Automatic switching of videoconference focus

• US 6,025,870 A
• Filed: 10/14/1998
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vtel Corporation
• Inventors: Hardy, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US09/172,485
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14, 348/15, 348/16, 370/260, 379/202, 379/93.21
• US Class Current: 348/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A videoconference system includes a video switch for selecting focus video information, a physical video input node coupled to provide physical video information to the video switch, a graphics processing module coupled to provide graphical video information to the video switch, and a remote source interface coupled to provide remote video information to the video switch. The videoconference system further includes an audio processing module for processing audio information. A record controller is coupled to the video switch, the graphics processing module and the audio processing module. The record controller is coupled to receive event information from the audio processing module and the graphics processing module. The record controller automatically determines a focus video source from among the physical video input, the graphics processing module and the remote source interface responsive to receiving the event information. The record controller controls the video switch to couple the focus video source to a video switch output responsive to determining the focus video source.

Claims

1. A videoconference system comprising:

a video switch for selecting focus video information;

a physical video input node coupled to provide physical video information to the video switch;

a graphics processing module coupled to provide graphical video information to the video switch;

a remote source interface coupled to provide remote video information to the video switch;

an audio processing module for processing audio information; and

a record controller coupled to the video switch, the graphics processing module and the audio processing module, the record controller coupled to receive event information from the audio processing module and the graphics processing module, the record controller automatically determining a focus video source from among the physical video input, the graphics processing module and the remote source interface responsive to receiving the event information, the record controller controlling the video switch to couple the focus video source to a video switch output responsive to determining the focus video source.

2. The videoconference system of claim 1 further comprising a recording device, the recording device comprising:

a video input coupled to the video switch output to receive the focus video information, the recording device recording the focus video information responsive to receiving the focus video information; and

an audio input coupled to the audio processing module to receive the audio information, the recording device recording the audio information responsive to receiving the audio information.

3. The videoconference system of claim 2 wherein the recording device is a videocassette recorder.

4. The videoconference system of claim 1 wherein

the audio processing module includes a digital signal processor;

and

the graphics processing module includes a graphics processing software module for execution on a general purpose microprocessor.

5. The videoconference system of claim 1 further comprising:

a camera coupled to physical video input node to provide physical video information captured by the camera to the video switch.

6. The videoconference system of claim 1 wherein the remote source interface comprises:

a network interface card coupled to receive remote conference information from a remote conference site and coupled to provide local conference information to the remote conference site, the remote conference information including remote audio information and at least one of remote graphical information and remote physical information, the local conference information including local audio information and at least one of local graphical information and local physical information; and

a multiplexer/demultiplexer coupled to the network interface card, the audio processing module and the graphics processing module, the multiplexer/demultiplexer providing remote audio information to the audio processing module and at least one of remote graphical information to the graphics processing module and remote physical information to the video switch responsive to receiving the remote conference information, the multiplexer/demultiplexer providing local conference information to the network interface card responsive to receiving local audio information from the audio processing module and at least one of local graphical information from the graphical processing module and local physical information from the video switch.

7. The videoconference system of claim 6 further comprising:

a monitor; and

a video processing module coupled to the monitor, the video switch, the graphics processing module and the multiplexer/demultiplexer, the multiplexer/demultiplexer providing the remote physical information to the video switch via the video processing module, the multiplexer/demultiplexer receiving the local physical information from the video switch via the video processing module.

8. The videoconference system of claim 1 further comprising:

a talk/listen notification engine for identifying speakers of a videoconference; and

wherein

the record controller comprises;

an audio engine coupled to receive talk/listen notifications from the talk/listen notification engine;

a record control engine coupled to receive the talk/listen notifications from the audio engine and coupled to the talk/listen notification engine for controlling the enablement of the talk/listen notification engine to provide the talk/listen notifications; and

a video routing engine coupled to the record control engine and the video switch, the video routing engine controlling the selection of the focus video source by the video switch under control of the record control engine.

9. The videoconference system of claim 1 further comprising

a computer system, the computer system including

a user interface;

a graphics software module of the graphics processing module; and

the record controller.

10. The videoconference system of claim 9 wherein

the audio processing module includes a talk/listen notification engine for identifying speakers of a videoconference;

and

the record controller comprises;

an audio engine coupled to receive talk/listen notifications from the talk/listen notification engine;

a record control engine coupled to receive the talk/listen notifications from the audio engine and coupled to the talk/listen notification engine for controlling the enablement of the talk/listen notification engine to provide the talk/listen notifications; and

a video routing engine coupled to the record control engine and the video switch, the video routing engine controlling the selection of the focus video source by the video switch under control of the record control engine.

11. A method of selecting the focus of a videoconference, the method comprising:

receiving video information by a video switch from each one of a plurality of video sources, the plurality of video sources including a remote video source and a plurality of local video sources, the video switch providing video information from a current video source of the plurality of video sources to a video input node;

receiving event information by a record controller, the event information indicating that an event video source of the plurality of video sources is transmitting video information pertinent to the videoconference;

automatically determining by the record controller which of the remote and local video sources is the current video source;

automatically determining by the record controller which of the remote and local sources is a focus video source based on the event information, the record controller determining if the event source is a graphical source or a physical source;

setting a switch-delay time if the event source is a graphical source;

automatically determining by the record controller if the video switch requires switching to provide video information from the focus video source depending on whether the focus video source is the current video source; and

automatically controlling the video switch to switch to provide video information from the focus video source to the video input if the video switch requires switching.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the automatically determining if the video input requires switching to receive conference information from the focus source further depends on a number of monitors at a local site.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of local sources includes a physical source and a graphical source.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the remote source is a local interface coupled to receive conference information originating from each of a plurality of remote sources.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the video input is coupled to an external-to-conference monitor for viewing by a nonparticipant to the conference.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the video input is coupled to a recording device.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the recording device is a videocassette recorder.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

recording conference information by the recording device, the conference information being received from the video switch under control of the record controller.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

determining if the switch-delay time has expired before determining if the video input requires switching; and

wherein

the determining if the video input requires switching further depends on whether the switch-delay time has expired.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining if the switch-delay time has expired before determining if the video input requires switching; and

wherein

the determining if the video input requires switching further depends on whether the switch-delay time has expired.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the switch-delay time is set to a time dependent at least in part upon a user programmable time.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the switch-delay time is set to a current clock time plus a user programmable minimum time.

23. The method of claim 11 wherein the event information is received by the record controller from at least one module for handling conference system events including camera position commands and annotations of slides.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least one module for handling conference system commands and events comprises:

a graphics processing module; and

an audio processing module.

25. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving event information from a user interface, the event information received from the user interface indicating that one of the plurality of video sources has been manually selected as the focus video source by a user; and

automatically determining by the record controller if the video switch requires switching to provide video information from the one of the plurality of video sources that has been manually selected as the focus video source depending on whether the focus video source is the current video source.

26. An apparatus for selecting the focus of a videoconference for a video input, the apparatus comprising:

a video switch for selecting focus video information;

a physical video input node coupled to provide physical video information to the video switch;

a graphics processing module coupled to provide graphical video information to the video switch;

a remote source interface coupled to provide remote video information to the video switch;

an audio processing module for processing audio information;

a computer-readable storage medium coupled to the video switch, the graphics processing module and the audio processing module; and

a record controller stored on the computer-readable storage medium, the record controller coupled to receive event information from the audio processing module and the graphics processing module, the record controller automatically determining a focus video source from among the physical video input, the graphics processing module and the remote source interface responsive to receiving the event information, the record controller controlling the video switch to couple the focus video source to a video switch output responsive to determining the focus video source.