets of the plurality of attendee computer stations to a corresponding plurality of breakout sessions, in which attendees assigned to one breakout session can interact only other attendees to that one breakout session.

6. The multi-media conferencing system of claim 5 , further comprising means for ending the plurality of breakouts sessions at the end of a predetermined amount of time.

7. The multi-media conferencing system of claim 5 , further comprising means for ending the plurality of breakouts sessions in response to a input from the presenter computer station.

8. The multi-media conferencing system of claim 5 , further comprising means for recording activity occurring during each of the plurality of breakout sessions.

9. The multi-media conferencing system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first presenter-controlled sector and the second presenter-controlled sector displays a real time video stream.

10. The multi-media conferencing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different types of information resources are selected from a group of information resources consisting of: three dimensional models, text documents, graphical images, photos, spreadsheets and combinations thereof.

11. The multi-media conferencing system of claim 1 , wherein each attendee conference display further includes a second attendee-controlled sector.

12. A method of conducting an electronic meeting for a plurality of meeting participants including at least one meeting presenter and a plurality of attendees through a plurality of computer stations interconnected by a communication network, comprising the steps of:

uploading to a conference server that is coupled to the communication network a plurality of different conference material files, including a plurality of different types of information resources, prior to the electronic meeting;

displaying an attendee conference display on each of a plurality of attendee computer stations so that each attendee conference display includes at least a first presenter-controlled sector and a second presenter-controlled sector;

displaying in two presenter-controlled sectors of each of a plurality of attendee computer stations at least two different sets of information simultaneously under control of the presenter so that identical content is presented in each presenter-controlled sector of each of the plurality of attendee computer stations simultaneously;

displaying in an attendee-controlled sector of each of a plurality of attendee computer stations content selected by an attendee;

permitting each attendee individually to select content in the attendee-controlled sector selected from a plurality of different content options and to manipulate the selected content individually, so that each attendee views content in the attendee-controlled sector independently of each other attendee;

presenting on a presenter display a map showing a physical location of each of the participants;

recording the meeting so as to record each of the information resources displayed during the meeting so as to allow play back of the meeting by one of the attendees after conclusion of the meeting;

receiving an indication from the presenter that allows the attendees to access at least one information resource during a presenter-defined portion of the meeting;

presenting at least one quiz on each attendee conference display, receiving responses from each attendee to the quiz and displaying results of the quiz on the presenter display in real time;

presenting on each attendee conference display an item requiring a response from the attendee within a predetermined time and disconnecting any attendee from the meeting who fails to generate the response within the predetermined time; and

maintaining a log indicating activity of each attendee, including: the name of each of the attendees, how long they are in a meeting, how many times they leave the meeting, when they come & go, all activities done during the session, performance and test results both after the fact and in real time.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the steps of

a. presenting a whiteboard on each attendee conference display; and

b. screen casting electronic information on the whiteboard, the electronic information including information selected from a group consisting of: a photograph, a video, an audio clip, a text document, and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of assigning at least two subsets of the plurality of attendee computer stations to a corresponding plurality of breakout sessions, in which attendees assigned to one breakout session can interact only other attendees to that one breakout session.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of ending the plurality of breakouts sessions at the end of a predetermined amount of time.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of ending the plurality of breakouts sessions in response to a input from the presenter computer station.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of recording activity occurring during each of the plurality of breakout sessions.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first presenter-controlled sector and the second presenter-controlled sector displays a real time video stream.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of different types of information resources are selected from a group of information resources consisting of: three dimensional models, text documents, graphical images, photos, spreadsheets and combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein each attendee conference display further includes a second attendee-controlled sector.