Audio/video communications processor

• US 5,392,223 A
• Filed: 07/29/1992
• Issued: 02/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Caci, Joseph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ellis B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEESO, THOMAS R
• Application Number:
  US07/921,536
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 358/85, 364/514, 364/144
• US Class Current: 709/218
• 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 communications processor serves a group of several workstations with audio and video transmission processing for the purpose of providing video conferencing. The communication processor utilizes artificial intelligence software to read the connection. Conversion rules are contained in tables so that the system can react to the communications environment. The system is coupled for processing optical signals for low cost communication and video conferencing with audio and video communications within the facility area and for long haul transmission. The communication processor provides audio and video communications under instantaneous constraints of the transmission medium and instantaneous degree of loading or usage. Bandwidth, resolution and transmission rate are adjustable to fit the constraints at the time a request for service is made. A workstation initiates a request for service. A request for service includes data about the nature or type of service and signal destination. This information is sufficient for the communication processor to make several attempts to threads before an affirmative determination can be made. If an affirmative determination is not possible, then the communication processor will determine which is possible and provide an output to the user for possible changes in a request.

Claims

1. An audio video communication processor system for coupling workstation units in a system which transmits audio and video information over a carrier, comprising:

a communication processor having a digital bus for intercoupling elements coupled to the communication processor, said communication processor having a plurality of network interface ports including a port for a network carrier signal and a port for a local loop carrier signal, means for transmitting information carried by the port carrier signals from one network port to another network port and from a coupled workstation to a network port;

a workstation interface, a video processor and an audio processor for processing video and audio information at a workstation level, said workstation interface, said video processor and said audio processor being interconnected to pass digital and analog signals therebetween and for passing digital information via said digital bus to said communications processor;

a channel frame processor connected to said digital bus for controlling communication over said digital bus; and

a statistical audio/video multiplexing processor connected to said digital bus for dynamically changing an allocation of bandwidth bits between audio and video information signals on the digital bus based on changes in an amount of activity of the audio or video signals during a transmission of the audio and video information signals.

2. An audio video communication processor system according to claim 1 wherein the audio processor has a voice compression/weighting subprocessor shared by several users coupled to the communication processor system.

3. An audio video communication processor system according to claim 2 wherein the audio processor has means for performing compression and weighting based on an allocatable bandwidth provided by a user of the system and based upon a decision made by the communication processor to allocate final bandwidth process control for the requested bandwidth.

4. An audio video communication processor system according to claim 1 where the video processor has a video compression/weighting subprocessor shared by several users coupled to the communication processor system.

5. An audio video communication processor system according to claim 4 wherein the video processor has means for compressing video information and subject to control from the communication processor based on video activity and allocatable bandwidth and weighting provided by a user of the system and based upon a decision made by the communication processor to allocate final bandwidth process control for the requested bandwidth.

6. An audio video communication processor system according to claim 4 further comprising an image capture camera for outputting digital video to the communication processor through the workstation interface.

7. An audio video communication processor system according to claim 4 further comprising a voice encoding processor for providing digital voice capability.

8. An audio video communication processor system according to claim 4 further comprising a statistical audio/video multiplexing processor shared by several users of the system for performing modelling of the communications channel and usage situation and computing parameters for channel transmission in the system.

9. An audio video communication processor system according to claim 4 wherein said channel frame processor may be coupled to be shared among users for assembling a channel frame for insertion into an aggregate frame.

10. An audio video communication processor system for coupling workstation units in a network system which transmits and receives audio and video information signals over a carrier, comprising:

a communication processor having a digital bus for intercoupling elements coupled to the communication processor; and

a statistical audio/video multiplexing processor connected to said digital bus for dynamically changing an allocation of bandwidth bits between the audio and video information signals on the carrier, based on changes in an amount of activity of the audio or video information signals during a transmission of the audio and video information signals.

11. An audio video communication processor system for coupling workstation units in a network system which transmits and receives audio and video information signals over a carrier, comprising:

a communication processor having a digital bus for intercoupling elements coupled to the communication processor;

means for receiving a different network carrier signals;

means for transmitting and receiving audio and video information over the network system, said means for transmitting and receiving audio and video information including means for translating from one network carrier signal type to another network carrier signal type; and

means for dynamically changing an allocation of bandwidth bits between said audio and video information signals on the digital bus based on changes in an amount of activity of the audio or video information signals during a transmission of the audio and video information signals.

12. An audio video communication processor system according to claim 11 further comprising a workstation console audio/video interface.

13. An audio/video communication processor system according to claim 11 further comprising a video weighting subprocessor.

14. An audio/video communication processor system according to claim 11 further comprising a weighting and compression subprocessor for audio and video signals.

15. An communication processor system according to claim 13 further comprising a weighting and compression subprocessor for audio and video signals coupled to the communication processor system for frame encoding and for allocating audio with the video frame signal.

16. An audio/video communication processor system according to claim 11 further comprising a means for allocating information relating to audio and video signals to a channel location as a super frame.

17. An audio/video communication processor system according to claim 11 wherein the communication processor has a look up table for providing the knowledge necessary for the communication processor to decide the parameters under which it will accept and implement a user request for service.

18. An audio video communication processor system for coupling workstation units in a system which transmits audio and video information over a carrier, comprising:

a communication processor having a digital bus for intercoupling elements coupled to the communication processor, said communication processor having a plurality of network interface ports including a port for a network carrier signal and a port for a local loop carrier signal, means for transmitting information carried by the port carrier signals from one network port to another network port and from a coupled workstation to a network port;

a workstation interface, a video processor and an audio processor for processing video and audio information at a workstation level, said workstation interface, said video processor and said audio processor being interconnected to pass digital and analog signals therebetween and for passing digital information via said digital bus to said communications processor, said video processor including a video compression/weighting subprocessor shared by several users coupled to the communication processor system;

a channel frame processor connected to said digital bus for controlling communication over said digital bus;

a statistical audio/video multiplexing processor connected to said digital bus for dynamically allocating bandwidth between audio and video information signals on the digital bus; and

a composite super frame Processor common to all users, one per port for implementing a language of the telecommunications interface.

19. An audio video communication processor system for coupling workstation units in a system which transmits audio and video information over a carrier, comprising:

a communication processor having a digital bus for intercoupling elements coupled to the communication processor, said communication processor having a plurality of network interface ports including a port for a network carrier signal and a port for a local loop carrier signal, means for transmitting information carried by the port carrier signals from one network port to another network port and from a coupled workstation to a network port;

a workstation interface, a video processor and an audio processor for processing video and audio information at a workstation level, said workstation interface, said video processor and said audio processor being interconnected to pass digital and analog signals therebetween and for passing digital information via said digital bus to said communications processor, said video processor including a video compression/weighting subprocessor shared by several users coupled to the communication processor system;

a channel frame processor connected to said digital bus for controlling communication over said digital bus; and

a statistical audio/video multiplexing processor connected to said digital bus for dynamically allocating bandwidth between audio and video information signals on the digital bus,

said communication processor including means for executing artificial intelligence (AI) software, common users to which all other system processor elements are subservient, for synthesizing implementation parameters of digital language modulation conversion from one channel in an aggregate frame to reproduce the channel in another aggregate frame and for setting up conditions of facsimile usage, for threading channels to establish connections between system elements for connection of workstations operation with said system.

20. An audio video communication processor system for coupling workstation units in a network system which transmits and receives audio and video information over a carrier, comprising:

a communication processor having a digital bus for intercoupling elements coupled to the communication processor;

means for receiving a different network carrier signals;

means for transmitting and receiving audio and video information over the network system, said means for transmitting and receiving audio and video information including means for translating from one network carrier signal type to another network carrier signal type; and

means for coordinating video frame information with audio and control information to interrelate the audio and video information transmittal under request of a user and under control of the communications processor to intercouple the different elements of the system for common interconnected usage,

said communication processor including a feedback control loop to an illumination device of a display device for the workstation for controlling signal to noise at the source.