Techniques to manage media content for a multimedia conference event

• US 8,316,089 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2008
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Thakkar, Pulin, Singh, Noor-E-Gagan, Jain, Stuti, Bhattacharjee, Avronil
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOROBOV, VITALI A
• Application Number:
  US12/115,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20090282103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 370/259, 715733-759
• US Class Current: 709/205
• 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 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Techniques to manage media content for a multimedia conference event are described. An apparatus may comprise a media content manager component operative to generate a visual composition of decoded media streams for a multimedia conference event. If it is determined that the total number of decoded media streams is greater than the total number of available display frames in a visual composition then an active group of decoded media streams may be selected from among the total number of decoded media streams for mapping to the available display frames based on speech activity. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving over a network multiple media streams for a multimedia conference event;

decoding the multiple media streams;

calculating a total number of available display frames in a visual composition based at least on technical constraints of the network and viewing constraints of a display;

determining that a total number of decoded media streams is greater than the total number of available display frames in the visual composition;

selecting an active group of decoded media streams from among the total number of decoded media streams for mapping to the available display frames based on speech activity;

generating a first activity score to represent a ratio value of speech activity to non-speech activity, a second activity score to represent a length value for speech activity by a participant, and a third activity score to represent a most recent time for speech activity by a participant; and

selecting a member of the active group of decoded media streams as an active replacement candidate to be replaced by a member of the non-active group of decoded media streams based on the first, second, or third activity score.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising selecting a member of a non-active group of decoded media streams as a non-active replacement candidate to replace a member of the active group of decoded media streams based on speech activity.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising replacing an active replacement candidate from the active group with a non-active replacement candidate from a non-active group.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising mapping the active group of decoded media streams to the available display frames based on the activity scores, wherein the active group is a subset of the total number of decoded media streams.

5. An article of manufacture comprising a storage medium, wherein the storage medium is not a signal, containing instructions that if executed enable a system to:

receive over a network multiple media streams for a multimedia conference event;

decode the multiple media streams;

calculate a total number of available display frames in a visual composition based at least on technical constraints of the network and viewing constraints of a display;

determine that a total number of decoded media streams is greater than the total number of available display frames in the visual composition;

select an active group of decoded media streams from among the total number of decoded media streams for mapping to the available display frames based on speech activity;

generate a first activity score to represent a ratio value of speech activity to non-speech activity, a second activity score to represent a length value for speech activity by a participant, and a third activity score to represent a most recent time for speech activity by a participant; and

select a member of the active group of decoded media streams as an active replacement candidate to be replaced by a member of the non-active group of decoded media streams based on the first, second, or third activity score.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 5, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to select a member of a non-active group of decoded media streams as a non-active replacement candidate to replace a member of the active group of decoded media streams based on speech activity.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 5, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to replace an active replacement candidate from the active group with a non-active replacement candidate from a non-active group.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a display;

a media content manager component communicatively coupled to the display and operative to generate a visual composition for a multimedia conference event, the media content manager component comprising;

a video decoder module operative to decode multiple media streams for a multimedia conference event;

a media stream manager module communicatively coupled to the video decoder module, the media stream manager module operative to calculate a total number of available display frames in a visual composition based at least on technical constraints of the network and viewing constraints of the display and determine that a total number of decoded media streams is greater than the total number of available display frames in the visual composition;

an activity score generating module communicatively coupled to the active speaker detector module, the activity score generating module operative to generate a first activity score to represent a ratio value of speech activity to non-speech activity, a second activity score to represent a length value for speech activity by a participant, and a third activity score to represent a most recent time for speech activity by a participant; and

a media selection module communicatively coupled to the media stream manager module, the media selection module operative to select an active group of decoded media streams from among the total number of decoded media streams for mapping to the available display frames based on speech activity and select a member of the active group of decoded media streams as an active replacement candidate to be replaced by a member of the non-active group of decoded media streams based on the first, second, or third activity score.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, comprising an active speaker detector module communicatively coupled to the video decoder module, the active speaker detector module operative to detect speech activity for the participants in the decoded media streams.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, the media selection module operative to select a member of a non-active group of decoded media streams as a non-active replacement candidate to replace a member of the active group of decoded media streams based on speech activity.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, the media stream manager module operative to replace an active replacement candidate from the active group with a non-active replacement candidate from a non-active group.