Marking Keyframes For A Communication Session

• US 20070280194A1
• Filed: 06/01/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wu, Duanpei, Friedrich, Walter R., Sarkar, Shantanu, Fry, Steven G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,907,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

Marking a keyframe of a media stream in a communication system involves one or more entry media switches in communication with one or more endpoints. An entry media switch receives a media stream from an endpoint, where the media stream comprises a sequence of packets with a keyframe. The keyframe is detected and marked with a keyframe indicator. The keyframe indicator is operable to notify a downstream device of the keyframe. An output media stream is outputted.

Claims

1. A method for marking a keyframe of a media stream in a communication system, comprising:

performing the following for each entry media switch of one or more entry media switches to yield one or more output media streams, the one or more entry media switches operable to communicate with one or more endpoints;

receiving a media stream from an endpoint of the one or more endpoints, the media stream comprising a sequence of packets, the sequence of packets comprising a keyframe;

detecting the keyframe of the sequence of packets;

marking the keyframe with a keyframe indicator, the keyframe indicator operable to notify a downstream device of the keyframe; and

outputting an output media stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein marking the keyframe with the keyframe indicator further comprises:

placing a particular value in a header extension of an upstream sequence number assigned to the keyframe.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the one or more output media streams; and

combining the one or more output media streams to yield a combined stream.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a combined stream comprising the one or more output media streams, the combined stream comprising a plurality of packets of the one or more output media streams; and

assigning each packet of the plurality of packets a downstream sequence number in accordance with the order of the plurality of packets in the combined stream.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a combined stream comprising the one or more output media streams, the combined stream comprising the one or more keyframe indicators of the one or more output media streams; and

establishing the order of the packets of the combined stream in accordance with the one or more keyframe indicators.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a combined stream comprising the one or more output media streams, the combined stream comprising the one or more keyframe indicators of the one or more output media streams; and

applying a reordering scheme to establish the order of the packets of the combined stream in accordance with the one or more keyframe indicators.

7. A system for marking a keyframe of a media stream in a communication system, comprising:

one or more entry media switches in communication with one or more endpoints, an entry media switch of the one or more entry media switches operable to;

receive a media stream from an endpoint of the one or more endpoints, the media stream comprising a sequence of packets, the sequence of packets comprising a keyframe;

detect the keyframe of the sequence of packets;

mark the keyframe with a keyframe indicator, the keyframe indicator operable to notify a downstream device of the keyframe; and

output an output media stream.

8. The system of claim 7, the entry media switch of the one or more entry media switches further operable to mark the keyframe with the keyframe indicator by:

placing a particular value in a header extension of an upstream sequence number assigned to the keyframe.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising a network device operable to:

receive the one or more output media streams from the one or more entry media switches; and

combine the one or more output media streams to yield a combined stream.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising a non-entry media switch operable to:

receive a combined stream comprising the one or more output media streams, the combined stream comprising a plurality of packets of the one or more output media streams from the one or more entry media switches; and

assign each packet of the plurality of packets a downstream sequence number in accordance with the order of the plurality of packets in the combined stream.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising a receiver endpoint operable to:

receive a combined stream comprising the one or more output media streams, the combined stream comprising the one or more keyframe indicators of the one or more output media streams from the one or more entry media switches; and

establish the order of the packets of the combined stream in accordance with the one or more keyframe indicators.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising a receiver endpoint operable to:

receive a combined stream comprising the one or more output media streams, the combined stream comprising the one or more keyframe indicators of the one or more output media streams from the one or more entry media switches; and

apply a reordering scheme to establish the order of the packets of the combined stream in accordance with the one or more keyframe indicators.

13. Logic for marking a keyframe of a media stream in a communication system, the logic embodied in a computer-readable medium and operable to:

perform the following for each entry media switch of one or more entry media switches to yield one or more output media streams, the one or more entry media switches operable to communicate with one or more endpoints;

receive a media stream from an endpoint of the one or more endpoints, the media stream comprising a sequence of packets, the sequence of packets comprising a keyframe;

detect the keyframe of the sequence of packets;

mark the keyframe with a keyframe indicator, the keyframe indicator operable to notify a downstream device of the keyframe; and

output an output media stream.

14. The logic of claim 13, further operable to mark the keyframe with the keyframe indicator by:

placing a particular value in a header extension of an upstream sequence number assigned to the keyframe.

15. The logic of claim 13, further operable to:

receive the one or more output media streams; and

combine the one or more output media streams to yield a combined stream.

16. The logic of claim 13, further operable to:

receive a combined stream comprising the one or more output media streams, the combined stream comprising a plurality of packets of the one or more output media streams; and

assign each packet of the plurality of packets a downstream sequence number in accordance with the order of the plurality of packets in the combined stream.

17. The logic of claim 13, further operable to:

receive a combined stream comprising the one or more output media streams, the combined stream comprising the one or more keyframe indicators of the one or more output media streams; and

establish the order of the packets of the combined stream in accordance with the one or more keyframe indicators.

18. The logic of claim 13, further operable to:

receive a combined stream comprising the one or more output media streams, the combined stream comprising the one or more keyframe indicators of the one or more output media streams; and

apply a reordering scheme to establish the order of the packets of the combined stream in accordance with the one or more keyframe indicators.

19. A system for marking a keyframe of a media stream in a communication system, comprising:

means for performing the following for each entry media switch of one or more entry media switches to yield one or more output media streams, the one or more entry media switches operable to communicate with one or more endpoints;

receiving a media stream from an endpoint of the one or more endpoints, the media stream comprising a sequence of packets, the sequence of packets comprising a keyframe;

detecting the keyframe of the sequence of packets;

marking the keyframe with a keyframe indicator, the keyframe indicator operable to notify a downstream device of the keyframe; and

outputting an output media stream.

20. A method for marking a keyframe of a media stream in a communication system, comprising:

performing the following for each entry media switch of one or more entry media switches to yield one or more output media streams, the one or more entry media switches operable to communicate with one or more endpoints;

receiving a media stream from an endpoint of the one or more endpoints, the media stream comprising a sequence of packets, the sequence of packets comprising a keyframe;

detecting the keyframe of the sequence of packets;

marking the keyframe with a keyframe indicator, the keyframe indicator operable to notify a downstream device of the keyframe, marking the keyframe with the keyframe indicator further comprising placing a particular value in a header extension of an upstream sequence number assigned to the keyframe;

outputting an output media stream;

receiving the one or more output media streams;

combining the one or more output media streams to yield a combined stream;

receiving a combined stream comprising the one or more output media streams, the combined stream comprising a plurality of packets of the one or more output media streams; and

assigning each packet of the plurality of packets a downstream sequence number in accordance with the order of the plurality of packets in the combined stream;

receiving the combined stream comprising the one or more output media streams, the combined stream comprising the one or more keyframe indicators of the one or more output media streams; and

applying a reordering scheme to establish the order of the packets of the combined stream in accordance with the one or more keyframe indicators.