Method and system for integrating video and data transfers in a multimedia session
First Claim
1. A method of integrating a user-initiated data transfer with a continuous video transmission in a multimedia communication session comprising steps of:
- enabling a party of said session to pre-select at least two levels of video quality of service for said session, including a first level pre-selected for time segments between said user-initiated data transfers and including a second level, that is lower than said first level, for time segments during said data transfers in anticipation of bandwidth congestion, thereby enabling said party to determine degradation of video quality of service during said time segments of said user-initiated data transfers;
negotiating connectivity for said session such that said first level of video quality of service is established;
switching video transmission requirements of said session in response to commencement of a first user-initiated data transfer, including basing said video transmission requirements upon said pre-selected second level of video quality of service; and
restoring said first level of video quality of service upon completion of said first user-initiated data transfer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for integrating occasional user-initiated data transfers with a generally continuous video transmission in a multimedia communications session includes enabling a party of the session to select at least two levels of video quality of service for the session. A first level is selected for time segments in which the user-initiated data transfers are active. A second level of video QoS is selected for time segments having user-initiated data transfers. Connectivity for the session is established based upon the first level. However, upon initiation of a data transfer, the video transmission requirements are switched to requirements based upon the second level of video quality of service. Present-time quality of service is monitored to determine whether the data transfer should be regulated so as to ensure that the present-time video quality of service remains at or above the second selected level. The method and system allow a user to determine what level, if any, of degradation is permissible during the data transfers.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of integrating a user-initiated data transfer with a continuous video transmission in a multimedia communication session comprising steps of:
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enabling a party of said session to pre-select at least two levels of video quality of service for said session, including a first level pre-selected for time segments between said user-initiated data transfers and including a second level, that is lower than said first level, for time segments during said data transfers in anticipation of bandwidth congestion, thereby enabling said party to determine degradation of video quality of service during said time segments of said user-initiated data transfers; negotiating connectivity for said session such that said first level of video quality of service is established; switching video transmission requirements of said session in response to commencement of a first user-initiated data transfer, including basing said video transmission requirements upon said pre-selected second level of video quality of service; and restoring said first level of video quality of service upon completion of said first user-initiated data transfer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of integrating occasional data transmissions into real-time videoconference transmissions comprising steps of:
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pre-selecting a desired video quality of service (QoS) level for said videoconference transmissions; pre-selecting a reduced video QoS level for said videoconference transmissions during time segments of said occasional data transmissions in anticipation of bandwidth congestion, said reduced video QoS level being degraded relative to said desired video QoS, wherein pre-selection of said reduced video QoS establishes a threshold bit rate for real-time video transfers; monitoring bit rates of said real-time video transfers during said time segments of said occasional data transmissions; and controlling execution of said occasional data transmissions based upon maintaining at least said reduced video QoS during said time segments of occasional data transmissions, including adaptively adjusting durations of said occasional data transmissions such that maintaining the bit rate of real-time video transfers at least as great as said threshold bit rate is accommodated. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A multimedia communications system comprising:
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video means for forming real-time video data for transmission to a remote site; display means for receiving real-time video data from said remote site; file transfer means for exchanging data files upon initiation by a user; means for enabling said user to pre-select a first level of video QoS for exchange of video data when said file transfer means is inactive and for enabling said user to pre-select a second level of video QoS for exchange of video data before said file transfer means is temporarily activated, said first level of video QoS being higher than said second level of video QoS; means for monitoring QoS of said exchange of video data between said remote site and said video and display means during said file transfer; and regulating means, responsive to said means for monitoring, for controlling rates of exchanges by said file transfer means such that said second level of video QoS is automatically implemented and maintained when said file transfer means is active, said regulating means being connected to be inactive when said file transfer means is inactive. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification