SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DISTRIBUTED CONFERENCING

• US 20100125353A1
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Inventors: Petit-Huguenin, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 8,498,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4053 without floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5063 Centrally initiated conference, i.e. Conference server dials participants computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Distributed conferencing systems and methods provide local meeting contents to remote participants. In accordance with various example embodiments, a plurality of authorized source units generate media content responsive to and representative of respective content for a meeting. In response to the generated media content, one or more data streams are developed at each authorized source, each stream being a separately-decodable real-time representation of at least a portion of the media content generated at the respective authorized source. The separate data streams are transmitted by each authorized source to a common multicast IP group address for retrieval/access by remote participants.

Claims

1. For use in a distributed conferencing system to provide local meeting contents to remote participants from a plurality of authorized source units, each source unit having a respective source unit IP address, a method comprising:

transmitting meeting announcement data to an announcement multicast IP address, the meeting announcement data specifying data, for a particular meeting, that includes a meeting multicast group IP address for a meeting multicast group and IP addresses for each of the authorized source units involved in the meeting; and

in logic circuitry at each of the plurality of authorized source units, performing the steps of

searching the meeting announcement data for the IP address of the authorized source unit,

in response to the search, retrieving a portion of the meeting data that identifies the source unit,

in response to the retrieved meeting data, generating media content responsive to and representative of respective portions of meeting contents for the meeting,

in response to the generated media content, developing one or more data streams, each data stream being a separately-decodable real-time representation of at least a portion of the generated media content, and

transmitting the one or more data streams to the meeting multicast group IP address in the retrieved meeting data.

2. The method of claim 1, further including, in the logic circuitry, performing the steps of

capturing audio of an individual using at least one authorized source unit;

receiving information about the individual; and

transmitting the received information as part of a respective data stream.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of receiving information about the individual includes using a wireless data card to receive the information.

4. The method of claim 1, further including, in a computer server,

receiving the data streams transmitted to the multicast group IP address,

receiving, from clients, requests for the data streams,

consolidating the data streams into a single data stream, and

transmitting, as a unicast, the consolidated data stream to the requesting clients.

5. The method of claim 4,

further including, in the computer server and for each of the clients, the step of verifying that the client is authorized, and

wherein the step of transmitting includes transmitting the consolidated data stream to a client in response to the step of verifying that the client is authorized.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating media content includes

capturing audio from a meeting participant, and

formatting the captured audio according to a digital stream format, the digital stream format including data that identifies the meeting participant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the meeting announcement data includes using a digital signature to validate the meeting announcement data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the meeting announcement data includes transmitting announcement data for a plurality of meetings, the announcement data for each meeting having its respective meeting multicast group IP address and IP addresses for each source units authorized for the meeting

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of searching the meeting announcement data for the IP address of the authorized source unit includes subscribing to the announcement multicast IP address and searching meeting announcement data for a plurality of meetings as transmitted to the announcement multicast IP address.

10. For use in a distributed conferencing system that provides local meeting contents to remote participants from a plurality of circuit-based source units using a meeting multicast group IP address, a method comprising, in logic circuitry at each of the source units, performing the steps of:

generating media content responsive to and representative of respective portions of the meeting contents;

in response to the generated media content, developing at least one data stream, each data stream being a separately decodable real time representation of at least a portion of the media content generated at the source unit; and

transmitting the at least one data stream to the meeting multicast group IP address.

11. The method of claim 10, further including, in the logic circuitry of at least two source units, performing the step of configuring the source unit to transmit to the same meeting multicast group IP address in response to configuration data received from a local control unit.

12. The method of claim 10, further including, in the logic circuitry of each source unit, performing the step of subscribing to the meeting multicast group IP address to communicate via the meeting multicast group IP address.

13. The method of claim 10, further including, in the logic circuitry at one of the source units, performing the steps of

accessing an announcement that includes a list of authorized data streams;

subscribing to the meeting multicast group IP address to receive a plurality of the data streams;

displaying the media content in response to the list of authorized data streams; and

providing an interface that allows for individual control of multiple ones of the data streams.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of transmitting the at least one data stream includes transmitting identification information in the at least one data stream, the identification information indicating the identity of participants using the source unit.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of transmitting further includes receiving the identification information from a wireless card.

16. The method of claim 10,

further including, in the logic circuitry at one of the source units, performing the step of receiving configuration information from an announcement multicast IP address, and

wherein the step of transmitting includes using the configuration information to identify the meeting multicast group IP address.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of transmitting includes mixing the streams and presenting the media content to participants of the local meeting.

18. A distributed conferencing system for providing local meeting contents to remote participants, the system comprising:

an announcement unit for periodically transmitting meeting announcement data for at least one meeting to an announcement multicast IP address, the meeting announcement data for each meeting including identification data for each of a plurality of circuit-based source units, date and time information for the meeting, and a meeting multicast group IP address; and

a plurality of circuit-based source units, each source unit configured to

search the announcement multicast IP address for a meeting announcement containing the identification data for the source unit,

for a meeting announcement containing the source unit'"'"'s identification data, retrieve meeting announcement data including the multicast group IP address and the date and time for the meeting,

according to the meeting announcement data, generate media content responsive to and representative of respective portions of the meeting contents,

in response to the generated media content, develop at least one data stream, each data stream being a separately decodable real-time representation of at least a portion of the media content generated at the source unit, and

transmit the at least one data stream to the meeting multicast group IP address in the retrieved meeting announcement data.

19. The system of claim 18, further including circuit-based receiving units configured to access the meeting multicast group IP address to receive the at least one transmitted data stream and to provide the received data stream to at least one of the remote participants.

20. The system of claim 18, further including at least one wireless card configured to communicate participant identification data to at least one of the source units.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one of the circuit-based source units includes a mobile device having a user interface configured to accept user inputs and to provide the user inputs as part of the generated media content.