Video Conferencing System which Allows Endpoints to Perform Continuous Presence Layout Selection

• US 20080316296A1
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: King, Keith C., Mock, Wayne E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,319,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

In various embodiments, a Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) or another video conferencing device (e.g., an endpoint) may generate a video frame that includes video images of two or more video conferencing endpoints. The video frame may then be sent to another video conferencing device that may receive the video frame and separate the two or more video images into separate video images. In some embodiments, the video frame may be separated into its separate images using, for example, metadata sent along with the video frame. The metadata may include video image identifiers and location information (e.g., coordinates in the video frame) of the video images. In some embodiments, the separated video images may be provided to a compositor that may composite the separated video images, for example, into a new layout.

Claims

1. A video conferencing system, comprising:

a multipoint control unit (MCU);

a plurality of video conferencing endpoints, wherein each of the plurality of video conferencing endpoints is communicatively coupled to the MCU;

wherein each of the plurality of video conferencing endpoints is operable to transmit a video image to the MCU;

wherein the MCU is operable to receive each of the video images from the plurality of video conferencing endpoints and generate a composite video image;

wherein the MCU is operable to transmit the composite video image to each of the plurality of video conferencing endpoints;

wherein the MCU is further operable to transmit coordinate information to each of the plurality of video conferencing endpoints, wherein the coordinate information includes information on a location of a video image within the composite video image;

wherein at least one of the plurality of video conferencing endpoints is operable to receive the composite video image and the coordinate information and use the coordinate information to separate the respective video images in the composite video image, wherein the at least one video conferencing endpoint is operable to generate a new composite video image, wherein the at least one video conferencing endpoint is operable to display the new composite video image.

2. The video conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the coordinate information is comprised in metadata transmitted with a video frame comprising the composite video image.

3. The video conferencing system of claim 2, wherein the metadata further includes identifying information for a video conferencing endpoint corresponding to the coordinate information of the video image.

4. The video conferencing system of claim 2, wherein the metadata further describes attributes of each of the plurality of video conferencing endpoints.

5. The video conferencing system of claim 2, wherein the at least one video conferencing endpoint is operable to display the metadata.

6. The video conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the new composite video image comprises at least one video image derived from local video of the at least one video conferencing endpoint.

7. The video conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the composite video image from the MCU has a first layout and wherein the new composite video image has a second different layout.

8. The video conferencing system of claim 7, wherein the at least one video conferencing endpoint is further operable to receive user input selecting the second different layout.

9. The video conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the MCU is operable to receive an image layout preference for the composite video image from at least one video conferencing endpoint of the plurality of video conferencing endpoints.

10. The video conferencing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the video conferencing endpoints is operable to send data to the MCU to move a far end camera.

11. The video conferencing system of claim 1,

wherein the MCU is also operable to transmit a second video image to each of the plurality of video conferencing endpoints;

and

wherein each of the plurality of video conferencing endpoints is operable to generate a custom layout which includes one or more of the video images and the second video image.

12. The video conferencing system of claim 11, wherein one of the plurality of video conferencing endpoints is operable to transmit the second video image to the MCU prior to the MCU transmitting the second video image to the other video conferencing endpoints in the plurality of video conferencing endpoints.

13. An MCU, comprising:

at least one decoder;

at least one compositor communicatively coupled to the at least one decoder;

at least one encoder communicatively coupled to the at least one compositor;

wherein the MCU is operable to receive video images through the at least one decoder from a plurality of video conferencing endpoints communicatively coupled to the MCU;

wherein the MCU is operable to generate a composite video image comprised of at least two video images from respective video conferencing endpoints of the plurality of video conferencing endpoints, wherein the composited video image is generated through the at least one compositor;

wherein the MCU is operable to transmit, through the at least one encoder, the composite video image to each of the plurality of video conferencing endpoints; and

wherein the MCU is further operable to transmit coordinate information to each of the plurality of video conferencing endpoints, wherein the coordinate information includes information on a location of a video image of the at least two video images within the composite video image.

14. The MCU of claim 13, wherein the coordinate information is comprised in metadata transmitted with a video frame comprising the composite video image.

15. The MCU of claim 13, wherein each of the respective video conferencing endpoints of the plurality of video conferencing endpoints is operable to receive the composite video image and the coordinate information and use the coordinate information to separate the video images in the composite video image and generate a respective new composite video image, and wherein each respective video conferencing endpoint is operable to display the respective new composite video image.

16. The MCU of claim 15, wherein the new composite video image comprises at least one video image derived from local video of a respective video conferencing endpoint, of the plurality of video conferencing endpoints, generating the new composite video image.

17. The MCU of claim 15, wherein the composite video image from the MCU has a first layout and wherein the new composite video image has a second different layout.

18. A video conferencing endpoint, comprising:

a decoder;

a virtual decoder communicatively coupled to the decoder;

a compositor communicatively coupled to the virtual decoder;

wherein the video conferencing endpoint is operable to transmit a video image to an MCU;

wherein the video conferencing endpoint is operable to receive a composite video image, through the decoder, from the MCU comprised of at least two video images, each from a respective video conferencing endpoint;

wherein the video conferencing endpoint is operable to receive coordinate information from the MCU, wherein the coordinate information includes information on a location of a video image of the at least two video images within the composite video image;

wherein the video conferencing endpoint is operable to use the coordinate information to separate each of the video images from the composite video image using the virtual decoder;

wherein the at least one video conferencing endpoint is operable to generate a new composite video image; and

wherein the at least one video conferencing endpoint is operable to display the new composite video image.

19. The video conferencing endpoint of claim 18, wherein the coordinate information is comprised in metadata transmitted with a video frame comprising the composite video image.

20. The video conferencing endpoint of claim 18, wherein the new composite video image comprises at least one video image derived from local video of the video conferencing endpoint.

21. The video conferencing endpoint of claim 18, wherein the composite video image from the MCU has a first layout and wherein the new composite video image has a second different layout.

22. A method, comprising:

transmitting a video image to an MCU from a video conferencing endpoint;

receiving a composite video image, through a decoder at the video conferencing endpoint, from the MCU comprised of at least two video images, each from a respective video conferencing endpoint;

receiving coordinate information from the MCU, wherein the coordinate information includes information on a location of a video image within the composite video image;

separating each of the video images from the composite video image using a virtual decoder;

wherein the virtual decoder uses the coordinate information to separate the video images;

generating a new composite video image; and

displaying the new composite video image.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the coordinate information is comprised in metadata transmitted with a video frame comprising the composite video image.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the new composite video image comprises at least one video image derived from local video of the video conferencing endpoint.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the composite video image from the MCU has a first layout and wherein the new composite video image has a second different layout.