Dynamically switched and static multiple video streams for a multimedia conference

• US 20060092269A1
• Filed: 12/05/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sarkar, Shantanu, Baird, Randall, Knotts, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 8,081,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4046 with distributed floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

An end station for a videoconference/multimedia conference is disclosed, where the end station requests, receives and displays multiple video streams. Call control messages request video streams with specified video policies. A static policy specifies a constant source video stream, e.g., a participant. A dynamic policy dynamically maps various source streams to a requested stream and shows, for example, the current speaker, or a round robin of participants. A network access device, e.g., a media switch or a video composition system, mediates between the multi-stream end station and the core conference system. Multi-stream endpoints need not handle the complexity of directly receiving video according to a potentially wide variety of call control protocols, formats, and bit-rates. Multi-stream endpoints decentralize compositing video streams, which increases functional flexibility and reduces the need for centralized equipment.

Claims

1. An end station for a conference, where the conference is managed via call control messages, where the conference includes participants and source video streams, and where the end station comprises:

a controller configured to form a connection to the conference via exchanging a series of the call control messages with the conference, where the series includes at least one request that the conference send to the end station at least one video stream, where at least one of the requests specifies a video policy for the requested video stream, and where the video policy controls which of the source video streams are selected for the requested video stream;

a transmitter configured to send outgoing call control messages to the conference;

a receiver configured to receive incoming call control messages from the conference and to receive each of the requested video streams that are sent from the conference;

a decoder configured to decode each received video stream into a decoded video stream; and

a display configured to simultaneously display each decoded video stream.

2. The end station of claim 1, where the controller is further configured to follow a version of the session initiation protocol (SIP) standard with respect to the call control messages that form the conference connection and request the video stream.

3. The end station of claim 2, where the controller is further configured to follow a version of the session description protocol (SDP) standard with respect to the video stream request.

4. The end station of claim 3, where the controller is further configured to specify the video policy of the requested video stream via an SDP attribute line.

5. The end station of claim 1, where the controller is further configured to follow a version of the H.323 standard with respect to the call control messages that form the conference connection.

6. The end station of claim 5, where the controller is further configured to follow a version of the H.245 standard with respect to the video stream request.

7. The end station of claim 6, where the controller is further configured to generate a request mode message that follows a version of the H.245 standard, and to specify the video policy of the requested video stream via the request mode message.

8. The end station of claim 1, where:

the conference further includes a roster of the participants, wherein each participant has a roster identifier (ID); and

at least one of the video stream requests specifies a video policy that selects a source video stream corresponding to one of the participants, who is specified via the roster ID.

9. The end station of claim 1, where at least one of the video stream requests specifies a video policy that changes, over time during the conference, which source video stream is selected for that requested video stream.

10. The end station of claim 1, where at least one of the video stream requests specifies a video policy that selects the source video stream corresponding to one of the participants, who is specified to be the N^th most recent participant to speak.

11. The end station of claim 1, where:

the conference further includes at least one display generated by at least one shared application; and

at least one of the video stream requests specifies a video policy that selects the source video stream corresponding to one of the participants, who is specified to be the Nth most recent participant to control the shared application.

12. The end station of claim 1, where:

the conference further includes at least one moderator and at least one video stream that is selected by the moderator during the conference; and

at least one of the video stream requests specifies a video policy that selects the video stream that is selected by the moderator.

13. The end station of claim 1, where at least one of the video stream requests specifies a set of the participants and a video policy that selects the source video stream that corresponds to one of the set of participants, where the currently selected participant changes over time during the conference.

14. The end station of claim 1, where at least one of the video stream requests specifies a video policy that selects a source video stream, where the source video stream is selected that currently has the N^th most amount of motion.

15. The end station of claim 1, where at least one of the video stream requests specifies a video policy that selects a source video stream, where the source video stream is selected that currently has the N^th least amount of motion.

16. The end station of claim 1, where at least one of the video stream requests specifies a threshold amount of motion and specifies a video policy that selects a source video stream, where the source video stream currently selected is based on comparing the threshold amount of motion with the amount of motion in at least one of the source video streams.

17. The end station of claim 1, where at least one of the video stream requests specifies a video policy that selects the source video stream based on a measurement of an activity that changes over time and corresponds to at least one of the source video streams.

18. The end station of claim 1, where at least one of the video stream requests specifies a video policy that selects the source video stream based on a global positioning system (GPS) measurement of the position of at least one object that corresponds to at least one of the source video streams.

19. An end station for a conference, where the conference is managed via call control messages, where the conference includes participants and source video streams, and where the end station comprises:

means for forming a connection to the conference including means for exchanging a series of the call control messages with the conference, where the series includes at least one request that the conference send to the end station at least one video stream, where at least one of the requests specifies a video policy for each requested video stream, and where the video policy controls which of the source video streams are used for the requested video stream;

means for transmitting outgoing call control messages to the conference;

means for receiving incoming call control messages from the conference;

means for receiving each of the requested video streams that are sent from the conference;

means for decoding each received video stream into a decoded video stream; and

means for simultaneously displaying each decoded video streams.

20. Computer readable media containing instructions that, when the instructions are executed by a system, control a process comprising:

forming a connection to the conference including;

i) exchanging a series of the call control messages with the conference, where the series includes at least one request that the conference send to the end station at least one video stream; and

ii) specifying in the request a video policy for each requested video stream, where the video policy controls which of the source video streams are used for the requested video stream;

transmitting outgoing call control messages to the conference;

receiving each requested video stream from the conference;

receiving incoming call control messages from the conference;

decoding each requested video stream thereby generating a decoded video stream; and

displaying simultaneously each decoded video stream.

21. A method of participating in a conference, where the conference is managed via call control messages, where the conference includes participants and source video streams, and where the method comprises:

forming a connection to the conference including;

i) exchanging a series of the call control messages with the conference, where the series includes at least one request that the conference send to the end station at least one video stream; and

ii) specifying in at least one of the requests a video policy for at least one of the requested video streams, where the video policy controls which of the source video streams are used for the requested video stream;

transmitting outgoing call control messages to the conference;

receiving incoming call control messages from the conference;

receiving the requested video streams that are sent from the conference;

decoding each received video stream, thereby generating a decoded video stream; and

displaying simultaneously each decoded video stream.

22. The method of claim 21, where the forming of the connection and the generating of the series of call control messages follow a version of the session initiation protocol (SIP) standard.

23. The method of claim 22, where the video stream request follows a version of the session description protocol (SDP) standard.

24. The method of claim 23, where the specifying of the video policy includes generating an SDP attribute line.

25. The method of claim 21, where the forming of the connection follows a version of the H.323 standard.

26. The method of claim 25, where the video stream request follows a version of the H.245 standard.

27. The method of claim 26, where the specifying of the video policy includes generating a request mode message that follows a version of the H.245 standard, and specifying the video policy via the request mode message.

28. The method of claim 21, where:

the conference further includes a roster of participants wherein each participant has a roster identifier (ID); and

at least one of the video stream requests includes specifying a video policy that selects the source video stream corresponding to one of the participants, who is specified via the roster ID.

29. The method of claim 21, where at least one of the video stream requests includes specifying a video policy that changes, over time during the conference, which source video stream is selected for that requested video stream.