Techniques for managing visual compositions for a multimedia conference call

• US 20080068446A1
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Crinon, Regis J., Chou, Philip A., Moore, Tim, Barkley, Warren V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,773,494 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.07
• 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 19/187 the unit being a scalable video layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/14 Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

Techniques for managing visual compositions for a multimedia conference call are described. An apparatus may comprise a processor to allocate a display object bit rate for multiple display objects where a total display object bit rate for all display objects is equal to or less than a total input bit rate, and decode video information from multiple video streams each having different video layers with different levels of spatial resolution, temporal resolution and quality for two or more display objects. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving encoded video information in multiple video streams each having different video layers with different levels of spatial resolution, temporal resolution and quality;

determining a total input bit rate for multiple display objects;

allocating a display object bit rate to multiple display objects where a total display object bit rate for all display objects is equal to or less than said total input bit rate; and

decoding video information from said different video layers for said display objects in accordance with said allocations.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising sending a subscription message to a conferencing server to subscribe to different video layers for a conference call.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising modifying a display object bit rate for a display frame based on a size for said display frame or a location of said display frame on a display.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising modifying a display object bit rate for a display frame based on an instantaneous channel capacity for a communications link.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising rendering said decoded video information in each display frame to create a visual composition for a conference call.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving said encoded video information in said video streams with different video layers each with different levels of spatial resolution, temporal resolution and quality for a conference call at a client terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving said encoded video information in said video streams, each video stream having different video layers including a base layer having a first level of spatial resolution and a first level of temporal resolution, and an enhancement layer increasing said first level of spatial resolution or said first level of temporal resolution.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising modifying a display object bit rate for a display frame based on an active speaker.

35. The method of claim 1, comprising rendering said decoded video information in each display frame to create a visual composition for a conference call.

9. An apparatus comprising a processor to allocate a display object bit rate for multiple display objects where a total display object bit rate for all display objects is equal to or less than a total input bit rate, and to decode video information from multiple video streams each having different video layers with different levels of spatial resolution, temporal resolution and quality for two or more display objects.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, said processor to modify a display object bit rate for a display frame based on a size for said display frame or a location of said display frame on a display.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, said processor to modify a display object bit rate for a display frame based on an instantaneous channel capacity for a communications link.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising a rendering module coupled to a display, said rendering module to render said decoded video information in each display frame to create a visual composition for a conference call on said display.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a set of parsers to receive and parse encoded video information from multiple video streams each having different video layers with different levels of spatial resolution, temporal resolution and quality;

a visual composition module coupled to said parsers, said visual composition module to determine a total input bit rate for multiple display objects, and allocate a display object bit rate to multiple display objects where a total display object bit rate for all display objects is equal to or less than said total input bit rate; and

a set of video decoders coupled to said visual composition module to decode video information from said different video layers in each video stream for said display objects in accordance with said allocations.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, said visual composition module to send a subscription message to a conferencing server to subscribe to different video layers for a conference call.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, said visual composition module to modify a display object bit rate for a display frame based on a size for said display frame or a location of said display frame on a display.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, said visual composition module to modify a display object bit rate for a display frame based on an instantaneous channel capacity for a communications link.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising a rendering module coupled to a display, said rendering module to render said decoded video information in each display frame to create a visual composition for a conference call on said display.

18. An article comprising a machine-readable storage medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to:

receive encoded video information in multiple video streams each with different video layers with different levels of spatial resolution, temporal resolution and quality;

determine a total input bit rate for multiple display objects;

allocate a display object bit rate to multiple display objects where a total display object bit rate for all display objects is equal to or less than said total input bit rate; and

decode video information from said different video layers for said display objects in accordance with said allocations.

19. The article of claim 18, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to send a subscription message to a conferencing server to subscribe to different video layers for a conference call.

20. The article of claim 18, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to modify a display object bit rate for a display frame based on a size for said display frame or a location of said display frame on a display.

21. The article of claim 18, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to modify a display object bit rate for a display frame based on an instantaneous channel capacity for a communications link.

22. The article of claim 18, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to render said decoded video information in each display frame to create a visual composition for a conference call.

23. The article of claim 18, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to receive said encoded video information in said video streams, each video stream with different video layers each with different levels of spatial resolution, temporal resolution and quality for a conference call at a client terminal.

24. The article of claim 18, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to receive said encoded video information in said video streams with different video layers including a base layer having a first level of spatial resolution and a first level of temporal resolution, and an enhancement layer increasing said first level of spatial resolution or said first level of temporal resolution.

25. The article of claim 18, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to modify a display object bit rate for a display frame based on an active speaker.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver to receive encoded video information in multiple video streams, each video stream having different video layers including a base layer having a first level of spatial resolution and a first level of temporal resolution, and an enhancement layer increasing said first level of spatial resolution or said first level of temporal resolution; and

an adaptive scheduling module coupled to said receiver, said adaptive scheduling module to transmit said different video layers at different times to a receiving client terminal.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, said adaptive scheduling module to delay sending said enhancement layer until after said base layer has been sent.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, said adaptive scheduling module to send said base layer at a first time to said receiving client terminal when a new dominant speaker is determined.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, said adaptive scheduling module to send said base layer at a first time to said receiving client terminal when a new dominant speaker is determined, and said enhancement layer at a,second time after a defined waiting time.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, comprising a transmitter coupled to said adaptive scheduling module, said transmitter to transmit said base layer and said enhancement layer at different scheduled times.

31. A method, comprising:

determining a total input bit rate for multiple display objects of a visual composition for a conference call;

allocating a display object bit rate to multiple display objects where a total display object bit rate for all display objects is equal to or less than said total input bit rate;

sending a subscription message to a conferencing server to receive different video layers with different levels of spatial resolution, temporal resolution and quality;

receiving multiple video streams with said video layers; and

decoding video information from said different video layers for said display objects in accordance with said allocations.

32. The method of claim 31, comprising:

receiving said subscription message by said conferencing server; and

sending said video streams with said video layers from said conferencing server.

33. The method of claim 31, comprising modifying a display object bit rate for a display frame based on a size for said display frame or a location of said display frame on a display.

34. The method of claim 31, comprising modifying a display object bit rate for a display frame based on an instantaneous channel capacity for a communications link.