System and method for distributing video conference data over an internet protocol television system

• US 20070239825A1
• Filed: 04/06/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Walter, Edward A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,640,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• 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: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A computerized system and method for distributing video conference data over an internet protocol television (IPTV) system are disclosed including structures and methods for allocating an IPTV video conference channel to groups of video conference participants'"'"' set top boxes (STBs), accessing STB data at the server indicating a group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs in the groups of video conference participants'"'"' STBs, the group of STBs being associated with one video conference data, mapping at the server, the video conference channel to the group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs and to one IP address for the one of the video conferences data, and delivering from the server over the video conference channel from a first one of the of IP addresses, the first one of the video conferences data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

Claims

1. A computerized method for distributing video conference data over an internet protocol television (IPTV) system, comprising:

allocating at a server in the IPTV system, an IPTV video conference channel to a plurality of groups of video conference participants'"'"' set top boxes (STBs);

accessing first STB data at the server indicating a first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs in the plurality of groups of video conference participants'"'"' STBs, the first group of STBs being associated with a first one of a plurality of video conferences data;

mapping at the server, the video conference channel to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs and to a first one of a plurality of IP addresses for the first one of the plurality of video conferences data; and

delivering from the server over the video conference channel from a first one of the plurality of IP addresses, the first one of the plurality of video conferences data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

mapping at the server, the video conference channel to a second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs and to a second one of the plurality of IP addresses for a second one of the plurality of video conferences data; and

delivering from the server over the video conference channel from a second one of the plurality of IP addresses, the second one of the plurality of video conferences data to the second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inserting the video conference data into the IPTV system at a server lowest in a server hierarchy and that sends data to each of the STBs in first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the server lowest in the server hierarchy is selected from a group consisting of a super head end office, regional office, local office and metro office.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first video conference data further comprises first audio data, the method further comprising:

duplicating the first audio data from the first video conference data; and

sending the duplicated first audio data to a video conference participant device after the video conference participant has left an STB associated with the video conference.

6. A computer readable medium containing instructions that when executed by a computer perform a method for video conference, the method comprising:

allocating at a server in the IPTV system, an IPTV video conference channel to a plurality of groups of video conference participants'"'"' set top boxes (STBs);

accessing first STB data at the server indicating a first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs in the plurality of groups of video conference participants'"'"' STBs, the first group of STBs being associated with a first one of a plurality of video conferences data;

mapping at the server, the video conference channel to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs and to a first one of a plurality of IP addresses for the first one of the plurality of video conferences data; and

delivering from the server over the video conference channel from a first one of the plurality of IP addresses, the first one of the plurality of video conferences data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

7. The medium of claim 6, wherein in the method allocating the video conference channel further comprises:

mapping at the server, the video conference channel to a second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs and to a second one of the plurality of IP addresses for a second one of the plurality of video conferences data; and

delivering from the server over the video conference channel from a second one of the plurality of IP addresses, the second one of the plurality of video conferences data to the second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

8. The medium of claim 6, the method further comprising:

inserting the video conference data into the IPTV system at a server lowest in a server hierarchy and that sends data to each of the STBs in first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

9. The medium of claim 6, wherein the server lowest in the server is selected from a group consisting of a super head end office, regional office, local office and metro office.

10. The medium of claim 6, wherein in the first video conference data further comprises first audio data, the method further comprising:

duplicating the first audio data for the video conference; and

sending the duplicated first audio data to a participant who has left the video conference.

11. A video conference system comprising:

a memory containing a group of video conference participants;

a processor coupled to the memory; and

a computer program stored in the memory, the computer program comprising, instructions to access first STB data at the server indicating a first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs in the plurality of groups of video conference participants'"'"' STBs, the first group of STBs being associated with a first one of a plurality of video conferences data, instructions to map at the server, the video conference channel to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs and to a first one of a plurality of IP addresses for the first one of the plurality of video conferences data and instructions to deliver from the server over the video conference channel from a first one of the plurality of IP addresses, the first one of the plurality of video conferences data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

12. The system of claim 11, the computer program further comprising instructions to map at the server, the video conference channel to a second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs and to a second one of the plurality of IP addresses for a second one of the plurality of video conferences data and instructions to deliver from the server over the video conference channel from a second one of the plurality of IP addresses, the second one of the plurality of video conferences data to the second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

13. The system of claim 11, the computer program further comprising instructions to insert the video conference data into the IPTV system at a server lowest in a server hierarchy and that sends data to each of the STBs in first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the server lowest in the server hierarchy is selected from a group consisting of a super head end office, regional office, local office and metro office.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the first video data further comprises first audio data, the computer program further comprising:

instructions to duplicate the first audio data for the video conference data and instructions to send the duplicated first audio data to a participant who has left an STB receiving the first video conference data.

16. A data structure comprising:

a group identifier field for containing data identifying a group of internet protocol television (IPTV) network video conference participants;

a video conference data address field for containing data identifying an internet protocol (IP) address for video conference data for delivery of the video conference data to video conference participants'"'"' STBs over an IPTV channel in the IPTV system;

and

a STB identifier field for containing data identifying the STBs associated with the group of video conference participants for mapping a video conference channel to the video conference data address field and the STBs.

17. The data structure of claim 16, further comprising:

a channel identifier field for containing data identifying the video conference channel in an IPTV network for distributing the video conference data to the video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

18. A set of application program interfaces embodied on a computer readable medium for execution on a computer in conjunction with an application program that distributes video conference video data over an IPTV video conference channel to a group of video participants'"'"' STBs, the set of application program interfaces comprising:

a first interface that receives a group identifier data identifying a first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs;

a second interface that receives data representing a first video conference data internet protocol (IP) address identifying an IP address for the first video conference data for delivery of the first video conference data to the first video conference participants'"'"' STBs over the IPTV video conference channel;

and

a third interface that receives STB identifier data for identifying a plurality of STB identifiers associated with the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs for mapping the IPTV channel to the first video conference data IP address for delivery of the first video conference data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

19. The set of application program interfaces of claim 18, further comprising:

a fourth interface that receives a channel identifier data identifying the channel in the IPTV network for distributing first video conference data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

21. A computerized method for distributing video conference data in an IPTV system, comprising:

sending from a first client device to a server, data indicating a first list designating a first group of video conference participants'"'"' set top boxes (STBs); and

sending from the client device to the server, a first video conference data, the first video conference data to be sent from the server over a video conference channel in the IPTV system to first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

sending from a second client device to a server, a second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs to the server; and

sending a second conference video data to the server, the second video conference data to be sent from the server to the second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs over the video conference channel.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first and second client devices are the same client device.

24. A graphical user interface (GUI) embodied on a computer readable medium for execution on a computer in conjunction with an application program that distributes video conference data over an IPTV video conference channel to a group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs, the GUI comprising:

a first interface that receives a first group identifier data identifying one of a plurality of groups of video conference participants'"'"' STBs;

a second interface that receives data representing a first video conference internet protocol (IP) address identifying an address for delivery of the first video conference data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs over the IPTV video conference channel;

and

a third interface that maps the IPTV video conference channel to the first video conference address for delivery of the first video conference data to the first group video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

25. The GUI of claim 24, further comprising:

a fourth interface that receives data representing a second video conference internet protocol (IP) address identifying an address for delivery of the second video conference data to the second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs over the IPTV channel;

and

a fifth interface that that maps the video conference channel to the second video conference address for delivery of the second video conference data to the second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.