Video Conference System and Method Using Multicast and Unicast Transmissions

• US 20110141221A1
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gibbons, John F., Shackleton, Neal A., Cheikhali, Jamil, Satterlee, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,411,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes receiving registration messages at a call control agent device via first unicast transmissions from at least three video conference terminals. The registration messages request set up of a video conference between the at least three video conference terminals. The computer-implemented method includes sending a set up message from the call control agent device to each of the at least three conference terminals via second unicast transmissions. The set up message includes at least an identification of a multicast control group, a send multicast group of each of the at least three conference terminals, and a default receive multicast group. In response to the set up message, one or more of the at least three video conference terminals join the default receive multicast group.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving registration messages at a call control agent device via first unicast transmissions from at least three video conference terminals, the registration messages requesting set up of a video conference between the at least three video conference terminals; and

sending a set up message from the call control agent device to each of the at least three conference terminals via second unicast transmissions, the set up message including at least an identification of a multicast control group, a send multicast group of each of the at least three conference terminals, and a default receive multicast group, wherein, in response to the set up message, one or more of the at least three video conference terminals monitors the default receive multicast group.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving audio data via third unicast transmissions from each of the at least three video conference terminals.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising selecting one of the at least three video conference terminals as an active terminal based on the audio data.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising sending a control message to the multicast control group, the control message identifying a send multicast group of the active terminal.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein, in response to the control message, a plurality of the at least three video conference terminals monitor the send multicast group of the active terminal.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the active terminal does not monitor the send multicast group of the active terminal in response to the control message.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the default receive multicast group corresponds to a first video conference terminal of the at least three video conference terminals, and wherein, in response to the set up message, the first video conference terminal monitors a send multicast group associated with a second video conference terminal of the at least video conference terminals.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein, in response to the set up message, the at least three video conference terminals monitor the multicast control group.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising sending control messages to the at least three video conference terminals via the multicast control group.

10. A computer-readable storage medium comprising operational instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

send a registration message to a call control agent device via a first unicast transmission from a first video conference terminal, the registration message requesting set up of a video conference between at least the first video conference terminal, a second video conference terminal and a third video conference terminal;

receive a set up message at the first video conference terminal from the call control agent device via a second unicast transmission, the set up message including at least an identification of a multicast control group, a first send multicast group assigned to the first video conference terminal, and a default receive multicast group;

monitor incoming video conference data via the default receive multicast group; and

send outgoing video conference data from the first video conference terminal via the first send multicast group.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operational instructions are further executable by the processor to send audio data associated with the outgoing video conference data to the call control agent device via a third unicast transmission.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operational instructions are further executable by the processor to receive a call control message from the call control agent device, the call control message designating the second video conference terminal as an active video conference terminal.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the operational instructions are further executable by the processor to, in response to the call control message, to monitor a send multicast group of the second video conference terminal to receive incoming video conference data from the second video conference terminal.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operational instructions are further executable by the processor to receive incoming video conference data from a previously active video conference terminal when the first video conference terminal is an active video conference terminal.

15. A first video conferencing terminal, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including operational instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive, from a call control agent, a first call control message identifying the first video conferencing terminal as an active talker and identifying a second video conference terminal as a previous talker;

send first outgoing video conference data from the first video conference terminal to the second video conference terminal and at least a third video conference terminal that are joined to a first multicast group associated with the active talker; and

receive the incoming video conference data at the first video conference terminal via a second multicast group associated with the previous talker.

16. The first video conferencing terminal of claim 15, wherein the operational instructions are further executable by the processor to receive a second call control message identifying the second video conference terminal as the active talker and identifying the first video conference terminal as the previous talker.

17. The first video conferencing terminal of claim 16, wherein, in response to the call control message, the operational instructions are further executable by the processor to receive the incoming video conference data at the first video conference terminal via the first multicast group associated with the active talker.

18. The first video conferencing terminal of claim 16, wherein, in response to the call control message, the operational instructions are further executable by the processor to send the first outgoing video conference data from the first video conference terminal to the second video conference terminal via the second multicast group associated with the previous talker.

19. The first video conferencing terminal of claim 16, wherein, in response to the call control message, the second video conference terminal sends the second outgoing video conference data from the second video conference terminal to at least the first video conference terminal and the third video conference terminal that are joined to the first multicast group associated with the active talker.

20. The first video conferencing terminal of claim 16, wherein, in response to the call control message, the second video conference terminal receives second incoming video conference data at the second video conference terminal via the second multicast group associated with the previous talker.