METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONDUCTING VIDEO CONFERENCES OF DIVERSE PARTICIPATING DEVICES

• US 20160286168A1
• Filed: 06/06/2016
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Halavy, Avishay
• Granted Patent: US 10,075,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• 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: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/44 Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/91 Entropy coding, e.g. variable length coding [VLC] or arithmetic coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A novel universal bridge (UB) can handle and conduct multimedia multipoint conferences between a plurality of MREs and LEPs without using an MRM, an MCU and a gateway. Further, a UB can be configured to allocate and release resources dynamically according to the current needs of each conferee and the session.

Claims

1. A universal bridge system for a multimedia conferencing system, comprising:

a first interface, configured to carry streams of transport frames according to a transport protocol;

a control module connected to the first interface;

a media relay processor, connected to the first interface and configured to receive compressed media received from a first media relay endpoint, to deliver one or more streams of packets toward a second media relay endpoint, to deliver streams of transport frames to the first interface, and to receive streams of transport frames from the first interface; and

a legacy processor, connected to the first interface, configured to receive compressed media received from a first legacy endpoint, to deliver one or more streams of packets toward second legacy endpoint, to deliver streams of transport frames to the first interface, and to receive streams of transport frames from the first interface.

2. The universal bridge of claim 1, wherein the media relay processor comprises:

a second interface, configured to carry streams of transport frames according to the transport protocol;

a media relay input processor, coupled to the second interface and configured to deliver to the second interface transport frames carrying compressed media received from the first media relay endpoint;

a first type media combiner module, coupled to the second interface and configured to combine a plurality of streams of transport frames carrying compressed media in a stream of transport frames carrying combined media targeted toward a media relay endpoint;

a media relay endpoint output processor, coupled to the second interface and configured to obtain one or more streams of transport frames carrying combined media created by the first type media combiner module from compressed media originated by the first media relay endpoint and the first legacy endpoint and deliver one or more streams of packets toward the second media relay endpoint; and

a first interface adaptor module, coupled to the first and second interfaces, that is configured to deliver transport frames between the first interface and the second interface.

3. The universal bridge of claim 1, wherein the legacy processor comprises:

a third interface, configured to carry streams of transport frames according to the transport protocol; and

a legacy endpoint output processor, coupled to the third interface and configured to obtain a stream of transport frames carrying compressed media originated by the first media relay endpoint and the first legacy endpoint and deliver one or more streams of packets toward the second legacy endpoint; and

a second interface adaptor module, coupled to the first and third interfaces, configured to deliver transport frames between the first interface and the third interface.

4. The universal bridge of claim 3, wherein the legacy processor further comprises:

a legacy input processor, coupled to the third interface, configured to deliver to the third interface transport frames carrying compressed media received from the first legacy endpoint.

5. The universal bridge of claim 4, wherein the legacy processor further comprises:

a decoder module, coupled to the third interface and configured to obtain a stream of transport frames carrying compressed media and generate a stream of transport frames carrying decoder module data units.

6. The universal bridge of claim 3, wherein the legacy processor further comprises:

a legacy input processor, coupled to the third interface, configured to receive compressed media from the first legacy endpoint, and further comprises;

a decoder module, configured to process chunks of compressed media into a stream of transport frames carrying decoder module data units to be transferred to the third interface; and

wherein the legacy input processor is further configured to deliver data chunks of compressed media to the decoder module.

7. The universal bridge of claim 3, wherein the legacy processor further comprises:

a lossless decoder, coupled to the third interface, configured to decode, using a lossless technique, lossless compressed media carried in transport frames received from the first interface.

8. The universal bridge of claim 3, wherein the legacy processor further comprises:

a lossless encoder, coupled to the third interface, configured to compress, using a lossless technique, uncompressed media for delivering lossless compressed media in transport frames to the first interface.

9. The universal bridge of claim 3, wherein the legacy processor second interface adaptor module comprises:

a lossless decoder, configured to decode, using a lossless technique, compressed media carried in transport frames received from the first interface; and

a lossless encoder, configured to compress, using a lossless technique, uncompressed media for delivering lossless compressed media in transport frames to the first interface.

10. The universal bridge system of claim 3, wherein the legacy processor further comprises:

a second type media combiner module, coupled to the third interface, configured to combine a plurality of streams of transport frames carrying decoder module data units into a stream of transport frames carrying combined media targeted toward the second legacy endpoint.

11. The universal bridge system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of streams of transport frames carrying decoder module data units originated from a media relay endpoint.

12. The universal bridge of claim 3, wherein the legacy processor further comprises:

an encoder module, coupled to the third interface and configured to obtain a stream of transport protocol frames carrying decoder module data units and generate a stream of transport frames carrying compressed media.

13. The universal bridge of claim 1, comprising a plurality of media relay processors and a plurality of legacy processors.

14. A universal bridge system for a multimedia conferencing system, comprising:

a first interface, configured to carry streams of transport frames according to a transport protocol;

a plurality of sub-bridges communicatively coupled to media relay endpoints and legacy endpoints, wherein each of the plurality of sub-bridges is configured for

receiving streams of packets carrying compressed media from a source media relay endpoint;

delivering streams of packets carrying compressed media toward a destination media relay endpoint;

receiving streams of packets carrying compressed media from a source legacy endpoint;

delivering streams of packets carrying compressed media toward a destination legacy endpoint;

receiving streams of transport frames from the first interface originating from another of the plurality of sub-bridges; and

delivering streams of transports frames to the first interface targeted for another of the plurality of sub-bridges.

15. The universal bridge system of claim 14, further comprising:

a control module connected to the first interface, configured for controlling the plurality of sub-bridges.

16. The universal bridge system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of sub-bridges comprises:

a second interface, configured to carry streams of transport frames according to a transport protocol;

a media relay input processor, coupled to the second interface, configured to deliver to the second interface transport frames carrying compressed media received from a source media relay endpoint;

a legacy input processor, coupled to the second interface, configured to deliver to the second interface transport frames carrying compressed media received from a source legacy endpoint;

a decoder module, coupled to the second interface, configured to obtain a stream of transport frames carrying compressed media and generate a stream of transport frames carrying decoder module data units;

a media combiner module, coupled to the second interface, configured to combine a plurality of streams of transport frames carrying decoder module data units into a stream of transport frames carrying combined media;

an encoder output module, coupled to the second interface, configured to obtain a stream of transport protocol frames carrying decoder module data units or combined media and generate a stream of transport frames carrying compressed media;

a media relay output processor, coupled to the second interface, configured to obtain one or more streams of transport frames carrying compressed media and deliver one or more streams of packets toward a destination media relay endpoint;

a legacy output processor, coupled to the second interface, configured to obtain a stream of transport frames carrying compressed combined media, and deliver packets toward a destination legacy endpoint; and

an interface adaptor, configured to pass transport frames between the first interface and the second interface.

17. A method of configuring a universal bridge for a multimedia conferencing system, comprising:

allocating for a media relay input stream in a conference;

a media relay input processor; and

a decoder module;

allocating for each media relay endpoint in the conference;

a media combiner module; and

a media relay output processor;

allocating for a legacy input stream in the conference;

a legacy input processor;

a decoder module;

a scaler; and

an encoder output module;

allocating for each legacy endpoint in the conference;

a media combiner module; and

a legacy output processor.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

creating a control table and a routing table;

allocating an entry in the control table for each media relay endpoint and each legacy endpoint in the conference; and

allocating an entry in the routing table for each media relay input stream and each legacy input stream.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining a current continuous presence image to be presented a media relay endpoint in the conference; and

updating the routing table to allow the media combiner module allocated to thr media relay endpoint to obtain transport frames corresponding to presented media relay endpoints and transport frames produced by the allocated encoder output module corresponding to presented legacy endpoints.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining a current continuous presence image to be presented at a legacy endpoint in the conference; and

updating the routing table to allow the media combiner module allocated to the legacy endpoint to obtain transport frames from the decoder modules associated with presented media relay endpoints and presented legacy endpoints.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein allocating for a media relay input stream is performed when a continuous presence image corresponding to the media relay input stream is presented to at least one legacy endpoint.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein allocating for a legacy input stream is performed when a continuous presence image corresponding to the legacy input stream is presented to at least one media relay endpoint.