Video conference network management for a mobile device

• US 9,264,659 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2010
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Abuan, Joe S., Normile, James O., Wu, Hsi-Jung, Yang, Yan, Jeong, Hyeonkuk, Zhou, Xiaosong, Garcia, Roberto Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAO, WEI PO ERIC
• Application Number:
  US12/794,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20110249077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,081 Days
• Field of Search: 370259-269
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/617 Upgrading or updating of programs or applications for camera control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2624 for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• 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 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 : Conference systems

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method for managing a video conference between a first device and a second device. The method identifies a first ceiling bit rate for transmitting video conference data to the second device through the communication channel. The method identifies a current bit rate that is less than the first ceiling bit rate. The method receives networking data regarding the communication channel from the second device. The method determines, from the received network data, that the communication channel will sustain an increase in the current bit rate. The method increments the current bit rate. The method iteratively performs the receiving, determining, and incrementing operations until a determination is made that the communication channel will not sustain the increase in the current bit rate.

Claims

1. A first mobile device comprising:

a set of processing units; and

a non-transitory machine readable medium for storing a program for managing a video conference between the first mobile device and a second device, the program comprising sets of instructions for;

identifying a current bit rate that is less than a ceiling bit rate for transmitting video conference data to the second device through a communication channel;

receiving networking data regarding the communication channel from the second device, the received networking data comprising a plurality of one way signal delays that are computed by the second device;

from the received networking data, determining that the communication channel will sustain an increase in the current bit rate based on a rate of change of a set of one way signal delays of the plurality of one way signal delays;

if the rate of change is below a particular threshold, incrementing the current bit rate; and

iteratively performing said receiving, determining, and incrementing operations until a determination is made that the communication channel will not sustain an increase in the current bit rate.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the second device is a mobile device communicating with the first mobile device through a wireless communication network with limited bandwidth.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the sets of instructions for iteratively performing the receiving, determining and incrementing operations are repeatedly executed at a particular temporal rate to allow for accurate networking data to be relayed from the second device based on a prior incremental increase of the current bit rate.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the program further comprises sets of instructions for:

receiving networking data regarding the communication channel from the second device after the iterative performance of the receiving, determining, and incrementing operations has terminated;

from the received networking data, identifying a change in the available resources of the communication channel; and

incrementing or decrementing the current bit rate based on the identified change in the available resources of the communication channel.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions for determining comprises a set of instructions for determining whether the current bit rate has reached the ceiling bit rate.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the ceiling bit rate is a first ceiling bit rate, wherein the set of instructions for determining comprises a set of instructions for determining that the current bit rate has reached a second ceiling bit rate that is lower than the first ceiling bit rate and that is derived from the available bandwidth measurement data provided by the second device.

7. A non-transitory machine readable medium of a first mobile device, the machine readable medium storing a program for managing a video conference between the first mobile device and a second device, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

identifying a current bit rate that is less than a ceiling bit rate for transmitting video conference data to the second device through a communication channel;

receiving networking data regarding the communication channel from the second device, the received networking data comprising a plurality of one way signal delays that are computed by the second device;

from the received networking data, determining that the communication channel will sustain an increase in the current bit rate based on a rate of change of a set of one way signal delays of the plurality of one way signal delays;

if the rate of change is below a particular threshold, incrementing the current bit rate; and

iteratively performing said receiving, determining, and incrementing operations until a determination is made that the communication channel will not sustain an increase in the current bit rate.

8. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein each one way signal delay is computed by the second device by examining delays of audio packets sent from the first mobile device to the second device.

9. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 8, wherein the audio packet delays are examined by examining the difference in time codes in the audio packets with the difference in the reception of the audio packets by the second device.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein the received networking data further comprises an available bandwidth measurement data that is computed by the second device by examining sizes of video packets transmitted to the second device with the difference in time that the second device receives the packets.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein the received networking data further comprises packet loss data.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein the received networking data further comprises roundtrip delay time data.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein the set of instructions for receiving networking data comprises a set of instructions for receiving networking data in packets that are sent along a real-time transport protocol (RTP) stream and that are identified in the RTP stream by RTP Header Extensions.

14. A method performed by a first mobile device to manage a video conference between the first mobile device and a second device, the method comprising:

identifying a current bit rate that is less than a ceiling bit rate for transmitting video conference data to the second device through a communication channel;

receiving networking data regarding the communication channel from the second device, the received networking data comprising a plurality of one way signal delays that are computed by the second device;

from the received networking data, determining that the communication channel will sustain an increase in the current bit rate based on a rate of change of a set of one way signal delays of the plurality of one way signal delays;

if the rate of change is below a particular threshold, incrementing the current bit rate; and

iteratively performing said receiving, determining, and incrementing operations until a determination is made that the communication channel will not sustain an increase in the current bit rate.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second device is a mobile device communicating with the first mobile device through a wireless communication network with limited bandwidth.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the iterative performance of the receiving, determining and incrementing operations is repeatedly executed at a particular temporal rate to allow for accurate networking data to be relayed from the second device based on a prior incremental increase of the current bit rate.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving networking data regarding the communication channel from the second device after the iterative performance of the receiving, determining, and incrementing operations as terminated;

from the received networking data, identifying a change in the available resources of the communication channel; and

incrementing or decrementing the current bit rate based on the identified change in the available resources of the communication channel.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein determining comprises determining whether the current bit rate has reached the ceiling bit rate.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the received networking data further comprises roundtrip delay time data.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the one way signal delay is computed by the second device by examining delays of audio packets sent from the first mobile device to the second device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the audio packet delays are examined by examining the difference in time codes in the audio packets with the difference in the reception of the audio packets by the second device.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the received networking data further comprises an available bandwidth measurement data that is computed by the second device by examining the size of video packets transmitted to the second device with the difference in time that the second device receives the packets.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the networking data comprises receiving the networking data in packets that are sent along a real-time transport protocol (RTP) stream and that are identified in the RTP stream by RTP Header Extensions.

24. The method of claim 14 further comprising, when the determination is made that the communication channel will not sustain an increase in the current bit rate, setting the current bit rate as a bit rate to use for the video conference after the establishment of the video conference.