Multipoint conference video switching

• US 8,334,891 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Graham, Philip R., McLaughlin, Hugh J., Mackie, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ensey, Brian
• Application Number:
  US12/023,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20080218586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 379/201.01, 379/202.01
• US Class Current: 348/14.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• 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 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/569 using the instant speaker's algorithm speech detection per se G10L25/78

Abstract

A method includes receiving a plurality of audio signals, wherein the audio signals each include a plurality of packets containing voice data associated with conference participants. One or more of the audio signals is associated with a video signal and at least one of the audio signals is associated with a voice-only conference participant. The method further includes determining an activity metric for each of the plurality of audio signals, wherein the activity metric indicates a confidence value that the audio signal is associated with a conference participant that is currently speaking. The method also includes encoding, for each of the plurality of audio signals, one or more packets of the plurality of packets with the activity metric and sending the plurality of audio signals encoded with an activity metric to a conference bridge.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of audio signals at a conference site, wherein;

the audio signals comprise a plurality of packets containing voice data associated with a plurality of conference participants at the conference site; and

one or more of the audio signals is associated with a video signal;

determining an activity metric at the conference site for each of the plurality of audio signals, wherein the activity metric indicates a confidence value that the audio signal is associated with a conference participant that is currently talking;

encoding, for each of the plurality of audio signals, one or more packets of the plurality of packets with the activity metric; and

sending the plurality of audio signals encoded with an activity metric to a conference bridge.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for each of the one or more audio signals that is associated with a video signal, sending the video signal to the conference bridge.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an activity metric comprises comparing acoustic measurements associated with each of plurality the audio signals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the audio signals is associated with a voice-only conference participant.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining that multiple audio signals are associated with voice-only conference participants; and

mixing the multiple audio signals in response to determining that multiple audio signals are associated with voice-only conference participants.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

each of the audio signals associated with a video signal is further associated with a zone of a plurality of zones at a conference site; and

determining an activity metric comprises determining an activity metric which differentiates between sound activity in each of the plurality of zones.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein:

each of the audio signals associated with a video signal is further associated with a zone of a plurality of zones at a conference site; and

the method further comprises encoding each of the audio signals with a spatial identifier, the spatial identifier indicating the zone associated with each of the plurality of audio signals.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving a plurality of audio signals to be broadcast at a conference site, wherein:

each of the plurality of audio signals to be broadcast is associated with a channel of a plurality of channels; and

each of the channels of the plurality of channels is associated with a zone at a conference site.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a plurality of video signals to be displayed at a conference site, wherein each of the plurality of video signals is associated with an audio signal of the plurality of audio signals to be broadcast.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining that at least two of the plurality of audio signals to be broadcast are associated with the same channel; and

mixing the at least two audio signals associated with the same channel in response to determining that at least two of the plurality of audio signals to be broadcast are associated with the same channel.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining that at least one of the plurality of audio signals to be broadcast is associated with an auxiliary channel, wherein the auxiliary channel is associated with a voice-only conference participant; and

for each channel, mixing the at least one audio signal associated with an auxiliary channel with the audio signals to be broadcast associated with the channel.

12. A system comprising:

an interface operable to receive a plurality of audio signals at a conference site, wherein;

the audio signals comprise a plurality of packets containing voice data associated with a plurality of conference participants at the conference site; and

one or more of the audio signals is associated with a video signal; and

a processor operable to;

determine an activity metric at the conference site for each of the plurality of audio signals, wherein the activity metric indicates a confidence value that the audio signal is associated with a conference participant that is currently talking;

encode, for each of the plurality of audio signals, one or more packets of the plurality of packets with the activity metric; and

send the plurality of audio signals encoded with an activity metric to a conference bridge.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein for each of the one or more audio signals that is associated with a video signal, the processor is further operable to send the video signal to the conference bridge.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein a processor operable to determine an activity metric comprises a processor operable to compare acoustic measurements associated with each of plurality the audio signals.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the audio signals is associated with a voice-only conference participant.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine that multiple audio signals are associated with voice-only conference participants; and

mix the multiple audio signals in response to determining that multiple audio signals are associated with voice-only conference participants.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein:

each of the audio signals associated with a video signal is further associated with a zone of a plurality of zones at a conference site; and

a processor operable to determine an activity metric comprises a processor operable to determine an activity metric which differentiates between sound activity in each of the plurality of zones.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein:

each of the audio signals associated with a video signal is further associated with a zone of a plurality of zones at a conference site; and

the processor is further operable to encode each of the audio signals with a spatial identifier, the spatial identifier indicating the zone associated with each of the plurality of audio signals.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to receive a plurality of audio signals to be broadcast at a conference site, wherein:

each of the plurality of audio signals to be broadcast is associated with a channel of a plurality of channels; and

each of the channels of the plurality of channels is associated with a zone at a conference site.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further operable to receive a plurality of video signals to be displayed at a conference site, wherein each of the plurality of video signals is associated with an audio signal of the plurality of audio signals to be broadcast.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is further operable to

determine that at least two of the plurality of audio signals to be broadcast are associated with the same channel;

and

mix the at least two audio signals associated with the same channel in response to determining that at least two of the plurality of audio signals to be broadcast are associated with the same channel.

22. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution and when executed operable to:

receive a plurality of audio signals encoded with an activity metric from one or more of a plurality of conference sites, wherein;

the activity metric indicates a confidence value that the audio signal is associated with a conference participant that is currently talking;

one or more of the audio signals is associated with a video signal; and

at least one of the audio signals is associated with a voice-only conference participant;

determine the most active signals based on their respective activity metrics; and

send a plurality of the most active audio signals to one or more of the plurality of conference sites.

23. The logic of claim 22, wherein:

each of the audio signals is associated with a channel of a plurality of channels;

each of the plurality of channels is associated with a zone at a conference site;

logic operable to determine the most active signals based on their respective encoded activity metrics comprises logic operable to determine the most active signals for each of the plurality of channels; and

logic operable to send a plurality of the most active audio signals to one or more of the plurality of conference sites comprises logic operable to send the most active audio signal for each channel of the plurality of channels to one or more of the plurality of conference sites.

24. The logic of claim 23, wherein the logic is further operable to:

receive a plurality of video signals from one or more of the plurality of conference sites, wherein each of the plurality of video signals is associated with a received audio signal; and

send the video signals associated with the most active audio signal for each channel of the plurality of channels to one or more of the plurality of conference sites.

25. The logic of claim 23, wherein the logic is further operable to:

receive a plurality of video signals from one or more of the plurality of conference sites, wherein each of the plurality of video signals is associated with a received audio signal;

send a plurality of video signals associated with the most active audio signals to one or more of the plurality of conference sites; and

wherein logic operable to send a plurality of the most active audio signals to one or more of the plurality of conference sites comprises logic operable to send N+1 audio signals to the second conference site, wherein N is the number of video signals sent to the one or more of the plurality of conference sites.