Audio/video-conferencing using content based messaging

• US 20050068905A1
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ruggaber, Rainer, Dorner, Elmar
• Granted Patent: US 7,417,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A content based messaging audio and video conferencing system provides a messaging infrastructure for multimedia and collaborative applications. The audio/video conferencing system may be implemented using a publish/subscribe infrastructure, such as a content-based messaging (CBM) infrastructure and system. Conference participants may exchange audio and/or video data streams using the CBM system. A list of contacts displays the current status of users. For example, the status of a user may be offline, online, and in a conference. The conference system uses the publish/subscribe infrastructure to provide instant state changes in the contact list using published updates to generate state messages for those users subscribing to contacts using the conference system.

Claims

14. A content based messaging network for conducting a conference between two or more participants comprising:

an interface to receive subscriptions to a conference data stream corresponding to the conference and to receive publishing conference data messages corresponding to the conference;

a processor to compute the subscriptions, to generate messages including the conference data stream, and to send the messages to client devices corresponding to the computed subscriptions; and

an output to deliver the messages.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the messages include one of video data, audio data, or a combination of video and audio data.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising two or more client devices configured to generate the subscriptions and to receive the conference messages and present the messages to an associated user.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein each client device is configured to assemble the received messages into streaming video data and to present the streaming video data to the user.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein each client device is configured to assemble the received messages into streaming audio data and to present the streaming audio data to the user.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein each client device is configured to assemble the received messages into streaming audio and video data and to present the streaming audio and video data to the user.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein each client device is configured to convert the received messages from a real time transport protocol to a format required by the Java Media Framework (JMF) to present streaming audio and video data to the user.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein each client device is configured to receive an invitation to join the conference and to subscribe to a conference data stream of a content based messaging (CBM) network associated with each conference participant.

22-1. The device of claim 23 wherein the user interface is configured to present messages including video data.

23. A device for conducting a conference comprising:

an interface to receive messages including a conference data stream from a CBM network;

a processor to subscribe to the conference data stream received from the content based messaging (CBM) and to process the messages for presentation to a user; and

a user interface to present the processed messages.

1. A method of conducting a conference comprising:

subscribing to a conference data stream of a content based messaging (CBM) network;

publishing conference data messages;

receiving messages including the conference data stream corresponding to the subscription from the CBM network; and

presenting the messages to a user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the messages to the user includes presenting video data to the user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the messages to the user includes presenting audio data to the user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the messages to the user includes presenting audio and video data to the user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the messages to the user further comprises assembling the received messages into streaming video data and presenting the streaming video data to the user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the messages to the user further comprises assembling the received messages into streaming audio data and presenting the streaming audio data to the user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting messages to the user further comprises assembling the received messages into streaming audio and video data and presenting the streaming audio and video data to the user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the messages to the user further comprises converting received messages from a real time transport protocol to a format required by the Java Media Framework (JMF) to present streaming audio and/or video data to the user.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating a conference by inviting a participant connected to the CBM network to join the conference.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating a conference by inviting one or more participants connected to the CBM network to join the conference and subscribing to a conference data stream of a content based messaging CBM network associated with each participant.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein initiating a conference by inviting one or more participants connected to the CBM network to join the conference further comprises selecting the one or more participants from a contact list of identifiers associated with each participant.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising subscribing to a status of each conference participant and presenting the status to the user.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising publishing a status of the user to the CBM network.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the interface is configured to receive subscriptions to a status of each conference participant and the processor is configured to receive published status information and to generate status messages based on the received subscriptions.

24. The device of claim 23 wherein the user interface is configured to present messages including audio data to the user.

25. The device of claim 23 wherein the user interface is configured to present messages including audio and video data to the user.

26. The device of claim 23 wherein the processor is configured to assemble the received messages into streaming video data for presentation to the user.

27. The device of claim 23 wherein the processor is configured to assemble the received messages into streaming audio data and the user interface is configured to present the streaming audio data to the user.

28. The device of claim 23 wherein the processor is configured to assemble the received messages into streaming audio and video data and the user interface is configured to present the streaming audio and video data to the user.

29. The device of claim 23 wherein the processor is configured to convert received messages from a real time transport protocol to a format required by the Java Media Framework (JMF) to present streaming audio and/or video data to the user.

30. The device of claim 23 wherein the processor is configured to publish messages associated with the conference to the CBM network.

31. A computer program product comprising instructions to cause a processor to:

subscribe to a conference data stream of a content based messaging (CBM) network;

publish conference data messages; and

process the conference data stream corresponding to the subscription from the CBM network for presentation to a user.

32. The computer program product of claim 31 wherein the instructions to process the messages include instructions to process video or audio data.

33. The computer program product of claim 31 further comprising instructions to assemble the received messages into streaming video data for presentation to the user.

34. The computer program product of claim 31 further comprising instructions to assemble the received messages into streaming audio data for presentation to the user.

35. The computer program product of claim 31 further comprising instructions to assemble the received messages into streaming audio and video data for presentation to the user.

36. The computer program product of claim 31 further comprising instructions to convert received messages from a real time transport protocol to a format required by the Java Media Framework (JMF) to present streaming audio and/or video data to the user.

37. The computer program product of claim 31 further comprising instructions to initiate a conference by inviting a participant connected to the CBM network to join the conference.

38. The computer program product of claim 37 further comprising instructions to subscribe to a conference data stream of a content based messaging CBM network associated with each participant.

39. The computer program product of claim 31 further comprising instructions to publish messages associated with the conference to the CBM network.