Adaptively controlled multipoint videoconferencing system
First Claim
1. A method of adaptively controlling a multipoint videoconferencing system including a plurality of visual telephone terminals and a multipoint control unit connected to the plurality of visual telephone terminals, comprising the steps of:
- a) determining respective shares of the plurality of visual telephone terminals;
b) generating respective video data of moving pictures in the plurality of visual telephone terminals at data rates corresponding to the respective, determined shares of the visual telephone terminals;
c) distributing the respective video data generated in each visual telephone terminal to the others of the plurality of visual telephone terminals; and
the step (b) further comprising the substeps of;
i) generating pictures at picture rates defined by the shares of the respective visual telephone terminals,ii) generating the video data from the pictures at video data rates defined by the shares of the respective visual telephone terminals, andiii) in the substep i), continuously selecting one of an actual picture and a null picture so that the actual picture is selected at the picture rate, thereby to generate the pictures substantially at the picture rate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a multipoint videoconferencing system including a plurality of visual telephone terminals and a multipoint control unit (MCU) connected thereto, shares of the respective visual telephone terminals are determined in the MCU, based on determination of a speaker determined from voice levels and/or amount of movement in the respective visual telephone terminals. The respective telephone terminals generate pictures at picture rates defined by the respective shares, and generate video data from the pictures at data rates defined by the respective shares. Video data generated in each visual telephone terminal are multiplexed in time division multiplexer in the MCU, and are distributed to the other terminals.
82 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method of adaptively controlling a multipoint videoconferencing system including a plurality of visual telephone terminals and a multipoint control unit connected to the plurality of visual telephone terminals, comprising the steps of:
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a) determining respective shares of the plurality of visual telephone terminals; b) generating respective video data of moving pictures in the plurality of visual telephone terminals at data rates corresponding to the respective, determined shares of the visual telephone terminals; c) distributing the respective video data generated in each visual telephone terminal to the others of the plurality of visual telephone terminals; and the step (b) further comprising the substeps of; i) generating pictures at picture rates defined by the shares of the respective visual telephone terminals, ii) generating the video data from the pictures at video data rates defined by the shares of the respective visual telephone terminals, and iii) in the substep i), continuously selecting one of an actual picture and a null picture so that the actual picture is selected at the picture rate, thereby to generate the pictures substantially at the picture rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A multipoint videoconferencing system including a plurality of visual telephone terminals and a multipoint control unit connected to the plurality of visual telephone terminals, comprising:
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means for determining shares of the respective visual telephone terminals; means for generating video data of moving pictures in the respective visual telephone terminals at data rates corresponding to the respective shares of the visual telephone terminals, as determined by the determining means; means for distributing the video data, generated by the generating means in each of the visual telephone terminals, to the others of the plurality of visual telephone terminals; the video data generating means further comprising; means for generating pictures at picture rates defined by the shares of the respective visual telephone terminals, and means for generating the video data from the pictures at video data rates defined by the shares of the respective visual telephone terminals; and the picture generating means further comprising; a selector for selecting one of an actual picture and a null picture at a constant rate, and means for continuously controlling the selector so that the actual picture is selected at the picture rate, to thereby substantially generate the pictures at the picture rate. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A visual telephone terminal for use in a multipoint videoconferencing system, including a multipoint control unit connected to the visual telephone terminal and other visual telephone terminals connected to the multipoint control unit, comprising:
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means for receiving a share determined in the multipoint control unit; means for generating video data according to the share received by the receiving means; means for transmitting the video data generated by the generating means to the multipoint control unit; means for receiving video data generated in the other visual telephone terminals and multiplexed in the multipoint control unit, from the multipoint control unit; the means for generating video data further comprising; means for generating pictures at picture rates defined by the share, and means for generating the video data from the pictures at a video data rate defined by the share; and
the picture generating means further comprising;a selector for selecting one of an actual picture and a null picture at a constant rate, and means for continuously controlling the selector so that the actual picture is selected at the picture rate, to thereby substantially generate the pictures at the picture rate. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method of adaptively controlling a multipoint videoconferencing system including a plurality of visual telephone terminals and a multipoint control unit connected to the plurality of visual telephone terminals, comprising the steps of:
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a) determining respective shares of the plurality of visual telephone terminals; b) generating respective video data of moving pictures in the plurality of visual telephone terminals at data rates corresponding to the respective, determined shares of the visual telephone terminals; c) distributing the respective video data generated in each visual telephone terminal to the others of the plurality of visual telephone terminals; and d) performing (the step b) in accordance with the substeps of; i) generating pictures at picture rates defined by the shares of the respective visual telephone terminals, and ii) generating the video data from the pictures at video data rates defined by the shares of the respective visual telephone terminals, wherein in the substep ii), the generation of the video data is controlled by inserting null data in an amount which is defined by the video data rate, to thereby substantially generate the video data at the video data rate. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A multipoint videoconferencing system including a plurality of visual telephone terminals and a multipoint control unit connected to the plurality of visual telephone terminals, comprising:
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means for determining shares of the respective visual telephone terminals; means for generating video data of moving pictures in the respective visual telephone terminals at data rates corresponding to the respective shares of the visual telephone terminals, as determined by the determining means; means for distributing the video data, generated by the generating means in each of the visual telephone terminals, to the others of the plurality of visual telephone terminals, wherein the video data generating means includes; means for generating pictures at picture rates defined by the shares of the respective visual telephone terminals; and means for generating the video data from the pictures at video data rates defined by the shares of the respective visual telephone terminals, wherein the video data generating means includes; a coder for coding the picture into a variable amount of video data; a buffer for storing the video data output from the coder; means for adding null data, an amount of which is defined by the video data rate, to video data taken out from the buffer to make video data having a constant rate; and means for controlling the amount of video data coded in the coder so that occupation of the buffer is maintained. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A visual telephone terminal for use in a multipoint videoconferencing system, including a multipoint control unit connected to the visual telephone terminal and other visual telephone terminals connected to the multipoint control unit, comprising:
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means for receiving a share determined in the multipoint control unit; means for generating video data of a moving picture at a data rate corresponding to the share received by the receiving means; means for transmitting the video data generated by the generating means to the multipoint control unit; and means for receiving video data generated in the other visual telephone terminals and multiplexed in the multipoint control unit, from the multipoint control unit, wherein the video data generating means includes; means for generating pictures at picture rates defined by the share; and means for generating the video data from the pictures at a video data rate defined by the share, wherein the video data generating means includes; a coder for coding the pictures into a variable amount of video data; a buffer for storing the video data output from the coder; means for adding null data, an amount of which is defined by the video data rate, to video data taken out from the buffer to make video data having a constant rate; and means for controlling the amount of video data coded in the coder so that occupation of the buffer is maintained. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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Specification