System and method for displaying users in a visual conference between locations

• US 20070250568A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wales, Richard T., Graham, Philip R., Dunn, Kristin A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,707,247 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: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• 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 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A method for displaying a visual conference includes receiving a plurality of video signals from at least two cameras located at one or more remote sites. The method also includes assigning each video signal to a respective display of a plurality of displays at a local site for the duration of a visual conference. At least one of the plurality of displays has more than one video signal assigned thereto. The method further includes selecting, for each of the at least one of the plurality of displays having more than one video signal assigned thereto, a video signal of the more than one video signal assigned to the display. The method also includes displaying each selected video signal on its respective display.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a visual conference, comprising:

receiving a plurality of video signals from at least two cameras located at one or more remote sites;

assigning each video signal to a respective display of a plurality of displays at a local site for the duration of a visual conference, at least one of the plurality of displays having more than one video signal assigned thereto;

selecting, for each of the at least one of the plurality of displays having more than one video signal assigned thereto, a video signal of the more than one video signal assigned to the display; and

displaying each selected video signal on its respective display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a video signal of the more than one video signal comprises selecting the video signal having the highest audio level of the more than one video signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning each video signal to a respective display comprises assigning each video signal to a respective display based on the relative location and alignment of a first camera in relation to at least one other camera of the at least two cameras.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning each video signal to a respective display comprises assigning each video signal to a respective display based on a respective total number of video signals of the plurality of video signals assigned to each respective display.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for each of the at least one of the plurality of displays having more than one video signal assigned thereto, switching between the more than one video signal assigned to the display.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein switching between the more than one video signal assigned to the display comprises switching to the video signal having the highest audio level of the more than one video signal assigned to the display.

7. Logic for displaying a visual conference, the logic embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising code operable to:

receive a plurality of video signals from at least two cameras located at one or more remote sites;

assign each video signal to a respective display of a plurality of displays at a local site for the duration of a visual conference, at least one of the plurality of displays having more than one video signal assigned thereto;

select, for each of the at least one of the plurality of displays having more than one video signal assigned thereto, a video signal of the more than one video signal assigned to the display; and

display each selected video signal on its respective display.

8. The medium of claim 7, wherein the code operable to select a video signal of the more than one video signal comprises code operable to select the video signal having the highest audio level of the more than one video signal.

9. The medium of claim 7, wherein the code operable to assign each video signal to a respective display comprises code operable to assign each video signal to a respective display based on the relative location and alignment of a first camera in relation to at least one other camera of the at least two cameras.

10. The medium of claim 7, wherein the code operable to assign each video signal to a respective display comprises code operable to assign each video signal to a respective display based on a respective total number of video signals of the plurality of video signals assigned to each respective display.

11. The medium of claim 7, wherein the code is further operable to, for each of the at least one of the plurality of displays having more than one video signal assigned thereto, switch between the more than one video signal assigned to the display.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the code operable to switch between the more than one video signal assigned to the display comprises code operable to switch to the video signal having the highest audio level of the more than one video signal assigned to the display.

13. A system for displaying a visual conference, comprising:

an interface operable to receive a plurality of video signals from at least two cameras located at one or more remote sites;

a processor coupled to the interface and operable to;

assign each video signal to a respective display of a plurality of displays at a local site for the duration of a visual conference, at least one of the plurality of displays having more than one video signal assigned thereto;

select, for each of the at least one of the plurality of displays having more than one video signal assigned thereto, a video signal of the more than one video signal assigned to the display; and

display each selected video signal on the respective display.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor operable to select a video signal of the more than one video signal comprises a processor operable to select the video signal having the highest audio level of the more than one video signal.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor operable to assign each video signal to a respective display comprises a processor operable to assign each video signal to a respective display based on the relative location and alignment of a first camera in relation to at least one other camera of the at least two cameras.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor operable to assign each video signal to a respective display comprises a processor operable to assign each video signal to a respective display based on a respective total number of video signals of the plurality of video signals assigned to each respective display.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operable to for each of the at least one of the plurality of displays having more than one video signal assigned thereto, switch between the more than one video signal assigned to the display.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor operable to switch between the more than one video signal assigned to the display comprises a processor operable to switch to the video signal having the highest audio level of the more than one video signal assigned to the display.

19. A system for displaying a visual conference, comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of video signals from at least two cameras located at one or more remote sites;

means for assigning each video signal to a respective display of a plurality of displays at a local site for the duration of a visual conference, at least one of the plurality of displays having more than one video signal assigned thereto;

means for selecting, for each of the at least one of the plurality of displays having more than one video signal assigned thereto, a video signal of the more than one video signal assigned to the display; and

means for displaying each selected video signal on its respective display.