Method and system for preparing video communication images for wide screen display

• US 8,456,504 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2010
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Eshkoli, Noam
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US12/871,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20110007126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 709204-205, 370260-261, 715753-755, 715/751
• US Class Current: 348/14.07
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0442 Handling or displaying different aspect ratios, or changing the aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for composing a video layout having an aspect ratio of 16:9 from a plurality of video segments having an aspect ratio other than 16:9. For example, the plurality of video segments might have an aspect ratio of 4:3. To create a composite frame having an aspect ratio of about 16:9, the disclosed system scales each one of the segments and places each scaled segment in the layout in such a way that the composite layout has an aspect ratio of about 16:9.

Claims

1. A method of composing a video layout, comprising:

receiving at an MCU a plurality of video streams from a plurality of endpoints;

scaling of the video streams;

selecting from the scaled video streams a plurality of scaled video segments, at least one of the scaled video segments having an aspect ratio of about 4;

3; and

composing an integer number of the selected scaled video segments in a video layout having an aspect ratio of about 16;

9, preserving the aspect ratio of the selected scaled video segments;

converting the video layout from 16;

9 to 4;

3 prior to transmitting the video layout to an endpoint of the plurality of endpoints, the endpoint comprising a 16;

9 display and a codec that is not capable of processing a 16;

9 video image; and

transmitting the video layout to the endpoint.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the selected scaled video segments has an aspect ratio of about 4:

3.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the video layout comprises twelve scaled video segments arranged in a 4×

3 matrix.

4. The method of claim 2,

wherein the video layout comprises a plurality of large scaled video segments and a plurality of small scaled video segments, and

wherein the area of each of the large scaled video segments is approximately an integral multiplier of the area of each of the small scaled video segments.

5. The method of claim 2,

wherein the video layout comprises a large scaled video segment and a plurality of small scaled video segments, and

wherein the area of the large scaled video segment is approximately an integral multiplier of the area of each of the small scaled video segments.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the video layout from 16:

9 to 4;

3 comprises adding a rectangular segment of height to the layout, wherein the rectangular segment of height is filled with a background color.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein one half of the added rectangular segment of height is added above the video layout and one half of the added rectangular segment of height is added below the video layout.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the video layout from 16:

9 to 4;

3 comprises distorting an original height of the 16;

9 video image by a factor of about 4/3.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an instruction to an endpoint to set the 16:

9 display to a zoom mode.

10. A method of composing a video layout, comprising:

receiving at an MCU a plurality of video streams from a plurality of endpoints;

scaling of the video streams;

selecting from the scaled video streams a plurality of scaled video segments, at least one of the scaled video segments having an aspect ratio of about 4;

3; and

composing an integer number of the selected scaled video segments in a video layout having an aspect ratio of about 16;

9;

transmitting the video layout to an endpoint comprising a 16;

9 display and a codec that is not capable of processing a 16;

9 video image; and

converting the video layout from 16;

9 to 4;

3, comprising;

adding a rectangular segment of height to the layout, wherein the rectangular segment of height is filled with a background color, prior to transmitting the video layout to the endpoint.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of adding a rectangular segment of height to the layout, wherein the rectangular segment of height is filled with a background color, prior to transmitting the video layout to the endpoint comprises:

adding one half of the rectangular segment of height above the video layout; and

adding one half of the rectangular segment of height below the video layout.

12. A method of composing a video layout, comprising:

receiving at an MCU a plurality of video streams from a plurality of endpoints;

scaling of the video streams;

selecting from the scaled video streams a plurality of scaled video segments, each of the scaled video segments having an aspect ratio of about 4;

3; and

composing an integer number of the selected scaled video segments in a video layout having an aspect ratio of about 16;

9, comprising one or more large scaled video segments and a plurality of small scaled video segments, wherein the area of each of the large scaled video segments is approximately an integral multiplier of the area of each of the small scaled video segments.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein the video layout comprises a plurality of large scaled video segments and a plurality of small scaled video segments, and wherein the area of each of the large scaled video segments is approximately an integral multiplier of the area of each of the small scaled video segments.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

converting the video layout from 16;

9 to 4;

3; and

transmitting the converted video layout to an endpoint comprising a 16;

9 display and a codec that is not capable of processing a 16;

9 video image.

15. A video communication control unit, comprising:

a scaler configured to scale a plurality of video streams from a plurality of endpoints;

logic to select from the scaled video streams a plurality of scaled video segments, at least one of the scaled video segments having an aspect ratio of about 4;

3; and

a video builder configured to

compose an integer number of the selected scaled video segments in a video layout having an aspect ratio of about 16;

9, preserving the aspect ratio of the selected scaled video segments; and

convert the video layout from 16;

9 to 4;

3 prior to transmitting the video layout to an endpoint of the plurality of endpoints, the endpoint comprising a 16;

9 display and a codec that is not capable of processing a 16;

9 video image.

16. The video communication control unit of claim 15, wherein each of the selected scaled video segments has an aspect ratio of about 4:

3.

17. The video communication control unit of claim 16, wherein the video layout comprises twelve scaled video segments arranged in a 4×

3 matrix.

18. The video communication control unit of claim 16,

wherein the video layout comprises a plurality of large scaled video segment and a plurality of small scaled video segments, and

wherein the area of each of the large scaled video segments is approximately an integral multiplier of the area of each of the small scaled video segments.

19. The video communication control unit of claim 16,

wherein the video layout comprises one large scaled video segment and a plurality of small scaled video segments, and

wherein the area of the large scaled video segment is approximately an integral multiplier of the area of each of the small scaled video segments.

20. The video communication control unit of claim 15, wherein the builder is configured to convert the video layout from 16:

9 to 4;

3 by adding a rectangular segment of height to the layout, wherein the rectangular segment of height is filled with a background color.

21. The video communication control unit of claim 20, wherein one half of the added rectangular segment of height is added above the video layout and one half of the added rectangular segment of height is added below the video layout.

22. The video communication control unit of claim 15, wherein the builder is configured to convert the video layout from 16:

9 to 4;

3 by distorting an original height of the 16;

9 video image by a factor of about 4/3.