Multi-channel media streaming and distribution system and associated methods

• US 20040003044A1
• Filed: 06/26/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Teoh, Gary Chee Wooi, Chang, Kok Kuan
• Application Number:
  US10/184,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20040003044A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• 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 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4046 with distributed floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation

Abstract

A multi-channel media streaming and distribution system and associated methods is introduced.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a first media streaming and distribution channel in an electronic collaboration environment among a first group participants; and

establishing a second media streaming and distribution channel in the electronic collaboration environment among a second group of participants, wherein at least a manager of the electronic collaboration environment is a member of each of the first and the second group of participants.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the manager is only active in one group to which it is a member at a time.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic collaboration environment is an electronic classroom.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first communication channel is a broadcast channel, while the second communication channel is a full-duplex multicast channel.

5. A method according to claim 1, the elements of establishing comprising:

identifying one or more electronic collaboration environment participants for a grouping;

determining media streaming and distribution channel operating parameter(s) for the grouping; and

informing participant(s) of the grouping, and providing the participants with the operating parameters associated with the media streaming and distribution channel.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the manager establishes the participant groupings for the electronic collaboration environment.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the operating parameters include one or more of a channel identifier, participant identifier(s), duplex identifier(s), and media processing settings for the channel.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from a participant to establish a separate grouping with one or more other participants; and

selectively establishing the separate grouping.

9. A method according to claim 8, the establishing the separate grouping comprising:

determining media streaming and distribution channel operating parameter(s) for the grouping; and

informing participant(s) of the grouping, and providing the participants with the operating parameters associated with the media streaming and distribution channel.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the media streaming and distribution channel communicates audio between participants of the group.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein communicated audio content is in an MP3 format.

12. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

facilitating substantially real-time distribution of media content between participants in a group, the media content representing at least each participant'"'"'s audio participation in the collaboration environment.

13. A method according to claim 12, the facilitating element comprising:

capturing raw data at a computing appliance associated with a group participant;

selectively processing the captured data;

encapsulating the processed data to form a media packet for distribution to other participants of the group, the media packet including a channel identifier, a source identifier and the processed media data.

14. A method according to claim 13, selectively processing comprising:

filtering out data identified as noise; and

compressing the filtered data in accordance with a compression/decompression (CODEC) employed by the electronic collaboration environment.

15. A method according to claim 14, the filtering element comprising:

excluding data in which an amplitude characteristic fails to exceed one or more thresholds during a period of time.

16. A method comprising:

receiving operating parameters for media streaming and distribution channels for each of a plurality of established groups of participants in an electronic collaboration environment, each group having at least one dedicated media streaming and distribution channel;

establishing receive buffer(s) associated with each other participant on each media streaming and distribution channel for which operating parameters are received; and

receiving an indication denoting which of the plurality of groups of the electronic collaboration environment a participant is currently assigned, enabling the participant to communicate with other members of the group via the electronic collaboration environment.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the operating parameters and the indication are provided by a collaboration manager of the electronic collaboration environment.

18. A method according to claim 16, further comprising:

participating in the electronic collaboration environment using the media streaming and distribution channel of the group to which the participant is currently assigned.

19. A method according to claim 18, the participating element comprising:

capturing raw data at a computing appliance associated with a group participant;

selectively processing the captured data;

encapsulating the processed data to form a media packet for distribution to other participants of the group, the media packet including a channel identifier, a source identifier and the processed media data.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting the media packet on the media streaming and distribution channel, the media packet not specifically denoting an individual target of the media packet.

21. A method according to claim 18, the participating element comprising:

receiving data packets via the media streaming and distribution channel;

analyzing at least a subset of the received packets to identify at least a source of each packet; and

storing the received packets in a buffer associated with the source of the packet for processing and rendering for the participant.

22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

retrieving a media packet from the buffer associated with the source of the packet;

processing the retrieved packet to produce a media content of the received packet; and

mixing the media content with other content from other group participants in the electronic collaboration environment for rendering to the participant.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a storage medium including executable content; and

control logic, coupled with the storage medium, to execute at least a subset of the executable content to implement a media streaming module to establish and control multiple media streaming and distribution channels between the apparatus and select other apparatuses in an electronic collaboration environment.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23, the media streaming module comprising:

a media capture and playback module, to receive media content captured by the apparatus for processing and transmission to participants in a group of the electronic collaboration environment in which the apparatus is currently assigned.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

a filter module, responsive to the media capture and playback module, to selectively sample a subset of received media content to determine whether the sample represents noise.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the filter module identifies the sample as noise if the media content of the sample fails to exceed one or more thresholds during a sample period.

27. An apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

a packet engine, responsive to the media capture and playback module, to encapsulate the received media content in a media packet for transmission to participants assigned to a common media streaming and distribution channel, the media packet including at least a source identifier and the processed media content.

28. An apparatus according to claim 23, the media streaming module comprising:

a media capture and playback module, to receive media packets from the electronic collaboration environment on a media streaming and distribution channel associated with a group to which the apparatus is currently assigned, to process the media packet to extract media content for rendering to a user of the apparatus.

29. An apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising:

a mixer module, responsive to the media capture and playback module, to receive extracted media associated with each of a plurality of participants in the group to which the apparatus is currently assigned, and to mix the extracted media for rendering to the user of the apparatus.

30. A storage medium comprising machine executable content which, when executed by an accessing machine, causes the machine to implement a media streaming module to establish and control multiple media streaming and distribution channels between the executing machine and select other apparatuses in an electronic collaboration environment.

31. A storage medium according to claim 30, the media streaming module content including content to implement a media capture and playback module, to receive media content captured by the executing machine for processing and transmission to participants in a group of the electronic collaboration environment in which the executing machine is currently assigned.

32. A storage medium according to claim 31, the media streaming module content including content to implement a filter module, responsive to the media capture and playback module, to selectively sample a subset of received media content to determine whether the sample represents noise.

33. A storage medium according to claim 32, wherein the filter module content causes the executing machine to identify the sample as noise if the media content of the sample fails to exceed one or more thresholds during a sample period.

34. A storage medium according to claim 31, the media streaming module content including content to implement a packet engine, responsive to the media capture and playback module, to encapsulate the received media content in a media packet for transmission to participants assigned to a common media streaming and distribution channel, the media packet including at least a source identifier and the processed media content.

35. A storage medium according to claim 30, the media streaming module content including content to implement a media capture and playback module, to receive media packets from the electronic collaboration environment on a media streaming and distribution channel associated with a group to which the executing machine is currently assigned, to process the media packet to extract media content for rendering to a user of the executing machine.

36. A storage medium according to claim 30, the media streaming module content including content to implement a mixer module, responsive to the media capture and playback module, to receive extracted media associated with each of a plurality of participants in the group to which the executing machine is currently assigned, and to mix the extracted media for rendering to the user of the executing machine.