Method and system for optimal balance and spatial consistency

• US 9,438,856 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hubenthal, Michael B., Triplicane, Vijayaraghavan R., Baldino, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hemant
• Application Number:
  US14/248,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20140218463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 348 141- 1416, 370259-271, 370351-357, 709201-207, 709217-248, 37920201-20701
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A method for assigning video signals includes receiving a plurality of video signals from a plurality of cameras located at one or more remote sites, the plurality of video signals for display on a plurality of monitors at a local site. The method includes determining an optimal monitor for displaying a first video signal associated with a first camera based on the location and alignment of the first camera in relation to one or more of the plurality of cameras. The method includes calculating a respective difference between a number of video signals assigned to the optimal monitor and a respective number of video signals assigned to each respective monitor of the plurality of monitors. The method further includes assigning the first video signal to the optimal monitor if the respective difference is not greater than a threshold value with respect to each of the plurality of monitors.

Claims

1. A method for assigning video signals, comprising:

receiving a plurality of video signals from a plurality of cameras located at one or more remote sites, the plurality of video signals for display on a plurality of monitors at a local site;

determining an optimal monitor for displaying a first video signal associated with a first camera based on the location and alignment of the first camera in relation to one or more other cameras of the plurality of cameras;

determining whether assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy; and

upon determining that assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will not violate a balancing policy, assigning the first video signal to the optimal monitor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning the first video signal to a monitor other than the optimal monitor if it is determined that assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising

determining that a particular monitor of the plurality of monitors has more than one video signal assigned thereto;

in response to determining that a particular monitor of the plurality of monitors has more than one video signal assigned thereto, selecting a video signal of the more than one video signal assigned to the monitor; and

displaying the selected video signal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting a video signal of the more than one video signal assigned to the monitor comprises selecting the video signal having the highest audio level of the more than one video signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy comprises determining whether assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy based on a threshold value flexibility rating indicating a relative degree to which the first video signal may be assigned to a monitor other than the optimal monitor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy comprises determining whether assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy based on a location and alignment of the first camera relative to at least one other camera of the plurality of cameras.

7. A system for assigning video signals, comprising:

an interface operable to receive a plurality of video signals from a plurality of cameras located at one or more remote sites;

a plurality of monitors at a local site, the plurality of monitors operable to display one or more of the plurality of video signals; and

a processor coupled to the interface and operable to;

determine an optimal monitor for displaying a first video signal associated with a first camera based on the location and alignment of the first camera in relation to one or more other cameras of the plurality of cameras;

determine whether assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy; and

upon determining that assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will not violate a balancing policy, assign the first video signal to the optimal monitor.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further operable to assign the first video signal to a monitor other than the optimal monitor if it is determined that assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine that a particular monitor of the plurality of monitors has more than one video signal assigned thereto;

select a video signal of the more than one video signal assigned to the monitor, in response to determining that a particular monitor of the plurality of monitors has more than one video signal assigned thereto; and

display the selected video signal.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a processor operable to select a video signal of the more than one video signal assigned to the monitor comprises a processor operable to select a video signal having the highest audio level of the more than one video signal.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein a processor operable to determine whether assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy comprises a processor operable to determine whether assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy based on a threshold value flexibility rating indicating a relative degree to which the first video signal may be assigned to a monitor other than the optimal monitor.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein a processor operable to determine whether assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy comprises a processor operable to determine whether assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy based on a location and alignment of the first camera relative to at least one other camera of the plurality of cameras.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium including code for assigning video signals, the code operable to:

receive a plurality of video signals from a plurality of cameras located at one or more remote sites, the plurality of video signals for display on a plurality of monitors at a local site;

determine an optimal monitor for displaying a first video signal associated with a first camera based on the location and alignment of the first camera in relation to one or more other cameras of the plurality of cameras;

determine whether assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy; and

upon determining that assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will not violate a balancing policy, assign the first video signal to the optimal monitor.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the code is further operable to assign the first video signal to a monitor other than the optimal monitor if it is determined that assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the code is further operable to:

determine that a particular monitor of the plurality of monitors has more than one video signal assigned thereto;

select a video signal of the more than one video signal assigned to the monitor, in response to determining that a particular monitor of the plurality of monitors has more than one video signal assigned thereto; and

display the selected video signal.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein code operable to select a video signal of the more than one video signal assigned to the monitor comprises code operable to select a video signal having the highest audio level of the more than one video signal.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein code operable to determine whether assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy comprises code operable to determine whether assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy based on a threshold value flexibility rating indicating a relative degree to which the first video signal may be assigned to a monitor other than the optimal monitor.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein code operable to determine whether assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy comprises code operable to determine whether assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy based on a location and alignment of the first camera relative to at least one other camera of the plurality of cameras.

19. A system for displaying a videoconference comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of video signals from a plurality of cameras located at one or more remote sites;

means for displaying one or more of the plurality of video signals;

means for determining an optimal monitor for displaying a first video signal associated with a first camera based on the location and alignment of the first camera in relation to one or more other cameras of the plurality of cameras;

means for determining whether assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will violate a balancing policy; and

means for, upon determining that assigning the first video signal associated with the first camera to the determined optimal monitor for displaying the first video signal associated with the first camera will not violate a balancing policy, assigning the first video signal to the optimal monitor.