Local video loopback method for a multi-participant conference system using a back-channel video interface

• US 7,176,957 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Ivashin, Victor, Miceli, Sean, Boskovic, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US10/853,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20050264648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1409, 348/14.11, 348/14.12, 348/14.13, 709/204, 370/260, 370/261, 370/262, 715/753, 715/751, 715/755
• US Class Current: 348/14.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A multi-participant videoconference system incorporating a back-channel connection and a client video mixer is disclosed. The multi-participant videoconference system includes a client component and a server component. The server component provides a composite conference video signal to the client component. A region is defined in the composite conference video signal and the size and coordinates of the region are communicated to the client component by the server component over the back-channel. The client component captures local video and mixes local video into the composite conference video signal using the size and coordinates received from the server component for display.

Claims

1. A multi-participant videoconference system, comprising:

a client component including a conference client that is enabled to execute videoconferencing software;

a conference channel;

a back-channel;

a server component enabled to provide a composite video signal to the client component over the conference channel, the composite video signal containing a video signal received from at least one other client component in the multi-participant video conference system; and

wherein the client component further comprises a client video mixer configured to mix a local video signal into the composite video signal received from the server component and render video images including a local video image contained in the composite video signal according to position and layout information communicated between the server component and the client component over the back-channel.

2. The multi-participant videoconference system of claim 1, wherein the position and layout information is transmitted to the client component from the server component.

3. The multi-participant videoconference system of claim 1, wherein the client component further includes a client monitor configured to monitor the conference client, and communicate client monitoring information to the server component through the back-channel, wherein the client monitor reports a region for local video to the server component based on the client monitoring information and receives the position and layout information from the server component through the back-channel.

4. The multi-participant videoconference system of claim 1, wherein the client component has associated with it a video capture device to capture the local video, generate the local video signal, and transmit the local video signal to the server component.

5. The multi-participant videoconference system of claim 1, wherein the server component is configured to define a display region for the local video relative to one or more display regions for the video in the composite video signal, and communicate the defined display region for the local video to the client component over the back-channel connection.

6. A method for defining a region for local video within a conference video layout on a display of a client in a multi-participant videoconference system, which also includes a server, the method comprising the steps of:

defining a conference video layout for the client'"'"'s display, the conference video layout having a plurality of regions, at least one of which is for externally captured video carried in a composite conference video signal received from the server;

identifying a region in the defined conference video layout for display of local video that is captured by the client and processed only by the client;

communicating a size and a location of the identified region for display of the local video to the client;

transmitting the composite conference video signal to the client, the composite conference video signal including the identified region for display of the local video; and

mixing a local video signal containing the local video into the composite conference video signal in accordance with the identified region.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

communicating a size and a location of any of the at least one region for externally captured video that at least partially obscures the identified region for display of the local video to the client.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein, in the communicating step, the size and the location of the identified region for display of the local video are communicated through a back-channel of the multi-participant videoconference system.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein, in the transmitting step, the composite conference video signal is transmitted through a conference channel of the multi-participant videoconference system.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the identified region for display of the local video in the composite conference video signal is painted one of all black, all gray, or with a static video image.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the identified region for display of the local video in the composite conference video signal is identified according to a conferencing protocol of the multi-participant videoconference system.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein, in the identifying step, the region in the defined composite conference video layout identified for display of the local video is identified according to a selection of the client.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the identifying step is carried out by the server.

14. A client component for use in a multi-participant videoconference system, the client component comprising:

a video capture device configured to capture local video and generate a local video signal;

a conference channel port through which the client component is configured to communicate primary conference information with an external component, the primary conference information including a composite video signal transmitted to the client component from the external component;

a back-channel port through which the client component is configured to communicate secondary conference information with the external component, the secondary conference information including instructions received by the client component from the external component regarding placement of the local video relative to the composite video on a display associated with the client component; and

a mixer configured to mix the local video signal into the composite video according to the received instructions.

15. The client component of claim 14, wherein the instructions comprise a specified region for the local video relative to the composite video.

16. The client component of claim 14, wherein the client component is configured to transmit a configuration status to the external component through the back-channel port.

17. The client component of claim 15, wherein the specified region is painted one of all black, all gray, or with a single static video image.

18. The client component of claim 15, wherein the specified region is specified according to a codec protocol.

19. A method for improving image quality of a composite conference video in a multi-participant videoconference system, comprising:

defining a layout for a plurality of video images;

identifying a region of the layout to be replaced by a locally generated video image;

composing a composite conference video signal configured to communicate and display the composite conference video in the defined layout, the composite conference video signal including the identified region;

transmitting the composite conference video signal from a server component to a client component of the multi-participant videoconference system; and

displaying the composite conference video with the identified region replaced by the locally generated video image.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the identified region of the composite conference video signal is painted one of all black, all gray, or with a static video image.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the identified region of the composite conference video signal contains null data.