Streaming a videoconference from a server including boundary information for client layout adjustment

• US 8,786,665 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Shanmukhadas, Binu Kaiparambil, Goyal, Ashish, Anuar, Raphael
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/093,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20120140016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 345/638, 345/173, 347/19, 348/14.1, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 348/92, 348/36, 348/218.1, 375/342, 382/141, 382/145, 382/162, 382/233, 400/76, 379/202.01, 358/1.9, 463/33
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/155 involving storage of or access to video conference sessions tracking arrangements for later retrieval of a computer conference content or participants activities H04L12/1831

Abstract

A videoconference may be initiated between a plurality of endpoints. At least one of the endpoints may be coupled to a recording server, which may be configured to record the videoconference. A configuration may be selected (e.g., automatically or manually) for performing the recording. The endpoint (e.g., acting as an MCU) may transmit information to endpoints and may transmit recording information to the recording server. The recording information may be different from the videoconference information. For example, it may be in a “streaming friendly” format, at a different bit rate, encoded differently, have different inputs, etc. The manner in which the videoconference is stored and/or recorded may be based on the selected configuration. Clients may be configured to receive and display the videoconference from the recording server and may be configured to change the provided layout to different layouts, e.g., based on user input.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium comprising program instructions for providing a recorded videoconference, wherein the videoconference is conducted among a plurality of videoconference endpoints, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

store a recording of the videoconference that has already occurred, wherein the recording comprises a composite image, wherein the composite image comprising a plurality of participant images in respective portions of the composite image;

store boundary information for the composite image in the recording of the videoconference;

provide the recording of the videoconference, including the boundary information to a client;

wherein, during playback of the recorded videoconference, the client is configured to change the layout of the playback using the boundary information.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive the boundary information from a videoconference endpoint of the videoconference.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive videoconference information of the videoconference from a videoconference endpoint of the videoconference, wherein said storing the recording of the videoconference is based on the received videoconference information.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the recording further comprises a presentation of the videoconference.

5. A method for recording a videoconference, comprising:

during the videoconference, receiving videoconference information from an endpoint of the videoconference, wherein the videoconference information comprises a composite image of a plurality of participants in the videoconference and boundary information for the composite image;

storing a recording of the videoconference using the videoconference information, including storing the boundary information for the composite image in the recording of the videoconference;

after the videoconference has been completed, providing the recording of the videoconference to one or more clients over a network, wherein said providing the recording comprises providing the boundary information of the composite image, wherein the one or more clients are configured to change the layout of the recording of the videoconference using the boundary information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving the boundary information from a videoconference endpoint of the videoconference.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing a transcript of the videoconference, wherein the one or more clients are configured to utilize the transcript as subtitles and/or for searching the videoconference.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the recording further comprises a presentation of the videoconference.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium comprising program instructions for receiving a recorded videoconference, wherein the videoconference is conducted among a plurality of videoconference endpoints, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive a recording of the videoconference over a wide area network, wherein the videoconference was recorded previously, wherein the recording comprises a composite image, wherein the composite image comprising a plurality of participant images in respective portions of the composite image, wherein the recording includes boundary information for the composite image, and where said receiving the recording of the videoconference comprises receiving the boundary information for the composite image;

during playback of the recorded videoconference, change the layout of the playback using the boundary information.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 9, wherein the recording further comprises a presentation of the videoconference.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 9, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

during playback of the recorded videoconference, receive user input to change the layout of the playback;

wherein said changing the layout is performed in response to the user input.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 9, wherein said changing the layout of the playback is performed automatically, without receiving user input to change the layout of the playback.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 12, wherein the automatic change of the layout is performed based on a presentation beginning or ending during the playback of the videoconference.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 9, wherein the recording further comprises a transcript of the videoconference, wherein the program instructions are further configured to:

display subtitles in the playback using the transcript.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 9, wherein the recording further comprises a transcript of the videoconference, wherein the program instructions are further configured to:

receive user input searching for one or more words of the transcript; and

display the playback at the portion of the videoconference that includes a participant speaking the one or more words based on the transcript.

16. A method for receiving a recorded videoconference, wherein the videoconference is conducted among a plurality of videoconference endpoints, comprising:

receiving a recording of the videoconference over a wide area network, wherein the videoconference was previously recorded and completed, wherein the recording comprises a composite image, wherein the composite image comprising a plurality of participant images in respective portions of the composite image, wherein the recording includes boundary information for the composite image, and where said receiving the recording of the videoconference comprises receiving the boundary information for the composite image;

during playback of the recorded videoconference, changing the layout of the playback using the boundary information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the recording further comprises a presentation of the videoconference.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

during playback of the recorded videoconference, receiving user input to change the layout of the playback;

wherein said changing the layout is performed in response to the user input.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said changing the layout of the playback is performed automatically, without receiving user input to change the layout of the playback.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the automatic change of the layout is performed based on a presentation beginning or ending during the playback of the videoconference.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the recording further comprises a transcript of the videoconference, wherein the program instructions are further configured to:

display subtitles in the playback using the transcript.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the recording further comprises a transcript of the videoconference, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving user input searching for one or more words of the transcript; and

displaying the playback at the portion of the videoconference that includes a participant speaking the one or more words based on the transcript.