Video conferencing system transcoder

• US 20060087553A1
• Filed: 10/17/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Kenoyer, Michael L., Jenkins, Michael V.
• Granted Patent: US 7,692,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

In various embodiments, multiple participants (at endpoints) may connect through a video conferencing system. A screen may display other participants in the conference call. For example, multiple participants may be displayed in respective portions of the screen. In some embodiments, each of the participants may use video conferencing systems that support different resolutions. In some embodiments, a transcoder may resolution transcode signals to allow the conference call participants to be displayed on each participant'"'"'s respective screen at up to the highest possible resolution supported by the respective screen. For example, low resolution video conferencing systems may be displayed on a high definition screen of a high resolution system at the low resolution of the low resolution video conferencing system while another image on the same high definition screen from a different, higher resolution video conferencing system, may be displayed at the higher resolution.

Claims

1. A transcoder for use in a videoconferencing system, comprising:

a plurality of video source inputs for receiving video signals;

a plurality of decoders coupled to the video source inputs for decoding the received video signals;

a first plurality of scalers for scaling the received video signals and scaling the received video signals to produce scaled video signals;

a memory for storing the scaled video signals;

a plurality of compositors coupled to the memory for receiving two or more of the scaled video signals and compositing the scaled video signals to produce a composite image comprising two or more of the scaled video signals;

a second plurality of scalers, each of the second plurality of scalers coupled to one of at least a subset of the plurality of compositors;

wherein at least one of the second plurality of scalers is operable to scale a composite image output from one of the plurality of compositors; and

a plurality of video source outputs for providing output composite images.

2. The transcoder of claim 1,

wherein the video source inputs are operable to receive video signals having different resolutions;

wherein at least one of the compositors is operable to generate a composite image comprising the video signals having the different resolutions.

3. The transcoder of claim 1,

wherein at least one of the video signals is a high definition video signal.

4. The transcoder of claim 1,

wherein at least one of the video signals in the composite image has a resolution of 1280×

720.

5. A method, comprising:

establishing a conference call between at least two video conferencing systems and a transcoder;

receiving an input video signal from each of the at least two video conferencing systems;

transmitting an output video signal to each of the at least two video conferencing systems;

wherein the input video signals and output video signals comprise at least two resolutions.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising scaling at least one input video signal.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing the at least one scaled input video signal on a shared memory.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising compositing at least two input video signals to form a composite video signal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising scaling the composite video signal.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the transcoder is embedded in a multipoint conferencing unit (MCU) in at least one of the at least two video conferencing systems.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising implementing a transcoding algorithm to at least one video signal.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the transcoder is in a first MCU, and further comprising:

receiving an input video signal from a second transcoder in a second MCU; and

transmitting an output video signal to the second MCU.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying at least one video signal at low resolution and at least one video signal at high resolution on a video display substantially simultaneously.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one video signal is a high definition video signal.

15. A system, comprising:

a first video conferencing system;

a second video conferencing system; and

a transcoder coupling the first video conferencing system and the second video conferencing system;

wherein the transcoder is configured to receive input video signals and transmit output video signals from/to the first video conferencing system and the second conferencing system;

wherein the input video signals and the output video signals comprise at least two resolutions.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the transcoder is further configured to implement a transcoding algorithm to at least one video signal.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the transcoder is further configured to implement a bit rate algorithm to at least one video signal.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first video conference system is configured to display at least one video signal at low resolution and at least one video signal at high resolution on a video display substantially simultaneously.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the transcoder is embedded in a multipoint conferencing unit (MCU) at one of the first video conferencing systems and the second video conferencing system.

20. A transcoder for use in a videoconferencing system, comprising:

a plurality of video source inputs for receiving video signals, wherein at least one of the video signals is a high definition video signal and wherein at least one of the video signals is not a high definition video signal;

a plurality of video source outputs for providing at least one composite video signal, wherein the composite video signal comprises the high definition video signal and the video signal that is not a high definition video signal.