System and method for distributing video conference data over an internet protocol television system

• US 7,640,301 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2006
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walter, Edward A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): RECEK, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US11/399,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20070239825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/219, 725/86, 725/87, 725/110, 348/14.08
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• 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 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A computerized system and method for distributing video conference data over an internet protocol television (IPTV) system are disclosed including structures and methods for allocating an IPTV video conference channel to groups of video conference participants'"'"' set top boxes (STBs), accessing STB data at the server indicating a group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs in the groups of video conference participants'"'"' STBs, the group of STBs being associated with one video conference data, mapping at the server, the video conference channel to the group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs and to one IP address for the one of the video conferences data, and delivering from the server over the video conference channel from a first one of the of IP addresses, the first one of the video conferences data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

Claims

1. A computerized method for distributing video conference data over an internet protocol television (IPTV) system, comprising:

allocating at a server in the IPTV system, a single IPTV video conference channel to a plurality of groups of video conference participants'"'"' set top boxes (STBs), wherein each of the plurality of groups of STBs receives a different one of a plurality of video conferences data over the single video conference channel;

accessing first STB data at the server indicating a first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs in the plurality of groups of video conference participants'"'"' STBs, the first group of STBs being associated with a first one of the plurality of video conferences data;

mapping at the server, an internet protocol (IP) address for the first one of the plurality of video conferences data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses;

sending from the server over the single IPTV video conference channel from the first one of the plurality of IP addresses, the first one of the plurality of video conferences data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs;

mapping at the server, a second one of the plurality of IP addresses for a second one of the plurality of video conferences data to a second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses, wherein the first one of the plurality of video conferences data and the second one of the plurality of video conferences data are different video conference data;

duplicating audio data from the first one of the plurality of video conferences data;

sending the duplicated audio data, concurrently with the video broadcast during the video conference, to a mobile device associated with a video conference participant associated with one of the plurality of STBs in the first group whom has left the one of the plurality of STBs in the first group during the video conference; and

sending from the server over the single IPTV video conference channel from the second one of the plurality of IP addresses, the second one of the plurality of video conferences IP data to the second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inserting the first one of the video conferences data into the IPTV system at a server lowest in an IPTV server hierarchy that is closest to and sends data to the STBs in first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the server lowest in the IPTV server hierarchy is selected from a group consisting of a super head end office, regional office, local office and metro office.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first video conference data further comprises IP audio data, the method further comprising:

mapping the IP audio data to an IP address for a mobile device associated with an STB for a video conference participant;

sending the IP audio data to a video conference participant mobile device STB associated with the video conference participant;

receiving audio data from the mobile device IP address; and

selectively muting audio input from the mobile device IP address to control when and which video conference participant speaks in the video conference.

5. A computer readable medium containing instructions that when executed by a computer perform a method for video conferencing, the method comprising:

allocating at a server in the IPTV system, a single IPTV video conference channel to a plurality of groups of video conference participants+ set top boxes (STBs),

wherein each of the plurality of groups of STBs receives a different one of a plurality of video conferences data over the single video conference channel;

accessing first STB data at the server indicating a first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs in the plurality of groups of video conference participants'"'"' STBs, the first group of STBs being associated with a first one of a plurality of video conferences internet protocol (IP) data;

mapping at the server, the first one of the plurality of video conferences data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses; and

delivering from the server over the single IPTV video conference channel from the first one of the plurality of IP addresses, the first one of the plurality of video conferences data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

6. The medium of claim 5, wherein in the method allocating the video conference channel further comprises:

mapping at the server, a second one of the plurality of IP addresses for a second one of the plurality of video conferences IP data to a second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses; and

delivering from the server over the single IPTV video conference channel from a second one of the plurality of IP addresses, the second one of the plurality of video IP conferences data to the second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

7. The medium of claim 5, the method further comprising:

inserting the first one of the video conferences IP data into the IPTV system at a server lowest in an IPTV server hierarchy that is closest to and sends data to the STBs in the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

8. The medium of claim 5, wherein the server lowest in the IPTV server hierarchy is selected from a group consisting of a super head end office, regional office, local office and metro office.

9. The medium of claim 5, wherein in the first video conference data further comprises IP audio data, the method further comprising:

mapping the IP audio data to an IP address for a mobile device associated with an STB for a video conference participant;

sending the IP audio data to a video conference participant mobile device STB associated with the video conference participant;

receiving audio data from the mobile device IP address; and

selectively muting audio input from the mobile device IP address to control when and which video conference participant speaks in the video conference.

10. A video conference system comprising:

a memory containing a group of video conference participants;

a processor coupled to the memory; and

a computer program stored in the memory, the computer program comprising, instructions to access first STB data at the server indicating a first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs in the plurality of groups of video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses, the first group of STBs being associated with a first one of a plurality of video conferences data, instructions to map at the server, an internet protocol (IP) address for the first one of the plurality of video conferences data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses; and

instructions to deliver from the server over the single IPTV video conference channel from the first one of the plurality of IP addresses, the first one of the plurality of video conferences data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs allocating at a server in the IPTV system, a single IPTV video conference channel to a plurality of groups of video conference participants'"'"' set top boxes (STBs), wherein each of the plurality of groups of STBs receives a different one of a plurality of video conferences data over the single video conference channel.

11. The system of claim 10, the computer program further comprising instructions to map at the server, a second one of the plurality of IP addresses for a second one of the plurality of video conferences data to a second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses;

and

delivering from the server over the single IPTV video conference channel from the second one of the plurality of IP addresses, the second one of the plurality of video conferences IP data to the second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

12. The system of claim 10, the computer program further comprising instructions to insert the first one of the video conferences data into the IPTV system at an IPTV server lowest in a server hierarchy that is closest to and sends data to the STBs in first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the server lowest in the IPTV server hierarchy is selected from a group consisting of a super head end office, regional office, local office and metro office.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the first video data further comprises IP audio data, the computer program further comprising:

instructions to map the IP audio data and IP address for a mobile device for a video conference participant;

instructions to send the audio data to the IP address for the mobile device for the video conference participant;

instructions to receive audio data from the mobile device IP address; and

instructions to selectively mute audio input from the mobile device IP address to control when and which video conference participant speaks in the video conference.

15. A data structure embedded in a computer-readable medium comprising:

a group identifier field for containing data identifying a group of internet protocol television (IPTV) network video conference participants;

a video conference data address field for containing data identifying an internet protocol (IP) address for video conference data for delivery of the video conference data to video conference participants'"'"' STBs over a single IPTV video conference channel in the IPTV system, wherein each of the plurality of groups of STBs receives a different one of a plurality of video conferences data over the single video conference channel; and

a STB identifier field for containing data identifying the STBs associated with the group of video conference participants for mapping the single IPTV video conference channel to the video conference data address field and the STBs.

16. The data structure of claim 15, further comprising:

a channel identifier field for containing data identifying the single IPTV video conference channel in an IPTV network for distributing the video conference data to the video conference participants'"'"' STBs.

17. A set of application program interfaces embodied on a computer readable medium for execution on a computer in conjunction with an application program that distributes video conference internet protocol (IP) video data over a single IPTV video conference channel to a group of video participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses, the set of application program interfaces comprising:

a first interface that receives a group identifier IP data identifying a first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses;

a second interface that receives IP data representing a first video conference data IP address identifying an IP address for the first video conference IP data for delivery of the first video conference IP data to the first video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses over the single IPTV video conference channel; and

a third interface that receives STB identifier IP data for identifying a plurality of STB identifiers associated with the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs for mapping the IPTV channel to the first video conference data IP address for delivery of the first video conference data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses, wherein each of the plurality of groups of STBs receives a different one of a plurality of video conferences data over the single video conference channel.

18. The set of application program interfaces of claim 17, further comprising:

a fourth interface that receives a channel identifier IP data identifying the channel in the IPTV network for distributing first video conference data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses.

19. A computerized method for distributing video conference data in an IPTV system, comprising:

sending from a first client device to a server, internet protocol (IP) data indicating a first list designating a first group of video conference participants'"'"' set top boxes (STBs) IP addresses; and

sending from the client device to the server, a first video conference IP data, the first video conference IP data to be sent from the server over a single IPTV conference channel in the IPTV system to first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses, wherein each of a plurality of groups of STBs receives a different one of a plurality of video conferences data over a single video conference channel.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

sending from a second client device to a server, second video conference IP data to a second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses to the server; and

sending a second conference video data to the server, the second video conference data to be sent from the server to the second group of video conference IP participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses over the single video conference channel.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first and second client devices are the same client device.

22. A graphical user interface (GUI) embodied on a computer readable medium for execution on a computer in conjunction with an application program that distributes video conference data over a single IPTV video conference channel to a group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs, the GUI comprising:

a first interface that receives a first group identifier internet protocol (IP) data identifying one of a plurality of groups of video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses;

a second interface that receives IP data representing a first video conference IP address identifying an address for delivery of the first video conference IP data to the first group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses over the single IPTV video conference channel; and

a third interface that maps the IPTV video conference channel to the first video conference address for delivery of the first video conference IP data to the first group video conference participants'"'"' STB over the single IPTV video conference channel,

wherein each of a plurality of groups of STBs receives a different one of a plurality of video conferences data over a single video conference channel.

23. The GUI of claim 22, further comprising:

a fourth interface that receives IP data representing a second video conference internet protocol (IP) address identifying an address for delivery of the second video conference data to the second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses over the IPTV channel; and

a fifth interface that that maps the video conference channel to the second video conference address for delivery of the second video conference IP data to the second group of video conference participants'"'"' STBs IP addresses.