System and Method for Video Conferencing

• US 20090160929A1
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ismail, Nermin M., Wu, Duanpei, Sarkar, Shantanu
• Granted Patent: US 8,179,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/14 Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes two modules. A first module receives a request from a first endpoint to subscribe to a voice activated multicast group and causes the first endpoint to receive a current speaker'"'"'s video stream if the first endpoint is not the current speaker and to receive a last speaker'"'"'s video stream if the first endpoint is the current speaker. A second module receives a request from a second endpoint to subscribe to a continuous presence multicast group and causes the second endpoint to receive a continuous presence, current speaker video stream if the second endpoint is not the current speaker and to receive a continuous presence, last speaker video stream if the second endpoint is the current speaker. The continuous presence, current speaker video stream includes a composition or two or more video streams, one of which includes at least a portion of the current speaker'"'"'s video stream. The continuous presence, last speaker video stream includes a composition or two or more video streams, one of which includes at least a portion of a last speaker'"'"'s video stream.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first module operable to receive a request from a first endpoint to subscribe to a voice activated multicast group, to cause the first endpoint to receive a current speaker'"'"'s video stream if the first endpoint is not the current speaker and to receive a last speaker'"'"'s video stream if the first endpoint is the current speaker; and

a second module operable to receive a request from a second endpoint to subscribe to a continuous presence multicast group, to cause the second endpoint to receive a continuous presence, current speaker video stream if the second endpoint is not the current speaker and to receive a continuous presence, last speaker video stream if the second endpoint is the current speaker,

wherein the continuous presence, current speaker video stream includes a composition or two or more video streams, one of which includes at least a portion of the current speaker'"'"'s video stream,

wherein the continuous presence, last speaker video stream includes a composition or two or more video streams, one of which includes at least a portion of a last speaker'"'"'s video stream.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first module causes the current speaker'"'"'s endpoint to multicast the current speaker'"'"'s video stream to two or more other endpoints, including at least the first endpoint if the first endpoint is not the current speaker.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first module causes the last speaker'"'"'s endpoint to unicast the last speaker'"'"'s stream to the first endpoint if the first endpoint is the current speaker.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second module causes a video bridge to multicast the continuous presence, current speaker video stream to two or more endpoints, including the second endpoint if the second endpoint is not the current speaker.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, where in the second module causes a video bridge to unicast the continuous presence, last speaker video stream to the second endpoint if the second endpoint is the current speaker.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first module and second module communicate instructions to one or more media switches to control communication of the current speaker'"'"'s video stream, the last speaker'"'"'s video stream, the continuous presence, current speaker video stream, and the continuous presence, last speaker video stream.

7. A system, comprising:

one or more VA end points subscribed to a voice activated multicast group;

one or more CP end points subscribed to a continuous presence multicast group; and

a stream controller operable to instruct a media switch to multicast a current speaker'"'"'s stream to each VA endpoint that is not the current speaker, the stream controller further operable to instruct the media switch to multicast a continuous presence, current speaker stream to each CP endpoint that is not the current speaker, wherein the continuous presence, current speaker video stream includes a composition or two or more video streams, one of which includes at least a portion of the current speaker'"'"'s video stream.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the stream controller is further operable to instruct the media switch to unicast a last speaker'"'"'s video stream to the current speaker'"'"'s endpoint if the current speaker subscribed to the voice activated multicast group.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the stream controller is further operable to instruct the media switch to unicast a continuous presence, last speaker stream to the current speaker, if the current speaker subscribed to the continuous presence multicast group,

wherein the continuous presence, last speaker video stream includes a composition or two or more video streams, one of which includes at least a portion of a last speaker'"'"'s video stream.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising one or more virtual clients operable to transcode video streams.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising a bridge operable to subscribe to the voice activated multicast group, to receive the current speaker'"'"'s stream, and to generate the continuous presence, current speaker stream.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising a bridge operable to receive a last speaker'"'"'s stream, to generate a continuous presence, last speaker stream, and to communicate the continuous presence, last speaker stream to one of CP endpoints designated as the current speaker.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein VA endpoints and CP endpoints use two or more different codecs.

14. A method for video conferencing comprising:

receiving a request to subscribe to a voice activated multicast group from one or more VA endpoints;

receiving a request to subscribed to a continuous presence multicast group from one or more CP endpoints;

multicasting a current speaker'"'"'s stream to the VA endpoints that are not the current speaker; and

multicasting a continuous presence, current speaker stream to the CP endpoints that are not the current speaker, wherein the continuous presence, current speaker video stream includes a composition or two or more video streams, one of which includes at least a portion of the current speaker'"'"'s video stream.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining that one of the VA endpoints is the current speaker; and

unicasting a last speaker'"'"'s stream to the VA endpoints that is the current speaker.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining that one of the CP endpoints is the current speaker; and

unicasting a continuous presence, last speaker stream to the CP endpoint that is the current speaker, wherein the continuous presence, last speaker stream includes a composition or two or more video streams, one of which includes at least a portion of a last speaker'"'"'s video stream.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a request to subscribe to the voice activated multicast group from a bridge;

communicating the current speaker'"'"'s stream to the bridge; and

generating the continuous presence, current speaker stream at the bridge.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

communicating a last speaker'"'"'s stream to a video bridge if one of the CP endpoints is the current speaker;

generating a continuous presence, last speaker stream at the video bridge, wherein the continuous presence, last speaker stream includes a composition or two or more video streams, one of which includes at least a portion of a last speaker'"'"'s video stream; and

communicating the continuous presence, last speaker stream to the CP endpoint that is the current speaker.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising transcoding the current speaker'"'"'s stream from one codec to another codec.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the multicasting the current speaker'"'"'s stream to the VA endpoints involves one or more media switch that communicate the current speaker'"'"'s stream to the VA endpoints.