High-definition video conference system and method

• US 20080309751A1
• Filed: 11/21/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quanta Computer
• Original Assignee: Quanta Computer
• Inventors: Lam, Barry, Chang, Chia-Yuan, Leung, Chee-Chun, Hsu, Hsueh-Cheng
• Granted Patent: US 8,120,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

The invention provides a high-definition video conference system and method. The high-definition video conference system, according to the invention, uses an encoding module for compressing a plurality of usable digital signals under a high-definition compression standard into a plurality of compressed digital signals, and an instant-messaging application for transmitting the compressed digitals to a second terminal apparatus. The second terminal apparatus uses a decoding module for decompressing the plurality of compressed digital signals under the high-definition compression standard to obtain a plurality of image signals, and a displaying module for displaying the image signals. Therefore, the high-definition video conference system of the invention can achieve high-definition video conference applications even under limited hardware performance and network transmission bandwidth.

Claims

1. A high-definition video conference system, comprising:

a first terminal apparatus, comprising;

an image sensing module for sensing an image to generate a plurality of raw digital signals;

an image signal processing module, coupled to the image sensing module, for processing the plurality of raw digital signals into a plurality of usable digital signals;

a first encoding module, coupled to the image signal processing module, for compressing the plurality of usable digital signals into a plurality of first compressed digital signals based on a first high-definition compression standard; and

a first data processing module, coupled to the first encoding module, for executing a first instant-messaging application, the first data processing module transmitting the plurality of first compressed digital signals via the first instant-messaging application; and

a second terminal apparatus, comprising;

a second data processing module for executing a second instant-messaging application, wherein the first instant-messaging application communicates with the second instant-messaging application through a network to establish a communication link over a wideband communication channel, the second data processing module receives the plurality of first compressed digital signals via the second instant-messaging application through the wideband communication channel;

a decoding module, coupled to the second data processing module, for decompressing the plurality of first compressed digital signals under the first high-definition compression standard to obtain a plurality of image signals; and

a displaying module, coupled to the decoding module, for displaying the plurality of image signals.

2. The high-definition video conference system of claim 1, wherein the high-definition compression standard is an H.264 standard.

3. The high-definition video conference system of claim 1, wherein the first data processing module comprises a second encoding module, coupled to the first encoding module, for compressing the plurality of first compressed digital signals into a plurality of second compressed digital signals based on a second high-definition compression standard, and the first data processing module transmitting the plurality of second compressed digital signals to the decoding module via the first instant-messaging application, the decoding module is used for decompressing the plurality of second compressed digital signals under the second high-definition compression standard to obtain the plurality of image signals.

4. The high-definition video conference system of claim 3, wherein the first high-definition compression standard is an MJPEG standard and the second high-definition compression standard is an H.264 standard.

5. The high-definition video conference system of claim 1, wherein the second terminal apparatus further comprises a scaling module, coupled between the decoding module and the displaying module, for selectively scaling the plurality of image signals;

the displaying module displays the image signals selectively scaled by the scaling module.

6. The high-definition video conference system of claim 1, wherein the network is one selected from a group consisting of a local area network, an Intranet, an internet, a radio telecommunication network, and a public switched telephone network.

7. The high-definition video conference system of claim 1, wherein the first instant-messaging application communicates with the second instant-messaging application via an instant-messaging server through the network.

8. The high-definition video conference system of claim 1, wherein the first data processing module also transmits data via the first instant-messaging application, and the second data processing module also receives the data via the second instant-messaging application through the network.

9. The high-definition video conference system of claim 1, wherein the first data processing module also transmits a plurality of audio signals via the first instant-messaging application, and the second data processing module also receives the plurality of audio signals via the second instant-messaging application through the network.

10. The high-definition video conference system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and the second instant-messaging applications is one selected from a group consisting of AOL Instant Messenger, Microsoft MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, ICQ, Jabber, Groove, and Sun JXTA.

11. The high-definition video conference system of claim 1, wherein the first data processing module is implemented into a computer and the first encoding module is embedded in the computer.

12. The high-definition video conference system of claim 1, wherein the first data processing module is implemented into a computer, and the image sensing module, the image signal processing module and the first encoding module are connected to a digital imaging/processing device capable of being coupled to the computer.

13. The high-definition video conference system of claim 1, wherein the decoding module is implemented into software or hardware.

14. A high-definition video conference method, comprising the steps of:

at a first terminal, performing steps of;

sensing an image to generate a plurality of raw digital signals;

processing the plurality of raw digital signals into a plurality of usable digital signals;

compressing the plurality of usable digital signals under a first high-definition compression standard into a plurality of first compressed digital signals; and

executing a first instant-messaging application, and transmitting the plurality of first compressed digital signals via the first instant-messaging application; and

at a second terminal, performing steps of;

executing a second instant-messaging application, wherein the first instant-messaging application communicates with the second instant-messaging application through a network to establish a communication link over a wideband communication channel;

receiving the plurality of first compressed digital signals via the second instant-messaging application through the wideband communication channel;

decompressing the plurality of first compressed digital signals under the high-definition compression standard to obtain a plurality of image signals; and

displaying the plurality of image signals.

15. The high-definition video conference method of claim 14, wherein the first high-definition compression standard is an H.264 standard.

16. The high-definition video conference method of claim 14, wherein after the step of compressing the plurality of usable digital signals under a first high-definition compression standard into the plurality of first compressed digital signals, the method further comprises the steps of:

compressing the plurality of first compressed digital signals under a second high-definition compression standard into a plurality of second compressed digital signals;

transmitting the plurality of second compressed digital signals via the first instant-messaging application;

receiving the plurality of second compressed digital signals via the second instant-messaging application through the wideband communication channel; and

decompressing the plurality of second compressed digital signals under the second high-definition compression standard to obtain the plurality of image signals.

17. The high-definition video conference system of claim 14, wherein the first high-definition compression standard is an MJPEG standard and the second high-definition compression standard is an H.264 standard.

18. The high-definition video conference method of claim 14, between the step of decompressing the plurality of compressed digital signals and the step of displaying the plurality of image signals, further comprising step of:

selectively scaling the plurality of image signals.

19. The high-definition video conference method of claim 14, wherein the network is one selected from a group consisting of a local area network, an Intranet, an Internet, a radio telecommunication network, and a public switched telephone network.

20. The high-definition video conference system of claim 14, wherein the first instant-messaging application communicates with the second instant-messaging application via an instant-messaging server through the network.

21. The high-definition video conference method of claim 14, wherein at the first terminal, data are also transmitted via the first instant-messaging application, and at the second terminal, the data are received via the second instant-messaging application through the network.

22. The high-definition video conference method of claim 14, wherein at the first terminal, a plurality of audio signals are also transmitted via the first instant-messaging application, and at the second terminal, the plurality of audio signals are received via the second instant-messaging application through the network.

23. The high-definition video conference method of claim 14, wherein each of the first and the second instant-messaging applications is one selected from a group consisting of AOL Instant Messenger, Microsoft MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, ICQ, Jabber, Groove, and Sun JXTA.