Method and Apparatus Providing Synchronization and Control for Server-Based Multi-Screen Videoconferencing

• US 20150106436A1
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Deyerle, James, Savage, Alan, Chen, Xiaohui, Lane, Christopher, Petruzziello, Antonio, Shields, William
• Granted Patent: US 9,420,038 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• 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: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A videoconferencing system in which multiple browsers are utilized to present content and control functions for a server based videoconference. The content of the videoconference (e.g., video and audio streams) is presented on a display device driven by a local computer running a browser. The local computer also runs a separate browser that presents control functions on a different display device (e.g., a touch screen). The system can be scaled to include additional monitors and browsers running on the local computer. A local server is provided on the local computer for facilitating communications among the locally running browsers. In this manner, the browsers can communicate with each other via the local server executing on the local computer. The need to send traffic to a remote server to effectuate the browser-to-browser communication is eliminated. This provides for reduced latency and lowers the demands on the remote server.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A video conferencing system, comprising:

a remote connection server establishing and managing a communication session between client devices participating in a communication session;

a remote reflector server providing content of the communication session to the client devices during the communication session;

a first local client device having a content display device;

a local communication server executing on the first local client device;

a first web browser executing on the first local client device, the first web browser in communication with a remote reflector server, a remote connection server, and the local communication server, the first web browser displaying on the content display device content of the communication session provided by the remote reflector server during the communication session;

a second local client device having a control display device; and

a second web browser executing on the second local client device, the second web browser in communication with the local communication server, the second web browser displaying a control interface on the control display device, the second web browser receiving a command through the control interface of the control display device for controlling communication of content provided by the remote reflector server during the communication session and transmitting such command via the local communication server to the first web browser such that the command is received by the first web browser independently of communications with the remote communication server.

22. A video conferencing system, comprising:

a first local client device having a content display device;

a local communication server executing on the first local client device;

a first web browser executing on the first local client device, the first web browser in communication with a remote reflector server, a remote connection server, and the local communication server, the first web browser displaying on the content display device content of the communication session provided by the remote reflector server during the communication session;

a second local client device having a control display device; and

a second web browser executing on the second local client device, the second web browser in communication with the local communication server, the second web browser displaying a control interface on the control display device, the second web browser receiving a command through the control interface of the control display device for controlling communication of content provided by the remote reflector server during the communication session and transmitting such command via the local communication server to the first web browser such that the command is received by the first web browser independently of communications with the remote communication server.

23. The video conferencing system of claim 22, wherein the remote connection server establishes and manages a communication session between client devices participating in the communication session.

24. The video conferencing system of claim 22, wherein the remote reflector server provides content of the communication session to the client devices during the communication session.

25. The video conferencing system of claim 22, wherein the command is communicated by the first web browser to the remote connection server.

26. The video conferencing system of claim 22, wherein the first local client device and the second local client device are the same device.

27. The video conferencing system of claim 22, wherein the content comprises video and audio.

28. The video conferencing system of claim 22, wherein the local communications server comprises a WebSocket server.

29. The video conferencing system of claim 22, wherein the first browser displayed by the content display device and the second browser displayed by the control display device are displayed in full screen mode.

30. The video conferencing system of claim 22, wherein the command is a mute command.

31. The video conferencing system of claim 22, wherein the content is received from the reflector server via a TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) packet or UDP (User Datagram Protocol) packet.

32. The video conferencing system of claim 22, wherein the first browser is in communication with the local communication server and the remote communication server using HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).

33. The video conferencing system of claim 22, wherein the second web browser is also in communication with the remote communication server.

34. A method for providing a conferencing system, comprising:

executing a local communication server on a first local client device, the first local client device having a content display device;

executing a first web browser on the first local client device, the first web browser in communication with a remote reflector server, a remote connection server, and the local communication server, the first web browser displaying on the content display device content of the communication session provided by the remote reflector server during the communication session;

executing a second web browser on a second local client device, the second local client device having a control display device, the second web browser in communication with the local communication server, the second web browser displaying a control interface on the control display device, the second web browser receiving a command through the control interface of the control display device for controlling communication of content provided by the remote reflector server during the communication session and transmitting such command via the local communication server to the first web browser such that the command is received by the first web browser independently of communications with the remote communication server.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the remote connection server establishes and manages a communication session between client devices participating in the communication session.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the remote reflector server provides content of the communication session to the client devices during the communication session.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the command is communicated by the first web browser to the remote connection server.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the first local client device and the second local client device are the same device.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein the local communications server comprises a WebSocket server.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein the command is a mute command.