Video conference choreographer

• US 20060066717A1
• Filed: 09/28/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Miceli, Sean
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A videoconference system is provided. The videoconference system includes a plurality of clients. A server component configured to distribute media to the plurality of clients is included. The server component includes a media mixer enabling distribution of a composite audio/video data stream to the client component and a videoconference choreographer configured to assist the media mixer in mixing input streams to the server component based upon event data. A conference channel communication connection over which video and audio data streams are carried between the plurality of clients and the server component is provided. A back-channel communication connection over which the event data is communicated between the plurality of clients and the server component is also included. A method for controlling mixing of data streams for a videoconference session is also provided. A scheme for converting documents to be shared during a videoconference session to a common format is also provided.

Claims

1. A videoconference system, comprising:

a plurality of clients;

a server component configured to distribute media to the plurality of clients, the server component including,

a media mixer enabling distribution of a composite audio/video data stream to the client component, and

a video conference choreographer configured to assist the media mixer in mixing input streams to the server component based upon event data; and

a conference channel communication connection over which video and audio data streams are carried between the plurality of clients and the server component;

a back-channel communication connection over which the event data is communicated between the plurality of clients and the server component.

2. The videoconference system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of clients includes an editing engine enabling one of the plurality of clients to define a layout format for a remainder of the plurality of clients.

3. The videoconference system of claim 1, wherein the video conference choreographer includes a scripting system and a video object system.

4. The videoconference system of claim 3, wherein the scripting system defines positions for objects within the audio/video data stream to the client to the client component.

5. The videoconference system of claim 4, wherein the scripting system obtains the positions for the objects from the video object system control.

6. The videoconference system of claim 2, wherein the editing engine communicates the layout format to the server component through the back channel communication connection.

7. The videoconference system of claim 1, wherein the event data originates from one of the plurality of clients and the event data is selected from the group consisting of a mouse click, a size change signal, a participant joining a conference session, and a participant leaving the conference session.

8. The videoconference system of claim 1, wherein the videoconference choreographer determines an appropriate scaling technique to be applied to video data transmitted to the plurality of clients.

9. The videoconference system of claim 1, wherein the videoconference choreographer limits motion between frames of video data transmitted to the plurality of clients in order to enhance video encoding.

10. The videoconference system of claim 1, wherein the videoconference choreographer is configured to designate a portion of a frame of the video data to be encoded according to a first quality level encoding scheme and a remainder of the frame of video data to be encoded according to a second quality level encoding scheme.

11. The videoconference system of claim 3, wherein the video object system is a database.

12. A videoconferencing system enabling participants to customize a collaboration model, comprising:

a server component including a videoconference choreographer, the videoconference choreographer configured to control mixing of input streams of a videoconference session, the videoconference choreographer further configured to adjust compression of a data stream transmitted from the server component based upon bandwidth limitations; and

a client configured to execute application software enabling selection of a script to be communicated to the server component, the selection of the script dictating a collaboration model followed by the videoconference session.

13. The videoconference system of claim 12, wherein the selection of the script is communicated to the server component through a back channel connection.

14. The videoconference system of claim 12, wherein an editing engine facilitates the selection of the script.

15. The videoconference system of claim 12, wherein the videoconference choreographer includes a scripting system configured to manipulate relative positions of display objects within the data stream, the scripting system configured to call a video object system to obtain position data of the display objects.

16. A method for controlling mixing of data streams for a videoconference session, comprising method operations of:

triggering initialization of a script controlling positions of display objects within a data stream to be distributed to videoconference clients;

detecting an event; and

manipulating the display objects in response to detecting the event.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method operation of manipulating the display objects in response to detecting the event includes, scaling the display objects each of the videoconference clients.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the method operation of manipulating the display objects in response to detecting the event includes, encoding the data stream for each of the videoconference clients.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

limiting motion between frames of the data stream.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the method operation of manipulating the display objects in response to detecting the event includes,

identifying a portion of the video stream;

encoding the identified portion of the video stream at a first encoding quality level; and

encoding a remaining portion of the video stream at a second encoding quality level.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the method operation of triggering initialization of a script controlling positions of display objects within a data stream to be distributed to videoconference clients includes,

detecting a client initiated event;

and

transmitting the client initiated event across a back channel connection to a videoconference server.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the event is one of a keyboard entry, a mouse click, or a gesture.