Audio visual media encoding system

• US 7,619,645 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2003
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Systems New Zealand Ltd. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tandberg NZ Ltd. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cockerton, Craig George
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US10/500,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20050122393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,280 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 370/260, 370/261, 370/410, 370/465, 709/204
• US Class Current: 348/14.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/107 between spatial and temporal predictive coding, e.g. picture refresh
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8453 by locking or enabling a set of features, e.g. optional functionalities in an executable program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• 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 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method, system and apparatus for encoding audio visual media signals sourced from preferably a video conference transmission. The technology provided is adapted to receive a video conference transmission from a computer network where this video conference transmission includes at least one audio visual signal and at least one protocol signal. One or more protocol signals are then read from the transmission received with the technology provided applying a selected encoding process to a received audio visual signal, wherein the encoding process selected depends on the contents of a read protocol signal.

Claims

1. A method of encoding audio visual media signals that are part of a videoconference with a recording apparatus, comprising:

configuring the recording apparatus as a participant in the videoconference,

receiving, at the recording apparatus, a videoconference transmission from a computer network, said videoconference transmission including at least one audio visual signal and at least one protocol signal,

reading, at the recording apparatus, one or more protocol signals from the computer network pertaining to the videoconference transmission,

applying, at the recording apparatus, a selected encoding process to a received audio visual signal to generate an encoded videoconference, said encoding process being selected depending on the contents of said at least one protocol signal read,

storing the generated encoded videoconference in a memory device associated with the recording apparatus, and

outputting, at the recording apparatus, the encoded videoconference stored in the memory device to a reproduction device through the computer network.

2. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the recording apparatus, a mute audio signal and a blank video signal so the recording apparatus is maintained as a participant to the videoconference.

3. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 2, wherein the reproduction device did not directly participate in the videoconference.

4. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

time compressing output audio visual content of the encoded output when a low content state is detected from a received protocol signal.

5. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 4, wherein the time compressing includes using a buffer to time compress the audio visual content of the encoded output.

6. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more protocol signals includes information regarding any combination of one or more of following parameters associated with an audio visual signal of a videoconference transmission:

(i) audio codec employed,

(ii) video codec employed,

(iii) the bit rate of audio information supplied,

(iv) the bit rate of video information supplied,

(v) the video information frame rate, or

(vi) the video information resolution.

7. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 1, wherein a content of the one or more protocol signals is used to detect a time position of at least one keyframe present within an audio visual signal of the videoconference transmission.

8. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contents of said at least one read protocol signal indicates a content switch present within an audio visual signal of the videoconference transmission.

9. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a content switch from a freeze picture signal extracted from a protocol signal.

10. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a content switch from a removal of a freeze picture request signal extracted from a protocol signal.

11. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a content switch from a document camera signal extracted from a protocol signal.

12. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a content switch from removal of a document camera signal extracted from a protocol signal.

13. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a content switch from an image incorporation signal extracted from a protocol signal.

14. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a content switch from removal of an image incorporation signal extracted from a protocol signal.

15. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a content switch from a camera movement signal extracted from a protocol signal.

16. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

detecting the content switch and triggering an association of at least one index marker with the encoded output at a corresponding time position in the encoded output at which the content switch was detected.

17. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 16, wherein the at least one index marker includes reference information indicating what content switch was detected.

18. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 16, wherein a protocol signal indicates a time position of at least one keyframe present within an audio visual signal of the videoconference transmission, and the method further comprising:

including keyframes in the encoded output that are positioned adjacent to or in a same position as index markers encoded into said encoded output.

19. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 18, wherein keyframes included in the encoded output are positioned within a threshold time from an index marker.

20. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 18, wherein the keyframes are included in the encoded output at the same time position as index markers.

21. A storage medium containing therein a program which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

22. A method of encoding audio visual media signals with an encoding apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving, at the encoding apparatus, a videoconference transmission from a computer network, said videoconference transmission including at least one audio visual signal and at least one protocol signal, and

reading, at the encoding apparatus, one or more protocol signals,

applying, at the encoding apparatus, a selected encoding process to a received audio visual signal, said encoding process being selected depending on contents of said at least one protocol signal read,

wherein the content of a read protocol signal is used to detect the time position of at least one keyframe present within an audio visual signal of the videoconference transmission; and

encoding keyframes into an encoded output at a same time position as keyframes are detected in an audio visual signal of the videoconference transmission.

23. A method of encoding audio visual media signals with an encoding apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving, at the encoding apparatus, a videoconference transmission from a computer network, said videoconference transmission including at least one audio visual signal and at least one protocol signal,

reading, at the encoding apparatus, one or more protocol signals,

determining, at the encoding apparatus, a time position of a first keyframe present within an audio visual signal received, and

encoding, at the encoding apparatus, a second keyframe into an encoded output at a same time position at which the first keyframe was detected in an originally received audio visual signal.

24. A storage medium containing therein a program which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of claim 23.

25. A method of encoding audio visual media signals with an encoding apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving, at the encoding apparatus, a videoconference transmission from a computer network, said videoconference transmission including at least one audio visual signal and at least one protocol signal,

reading, at the encoding apparatus, one or more protocol signals,

detecting, at the encoding apparatus, a content switch within the audio visual content of a received audio visual signal or signals, and

encoding, at the encoding apparatus, an index marker at a time position at which the content switch was detected.

26. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 25, wherein index markers are encoded within a time threshold from a time position of a keyframe.

27. A storage medium containing therein a program which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of claim 25.

28. A method of encoding audio visual media signals with an encoding apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving, at the encoding apparatus, a videoconference transmission, from a computer network, said videoconference transmission including at least one audio visual signal and at least one protocol signal,

reading, at the encoding apparatus, one or more protocol signals,

detecting, at the encoding apparatus, a content switch within the audio visual content of a received audio visual signal,

encoding, at the encoding apparatus, a keyframe, and

encoding, at the encoding apparatus, an index marker at a same time position or adjacent to the time position of the keyframe encoded.

29. A storage medium containing therein a program which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of claim 28.

30. A method of encoding audio visual media signals with an encoding apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving, at the encoding apparatus, a videoconference transmission from a computer network, said videoconference transmission including at least one audio visual signal and at least one protocol signal,

reading, at the encoding apparatus, one or more protocol signals,

detecting, at the encoding apparatus, an existence of a low content state present within a received audio visual signal or signals, and

time compressing, at the encoding apparatus, the encoded output content during a time period in which said low content state is detected within the videoconference transmission received.

31. The method of encoding as claimed in claim 30, further comprising:

using a buffer to receive videoconference transmission signals, wherein a rate at which contents of the buffer is read out to an encoding process determines a degree of time compression applied in the time compressing.

32. A storage medium containing therein a program which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of claim 30.

33. An apparatus for encoding audio visual media signals, said apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a videoconference transmission from a computer network, said videoconference transmission including at least one audio visual signal and at least one protocol signal;

a processor configured to,

read one or more protocol signals from the computer network pertaining to the videoconference transmission, and

apply a selected encoding process to a received audio visual signal to generate an encoded videoconference, said encoding process being selected depending on the contents of said at least one protocol signal read;

a memory device configured to store the generated encoded videoconference; and

an output unit configured to output the encoded videoconference stored in the memory device to a reproduction device through the computer network.

34. An apparatus for encoding audio visual media signals, said apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a videoconference transmission from a computer network, said videoconference transmission including at least one audio visual signal and at least one protocol signal; and

a processor configured to,

read one or more protocol signals,

determine a time position of a first keyframe present within an audio visual signal received, and

encode a second keyframe into an encoded output at a same time position at which the first keyframe was detected in an originally received audio visual signal.

35. An apparatus for encoding audio visual media signals, said apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a videoconference transmission from a computer network, said videoconference transmission including at least one audio visual signal and at least one protocol signal; and

a processor configured to,

read one or more protocol signals,

detect a content switch within the audio visual content of a received audio visual signal or signals, and

encode an index marker at a time position at which the content switch was detected.

36. An apparatus for encoding audio visual media signals, said apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a videoconference transmission, from a computer network, said videoconference transmission including at least one audio visual signal and at least one protocol signal; and

a processor configured to,

read one or more protocol signals, and

detect a content switch within the audio visual content of a received audio visual signal,

encode a keyframe, and

encode an index marker at a same time position or adjacent to the time position of the keyframe encoded.

37. An apparatus for encoding audio visual media signals, said apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a videoconference transmission from a computer network, said videoconference transmission including at least one audio visual signal and at least one protocol signal; and

a processor configured to,

read one or more protocol signals,

detect an existence of a low content state present within a received audio visual signal or signals, and

time compress the encoded output content during a time period in which said low content state is detected within the videoconference transmission received.