System and method for performing distributed video conferencing

• US 8,659,636 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2003
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Firestone, Scott S., Friedrich, Walter R., Ismail, Nermin M., Lantz, Keith A., Sarkar, Shantanu, Surazski, Luke K., Wu, Duanpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US10/680,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20050078170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,793 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 709/204, 709/217, 370260-261, 379/202.01
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• 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 65/4046 with distributed floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/14 Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A method for executing a video conference is provided that includes receiving one or more audio streams associated with a video conference from one or more end points and determining an active speaker associated with one of the end points. Audio information associated with the active speaker may be received at one or more media switches. One or more video streams may be suppressed except for a selected video stream associated with the active speaker, the selected video stream propagating to one or more of the media switches during the video conference. The selected video stream may be replicated such that it may be communicated to one or more of the end points associated with a selected one of the media switches.

Claims

1. An apparatus for executing a video conference, comprising:

an audio mixer residing in a network and capable of determining the active speaker associated with one end point of one or more end points, the audio mixer being able to create a mixed audio stream that may be communicated to the one or more end points such that the one or more end points do not have to perform audio mixing, the mixed audio stream is a mix of input audio streams from the one or more end points, and the audio mixer being able to determine an input-to-output mapping for each input audio stream, the input-to-output mapping indicating the delay of the input audio stream to the communicated mixed audio stream; and

one or more media switches operable to receive information associated with the active speaker, the input-to-output mapping for the audio stream associated with the active speaker, and one or more video streams associated with the video conference, wherein at least one media switch of the one or more media switches is operable to suppress the one or more video streams except for a selected video stream associated with the active speaker and delay the selected video according to the input-to-output mapping such that the selected video stream corresponds to the audio stream of the active speaker, the selected video stream propagating to the one or more media switches during the video conference without audio, and wherein a selected media switch of the one or more media switches is operable to replicate the selected video stream such that it may be communicated to one or more end points associated with the selected media switch.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selected video stream propagates to one or more of the media switches during the video conference using a multicast protocol.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a selected one of a multicast and a unicast operation is performed between the selected media switch and the end points associated with the selected media switch.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a selected media switch is operable to enable a selected one of the end points associated with the video conference to lock-on to a participant of the video conference, the selected end point propagating a fixed video (FV) stream associated with the video conference.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a selected media switch is operable to control whether a selected one of the end points receives an FV stream, a switched video (SV) stream, or any combination thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a selected one of the end points does not receive an SV stream based on the active speaker, and wherein the selected one of the media switches is operable to enable a selected one of the end points to receive the SV stream based on a selected whiteboard control feature.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a selected one of the media switches is operable to enable a moderator of the video conference to control a video source such that a selected one of the end points receives a selected video stream as determined by the moderator.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a media bridge operable to provide one or more media services for the video conference such that one or more of the media services are delivered to one or more of the end points.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the media bridge includes a selected one or more of a media transformer, a transcoder, and a transrater.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a gateway operable to provide connectivity to one or more media switches, one or more of the media switches being operable to facilitate participation in the video conference by the first and second end points.

11. A method for executing a video conference, comprising:

receiving, from an audio mixer, information associated with an active speaker, the audio mixer residing in a network and capable of determining the active speaker associated with one end point of one or more end points, and the audio mixer being able to create a mixed audio stream that may be communicated to the one or more end points such that the one or more end points do not have to perform audio mixing, the mixed audio stream is a mix of input audio streams from the one or more end points, and the audio mixer being able to determine an input-to-output mapping for each input audio stream, the input-to-output mapping indicating the delay of the input audio stream to the communicated mixed audio stream;

receiving one or more video streams associated with the video conference and the input-to-output mapping for the audio stream associated with the active speaker from the one or more end points;

suppressing the one or more video streams except for a selected video stream associated with the active speaker;

delaying the selected video according to the input-to-putout mapping such that the selected video stream corresponds to the audio stream of the active speaker;

propagating the selected video stream to one or more media switches during the video conference without audio; and

replicating the selected video stream such that it may be communicated to one or more end points associated with a selected media switch of the one or more media switches.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selected video stream propagates to one or more of the media switches during the video conference using a multicast protocol.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

performing a selected one of a multicast and a unicast operation between the selected media switch and the end points associated with the selected media switch.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

enabling a selected one of the end points associated with the video conference to lock-on to a participant of the video conference, the selected end point propagating a fixed video (FV) stream associated with the video conference.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

controlling whether a selected one of the end points receives an FV stream, a switched video (SY) stream, or any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein a selected one of the end points does not receive an SV stream based on the active speaker, and wherein the selected media switch is operable to enable a selected one of the end points to receive the SV stream based on a selected one of a whiteboard control feature and a bandwidth parameter.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

enabling a moderator of the video conference to control a video source such that a selected one or more of the end points receives a selected video stream as determined by the moderator.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing one or more media services to the video conference such that one or more of the media services are delivered to one or more of the end points.

19. A system for executing a video conference, comprising:

means for receiving information associated with an active speaker, wherein the system includes an audio mixer that resides in a network and is capable of determining the active speaker associated with one end point of one or more end points, and the audio mixer being able to create a mixed audio stream that may be communicated to the one or more end points such that the one or more end points do not have to perform audio mixing, the mixed audio stream is a mix of input audio streams from the one or more end points, and the audio mixer being able to determine an input-to-output mapping for each input audio stream, the input-to-output mapping indicating the delay of the input audio stream to the communicated mixed audio stream;

means for receiving one or more video streams associated with the video conference and the input-to-output mapping for the audio stream associated with the active speaker from the one or more end points;

means for suppressing the one or more video streams except for a selected video stream associated with the active speaker;

means for delaying the selected video according the input-to-output mapping such that the selected video stream corresponds to the selected audio stream of the active speaker;

means for propagating the selected video stream to one or more media switches during the video conference without audio; and

means for replicating the selected video stream such that it may be communicated to one or more end points associated with a selected media switch of the one or more media switches.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the selected video stream propagates to one or more of the media switches during the video conference using a multicast protocol.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for performing a selected one of a unicast and a multicast operation between the selected media switch and the end points associated with the selected media switch.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for enabling a selected one of the end points associated with the video conference to lock-on to a participant of the video conference, the selected end point propagating a fixed video (FV) stream associated with the video conference.

23. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for controlling whether a selected one of the end points receives an FV stream, a switched video (SV) stream, or any combination thereof.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein a selected one of the end points does not receive an SV stream based on the active speaker, and wherein the selected media switch is operable to enable a selected one of the end points to receive the SV stream based on a selected whiteboard control feature.

25. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for enabling a moderator of the video conference to control a video source such that a selected one or more of the end points receives a selected video stream as determined by the moderator.

26. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for providing one or more media services to the video conference such that one or more of the media services are delivered to one or more of the end points.

27. Software for executing a video conference, the software being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer code such that when executed by one or more processors is operable to:

receive, from an audio mixer, information associated with an active speaker, the audio mixer residing in a network and capable of determining the active speaker with one end point of one or more end points, and the audio mixer being able to create a mixed audio stream that may he communicated to the one or more end points such that the one or more end points do not have to perform audio mixing, the mixed audio stream is a mix of input audio streams from the one or more end points, and the audio mixer being able to determine an input-to-output mapping for each input audio stream, the input-to-output mapping indicating the delay of the input audio stream to the communicated mixed audio stream;

receive one or more video streams associated with the video conference and the input-to-output mapping for the audio stream associated with the active speaker from the one or more end points;

suppress the one or more video streams except for a selected video stream associated with the active speaker;

delaying the selected video according to the input-to-putout mapping such that the selected video stream corresponds to the audio stream of the active speaker;

propagate the selected video stream to one or more media switches during the video conference without audio; and

replicate the selected video stream such that it may he communicated to one or more end points associated with a selected media switch of the one or more media switches.

28. The medium of claim 27, wherein the selected video stream propagates to one or more of the media switches during the video conference using a multicast protocol.

29. The medium of claim 27, wherein the code is further operable, to:

perform a selected one of a unicast and a multicast operation between the selected media switch and the end points associated with the selected media switch.

30. The medium of claim 27, wherein the code is further operable to:

enable a selected one of the end points associated with the video conference to lock-on to a participant of the video conference, the selected end point propagating a fixed video (FV) stream associated with the video conference.

31. The medium of claim 27, wherein the code is further operable to:

control whether a selected one of the end points receives an FIV stream, a switched video (SV) stream, or any combination thereof.

32. The medium of claim 27, wherein a selected one of the end points does not receive an SV stream based on the active speaker, and wherein the selected media switch is operable to enable a selected one of the end points to receive the SV stream based on a selected whiteboard control feature.

33. The medium of claim 27, wherein the code is further operable to:

enable a moderator of the video conference to control a video source such that a selected one or more of the end points receives a selected video stream as determined by the moderator.

34. The medium of claim 27, wherein the code is further operable to:

provide one or more media services to the video conference such that one or more of the media services are delivered to one or more of the end points.