Bandwidth allocation for multimedia conferencing
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- receiving, by a processor, endpoint preference data from each of a plurality of endpoints of a multimedia conference, wherein receiving the endpoint preference data comprises receiving, from each of the plurality of endpoints, media capabilities comprising a plurality of codecs for different media types and a bandwidth preference for the different media types;
determining a bandwidth distribution of a total bandwidth allocated for the multimedia conference for the different media types, wherein determining the bandwidth distribution comprises determining a fraction for each of the media types based on the received endpoint preference data;
allocating, by the processor, a fraction bandwidth from the total bandwidth to each of the different media types for each of the plurality of endpoints based on the determined fraction, wherein allocating the fraction bandwidth comprises;
proportionally applying the bandwidth distribution to the total bandwidth for each of the plurality of endpoints to determine the fraction bandwidth, andselecting a first codec from the plurality of codecs to enable communication of the different types of media data commensurate with the allocated fraction bandwidth;
receiving a request, from a first endpoint, to alter a quality of a first media type being received by the first endpoint; and
altering, in real-time, the fraction bandwidth allocated to the first media type for the first endpoint based on the received request, wherein altering the fraction bandwidth comprises selecting a second codec from the plurality of codecs to enable communication of the first media type commensurate with the requested quality of the first media type.
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Abstract
A method can include analyzing endpoint preference data from each of a plurality of endpoints of a multimedia conference. The endpoint preference data for each respective endpoint represents a desired distribution of bandwidth for different types of data in the multimedia conference for each respective endpoint. The method can also include allocating bandwidth between the different types of data for each of the plurality of endpoints in the multimedia conference based on the analysis of the endpoint preference data.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving, by a processor, endpoint preference data from each of a plurality of endpoints of a multimedia conference, wherein receiving the endpoint preference data comprises receiving, from each of the plurality of endpoints, media capabilities comprising a plurality of codecs for different media types and a bandwidth preference for the different media types; determining a bandwidth distribution of a total bandwidth allocated for the multimedia conference for the different media types, wherein determining the bandwidth distribution comprises determining a fraction for each of the media types based on the received endpoint preference data; allocating, by the processor, a fraction bandwidth from the total bandwidth to each of the different media types for each of the plurality of endpoints based on the determined fraction, wherein allocating the fraction bandwidth comprises; proportionally applying the bandwidth distribution to the total bandwidth for each of the plurality of endpoints to determine the fraction bandwidth, and selecting a first codec from the plurality of codecs to enable communication of the different types of media data commensurate with the allocated fraction bandwidth; receiving a request, from a first endpoint, to alter a quality of a first media type being received by the first endpoint; and altering, in real-time, the fraction bandwidth allocated to the first media type for the first endpoint based on the received request, wherein altering the fraction bandwidth comprises selecting a second codec from the plurality of codecs to enable communication of the first media type commensurate with the requested quality of the first media type. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus comprising:
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an analyzer configured to determine a distribution of a total bandwidth for different types of media employed in a multimedia conference, wherein the analyzer being configured to determine the distribution comprises the analyzer being configured to; receive the user-programmable preference data from a plurality of endpoints of the multimedia conference, the user-programmable data comprising media capabilities comprising a plurality of codecs for different types of media and a bandwidth preference for the different types of media, and determine a fraction of the total bandwidth for each of the different types of media based on the user-programmable preference data received from the plurality of endpoints of the multimedia conference; and a bandwidth allocation engine configured to allocate a fraction bandwidth for each of the different types of media of the multimedia conference based on the determined fraction, wherein the bandwidth allocation engine is further configured to allocate the bandwidth for each of the different type of media for each of the plurality of the endpoints in the multimedia conference, based on the distribution of bandwidth and endpoint capabilities, wherein the bandwidth allocation being configured to allocate the fraction bandwidth comprises the bandwidth allocation being configured to; proportionally apply the bandwidth distribution to the total bandwidth for each of the plurality of endpoints to determine the fraction bandwidth, and select a first codec from the plurality of codecs to enable communication of the different types of media data commensurate with the allocated fraction bandwidth; wherein a given endpoint is allocated a different amount of the total bandwidth for the multimedia conference than another endpoint and change the total bandwidth allocated to a given endpoint of the endpoints during the multimedia conference causes reallocation of the bandwidth, wherein the bandwidth allocation engine is further configured to; receive a request, from a first endpoint, to alter a quality of a first type of media being received by the first endpoint; and alter, in real-time, the fraction bandwidth allocated to the first type of media based on the received request, wherein the bandwidth allocation engine being configured to alter the fraction bandwidth comprises the bandwidth allocation engine being further configured to select a second codec from the plurality of codecs to enable communication of the first media type commensurate with the requested quality of the first type of media. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method comprising:
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receiving, at a given endpoint of a multimedia conference, a plurality of codecs for different types of media and a user preference for distribution of a total bandwidth for the different types of media being communicated with the given endpoint of the multimedia conference; sending, from the given endpoint to a control unit, the user preference; and receiving, at the given endpoint bandwidth allocation instructions comprising instruction for a bandwidth distribution for each of the different types of media in the multimedia conference, the bandwidth distribution based upon a fraction of a total bandwidth assigned to the given endpoint for the multimedia conference, the fraction being determined for each of the different types of media based on an evaluation of user preferences for received from a plurality of endpoints in the multimedia conference, wherein receiving the endpoint bandwidth allocation comprises receiving the bandwidth allocation in response to; proportionally applying the bandwidth distribution to the total bandwidth for each of the plurality of endpoints to determine the fraction bandwidth, and selecting a first codec from the plurality of codecs to enable communication of the different types of media data commensurate with allocated fraction bandwidth; receiving a request, from the given endpoint, to alter a quality of a first type of media being received by the given endpoint; and altering, in real-time, a fraction bandwidth allocated to the first type of media based on the received request, wherein altering the fraction bandwidth comprises selecting a second codec from the plurality of codecs to enable communication of the first type of media commensurate with the requested quality of the first type of media. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An apparatus comprising:
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a transmitter configured to send, from a given endpoint of a multimedia conference to a control unit a plurality of codecs for different types of media and a user preference for distribution of bandwidth for the different types of media being communicated with the given endpoint of the multimedia conference; and endpoint controls communicating the different types of media in the multimedia conference with a bandwidth distribution for each of the different types of media, the bandwidth distribution determined according to bandwidth allocation instructions from the control unit, the bandwidth allocation instructions being based on an evaluation of user preferences for multiple endpoints in the multimedia conference to determine a fraction of a total bandwidth allocated to each of the multiple endpoints to be distributed to the different types of media, wherein the endpoint controls is configured to; proportionally apply the bandwidth distribution to the total bandwidth for each of the plurality of endpoints to determine the fraction bandwidth, and select a first codec from the plurality of codecs to enable communication of the different types of media data commensurate with the allocated fraction bandwidth; receive a request, from the given endpoint, to alter a quality of a first types of data being received by the given endpoint; and alter, in real-time, a fraction bandwidth allocated to the first type of media based on the received request, wherein the endpoint controls being configured to alter the fraction bandwidth comprises the endpoint controls further configured to select a second codec from the plurality of codecs to enable communication of the first type of media commensurate with the requested quality of the first type of media. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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Specification