Method, apparatus, and computer program product for gatekeeper streaming

• US 7,792,063 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tandberg Telecom AS (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dahle, Hakon
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo; John
• Application Number:
  US11/526,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20070127463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 725/37, 725/94, 370260-263, 370/270, 370/390, 370/432, 709/203, 709/204
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A conferencing Gatekeeper configured to be adjusted so as to forward a conferencing media stream to be recorded to an appropriate streaming/archiving server, or alternatively to have streaming and archiving modules incorporated. Further, a method and computer program product for archiving or streaming media data between a plurality of endpoints through said gatekeeper.

Claims

1. A method for archiving or streaming video conference data from a first video conference call between a plurality of video conference endpoints through a gatekeeper in which at least one of the video conference endpoints is registered with the gatekeeper, the method comprising:

managing video conference activities with the gatekeeper;

operating the gatekeeper in a routed media mode where the video conference data originating from the plurality of video conference endpoints is routed through the gatekeeper;

receiving, at the gatekeeper, separate video conference media streams originating from each of the plurality of video conference endpoints participating in the first video conference call;

consecutively generating, at the gatekeeper, copies of all of the separate video conference media streams originating from each of the video conference endpoints participating in the first video conference call; and

archiving said copies of all of the separate video conference media streams at a content distribution server in a media content database.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

inserting said copies in an RTSP adapted data stream; and

transmitting said RTSP adapted data stream to the content distribution server.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

distributing said RTSP adapted data stream from said distribution server to one or more Internet terminals in real-time.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a second call from the gatekeeper to a streaming gateway utilizing H.323 or SIP;

transmitting said copies of media data in said second H.323 or SIP call; and

distributing said copies of media data to one or more internet-connected terminals or to one or more archiving databases.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first video conference call utilizes H.323 or SIP.

5. A gatekeeper in which at least one of a plurality of video conference endpoints in a first video conference call is registered, comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive separate video conference media streams originating from each of the plurality of video conference endpoints participating in the first video conference call;

a media data distributing module configured to consecutively generate copies of all of the separate video conference media streams originating from each of the plurality of video conference endpoints participating in the first video conference call when the gatekeeper is in a routed media mode; and

a media content database of a content distribution server that is configured to archive said copies of all of the separate video conference media streams.

6. The gatekeeper according to claim 5, wherein

said media data distributing module is further configured to insert said copies in an RTSP adapted data stream, and to transmit said RTSP adapted data stream to the content distribution server.

7. The gatekeeper according to claim 5, wherein

said media data distributing module is further configured to initiate a second call utilizing H.323 or SIP from the gatekeeper to a streaming gateway and to transmit said copies of media data in said second call.

13. The gatekeeper of claim 5, wherein the first video conference call utilizes H.323 or SIP.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions which when executed by a gatekeeper causes the gatekeeper to perform a method for archiving or streaming video conference data from a first call between a plurality of video conference endpoints through the gatekeeper in which at least one of the video conference endpoints is registered with the gatekeeper, the method comprising:

managing video conference activities with the gatekeeper;

operating the gatekeeper in a routed media mode where the video conference data originating from the plurality of video conference endpoints is routed through the gatekeeper;

receiving, at the gatekeeper, separate video conference media streams originating from each of the plurality of video conference endpoints participating in the first video conference call;

consecutively generating, at the gatekeeper, copies of all of the separate video conference media streams originating from each of the video conference endpoints participating in the first video conference call; and

archiving said copies of all of the separate video conference media streams at a content distribution server in a media content database.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

inserting said copies in an RTSP adapted data stream; and

transmitting said RTSP adapted data stream to the content distribution server.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

distributing said RTSP adapted data stream from said distribution server to one or more Internet terminals in real-time.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

initiating a second H.323 or SIP call from the gatekeeper to a streaming gateway;

transmitting said copies of media data in said second H.323 or SIP call; and

distributing said copies of media data to one or more internet-connected terminals or to one or more archiving databases.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first video conference call utilizes H.323 or SIP.