Method and system for recording videoconference data

• US 20050180341A1
• Filed: 02/13/2004
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nelson, Steve, Li, Chia-Hsin
• Granted Patent: US 7,558,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• 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 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A recording system for capturing videoconference session data is provided. The recording system includes a packet intercepting unit configured to identify packets related to the videoconference data being transmitted over a network. The packet intercepting unit is further configured to sort the related packets into corresponding files, wherein each data stream of the videoconference session is associated with one of the corresponding files. A decoder configured to decode data in each of the corresponding files to respective data streams is included, as well as a mixer/composer configured to combine the respective data streams into a single data stream. A recording device configured to record the single data stream onto a storage medium is included. A videoconference system and methods for efficiently recording videoconference data are included.

Claims

1. A method for recording videoconference data without impacting performance of a host videoconference server, comprising:

a) intercepting a packet associated with the host videoconference server;

b) analyzing the packet;

c) determining if the packet is related to a videoconference session associated with the host videoconference server;

if the packet is related to the video conference session, then the method includes,

d) determining a videoconference stream corresponding to the packet;

e) storing the packet in a file associated with the videoconference stream;

f) repeating a)-e) for additional packets of the videoconference session; and

generating a single videoconference stream from packets in each file associated with the videoconference stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method operation of intercepting a packet associated with the host videoconference server includes,

monitoring a distributed network over which the packet is transmitted.

3. The method on claim 1, wherein the method operation of analyzing the packet includes,

accessing header information of the packet.

4. The method on claim 1, wherein the method operation of determining if the packet is related to a videoconference session associated with the host videoconference server includes,

determining if the destination host of the packet is the host videoconference server;

and

determining if the packet is a real time protocol packet.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method operation of determining if the destination host of the packet is the host videoconference server includes,

accessing a contributing source (CSRC) field of a header of the packet;

interpreting data within the CSRC field associated with the destination host; and

matching the interpreted data to data identifying the host videoconference server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a main participant for a time point within the videoconference session;

assigning an image corresponding to the main participant to a largest segment of a videoconference display image for the time point; and

recording the single videoconference stream onto a storage medium.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method operation of generating a single videoconference stream from packets in each file associated with the videoconference stream includes,

establishing an index for the generated stream;

identifying a videoconference event;

correlating the videoconference event with the index through corresponding timestamps.

8. A method for efficiently recording videoconference data of a videoconference session, comprising:

identifying videoconference data transmitted over a distributed network;

sorting packets associated with the videoconference data according to a contributing source identification;

generating a videoconference audio signal from the sorted packets;

generating a videoconference video signal from the sorted packets;

mixing the videoconference audio signal and the videoconference video signal based upon a time stamp associated with each of the sorted packets;

associating an event recorded during the videoconference session with the mixed signal according to common time stamps of the mixed signal and the event; and

composing a layout of a display associated with the mixed signal based on the event.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method operation of identifying videoconference data transmitted over a distributed network includes,

intercepting data transmitted over the distributed network;

determining whether both a packet type and a port number associated with the data are indicative of the videoconference data; and

storing the data when both the packet type and the port number are indicative of the videoconference data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the method operation of sorting packets associated with the videoconference data according to a contributing source identification includes,

retrieving data from a field of a packet header for one of the packets;

identifying a data stream of the videoconference session corresponding to the one of the packets based on the data from the field; and

storing the packet in a file dedicated to the data stream.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the time stamp associated with each of the sorted packets is provided by an originating source for each assorted packet.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the event is selected from the group consisting of a participant leaving the videoconference session, a participant entering the videoconference session, a presented slide, and an annotation of a shared document.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the method operation of associating an event recorded during the videoconference session with the mixed signal according to common time stamps of the mixed signal and the event includes,

accessing an event database storing data associated with the event;

determining a time stamp of the event;

determining a corresponding time stamp associated with data of the mixed signal; and

generating a menu enabling access to the event through the mixed signal.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the method operation of composing a layout of a display associated with the mixed signal based on the event includes,

generating an index associated with the event.

15. A computer readable medium having program instructions for recording videoconference data of a videoconference session, comprising:

program instructions for identifying videoconference data transmitted over a distributed network;

program instructions for sorting packets associated with the videoconference data according to a contributing source identification;

program instructions for generating a videoconference audio signal from the sorted packets;

program instructions for generating a videoconference video signal from the sorted packets;

program instructions for mixing the videoconference audio signal and the videoconference video signal based upon a time stamp associated with each of the sorted packets;

program instructions for associating an event recorded during the videoconference session with the mixed signal according to common time stamps of the mixed signal and the event; and

program instructions for composing a layout of a display associated with the mixed signal based on the event.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the program instructions for identifying videoconference data transmitted over a distributed network includes,

program instructions for intercepting data transmitted over the distributed network;

program instructions for determining whether both a packet type and a port number associated with the data are indicative of the videoconference data; and

program instructions for storing the data when both the packet type and the port number are indicative of the videoconference data.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the program instructions for sorting packets associated with the videoconference data according to a contributing source identification includes,

program instructions for retrieving data from a field of a packet header for one of the packets;

program instructions for identifying a data stream of the videoconference session corresponding to the one of the packets based on the data from the field; and

program instructions for storing the packet in a file dedicated to the data stream.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the time stamp associated with each of the sorted packets is provided by an originating source for each assorted packet.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the event is selected from the group consisting of a participant leaving the videoconference session, a participant entering the videoconference session, a presented slide, and an annotation of a shared document.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the program instructions for associating an event recorded during the videoconference session with the mixed signal according to common time stamps of the mixed signal and the event includes,

program instructions for accessing an event database storing data associated with the event;

program instructions for determining a time stamp of the event;

program instructions for determining a corresponding time stamp associated with data of the mixed signal; and

program instructions for generating a menu enabling access to the event through the mixed signal.

21. A video conference system, comprising:

a plurality of clients;

a host server configured to distribute media to the plurality of clients over a distributed network, the host server further configured to receive media from the plurality of clients;

a packet intercepting unit having access to the distributed network, the packet intercepting unit configured to identify packets related to a video conference session hosted by the host server, the packet intercepting unit further configured to sort the identified packets according to a contributing source; and

a media management system in communication with the host server, the media management system configured to manage both media data and annotation data, the media management system further configured to capture events associated with the annotation data.

22. The video conference system of claim 21, wherein the media management system further includes,

a media management server configured to manage both the media data and the annotation data for distribution to participants of the videoconference session;

a storage server in communication with the media management server, the storage server configured to store both the media data and the annotation data;

an event database in communication with the media management server, the event database configured to capture events associated with the annotation data; and

a media analysis server in communication with the media management server, the event database, and the storage server, the media analysis server configured to associate the stored annotation data with the captured events.

23. The video conference system of claim 21, wherein the packet intercepting unit further includes,

logic for filtering packets on the distributed network according to a packet type and a port number associated with the packets on the distributed network in order to identify packets related to the videoconference session;

and

logic for analyzing data within a contributing source (CSRC) field of the identified packets in order to sort the identified packets according to the contributing source.

24. The videoconference system of claim 23, wherein the logic elements are one or a combination of software and hardware.

25. The video conference system of claim 21, further comprising:

a mixer/composer in communication with the packet intercepting unit, the mixer/composer configured to decode corresponding sorted packets, the mixer/composer further configured to combine decoded corresponding audio packets into a single audio data stream and combine decoded corresponding video packets into a single video stream;

a synchronizer configured to synchronize and combine the single audio stream and the single video stream into a data stream; and

a playback generator in communication with the media management system and the synchronizer, the playback generator configured to generate an index of events for the data stream, the index of events relating annotation data time stamps with data stream time stamps.

26. A recording system for capturing videoconference session data, comprising:

a packet intercepting unit configured to identify packets related to the videoconference data being transmitted over a network, the packet intercepting unit further configured to sort the related packets into corresponding files, wherein each data stream of the videoconference session is associated with one of the corresponding files;

a decoder configured to decode data in each of the corresponding files to respective data streams;

a mixer/composer configured to combine the respective data streams into a single data stream; and

a recording device configured to record the single data stream onto a storage medium.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the packet intercepting unit is a sniffer.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the packet intercepting unit further includes,

logic for filtering packets on the distributed network according to a packet type and a port number associated with the packets on the distributed network in order to identify packets related to the videoconference session;

and

logic for analyzing data within a contributing source (CSRC) field of the identified packets in order to sort the identified packets according to the contributing source.

29. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

a frame rate converter in communication with the decoder, the frame rate converter configured to adjust a first frame rate associated with decoded video data to a second frame rate suitable for the recording device.

30. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

a playback generator in communication with the mixer/composer, the playback generator further configured to generate an index of events for the single data stream, the index of events relating annotation data time stamps with the single data stream time stamps.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the storage medium is one of a video compact disc (VCD) and a digital versatile disc (DVD).

32. The system of claim 28, wherein each logic element is one of or a combination of hardware and software.