Method and apparatus for communicating data between two hosts

• US 20050086358A1
• Filed: 04/28/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: SightSpeed, Inc. (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Aron
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,805 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2553 Binding renewal aspects, e.g. using keep-alive messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/256 NAT traversal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2564 for a higher-layer protocol, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2578 without involvement of the NAT server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• 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: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A method for communicating video data between at least a first host and a second host comprises: identifying, at a server, an address of the first host, to which the second host may communicate video data, and a sequence number expected by a network security system coupled between the first host and the server; and communicating, from the second host to the first host, video data using the address of the first host and the sequence number expected. The method may further comprise: identifying, at the server, an address of the second host, to which the first host may communicate video data, and a second sequence number expected by a network security system coupled between the second host and the server; and communicating, from the first host to the second host, video data using the address of the second host and the second expected sequence number. The second host may be adapted to perform the act of communicating without use of an intermediate server. The method may also further comprise communicating periodically, from the first host to the server, through the network security system, so as to maintain an open communication channel through the network security system to the first host at the address of the first host. The address of the first host may include address information and port information.

Claims

1. A method for communicating video data between a first host and a second host, comprising:

at the first host, encoding a video signal producing an encoded video signal; and

transmitting, by the first host, the encoded video signal to the second host, wherein encoding and transmitting are both performed by a first single thread of execution at the first host.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first single thread of execution is a multimedia thread associated with an operating system of the first host, and wherein the method comprises performing a callback, by the multimedia thread, to perform encoding and transmitting.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

at the first host, receiving an encoded video signal from the second host; and

decoding, by the first host, the encoded video signal producing a decoded video signal, wherein decoding and receiving are both performed by a second single thread of execution separate from the first single thread of execution, at the first host.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the second single thread of execution is a multimedia thread associated with an operating system of the first host, and wherein the method comprises performing a callback, by the multimedia thread, to perform decoding and receiving.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

sending an audio signal corresponding to the encoded video signal to the second host independently from transmitting the encoded video signal to the second host.

6. A system for communicating video data over a data path between a first host and a second host comprising:

in the first host, a processor executing a software program performing the method of claim 1.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the first single thread of execution is a multimedia thread associated with an operating system of the first host, and wherein the method comprises performing a callback, by the multimedia thread, to perform encoding and transmitting.

8. The system according to claim 6,

at the first host, receiving an encoded video signal from the second host;

and

decoding, by the first host, the encoded video signal producing a decoded video signal, wherein decoding and receiving are both performed by a second single thread of execution separate from the first single thread of execution, at the first host.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the second single thread of execution is a multimedia thread associated with an operating system of the first host, and wherein the method comprises performing a callback, by the multimedia thread, to perform decoding and receiving.

10. The system according to claim 8, further comprising:

an audio signal path connecting the first host and the second host, independent of the data path.

11. A software product, comprising:

at the first host, encoding a video signal producing an encoded video signal; and

transmitting, by the first host, the encoded video signal to the second host, wherein encoding and transmitting are both performed by a first single thread of execution at the first host.

12. The software product of claim 11, the method further comprising:

wherein the first single thread of execution is a multimedia thread associated with an operating system of the first host, and wherein the method comprises performing a callback, by the multimedia thread, to perform encoding and transmitting.

13. The software product of claim 11, the method further comprising:

at the first host, receiving an encoded video signal from the second host; and

decoding, by the first host, the encoded video signal producing a decoded video signal, wherein decoding and receiving are both performed by a second single thread of execution separate from the first single thread of execution, at the first host.

14. The software product of claim 13, the method further comprising:

wherein the second single thread of execution is a multimedia thread associated with an operating system of the first host, and wherein the method comprises performing a callback, by the multimedia thread, to perform decoding and receiving.

15. The software product of claim 13, the method further comprising:

sending an audio signal corresponding to the encoded video signal to the second host independently from transmitting the encoded video signal to the second host.