Determining a videoconference layout based on numbers of participants

• US 8,350,891 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2009
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Khot, Gautam, Ranganath, Prithvi, Belur, Raghuram, Lakshmipathy, Sandeep
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US12/619,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20110115876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.08, 348/14.1, 348/14.15, 348/14.16
• US Class Current: 348/14.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Determining a videoconference layout based on numbers of participants. Videoconference data may be received from a plurality of videoconferencing endpoints. The videoconference data may include audio and video. Information may be stored which identifies a number of participants at each videoconferencing endpoint. Video from each of the videoconferencing endpoints may be combined to form composite video. The composite video may include portions corresponding to each of the plurality of videoconferencing endpoints. A respective size of each of the portions may be based on the information identifying the number of participants at each videoconferencing endpoint. The composite video may be provided to videoconferencing endpoint(s) over a network.

Claims

1. A computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for performing a videoconference, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement:

receiving videoconference data from a plurality of videoconferencing endpoints, wherein the videoconference data comprises audio and video;

automatically determining information identifying a number of participants at each videoconferencing endpoint;

storing the information;

combining video from each of the plurality of videoconferencing endpoints to form composite video, wherein the composite video comprises portions corresponding to each of the plurality of videoconferencing endpoints, wherein a respective size of each of the portions is based on the information; and

providing the composite video over a network.

2. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein there is a first number of participants at a first videoconferencing endpoint, wherein there is a second number of participants at a second videoconferencing endpoint, wherein the first number is larger than the second number, and wherein the size of the portion corresponding to the first videoconferencing endpoint is larger than the size of the portion corresponding to the second videoconferencing endpoint based on the first number being larger than the second number.

3. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein said automatically determining, said storing, said combining, and said providing are performed a plurality of times in a dynamic fashion to adjust the size of the respective portions based on the number of participants at the respective videoconferencing endpoints.

4. The memory medium of claim 3, wherein, at one or more of the videoconferencing endpoints, the number of participants changes during the videoconference.

5. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

updating the information in a periodic fashion.

6. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the information is based on facial recognition of the video received from each of the videoconferencing endpoints.

7. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the information is based on unique voices of the audio received from each of the videoconferencing endpoints.

8. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the information is provided from each of the plurality of videoconferencing endpoints.

9. A method for performing a videoconference, comprising:

receiving videoconference data from a plurality of videoconferencing endpoints, wherein the videoconference data comprises audio and video, wherein the videoconference is performed using the plurality of videoconferencing endpoints at respective locations, wherein at least two participants use a first videoconferencing endpoint at a first location;

automatically determining information identifying a number of participants at each videoconferencing endpoint wherein the information identifies the at least two participants at the first location;

storing the information;

combining video from at least a subset of the plurality of videoconferencing endpoints to form composite video, wherein the subset of the plurality of videoconferencing endpoints comprises the first videoconferencing endpoint, wherein the composite video comprises respective portions corresponding to each of the subset of the plurality of videoconferencing endpoints, and wherein the size of the portion corresponding to the first videoconferencing endpoint is based on the information;

providing the composite video over a network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein one or more participants use a second videoconferencing endpoint at a second location, wherein the one or more participants are less than the at least two participants, wherein the information identifies the one or more participants at the second location, wherein the subset of the plurality of videoconferencing endpoints comprises the second videoconferencing endpoint, and wherein the size of the portion corresponding to the second videoconferencing endpoint is smaller than the size of the portion corresponding to the first videoconferencing endpoint based on the information.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said automatically determining, said storing, said combining, and said providing are performed a plurality of times in a dynamic fashion to adjust the size of the respective portions based on the number of participants at the respective locations.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, at one or more of the locations, the number of participants changes during the videoconference.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

updating the information in a periodic fashion.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the information is based on facial recognition of the video received from the first videoconferencing endpoint.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the information is based on unique voices of the audio received from the first videoconferencing endpoint.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the information is provided from one or more of the plurality of videoconferencing endpoints.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the composite video comprises an active portion which is larger than the other portions and wherein the portion of the composite video corresponding to the first videoconferencing endpoint is not the active portion.

18. A system for performing a videoconference, comprising:

a processor;

an input coupled to the processor and a network;

an output coupled to the processor and the network; and

a memory medium coupled to the processor, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions executable by the processor to implement;

receiving videoconference data from a plurality of videoconferencing endpoints via the input, wherein the videoconference data comprises audio and video, wherein the videoconference is performed using the plurality of videoconferencing endpoints at respective locations, wherein a first number of participants use a first videoconferencing endpoint at a first location and wherein a second number of participants use a second videoconferencing endpoint at a second location, and wherein the first number is greater than the second number;

automatically determining the number of participants at each location using the videoconference data, wherein said determining identifies the first number of participants at the first location and the second number of participants at the second location;

combining video from at least a subset of the plurality of videoconferencing endpoints to form composite video, wherein the subset of the plurality of videoconferencing endpoints comprises the first videoconferencing endpoint and the second videoconferencing endpoint, wherein the composite video comprises a first portion corresponding to the first videoconferencing endpoint and a second portion corresponding to the second videoconferencing endpoint, wherein sizes of the portions of the composite video are based on the information, wherein the first portion is larger than the second portion;

providing the composite video to one or more of the videoconferencing endpoints via the output.