Media role management in a video conferencing network
First Claim
1. A multimedia conferencing device comprising:
- a network interface for coupling with at least one multimedia conferencing device in a conference;
a switch coupled to the network interface, wherein the switch receiving one or more media streams from one or more sources, each switch responsive to a control signal for selecting one or more of media streams to output as switched outputs;
a policy manager coupled to the switch, wherein the policy manager generates the control signal for the switch according to a predetermined policy that depends at least in part on one or more labels associated with the one or more media streams and indicating a role of the one or more media streams; and
a capability manager coupled to the policy manager, wherein the capability manager negotiates the communication capability with the coupled multimedia conference device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
According to the principles of the invention, there is provided a system, apparatus, and method for managing media in a multimedia conferencing system according to media roles. Each media stream may be explicitly labeled with a role that describes the function or purpose of the stream, such as “people” or “content.” The labels may be hierarchical, and may include layers for media type, additional media source description, and the like, e.g., “people/presenter” or “people/presenter/video/” A policy manager is provided for managing roles, such that the multimedia conference may be more effectively presented to participants. A token management system may also be provided so that control of the multimedia conference roles can be transferred during the conference.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A multimedia conferencing device comprising:
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a network interface for coupling with at least one multimedia conferencing device in a conference; a switch coupled to the network interface, wherein the switch receiving one or more media streams from one or more sources, each switch responsive to a control signal for selecting one or more of media streams to output as switched outputs; a policy manager coupled to the switch, wherein the policy manager generates the control signal for the switch according to a predetermined policy that depends at least in part on one or more labels associated with the one or more media streams and indicating a role of the one or more media streams; and a capability manager coupled to the policy manager, wherein the capability manager negotiates the communication capability with the coupled multimedia conference device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A multimedia conferencing device comprising:
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a network interface for coupling with at least one multimedia conferencing device in a conference; a switch coupled to the network interface, wherein the switch receiving one or more media streams from one or more sources, each switch responsive to a control signal for selecting one or more of media streams to output as switched outputs; a policy manager coupled to the switch, wherein the policy manager generates the control signal for the switch according to a predetermined policy that depends at least in part on one or more labels associated with the one or more media streams and indicating a role of the one or more media streams; and a converter coupled to the network interface, wherein the converter is configured to; detect a first role signal of a received media stream;
convert the first role signal into a second role signal for the media stream; andretransmit the media stream. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification