Virtual room videoconferencing system

• US 20030037109A1
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Newman, Harvey B., Galvez, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US09/839,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20030037109A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827

Abstract

The present invention provides a virtual room videoconferencing system (VRVS). According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, one or more virtual conference rooms are implemented by creating dedicated pathways between the users of the conference room. The pathways are configured to connect each of the users of the virtual conference room. According to one embodiment of the present invention each member of a virtual conference room makes a connection between their computing device and a reflector. The reflector in turn connects to one or more other reflectors via one or more tunnels. A tunnel is a permanent connection between reflectors. When a user wishes to join a virtual conference, they choose the appropriate room, which in turn causes the system to locate the ideal reflector for that user. Once the reflector is chosen, all information is passed from the user to all other members of the virtual conference room by sending packets of information from the user, to the reflector, and across one or more tunnels so that the packets are broadcast to each reflector where a member of the virtual conference room is connected and may receive the broadcasted packets.

Claims

1. A virtual room videoconferencing system comprising:

a first and second computing device;

a first reflector connected to said first and second computing devices;

a tunnel connecting said first reflector to a second reflector, and

a third computing device connected to said second reflector.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a packet wherein said packet travels from said third computing device, to said second reflector, across said tunnel to said first reflector, and to said first and second computing devices.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said packet carries an audio signal.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said packet carries a video signal.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said video signal is compressed in an MPEG 2 format.

6. The system of claim 2 further comprising:

a user interface.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said user interface is in a web browser.

8. The system of claim 3 further comprising:

one or more additional packets carrying audio signals to said first and second computing devices; and

an algorithm configured to determine a single packet from said packet and said one or more additional packets wherein said single packet has a largest audio magnitude.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a shared desktop configured to be accesses by at least said first, said second, and said third computing devices.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said computing devices are Mbone clients or H.323 clients.

9. A virtual room videoconferencing system comprising:

a first and second computing device;

a first encoder/decoder box connected to said first and second computing devices;

a first reflector connected to said first encoder/decoder box;

a tunnel connecting said first reflector to a second reflector,

a second encoder/decoder box connected to said second reflector, and

a third computing device connected to said second reflector.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a packet wherein said packet travels from said third computing device, through said first encoder/decoder box, to said second reflector, across said tunnel to said first reflector, through said first encoder/decoder box, and to said first and second computing devices.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said packet carries streaming video.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said streaming video is used with a video player.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said video player is a Quicktime player.

16. A method for providing virtual room comprising:

connecting a first and second computing device to a first reflector,

connecting a tunnel to said first reflector and to a second reflector, and

connecting a third computing device to said second reflector.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

sending a packet from said third computing device, to said second reflector, across said tunnel to said first reflector, and to said first and second computing devices.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said packet carries an audio signal.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said packet carries a video signal.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said video signal is compressed in an MPEG 2 format.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

a user interface.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said user interface is in a web browser.

23. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

carrying audio signals to said first and second computing devices by one or more additional packets; and

determining a single packet from said packet and said one or more additional packets wherein said single packet has a largest audio magnitude.

29. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

accessing a shared desktop with at least said first, said second, and said third computing devices.

30. The method of claim 16 wherein said computing devices are Mbone or H.323 clients.

24. A method for providing virtual room comprising:

connecting a first and second computing device to a first encoder/decoder box;

connecting a first reflector to said first encoder/decoder box;

connecting a tunnel from said first reflector to a second reflector,

connecting a second encoder/decoder box to said second reflector, and

connecting a third computing device to said second reflector.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

sending a packet from said third computing device, through said first encoder/decoder box, to said second reflector, across said tunnel to said first reflector, through said first encoder/decoder box, and to said first and second computing devices.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said packet carries streaming video.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said streaming video is used with a video player.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said video player is a Quicktime player.