Efficient routing of real-time multimedia information

• US 20050278763A1
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Huai, Qianbo
• Granted Patent: US 8,296,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 system for efficient routing of real-time multimedia information is provided. The system efficiently routes messages containing real-time multimedia information by configuring and using multi-control unit connectors (“connectors”), which are special-purpose components optimized to route messages. A computing device may use multiple connectors to dynamically create connections with resources of the computing device or other computing devices simultaneously. An application can dynamically configure a connector to operate as client, server, or client-servers. The connector may also have a mode in which it operates, such as mixer, reflector, or selector. These modes may define how a connector is to process received messages before forwarding them. By using the various modes and roles, the system can be used to combine and efficiently route multimedia information for meaningful presentation to users of disparate computing devices.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having instructions that implement an application program interface relating to routing real-time multimedia information, the instructions comprising:

a software component connectable to other software components for making connections, the connections indicating routes between inputs and outputs;

a component for setting a mode;

a component for receiving data on an input;

a component for processing the received data based on the set mode; and

a component for forwarding the processed data to an output indicated for the input on which the data was received.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein when the mode is set to mixer, the processing includes mixing multiple inputs for forwarding to the indicated output.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2 wherein multiple inputs are indicated for the output.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 2 wherein when the received data is audio, the mixing includes combining audio information.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the combining includes analyzing an indication of a time at which the data was generated.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 2 wherein when the received data is video, the mixing includes combining video information.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6 wherein the combining includes placing video information received in an input as data inside a window that appears inside video information received in another input as data.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 6 wherein the combining includes placing video information received as data in an input adjacent to video information received as data in another input.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein when the mode is set to reflector, the processing includes forwarding the received data to the indicated output.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein when the mode is set to selector, the processing includes forwarding data received on an input and ignoring data received on other inputs.

11. A method performed by a computer system for routing real-time multimedia information, the computer system having a connector implemented in software that is connectable to software components, comprising:

receiving routing information, the routing information specifying an input and an output;

receiving an indication of a mode;

configuring the connector based on the routing information and the mode; and

forwarding data received on an input of the connector to an output of the connector based on the configuration.

12. The method of claim 11 including processing the received data based on the indicated mode.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein when the mode is mixer, the processing includes mixing the received data.

14. The method of claim 13 including mixing audio information.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein when data containing audio information of multiple simultaneously talking participants is received, data forwarded to a talker'"'"'s computing device includes audio information of all participants except the talker.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein when data containing audio information of multiple simultaneously talking participants is received, data forwarded to a participant'"'"'s computing device includes audio information of all talkers.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the participant is not talking.

18. The method of claim 13 including mixing video information.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein video information forwarded to a talker'"'"'s computing device includes video information received from a previous talker'"'"'s computing device.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the mode is not indicated.

21. The method of claim 11 including receiving an indication of a role.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein default routing information is configured based on the indicated role.

23. The method of claim 11 wherein data containing silence is not forwarded.

24. A system for routing real-time multimedia information, the system having a connector implemented in software that is connectable to software components, comprising:

a component that receives routing information, the routing information specifying an input and an output;

a component that receives an indication of a mode;

a component that configures the connector based on the routing information and the mode; and

a component that forwards data received on an input of the connector to an output of the connector based on the configuration.

25. The system of claim 24 having a video connector and an audio connector.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein different indications of modes for the video connector and audio connector are received.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the mode indicated for the audio connector is mixer and the mode indicated for the video connector is selector.

28. The system of claim 27 including mixing audio information of participants.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein data containing audio information that is forwarded to a talker'"'"'s computing device includes data containing audio information of all participants other than the talker.

30. The system of claim 27 including selecting and forwarding video information of the talker for all participants other than the talker.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein a last talker'"'"'s video information is selected for forwarding to the talker.

32. The system of claim 24 wherein TCP/IP protocols are employed to receive and forward data.

33. The system of claim 24 wherein a user datagram protocol is employed to receive and forward data.