System and method for associating multimedia objects for use in a video conferencing system

• US 5,896,128 A
• Filed: 05/03/1995
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Bell Communications Research, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Boyer, David Gray
• Primary Examiner(s): FLYNN, NATHAN J
• Application Number:
  US08/434,081
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: 348/15, 348/16, 348/17, 348/18, 348/578, 348/584, 348/598, 348/722, 348/585, 348/586, 348/587, 348/588, 348/591, 348/12, 348/13, 348/14
• US Class Current: 715/716
• 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 video conferencing system and method that uses a central multimedia bridge to combine multimedia signals from a plurality of conference participants into a single composite signal for each participant. The system gives each conference participant the ability to customize their individual display of other participants, including keying in and out selected portions of the display and overlapping displayed images, and the ability to identify individual images in a composed video stream by click and drag operations or the like. The system uses a chain of video composing modules that can be extended as necessary to combine video signal streams from any number of conference participants in real time. Multimedia association software is provided for associating different media types to enhance display and manipulation capabilities for multimedia uses. The system also allows each user to dynamically change who can receive the information they provide to the conference.

Claims

1. A video conferencing system wherein each individual participant can compose the video images to be displayed to that participant distinct from the video images displayed to other participants, said system comprising

means for receiving a plurality of video signal streams from a plurality of participant stations, each video signal stream comprising a plurality of video instances, wherein each video instance is a distinct image element of the video picture represented by the video signal stream;

means for combining said plurality of video signal streams into a plurality of composite video streams, each composite video stream containing selected portions of two or more of said video signal streams;

means for outputting each of said composite video streams to a respective participant station;

means controlled by software for associating a plurality of instances from different video signal streams into a distinct group of video instances; and

means controlled by software for manipulating said distinct group of video instances as if it were a video signal stream.

5. The video conferencing system of claim 1, wherein said associating means includes means for scaling the group of video instances as a group.

6. The video conferencing system of claim 1, wherein said associating means includes means for chroma keying the group of video instances as a group, whereby a color or luminance range of the group can be removed.

7. The video conferencing system of claim 1, wherein said associating means includes means for mirroring the group of video instances as a group.

8. The video conferencing system of claim 1, wherein said associating means includes means for changing the priority of the group of video instances as a group, whereby a stacking order of the associated group can be changed with respect to video instances not associated with the group.

10. The video conferencing system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of audio signal streams from said plurality of user stations, said audio signal streams each comprising an audio instance;

means for combining said audio instances into a plurality of composite audio streams; and

means for outputting said composite audio signal streams to respective user stations.

11. The video conferencing system of claim 10, wherein said associating means includes means for associating said group of video instances with audio instances of respective audio signal streams corresponding to the group of video instances.

2. A video conferencing system wherein each individual participant can compose the video images to be displayed to the participant distinct from the video images displayed to other participants, said system comprising

means for receiving a plurality of video signal streams from a plurality of participant stations, each video signal stream comprising a plurality of video instances, wherein each video instance is a distinct image element of the video pictures represented by the video signal stream;

means for combining said plurality of video signal streams into a plurality of composite video streams, each composite video stream containing selected portions of two or more of said video signal streams;

means for outputting each of said composite video streams to a respective participant station;

means for receiving a plurality of audio signal streams from said plurality of participant stations, each audio signal stream comprising a plurality of audio instances, wherein each audio instance is a distinct sound element;

means for combining said plurality of audio signal streams into a plurality of composite audio streams;

means for outputting each of said composite audio streams to a respective participant station; and

means controlled by software for associating video instances of a respective video signal stream with audio instances of a respective audio signal stream into a distinct group of associated audio and video instances; and

means controlled by software for manipulating said distinct group of audio and video instances as if it were a signal stream.

3. A method for controlling the presentation of a media signal stream comprising the steps of

providing a plurality of media signal streams, each of said streams comprising a plurality of media instances, wherein each media instance is a distinct portion of the total information represented by said media stream;

associating a plurality of instances from different media signal streams into a distinct group of media instances; and

manipulating said distinct group of media instances as if it were a media signal stream.

14. The method of controlling the presentation of a media signal stream in accordance with claim 3 wherein said media instances comprise video instances, said method further comprising the step of displaying said video instances on a video display device.

15. The method of controlling the presentation of a media signal stream in accordance with claim 14 wherein said media instances comprise audio instances in addition to said video instances.

4. A method for enabling a viewer to control the presentation to the viewer from a plurality of discrete sources in a multi-point teleconferencing service, said method comprising the steps of

combining the images from the sources into composite streams;

grouping together a subset of the images from a plurality of composite streams;

manipulating the grouped together images as if it were a single stream; and

displaying the manipulated images to the viewer.

9. A video conferencing system comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of video signal streams from a plurality of user stations, each video signal stream comprising one or more video instances;

means for combining said plurality of video signal streams into a plurality of composite video streams, each composite video stream containing selected portions of two or more of said video signal streams;

means for outputting each of said composite video streams to a respective user station; and

means for associating a plurality of instances from different video signal streams into a group of video instances that can be manipulated as a group;

said associating means including means for windowing the group of video instances as a group, whereby portions of the associated group within a defined window can be removed.

12. A video conferencing system, comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of video signal streams from a plurality of user stations, each video signal stream comprising one or more video instances;

means for combining said plurality of video signal streams into a plurality of composite video streams, each composite video stream containing selected portions of two or more of said video signal streams;

means for outputting each of said composite video streams to a respective user station;

means for receiving a plurality of audio signal streams from said plurality of user stations, said audio signal streams each comprising an audio instance;

means for combining said audio instances into a plurality of composite audio streams;

means for outputting said composite audio signal streams to respective user stations; and

means for associating a plurality of instances from different video signal streams into a group of video instances that can be manipulated as a group;

said associating means including means for associating said group of video instances with audio instances of respective audio signal streams corresponding to the croup of video instances; and

means for associating a volume of the audio instances associated with said group of video instances with a size of the group, whereby the volume of the audio instances increases or decreases with a change in the size of the group.

13. A video conferencing system comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of video signal streams from a plurality of user stations, each video signal stream comprising one or more video instances;

means for combining said plurality of video signal streams into a plurality of composite video streams, each composite video stream containing selected portions of two or more of said video signal streams;

means for outputting each of said composite video streams to a respective user station;

means for receiving a plurality of audio signal streams from said plurality of user stations, each of said audio signal streams comprising one or more audio instances;

means for combining said plurality of audio signal streams into a plurality of composite audio streams;

means for outputting each of said composite audio streams to said user stations; and

means for associating video instances of a respective video signal stream with audio instances of a respective audio signal stream, wherein said associating means includes means for associating a volume of at least one selected audio instance with a size of at least one selected video instance, whereby the volume of the selected audio instance increases or decreases with a change in the size of the selected video instance.