System and method for multipoint conferencing with scalable video coding servers and multicast
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A multi-endpoint video conferencing system, wherein audiovisual signals are scalably coded into layers including a base layer and one or more enhancement layers, the conferencing system comprising:
- a plurality of endpoints that individually can receive and/or transmit scalable audiovisual signals;
a multicast scalable video communication server (MSVCS) linked to each of the endpoints by a corresponding unicast communication channel;
a communication network that provides a plurality of multicast communication channels linking the endpoints and the MSVCS, wherein the endpoints are configured to transmit their individual audiovisual signal layers to other endpoints and the MSVCS using the plurality of multicast communication channels, and wherein the MSVCS is configured to cache audiovisual signal data received over the plurality of multicast communication channels from the plurality of the endpoints, and retransmit the cached data over a unicast communication channel to an endpoint that requests the cached audiovisual signal data over its unicast communication channel.
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Abstract
A multicast scalable video communication server (MSVCS) is disposed in a multi-endpoint video conferencing system having multicast capabilities and in which audiovisual signals are scalably coded. The MVCVS additionally has unicast links to endpoints. The MSVCS caches audiovisual signal data received from endpoints over multicast communication channels, and retransmits the data over either unicast or multicast communication channels to an endpoint that requests the cached data.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A multi-endpoint video conferencing system, wherein audiovisual signals are scalably coded into layers including a base layer and one or more enhancement layers, the conferencing system comprising:
- a plurality of endpoints that individually can receive and/or transmit scalable audiovisual signals;
a multicast scalable video communication server (MSVCS) linked to each of the endpoints by a corresponding unicast communication channel;
a communication network that provides a plurality of multicast communication channels linking the endpoints and the MSVCS, wherein the endpoints are configured to transmit their individual audiovisual signal layers to other endpoints and the MSVCS using the plurality of multicast communication channels, and wherein the MSVCS is configured to cache audiovisual signal data received over the plurality of multicast communication channels from the plurality of the endpoints, and retransmit the cached data over a unicast communication channel to an endpoint that requests the cached audiovisual signal data over its unicast communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
- a plurality of endpoints that individually can receive and/or transmit scalable audiovisual signals;
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6. A multi-endpoint video conferencing system, wherein audiovisual signals are scalably coded into layers including a base layer and one or more enhancement layers, the conferencing system comprising:
- a plurality of endpoints that individually can receive and transmit scalable audiovisual signals;
a multicast scalable video communication server (MSVCS) linked to each of the endpoints by one or more corresponding unicast communication channels;
a communication network that provides a plurality of multicast communication channels linking the MSVCS to the endpoints, wherein the endpoints are configured to transmit their individual audiovisual signal layer data to the MSVCS using their corresponding unicast communication channels, and wherein the MSVCS is configured to retransmit received audiovisual signal layer data to the endpoints over the plurality of multicast communication channels. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- a plurality of endpoints that individually can receive and transmit scalable audiovisual signals;
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13. A method for operating a multi-endpoint video conferencing system, wherein audiovisual signals are scalably coded into layers including a base layer and one or more enhancement layers, the conferencing system comprising:
- a plurality of endpoints that individually can receive and/or transmit scalable audiovisual signals;
a multicast scalable video communication server (MSVCS) linked to each of the endpoints by a corresponding unicast communication channel;
a communication network that provides a plurality of multicast communication channels linking the endpoints and the MSVCS, the method comprising;
transmitting by the endpoints their individual audiovisual signal layers to other endpoints and the MSVCS using the plurality of multicast communication channels;
at the MSVCS, caching audiovisual signal data received over the plurality of multicast communication channels from the plurality of the endpoints; and
retransmitting cached data over a unicast communication channel to an endpoint that requests the cached audiovisual signal data over its unicast communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 25)
- a plurality of endpoints that individually can receive and/or transmit scalable audiovisual signals;
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18. A method for operating a multi-endpoint video conferencing system, wherein audiovisual signals are scalably coded into layers including a base layer and one or more enhancement layers, the conferencing system comprising:
- a plurality of endpoints that individually can receive and transmit scalable audiovisual signals;
a multicast scalable video communication server (MSVCS) linked to each of the endpoints by one or more corresponding unicast communication channels;
a communication network that provides a plurality of multicast communication channels linking the MSVCS to the endpoints, the method comprising;
at the endpoints, transmitting their individual audiovisual signal layer data to the MSVCS using their corresponding unicast communication channels; and
at the MSVCS retransmitting received audiovisual signal layer data to the endpoints over the plurality of multicast communication channels. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
- a plurality of endpoints that individually can receive and transmit scalable audiovisual signals;
Specification