Mixed video delivering apparatus and method, and computer storage medium

• US 8,320,466 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2008
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawamura, Takuya, Sugasawa, Nobuhiko, Shibuya, Naohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, David
• Application Number:
  US12/233,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20090116563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 375/240.26, 348 1408- 141
• US Class Current: 375/240.26
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

There is provided with a mixed video delivering apparatus, including: a video receiving unit receiving first to Nth encoded video data from first to Nth terminals; a decoding unit decoding the first to Nth encoded video data; a video mixing unit mixing first to Nth decoded video data to obtain mixed video data to be transmitted to a terminal “A” out of the first to Nth terminals; an encoding parameter storage storing first to Nth encoding parameters which are used for encoding the first to Nth videos by the first to Nth terminals; an encoding parameter selecting unit selecting an encoding parameter which is used by any one of terminals other than the terminal A; an encoding unit encoding the mixed video data with a selected encoding parameter to obtain encoded mixed video data; and a video transmitting unit transmitting the encoded mixed video data to the terminal A.

Claims

1. A mixed video delivering apparatus, comprising:

a video receiving unit configured to receive first to Nth (N being an integer more than

     1) encoded video data, from first to Nth terminals;

a decoding unit configured to decode the first to Nth encoded video data to obtain first to Nth decoded video data;

a video mixing unit configured to mix the first to Nth decoded video data to obtain mixed video data representing a mixed video to be transmitted to a terminal “

A”

which is one of the first to Nth terminals;

a layout information storage configured to store layout information showing a layout of each video in the mixed video;

a layout change instruction receiver configured to receive from the terminal “

A”

a layout change instruction requesting a change to the layout information;

a layout information updating unit configured to update the layout information in accordance with the layout change instruction wherein the video mixing unit mixes the first to Nth decoded video data based on the layout information;

a frame rate measuring unit to configured to measure frame rates of the first to Nth videos;

a measured frame rate storage configured to store the frame rates of the first to Nth videos measured by the frame rate measuring unit;

an encoding parameter selecting unit configured to identify a dominant video which is dominant in the mixed video based on the layout information and select the frame rate of the dominant video in the measured frame rate storage;

an encoding unit configured to encode the mixed video data so that the mixed video is transmitted at the frame rate of the dominant video to the terminal A to obtain encoded mixed video data; and

a video transmitting unit configured to transmit the encoded mixed video data to the terminal A.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dominant video is a video having a largest area among videos transmitted by the first to Nth terminals.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dominant video is a video that is positioned uppermost among videos transmitted by the first to Nth terminals.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein further comprising:

an encoding parameter storage configured to store information on a default frame rate of the mixed video which is predetermined with the terminal “

A”

, and

when the frame rate of the dominant video in the measured frame rate storage is lower than the default frame rate, the encoding unit encodes the mixed video data so that the mixed video is transmitted at the frame rate of the dominant video to the terminal A, and when the frame rate of the dominant video in the measured frame rate storage is equal to or higher than the default frame rate, the encoding unit encodes the mixed video data so that the mixed video is transmitted at the default frame rate to the terminal A.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

bit rates are used instead of the frame rates in the frame rate measuring unit, the measured frame rate storage, the encoding parameter selecting unit, and the encoding unit,

the apparatus further comprises an encoding parameter storage configured to store information on a default bit rate of the mixed video which is predetermined with the terminal “

A”

, and

when the bit rate of the dominant video in the measured frame rate storage is lower than the default bit rate, the encoding unit encodes the mixed video data so that the mixed video is transmitted at the frame rate of the dominant video to the terminal A, and when the frame rate of the dominant video in the measured frame rate storage is equal to or higher than the default frame rate, the encoding unit encodes the mixed video data so that the mixed video is transmitted at the default bit rate to the terminal A.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the encoding parameter selecting unit accepts, from the terminal A, selection of one of videos being transmitted by the first to Nth terminals, and determines the video selected by the terminal A as the dominant video.

7. A mixed video delivering method, comprising:

receiving first to Nth (N being an integer more than

     1) encoded video data, from first to Nth terminals;

decoding the first to Nth encoded video data to obtain first to Nth decoded video data;

mixing the first to Nth decoded video data to obtain mixed video data representing a mixed video to be transmitted to a terminal “

A”

which is one of the first to Nth terminals;

receiving from the terminal “

A”

a layout change instruction requesting a change to layout information showing a layout of each video in the mixed video which is stored in a layout information storage;

updating the layout information in accordance with the layout change instruction wherein the mixing of the first to Nth decoded vide data is carried out based on the layout information;

measuring frame rates of the first to Nth videos;

writing the measured frame rates of the first to Nth videos into a measured frame rate storage;

identifying a dominant video which is dominant in the mixed video based on the layout information and selecting the frame rate of the dominant video in the measured frame rate storage;

encoding the mixed video data so that the mixed video is transmitted at the frame rate of the dominant video to the terminal A to obtain encoded mixed video data; and

transmitting the encoded mixed video data to the terminal A.

8. A non-transitory computer storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to execute instructions to perform the steps of:

receiving first to Nth (N being an integer more than

     1) encoded video data, from first to Nth terminals;

decoding the first to Nth encoded video data to obtain first to Nth decoded video data;

mixing the first to Nth decoded video data to obtain mixed video data representing a mixed video to be transmitted to a terminal “

A”

which is one of the first to Nth terminals;

receiving from the terminal “

A”

a layout change instruction requesting a change to layout information showing a layout of each video in the mixed video which is stored in a layout information storage;

updating the layout information in accordance with the layout change instruction wherein the mixing of the first to Nth decoded vide data is carried out based on the layout information;

measuring frame rates of the first to Nth videos;

writing the measured frame rates of the first to Nth videos into a measured frame rate storage;

identifying a dominant video which is dominant in the mixed video based on the layout information and selecting the frame rate of the dominant video in the measured frame rate storage;

encoding the mixed video data so that the mixed video is transmitted at the frame rate of the dominant video to the terminal A to obtain encoded mixed video data; and

transmitting the encoded mixed video data to the terminal A.