Automatically calibrating a video conference system

• US 20080266385A1
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Matthew David, Pederson, Douglas A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,174,558 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A method of automatically calibrating a video conference environment is disclosed. In an embodiment, the method includes initiating a calibration sequence in the video conferencing system, routing a test signal through the audio and video components of the video conferencing system, measuring a time delay associated with the test signal and utilizing the time delay to calibrate subsequent audio and video signal transmissions by the video conferencing system.

Claims

1. A method of automatically calibrating a video conference system wherein the video conference system comprises a plurality of audio and video components, the method comprising:

initiating a calibration sequence in the video conference system;

routing a test signal through the audio and video components;

measuring a time differential associated with the test signal; and

utilizing the time differential to calibrate subsequent audio and video signal transmissions in the video conference system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the test signal comprises at least one of an audio/video (A/V) signal, an audio signal and a video signal.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein routing a test signal further comprises transmitting the A/V signal via an input A/V pathway and an output A/V pathway and measuring a time delay associated with the test signal further comprises measuring a time delay associated with the A/V signal.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein routing a test signal further comprises transmitting the audio signal via the audio components and measuring a time delay associated with the test signal further comprises measuring a time delay associated with the audio signal.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein routing a test signal further comprises transmitting the video signal via the video components and measuring a time delay associated with the test signal further comprises measuring a time delay associated with the video signal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating a calibration sequence in the video conference system is performed in an automatic fashion.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending the time differential to another video conference system.

8. A computer program product for automatically calibrating a video conference system wherein the video conference system comprises a plurality of audio and video components, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program means for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

initiating a calibration sequence in the video conference;

routing a test signal through the audio and video components;

measuring a time delay associated with the test signal; and

utilizing the time delay to calibrate subsequent audio and video signal transmissions in the video conference system.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the test signal comprises at least one of an audio/video (A/V) signal, an audio signal and a video signal.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein routing a test signal further comprises transmitting the A/V signal via an input A/V pathway and an output A/V pathway and measuring a time delay associated with the test signal further comprises measuring a time delay associated with the A/V signal.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein routing a test signal further comprises transmitting the audio signal via the audio components and measuring a time delay associated with the test signal further comprises measuring a time delay associated with the audio signal.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein routing a test signal further comprises transmitting the video signal via the video components and measuring a time delay associated with the test signal further comprises measuring a time delay associated with the video signal.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein initiating a calibration sequence in the video conference system is performed in an automatic fashion.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the steps further comprise sending the time differential to another video conference system.

15. A video conference system comprising:

at least one audio component;

at least one video component;

an audio/video switching and generating logic coupled to the at least one audio and video component; and

means for performing an automatic calibration sequence, the calibration sequence comprising initiating a calibration sequence in the video conference, routing a test signal through the audio and video components, measuring a time delay associated with the test signal and utilizing the time delay to calibrate subsequent audio and video signal transmissions in the video conference system.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the test signal comprises an audio/video (A/V) signal, an audio signal and a video signal.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein routing a test signal further comprises transmitting the A/V signal via an input A/V pathway and an output A/V pathway and measuring a time delay associated with the test signal further comprises measuring a time delay associated with the A/V signal.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein routing a test signal further comprises transmitting the audio signal via the audio components and measuring a time delay associated with the test signal further comprises measuring a time delay associated with the audio signal.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein routing a test signal further comprises transmitting the video signal via the video components and measuring a time delay associated with the test signal further comprises measuring a time delay associated with the video signal.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein initiating a calibration sequence in the video conference system is performed in an automatic fashion.