Automated Real-Time Data Stream Switching in a Shared Virtual Area Communication Environment

• US 20100318662A1
• Filed: 08/12/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sococo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Social Communications Company
• Inventors: Brody, Paul J., Wie, David Van
• Granted Patent: US 8,621,079 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

In one aspect, one or more real-time data stream connections that deliver a set of real-time data streams to a given network node are determined based at least in part on bandwidth capabilities of the given network node. In another aspect, for each of one or more recipient network nodes, a respective link over which to transmit a respective transmission set of one or more real-time data streams is determined. For each of the links, the respective link bandwidth is apportioned to between one or more channels that are respectively allocated to the one or more real-time data streams in the respective transmission set.

Claims

1. A method of switching real-time data stream connections between network nodes sharing a virtual area, comprising:

ascertaining a set of real-time data streams that enable a given one of the network nodes that is associated with a respective position in the virtual area to participate in a communication session with one or more other ones of the network nodes that are associated with respective positions in the virtual area;

determining one or more real-time data stream connections that deliver the set of real-time data streams to the given network node based at least in part on bandwidth capabilities of the given network node; and

establishing the one or more determined real-time data stream connections between the given network node and one or more of the other ones of the network nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises determining a respective form in which to receive each of the real-time data streams, wherein each of the determined real-time data streams is in the form of either an unmixed real-time data stream or a mixed real-time data stream derived from a combination of real-time data streams transmitted from ones of the other network nodes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises determining a network route over which to receive each of the real-time streams, wherein the determined network route is either a direct peer-to-peer network route or a network route mediated by one or more of the other network nodes.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting to the given network node a list of one or more mixed real-time data streams derived from real-time data streams transmitted from ones of the other the network nodes.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the ascertaining, the determining, and the establishing are performed by the given network node.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining, the apportioning, and the transmitting are performed by a given one of the network nodes.

4. (canceled)

6-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions for switching real-time data stream connections between network nodes sharing a virtual area, the computer-readable instructions being operable to cause a computer to perform operations comprising:

ascertaining a set of real-time data streams that enable a given one of the network nodes that is associated with a respective position in the virtual area to participate in a communication session with one or more other ones of the network nodes that are associated with respective positions in the virtual area;

determining one or more real-time data stream connections that deliver the set of real-time data streams to the given network node based at least in part on bandwidth capabilities of the given network node; and

establishing the one or more determined real-time data stream connections between the given network node and one or more of the other ones of the network nodes.

11. A method of switching real-time data stream connections between network nodes sharing a virtual area, comprising:

for each of one or more recipient ones of the network nodes, determining a respective link over which to transmit a respective transmission set of multiple real-time data streams, wherein each of the links has a respective link bandwidth; and

for each of the links, apportioning the respective link bandwidth between multiple channels respectively allocated to the multiple real-time data streams in the respective transmission set and transmitting the multiple real-time data streams in the respective transmission set to the respective recipient network node over the respectively allocated channels.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the links is a respective one-way link from a respective one of the network nodes transmitting the respective transmission set to a respective one of the recipient network nodes.

28. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more transmission sets comprises concurrent data streams of different stream content types.

29. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more transmission sets comprises an audio data stream and a concurrent non-audio data stream.

30. The method of claim 11, further comprising for each of the links, dividing the link into respective channels and allocating each of the respective channels to a different one of the real-time data streams of the respective transmission set.

12-22. -22. (canceled)

24. A computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions for switching real-time data stream connections between network nodes sharing a virtual area, the computer-readable instructions being operable to cause a computer to perform operations comprising:

for each of one or more recipient ones of the network nodes, determining a respective link over which to transmit a respective transmission set of multiple real-time data streams, wherein each of the links has a respective link bandwidth; and

for each of the links, apportioning the respective link bandwidth between multiple channels respectively allocated to the multiple real-time data streams in the respective transmission set and transmitting the multiple real-time data streams in the respective transmission set to the respective recipient network node over the respectively allocated channels.

25. A network adapter for switching real-time data stream connections between network nodes sharing a virtual area, comprising:

computer-readable memory; and

a processing unit coupled to the computer-readable memory and operable to perform operations comprising

for each of one or more recipient ones of the network nodes, determining a respective link over which to transmit a respective transmission set of multiple real-time data streams, wherein each of the links has a respective link bandwidth; and

for each of the links, apportioning the respective link bandwidth between multiple channels respectively allocated to the multiple real-time data streams in the respective transmission set and transmitting the multiple real-time data streams in the respective transmission set to the respective recipient network node over the respectively allocated channels.

31. A method, comprising:

establishing from a first network node to a second network node a network link having a link bandwidth;

apportioning the link bandwidth between multiple channels that divide the network link by data stream content type; and

transmitting data streams from the first network node to the second network node on the network link in respective ones of the channels according to content type of the data streams.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the apportioning comprises changing amounts of the link bandwidth respectively apportioned to the channels.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the changing comprises changing amounts of the link bandwidth respectively apportioned to the channels based on change in amount of the link bandwidth.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the changing comprises changing amounts of the link bandwidth respectively apportioned to the channels based on change in number of the channels dividing the network link.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the changing comprises changing amounts of the link bandwidth respectively apportioned to the channels based on change in relative priority of the channels dividing the network link.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the changing comprises changing relative proportions of the link bandwidth respective apportioned to the channels.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein, the changing comprises accommodating incorporation of a new channel on the network link, wherein the accommodating comprises reducing bandwidth respectively apportioned to one or more of the channels.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the reducing comprises reducing bitrate of a voice data stream carried on a respective one of the channels in accommodation of a concurrent data stream carried on the new channel.

39. The method of claim 31, wherein the apportioning comprises allocating the link bandwidth between the channels based on one or more parameter values characterizing transmission of data streams according to data stream content type.

40. The method of claim 31, further comprising determining whether the link bandwidth is sufficient to carry a required set of data streams on respective ones of the channels.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising requesting data corresponding to the required set of data streams from a third network node in response to a determination that the link bandwidth is insufficient to carry a required set of data streams.

42. The method of claim 31, wherein the first and second nodes comprise respective sources and sinks of data streams, and performance of the apportioning and the transmitting is based on a virtual area specification comprising a description of one or more switching rules each defining a respective connection between sources of a respective real-time data stream type and sinks of the real-time data stream type in terms of positions in a virtual area in connection with which the first and second network nodes concurrently are connected.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein each of the first and second network nodes is associated with a respective position in the virtual area, and the apportioning is performed based on the switching rules and the positions in the virtual area associated with the first and second network nodes.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein:

the virtual area specification specifies one or more required data stream types; and

in a context defined by associations of the first and second network nodes with respective positions in the virtual area, the apportioning comprises apportioning the link bandwidth between one or more of the channels respectively designated for carrying the one or more required data stream types and the transmitting comprises transmitting one or more data streams of the one or more required data stream types on the network link in the one or more channels respectively designated for carrying the one or more required data stream types.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein the virtual area specifies one or more parameter values characterizing transmission of data streams according to data stream content type, and the apportioning comprises allocating the link bandwidth between the channels based on the one or more parameter values.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the virtual area specification specifies data stream priority values that prioritize the data streams by data stream content type, and the allocating comprises allocating the link bandwidth between the channels based on the data stream priority values.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the virtual area specification specifies a respective transmission quality parameter value for transmission of data streams of a particular content type, and the allocating comprises allocating the link bandwidth between the channels based on the transmission quality parameter value.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the virtual area specification specifies a respective minimum bandwidth parameter value for transmission of data streams of a particular content type, and the allocating comprises allocating the link bandwidth between the channels based on the minimum bandwidth parameter value.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the apportioning comprises changing amounts of the link bandwidth respectively apportioned to ones of the channels in response to a determination that bandwidth of a respective one of the channels allocated to the particular content type does not meet the respective bandwidth requirement.

50. The method of claim 42, wherein in a context of a third network node connecting to the virtual area,

the establishing comprises allocating available bandwidth between the network link from the first network node to the second network node and a second network link from the first network node to the third network node such that the network link from the first network node to the second network node has a first link bandwidth and the second network link has a second link bandwidth, and

the apportioning comprises reapportioning the first link bandwidth between the multiple channels, and apportioning the second link bandwidth between multiple channels that divide the second network link by data stream content type.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the establishing comprising requesting from a fourth network node data corresponding to one or more data streams from a third network node in response to a determination that the second link bandwidth is insufficient to carry a set of data streams required by the virtual area specification.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the establishing comprises establishing with the fourth network node a respective network link for receiving a respective mixed data stream over a respective channel allocated for a particular content type, wherein the mixed data stream corresponds to a mix of data streams of the particular data stream content type received from the first, second, and third network nodes.

53. The method of claim 50, wherein in a context of the third network node disconnecting from the virtual area

the establishing comprises releasing the second link and reallocating available bandwidth between the network link from the first network node to the second network node such that the network link from the first network node to the second network node has a third link bandwidth, and

the apportioning comprises reapportioning the third link bandwidth between the channels dividing the network link from the first network node to the second network node.

54. The method of claim 50, wherein the virtual area specification prioritizes connections between network nodes based on user role attributes, and the establishing is performed based on role attributes respectively associated with communicants respectively operating from the second and third network nodes.

55. A method, comprising:

ascertaining data stream content types respectively needed by network nodes to communicate in a shared spatial context defined by a virtual area based on respective positions of the network nodes in the virtual area and respective sources and sinks of different data stream content types respectively associated with the network nodes;

determining a data stream handling topology that delivers data streams of the ascertained data stream content types respectively needed by the network nodes to communicate in the shared spatial context based at least in part on respective bandwidth capabilities of one or more of the network nodes, wherein the data streams delivered by the data stream handling topology are derived from data originated by respective ones of the sources and are delivered to respective ones of the sinks; and

transmitting data enabling network connections to be established between the network nodes in accordance with the data stream handling topology.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the determining comprises, for each of the delivered data streams, selecting either a mixed data stream form derived from data originated by multiple of the sources or an unmixed data stream form derived from data originated by a single one of the sources.

57. The method of claim 55, wherein the determining comprises, for each data stream derived from data originated by a respective one of the sources, selecting the route over which the derived data is delivered to a respective one of the sinks from either a direct peer-to-peer network route or an indirect network route that is mediated by one or more network nodes other than the network nodes comprising the respective source and the respective sink.

58. The method of claim 55, wherein the determining comprises changing the data stream handling topology in response to changes in the respective bandwidth capabilities of one or more of the network nodes.