Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) Media Conference Server Routing Engine

• US 20150264103A1
• Filed: 03/12/2015
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infinesse Corporation
• Original Assignee: Infinesse Corporation
• Inventors: Kim, Michael Ern, Olson, Joseph Augustine, Young, Christopher, Hew, Peter Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 10,523,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• 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 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]

Abstract

The RTP Media Conference Server Routing Engine (“MCSRE”) integrates into a standards based RTP Media Server to improve server data throughput of RTP conference routing by factors of tens to hundreds while simultaneously decreasing real-time media delivery delays and significantly decreasing server resource requirements. The RTP MCSRE maintains a conference routing database used to manage a large number of conferences with a list of associated RTP sessions and conference participants. The routing engine also includes a Conference Session Routing Filter (“CSRF”) and a Routing Logic Processor (“RLP”) that selectively route received media streams to each participant in a given RTP conference. The behavior of both the CSRF and the RLP can be modified by executable scripts. The RTP MCSRE imposes floor control rules and packet filtering with regard to both network bandwidth and hardware resources specific to conference participant endpoint devices.

Claims

1. A system for routing RTP media streams comprising:

an RTP Media Server, comprising

an RTP Media Conference Routing Engine comprising

a routing database that stores a conference profile for each conference, a list of associated RTP sessions and a list of conference participants and associated conference participant profiles, and

an RTP Routing Module.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the RTP Media Conference Routing Engine further comprises a conference session routing filter and a routing logic processor that routes a media stream to a participant in an RTP conference.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the RTP Media Conference Routing Engine is capable of routing a RTP media stream without analyzing a RTP payload data of an RTP packet in the RTP media stream.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the RTP Media Server communicates with a SIP server to establish a RTP port configuration for an endpoint device to receive an RTP media stream.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the SIP server assigns RTP ports for the RTP media streams.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the RTP ports for each RTP media stream for each device are unique.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the RTP ports are shared by all of the endpoint devices within a given conference.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein the conference profile is used to modify the conference session routing filter and the routing logic processor to allow the RTP Media Conference Routing Engine to route the RTP media streams in a new manner.

9. The system of claim 2 wherein the conference session routing filter can be extended to incorporate out-of-band media transport mechanisms.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the out-of-band transport mechanisms comprise a network FTP server and associated FTP conference folders.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the MCRE is configured so that the endpoint will mix media for a RTP session if only one session is requested for a media type.

12. A method for routing RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) media streams in a standards based Routed RTP Media Conferencing System, the method comprising:

managing a list of conferences wherein each conference contains a Conference Profile, a list of participant RTP endpoints with associated participant profiles, and a list of RTP media sessions; and

managing routing of RTP media streams amongst the list of participant RTP endpoints within each conference RTP session according to routing logic algorithms based on data provided by the RTP packet header, the list of RTP session participant RTP endpoints, and a Conference Database within the Routed RTP Media Conferencing System.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the routing of the RTP media streams is performed based on the data in the RTP packet header.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein Conference Profile data is provided by a Conference Database within the Routed RTP Media Conferencing System.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein participant profile data are provided by a Conference Database within the Routed RTP Media Conferencing System as well as the associated participant RTP endpoint.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the data provided by the RTP packet header to the routing logic algorithms includes the SSRC (Synchronization Source) Identifier, the X (Extension) flag, and the Extension header.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the data associated with each element in the RTP media session list is obtained from the Conference Database, the participant RTP endpoints that are members of the RTP media session, and the RTP Media Server.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the RTP media streams can be multiple streams from the same media generator source where each stream can be encoded with a different format according to the media attributes with the associated conference RTP media session list element and such streams can be properly routed to participant RTP endpoints according to the routing logic and data.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the RTP media streams can be multiple streams from the same media generator source where each stream can be encoded with a different network bit rate within the associated media attributes with the associated conference RTP media session list element and such streams can be properly routed to participant RTP endpoints according to the routing logic and data.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the RTP media streams can be multiple streams of encoded layered media from a codec with SVC (Scalable Video Coding) according to the media attributes with the associated conference RTP media session list element and such streams can be properly routed to participant RTP endpoints according to the routing logic and data.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the RTP media stream can include data in the RTP Extension header that can signal the routing logic that the media stream contains composite streams from a participant RTP endpoint performing the services of a media mixing MCU and that the composite streams can be routed to participant devices that are only able to process single media streams.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the RTP media stream can include data in the RTP Extension header that can signal receiving participant RTP endpoints the availability of network accessible media files generated from the media stream, such as image files on an FTP server.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein the RTP media stream can include data in the RTP Extension header that can provide future signaling methods as needed to either the routing logic or receiving participant RTP endpoints.

24. The method of claim 12, wherein the routing logic behavior can be altered by both executable scripts loaded from the Conference Profile and the RTP Extension Header.

25. The method of claim 12, wherein the participant RTP endpoints within a given conference can be heterogeneous devices in terms of network connectivity, hardware characteristics, and system software;

such as a conference with a variety of smart phone, tablet, notebook, laptop, and desktop devices all with differing operating systems and browsers.