Dynamic designation of a central distributor in a multi-participant conference

• US 8,433,755 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2010
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Garcia, Roberto Jr., Jeong, Hyeonkuk, Patel, Nirav, Tung, Berkat S., Abuan, Joe S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): KATSIKIS, KOSTAS J
• Application Number:
  US12/832,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20110252090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 370/94.3, 370/260, 370/254, 709/220
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• 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: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Some embodiments dynamically designate one of several network nodes as a network hub of a star network, at the start of a network communication session among the several network nodes that is facilitated by a mesh network and the star network. Some embodiments dynamically designate a new network hub when the previously designated network hub leaves the communication session, which continues among the other network nodes. Different embodiments use different techniques to dynamically designate the network hub of the star network. For instance, some embodiments use communications transmitted along the mesh network to dynamically identify the network hub at the start of the network communication session or after the departure of a previously designated network hub.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine readable medium of a first computing device of a first participant in a multi-participant communication session, the machine readable medium storing computer program instructions executable by at least one processing unit to cause the first computing device to perform:

joining a star network comprising a plurality of computing devices that includes a second computing device acting as a central network hub for distributing content in the multi-participant communication session, wherein each particular computing device is used by a particular participant in the multi-participant communication session;

exchanging content with other computing devices through the second computing device of a second participant that (i) generates content of the second participant, (ii) receives content from each computing device in the star network, (iii) composites the generated and received content, and (iv) distributes the composited content to said each computing device in the star network;

determining that the second computing device should no longer be the central network hub for the communication session;

while maintaining the communication session, dynamically identifying a third computing device of a third participant as a new central network hub; and

exchanging content with other computing devices through the third computing device, wherein the third computing device of the third participant (i) generates content of the third participant, (ii) receives content from other computing devices in the star network, (iii) composites the generated and received content, and (iv) distributes the composited content to said each computing device in the star network.

2. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform exchanging data with the other computing devices to identify the third computing device as the new central network hub after determining that the second computing device should no longer be the central network hub.

3. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform exchanging data with the other computing devices to identify the third computing device as the new central network hub before determining that the second computing device should no longer be the central network hub.

4. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein said identifying the third computing device comprises:

sending central network hub capabilities of the first computing device to other computing devices; and

receiving central network hub capabilities of the other computing devices.

5. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 4, wherein central network hub capabilities comprises at least one of (i) device type of the computing device, (ii) type of Network Address Translation (NAT) router the computing device is behind, (iii) number of links that a computing device can establish with the other computing devices, and (iv) quality of the links, wherein a link is either a physical or logical connection between two computing devices.

6. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein the device type comprises at least one of (i) the speed of the computing device'"'"'s Central Processing Unit (CPU), and (ii) memory capacity of the computing device.

7. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 5, the quality of links comprises at least one of (i) bandwidth of each link, and (ii) bit error rate of each link.

8. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein said identifying the new central network hub is based on the number of links.

9. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein said number of links is adjusted based on other central network hub capabilities.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein said identifying the third computing device comprises exchanging data with other computing devices through the second computing device regarding capabilities of the remaining computing devices as a central network hub.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein said identifying the third computing device comprises exchanging data with other computing devices through another network regarding capabilities of the remaining computing devices as a central network hub.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein said determining that the second computing device should no longer be the central network hub comprises detecting disconnection of a link that connected the first and second computing devices.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein said determining that the second computing device should no longer be the central network hub comprises receiving a notification message from the second computing device before the second computing devices stops participating in the communication session.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein said identifying the third computing device comprises exchanging data with other computing devices through the second computing device regarding capabilities of the remaining computing devices as a central network hub.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein said identifying the new central network hub comprises the first computing device using an algorithm that each of the other computing devices uses.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein said identifying the new central network hub is based on exchanged data that each of the other computing devices also has.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

determining whether there are less than three remaining computing devices when it is determined that the second computing device no longer is participating in the communication; and

exchanging content with the other remaining computing device when it is determined there are two remaining computing devices including the first computing device.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

determining that the third computing device no longer is participating in the communication session;

identifying dynamically a fourth computing device as a new central network hub based on the exchanged data;

exchanging content with other computing devices through the fourth computing device.

26. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first computing device and the other computing devices in the multi-participant communication session identify the same third computing device as the new central network hub.

19. A method for a first computing device to participate in a communication session among a plurality of computing devices through a first network, the method comprising:

the first computing device joining a star network comprising a plurality of computing devices that includes a second computing device acting as a central network hub for distributing content in a multi-participant communication session, wherein each particular computing device is used by a particular participant in the multi-participant communication session;

the first computing device exchanging content with other computing devices through the second computing device of a second participant that (i) generates content of the second participant, (ii) receives content from each computing device in the star network, (iii) composites the generated and received content, and (iv) distributes the composited content to said each computing device in the star network;

the first computing device determining that the second computing device should no longer be the central network hub for the communication session;

while maintaining the communication session, the first computing device dynamically identifying a third computing of a third participant device as a new central network hub; and

the first computing device exchanging content with other computing devices through the third computing device, wherein the third computing device of the third participant (i) generates content of the third participant, (ii) receives content from other computing devices in the star network, (iii) composites the generated and received content, and (iv) distributes the composited content to said each computing device in the star network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said identifying the third computing device comprises:

sending central network hub capabilities of the first computing device to other computing devices; and

receiving central network hub capabilities of the other computing devices.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said identifying the third computing device comprises exchanging data with other computing devices through another network regarding capabilities of the remaining computing devices as a central network hub.

22. A computing device of a first participant in a multi-participant communication session, the computing device comprising:

communication circuitry for communicating in a network; and

processing hardware coupled to the communication circuitry, wherein the processing hardware and the communication circuitry are configured to;

join a star network comprising a plurality of computing devices that includes a second computing device acting as a central network hub for distributing content in the multi-participant communication session, wherein each particular computing device is used by a particular participant in the multi-participant communication session;

exchange content with other computing devices through the central network hub that (i) generates content of the participant, (ii) receives content from each computing device in the star network, (iii) composites the generated and received content, and (iv) distributes the composited content to said each computing device in the star network; and

determine that the second computing device should no longer be the central network hub for the communication session;

while maintaining the communication session, dynamically identify a third computing device of a third participant as a new central network hub, wherein the third computing device of the third participant (i) generates content of the third participant, (ii) receives content from other computing devices in the star network, (iii) composites the generated and received content, and (iv) distributes the composited content to said each computing device in the star network.

23. The computing device of claim 22, wherein said determining that the second computing device should no longer be the central network hub for the communication session and said dynamically identifying the third computing device uses the same data that other devices use to determine the new central network hub.

24. The computing device of claim 22, wherein said determining that the second computing device should no longer be the central network hub is performed when a disconnect with the second computing device is detected.

25. The computing device of claim 22, wherein said identifying the third computing device as the new central network hub is based on data exchanged with the other computing devices through the second computing device.