Streaming video network system

• US 8,924,234 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gyrus ACMI, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Image Stream Medical, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Renzi, Peter, Mitchell, Eddie E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gort, Elaine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ng, Jonathan K
• Application Number:
  US13/840,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20130201273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/647 Control signaling between network components and server or clients; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. controlling the quality of the video stream, by dropping packets, protecting content from unauthorised alteration within the network, monitoring of network load, bridging between two different networks, e.g. between IP and wireless real-time session protocols H04L65/1101
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A distributed, digital, network-based, streaming video allows users to view live streaming digital video from multiple video sources in operating rooms at any location connected to a network. One or more video sources in an operating room are connected to a streaming video encoder capable of converting the video to a network packet stream. Once the digital video stream is available on the network, it may be accessed and routed through the use of a streaming video control server. The streaming video control server is responsible for user authentication and access for remote viewing and video source selection. The control server also provides audit logging services, operating room selection and overall system resource allocation. The video control server also provides a network-based remote control interface, which enables other systems to communicate on the streaming video network, and allows for remote control of visualization from an integrated operating room control system.

Claims

1. A streaming managed medical video network system for enabling access on a medical network to live video data captured from a plurality of locations, the system comprising:

at least one streaming device associated with at least one medical treatment location, the at least one streaming device configured to receive live video data from at least one of a plurality of sources located in the at least one medical treatment location and convert the data received from the at least one source of the plurality of sources into a network packet stream, wherein the at least one source of the plurality of sources comprises a medical video source that views a procedure, the procedure comprising one of a surgical procedure, a diagnostic procedure, and a therapeutic procedure, performed at the at least one medical treatment location;

a first medical video source that views a procedure that is performed at the medical treatment location, the first medical video source being one of the plurality of sources located in the at least one medical treatment location and that is used during the procedure in which medical personnel are present at the medical treatment location to provide a first network packet stream;

a second medical video source that views the procedure that is performed at the medical treatment location, the second medical video source being one of the plurality of sources located in the at least one medical treatment location and that is used during the procedure in which medical personnel are present at the medical treatment location to provide a second network packet stream;

a network switch in communication with the at least one streaming device to receive at least one of the first network packet stream and the second network packet stream;

a streaming video control server that authenticates at least one of a plurality of users to the managed streaming medical video network system and provides the network packet stream to the at least one user such that, once the at least one user has been authenticated to the managed streaming medical video network system, the at least one user can view the network packet stream;

a communication channel that is established by the streaming video control server to route the at least one of the first network packet stream and the second network packet stream;

wherein the at least one streaming device captures video and metadata information, by (a) tracking a status of the at least one medical treatment location to provide metadata information, the status comprising a room status or a patient status, and (b) transmitting the metadata information with the video and (c) displaying the metadata information simultaneously with the video as the video is being viewed by the at least one user at a remote location.

2. The video network system of claim 1 wherein the transmitted metadata includes one of patient vital signs information, date of birth of patient, patient anesthesia status, patient presence in an operating, cut skin status and closing.

3. The video network system of claim 1 further comprising a video wall and at least one decoder associated with the video wall and in communication with the network switch, the at least one decoder configured to receive and decode the at least one packet streams routed by the streaming video control server for display on the video wall.

4. The video network system of claim 1 wherein the at least one streaming device is selected from the group consisting of standalone video encoders, video encoding and streaming computers, digital streaming cameras, and camera processors.

5. The video network system of claim 1 wherein the streaming video control server is configured to provide for point-to-point bi-directional video communications.

14. The video network system of claim 1 wherein the metadata information comprises an indication of a privacy mode status that is transmitted to the at least one user at the remote location.

6. A streaming managed medical video network system for enabling access on a medical network to live video data captured from a plurality of locations, the system comprising:

at least one streaming device associated with at least one medical treatment location, the at least one streaming device configured to receive live video data from at least one of a plurality of sources located in the at least one medical treatment location and convert the data received from the at least one source of the plurality of sources into a network packet stream, wherein the at least one source of the plurality of sources comprises a medical video source that views a procedure, the procedure comprising one of a surgical procedure, a diagnostic procedure, and a therapeutic procedure, performed at the at least one medical treatment location;

a first medical video source that views a procedure that is performed at the medical treatment location, the first medical video source being one of the plurality of sources located in the at least one medical treatment location and that is used during the procedure in which medical personnel are present at the medical treatment location to provide a first network packet stream;

a network switch in communication with the at least one streaming device to receive at least one of the first network packet stream;

a streaming video control server that authenticates at least one of a plurality of users to the managed streaming medical video network system and provides the network packet stream to the at least one user such that, once the at least one user has been authenticated to the managed streaming medical video network system, the at least one user can view the network packet stream; and

a communication channel that is established by the streaming video control server to route the first network packet stream from the at least one streaming device, via the network switch, to the at least one user for enabling access by the at least one user to the network packet stream;

wherein the at least one streaming device captures video and enables a privacy mode status by collecting information and transmitting the video with an indication of the privacy mode status overlaid onto the video at a display device of the user so the privacy mode status is simultaneously viewed with the video displayed by the display device of the user at a remote location.

7. The video network system of claim 6 further comprising a video wall and at least one decoder associated with the video wall and in communication with the network switch, the at least one decoder configured to receive and decode the at least one packet streams routed by the streaming video control server for display on the video wall.

8. The video network system of claim 7 wherein the privacy status of an operating room is displayed on the video wall.

9. The video network system of claim 7 wherein the streaming video control server is programmed with privacy controls which enable users to control flow of video data.

15. The video network system of claim 6 wherein the network-based software service comprises software or an application running on the streaming video control server.

16. The video network system of claim 6 wherein the network-based software service comprises software or an application that resides on a computer of the at least one user at the remote location.

17. The video network system of claim 6 wherein the privacy mode status is enabled by a local user at the at least one medical treatment location.

18. The video network system of claim 6 wherein the privacy mode status is overlaid onto the video as the video is being viewed by the at least one user at the remote location.

19. The video network system of claim 6 wherein the streaming video control server is programmed with privacy controls which enable users to control flow of video data.

21. The system of claim 6, wherein the video output displayed by the display device of the user comprises the network packet stream.

10. A streaming managed medical video network system for enabling access on a medical network to live video data captured from a plurality of locations, the system comprising:

at least one streaming device associated with at least one medical treatment location of the plurality of locations, wherein the at least one streaming device is configured to receive live video data from at least one of a plurality of sources located in the at least one medical treatment location and convert the data received from the at least one source of the plurality of sources into a network packet stream, wherein the at least one source of the plurality of sources comprises a medical video source that views a procedure, the procedure comprising one of a surgical procedure, a diagnostic procedure, and a therapeutic procedure, performed at the at least one medical treatment location, the at least one medical treatment location having a plurality of medical video sources therein, the plurality of medical video sources being used during the procedure in which medical personnel are present at the medical treatment location;

wherein the at least one streaming device captures video simultaneously with state and status metadata information, by collecting patient vital signs information from a network-based software service and transmitting patient vital signs information together with the video to the at least one user at a remote location;

a network switch in communication with the at least one streaming device; and

streaming video control server that;

(a) authenticates at least one of a plurality of users to the managed streaming medical video network system;

(b) establishes a communication channel, the communications channel being configured to route each network packet stream from the at least one streaming device, via the network switch, towards the at least one user for enabling access by the at least one user to the network packet stream;

(c) provides the network packet stream to the at least one user such that, once the at least one user has been authenticated to the system, the at least one user can view the network packet stream; and

(d) tracks a status of the medical treatment location during one of the surgical procedure, the diagnostic procedure and the therapeutic procedure, the status of the medical treatment location comprising one of a room status and a patient status.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the transmitted metadata includes one of patient vital signs information, date of birth of patient, patient anesthesia status, patient presence in an operating, cut skin status and closing.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the metadata is displayed separately from the video.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the display uses closed captioning features of the MPEG video coding standard.

20. A streaming managed medical video network system for enabling access on a medical network to live video data captured from a plurality of locations, the system comprising:

at least one streaming device associated with at least one medical treatment location, the at least one streaming device configured to receive live video data from at least one of a plurality of sources located in the at least one medical treatment location and convert the data received from the at least one source of the plurality of sources into a network packet stream, wherein the at least one source of the plurality of sources comprises a medical video source that views a procedure, the procedure comprising one of a surgical procedure, a diagnostic procedure, and a therapeutic procedure, performed at the at least one medical treatment location;

a first medical video source that views a procedure that is performed at the medical treatment location, the first medical video source being one of the plurality of sources located in the at least one medical treatment location and that is used during the procedure in which medical personnel are present at the medical treatment location to provide a first network packet stream;

a network switch in communication with the at least one streaming device to receive at least one of the first network packet stream;

a streaming video control server that authenticates at least one of a plurality of users to the managed streaming medical video network system and provides the network packet stream to the at least one user such that, once the at least one user has been authenticated to the managed streaming medical video network system, the at least one user can view the network packet stream; and

a communication channel that is established by the streaming video control server to route the first network packet stream from the at least one streaming device, via the network switch, to the at least one user for enabling access by the at least one user to the network packet stream;

wherein the at least one streaming device captures video and enables a privacy mode status by collecting information and transmitting the video with an indication of the privacy mode status overlaid onto the video displayed by the display device of the user so the privacy mode status is simultaneously viewed with the video displayed by the display device of the user at a remote location.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the video output displayed by the display device of the user comprises the network packet stream.