Method and system for conducting a sub-videoconference from a main videoconference

• US 20060164507A1
• Filed: 01/27/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eshkoli, Noam, Wagner, Niv
• Granted Patent: US 7,679,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• 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 7/147 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

New videoconferencing services and methods for handling the video and audio of one or more sub-conferences running in parallel to a main videoconference are disclosed. In exemplary embodiment, a multipoint control unit (MCU) that controls one or more videoconferences may be requested by a conferee of a videoconference (a main videoconference) to establish a sub-conference according to a requester mode of operation.

Claims

1. A method implementable with a multipoint control unit for conducting a plurality of videoconferences between a plurality of endpoints, comprising:

conducting a main videoconference between a group of endpoints;

receiving a request from a requesting endpoint, which belongs to the group of endpoints, to conduct a sub-videoconference with less than all of the endpoints of the group; and

while the main videoconference is still pending, establishing the sub-videoconference between the requesting endpoint and the less than all of the endpoints of the group.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after establishing the sub-videoconference, allowing an endpoint participating in the sub-videoconference to choose between participation in the main videoconference or the sub-videoconference.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after establishing the sub-videoconference, composing video coming from the less than all of the endpoints of the group into sub-videoconference video according to a sub-videoconference layout.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the sub-videoconference comprises preventing audio from the endpoints participating in the sub-conference to be broadcast to all of the endpoints participating in the main videoconference.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the sub-videoconference comprises preventing video from the endpoints participating in the sub-videoconference to be broadcast to all of the endpoints participating in the main videoconference.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after establishing the sub-videoconference, allowing the endpoints participating in the sub-conference to listen to the audio of the main videoconference, to the audio of the sub-videoconference, or to a mixed audio of the main videoconference and the sub-videoconference.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the main videoconference is still visible to the endpoints participating in the sub-conference after establishing the sub-videoconference.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises at least one DTMF tone.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is sent in-band over logical channels that carry the audio and video.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is sent out of band over pathways different from the audio/video channels.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an invitation to the less than all of the endpoints in the group to join the sub-videoconference.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the request and invitation are accompanied by a sub-videoconference subject.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the endpoints participating in the sub-videoconference to rejoin the main videoconference after the sub-videoconference is completed.

14. A multipoint control unit for conducting a plurality of videoconferences between a plurality of endpoints, comprising:

a control module, wherein the control module is configured to;

conduct a main videoconference between a group of endpoints;

receive a request from a requesting endpoint, which belongs to the group of endpoints, to conduct a sub-video conference with less than all of the endpoints of the group; and

while the main videoconference is still pending, establish the sub-videoconference between the requesting endpoint and the less than all of the endpoints of the group.

15. The multipoint control unit of claim 14, wherein the control module is further configured, after establishing the sub-videoconference, to allow an endpoint participating in the sub-videoconference to choose between participation in the main videoconference or the sub-videoconference.

16. The multipoint control unit of claim 14, wherein the control module is further configured, after establishing the sub-videoconference, to compose video coming from the less than all of the endpoints of the group into a sub-videoconference video according to a sub-videoconference layout.

17. The multipoint control unit of claim 14, wherein the control module is further configured to prevent audio from the endpoints participating in the sub-conference to be broadcast to all endpoints participating in the main videoconference.

18. The multipoint control unit of claim 14, wherein the control module is further configured to prevent video from the endpoints participating in the sub-conference to be broadcast to all endpoints participating in the main videoconference.

19. The multipoint control unit of claim 14, wherein the control module is further configured to allow the endpoints participating in the sub-conference to listen to the audio of the main videoconference, to the audio of the sub-videoconference, or to a mixed audio of the main videoconference and the sub-videoconference.

20. The multipoint control unit of claim 14, wherein the control module is further configured to display the main videoconference to the endpoints participating in the sub-conference after establishing the sub-videoconference.

21. The multipoint control unit of claim 14, wherein the request comprises at least one DTMF tone.

22. The multipoint control unit of claim 14, wherein the request is sent in-band over logical channels that carry the audio and video.

23. The multipoint control unit of claim 14, wherein the request is sent out of band over pathways different from the audio/video channels.

24. The multipoint control unit of claim 14, wherein the control module is further configured to send an invitation to the less than all of the endpoints in the group to join the sub-videoconference.

25. The multipoint control unit of claim 24, wherein the request and invitation are accompanied by a sub-videoconference subject.

26. The multipoint control unit of claim 14, wherein the control module is further configured to allow the endpoints participating in the sub-videoconference to rejoin the main videoconference after the sub-videoconference is completed.