Multi-participant conference setup

• US 20060245378A1
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Normile, Jim, Tung, Berkat Shing, Jeong, Hyeonkuk, Salsbury, Ryan, Abuan, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/261
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1324 Conference call
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13332 Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

Some embodiments provide an architecture for establishing a multi-participant conference. This architecture has one participant'"'"'s computer in the conference act as a central content distributor for the conference. The central distributor receives data (e.g., video and/or audio streams) from the computer of each other participant, and distributes the received data to the computers of all participants. In some embodiments, the central distributor receives A/V data from the computers of the other participants. From such received data, the central distributor of some embodiments generates composite data (e.g., composite image data and/or composite audio data) that the central distributor distributes back to the participants.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a conference through a plurality of computers, the method comprising:

a) designating a computer as a focus point for said conference, and designating the remaining computers as non-focus point computers, said designation based on a set of criteria relating to the conferencing capabilities of the focus-point computer; and

b) from the non-focus computers, receiving audio and/or video signals at the focus point computer and distributing the received signals to the non-focus computers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the designation is performed before the setting up of the video conference.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the designation is performed during the setting up of the video conference.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of criteria includes a set of hardware criteria relating to hardware components of the focus-point computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the computers are interconnected through a network, wherein the set of criteria includes a set of criteria relating to an estimated network bandwidth of the focus-point computer.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising using a remote bandwidth server to obtain said estimated bandwidth.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of criteria are used to determine a set of default parameters for said conference.

8. The method of claim 7, said set of default parameters comprising at least one parameter selected from a group comprising bit rate, encoding codec, and video-image size.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a) setting up a conference between two computers; and

b) inviting a third computer to join the conference.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said invitation is sent by using the Session Initiation Protocol.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said invitation comprises an encryption parameter, said encryption parameter for indicating the encryption capability of said focus point computer.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said audio and/or video signals are encrypted.

13. A computer readable medium comprising a computer program for establishing a conference through a plurality of computers, said computer program having sets of instructions for:

designating a computer as a focus point for said conference;

said focus point designation based on a set of criteria relating to the conferencing capabilities of the focus-point computer;

designating the remaining computers as non-focus point computers; and

from the non-conference computers, receiving audio and/or video signals at the focus point computer and distributing the received signals to the non-focus computers.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein said focus point designation is performed before the setting up of the video conference.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein said focus point designation is performed during the setting up of the video conference.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the set of criteria includes a set of hardware criteria relating to hardware components of the focus-point computer.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the computers are interconnected through a network, wherein the set of criteria includes a set of criteria relating to an estimated network bandwidth of the focus-point computer.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17 further comprising using a remote bandwidth server to obtain said estimated bandwidth.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the set of criteria are used to determine a set of default parameters for said conference.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, said set of default parameters comprising at least one parameter selected from the group comprising bit rate, encoding codec, and video-image size.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 13 further comprising:

a) setting up a conference between two computers; and

b) inviting a third computer to join the conference.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said invitation is sent by using the Session Initiation Protocol.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said invitation comprises an encryption parameter, said encryption parameter for indicating the encryption capability of said focus point computer.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said audio and/or video signals are encrypted.