Virtual distributed multipoint control unit

• US 8,456,510 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited), Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: King, Keith C., Goyal, Ashish, Kulkarni, Hrishikesh Gopal
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hemant
• Application Number:
  US12/712,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20100225736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 370259-271, 370351-356, 709201-207, 709217-248, 379/201.01, 37920201-20701
• US Class Current: 348/14.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A virtual distributed multipoint control unit in a videoconference may be implemented using a master endpoint, one or more facilitator endpoints, and one or more leaf endpoints. The facilitator endpoint(s) may receive video and/or audio from the leaf endpoints (which may provide/receive videoconference audio and video to one or more local participants). The master endpoint may receive video and/or audio from one or more facilitator endpoints (which may include cumulative video stream from multiple leaf endpoints) and/or directly from one or more leaf endpoints. The master endpoint may arrange received video and/or audio and provide cumulative video and/or audio streams to the leaf endpoints (e.g., directly and/or through the facilitator endpoints). The virtual distributed multipoint control unit may support a conference with more leaf endpoints than the master endpoint has input ports and/or decoders.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a videoconference having a plurality of endpoints, comprising:

a facilitator endpoint in the videoconference receiving a video image from a first leaf endpoint in the videoconference;

the facilitator endpoint sending the received video image to a master endpoint in the videoconference as part of a facilitator composite image;

wherein the master endpoint is operable to form a new composite image using at least the received video image in the facilitator composite image and at least one video image from a second leaf endpoint; and

the facilitator endpoint sending an indication to the master endpoint that the facilitator endpoint is about to be unavailable, wherein the master endpoint is operable to assign the first leaf endpoint to a different facilitator endpoint in response to the master endpoint receiving the indication.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the facilitator endpoint is a first facilitator endpoint and wherein the master endpoint is further operable to receive a second facilitator composite image from a second facilitator endpoint;

wherein the at least one video image from the second leaf endpoint is received by the master endpoint as part of the second facilitator composite image sent by the second facilitator endpoint.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one video image from the second leaf endpoint is received by the master endpoint directly from the second leaf endpoint.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one video image from the second leaf endpoint is also received by the master endpoint as part of the facilitator composite image sent by the facilitator endpoint.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the master endpoint is operable to send the new composite video image to the first and second leaf endpoints.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the master endpoint is operable to:

receive composite video images from a plurality of facilitator endpoints;

form the new composite video image using video images from at least two of the received composite video images; and

send the new composite video image to one or more leaf endpoints communicating with the plurality of facilitator endpoints.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the facilitator endpoint receiving audio from the first leaf endpoint; and

the facilitator endpoint sending the received audio to the master endpoint.

8. The method of claim 7,

wherein the received audio sent to the master endpoint comprises a first audio stream;

wherein the master endpoint is further operable to send a second audio stream to the facilitator endpoint; and

wherein the method further comprises;

the facilitator endpoint forming a cumulative audio stream based on one or more of the first and second audio streams from the master endpoint; and

the facilitator endpoint sending the cumulative audio stream to the first leaf endpoint.

9. The method of claim 7,

wherein the received audio sent to the master endpoint comprises a first audio stream;

wherein the master endpoint is further operable to receive a second audio stream from the second leaf endpoint;

wherein the master endpoint is further operable to form a cumulative audio stream based on one or more of the first audio stream and the second audio stream; and

wherein the master endpoint is further operable to send the cumulative audio stream to at least one of the first leaf endpoint and the second leaf endpoint.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein the master endpoint has a first number of input ports;

wherein operation of the facilitator endpoint allows the master endpoint to support a videoconference having a number of facilitator endpoints and leaf endpoints greater than the first number.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein the master endpoint has a first number of video decoders;

wherein operation of the facilitator endpoint allows the master endpoint to support a videoconference having a number of facilitator endpoints and leaf endpoints greater than the first number.

12. A method, comprising:

a master endpoint receiving at least one composite video image from at least one facilitator endpoint, wherein the at least one composite video image comprises at least a video image from a first leaf endpoint;

the master endpoint receiving a video image from a second leaf endpoint;

the master endpoint compositing at least the video image from the first leaf endpoint and the video image from the second leaf endpoint into a new composite video image; and

the master endpoint assigning the first leaf endpoint to a different facilitator endpoint in response to the master endpoint receiving an indication that the at least one facilitator endpoint is about to be unavailable.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein the at least one facilitator endpoint comprises a first facilitator endpoint and a second facilitator endpoint, wherein the at least one composite video image comprises a first composite video image from the first facilitator endpoint and a second composite video image from the second facilitator endpoint, and

wherein the video image from the second leaf endpoint is received by the master endpoint as part of the second facilitator composite image.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the video image from the second leaf endpoint is received by the master endpoint directly from the second leaf endpoint.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the master endpoint is operable to send the new composite video image to the first and second leaf endpoints.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

the master endpoint receiving a videoconference call request from at least the first or second leaf endpoint; and

the master endpoint transmitting instructions to the at least the first or second leaf endpoint to call a facilitator endpoint of the at least one facilitator endpoint.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

the master endpoint detecting at least one characteristic of at least the first or second leaf endpoints; and

the master endpoint assigning the at least the first or second leaf endpoint to a specific facilitator endpoint of the at least one facilitator endpoint based on the detected at least one characteristic.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

the master endpoint assigning one or more of the first or second leaf endpoint to a specific facilitator endpoint of the at least one facilitator endpoint based on at least one operable characteristic of the specific facilitator endpoint of the at least one facilitator endpoint.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one operable characteristic indicates a likelihood of the specific facilitator endpoint of the at least one facilitator endpoint being in use at a time of a current videoconference call.

20. The method of claim 12,

wherein the at least one facilitator endpoint comprises a first facilitator endpoint and a second facilitator endpoint;

wherein the first facilitator endpoint has n inputs and the second facilitator endpoint has m inputs and wherein the master endpoint is operable to support a videoconference call with n+m leaf endpoints through the first and second facilitator endpoints of the at least one facilitator endpoint.

21. The method of claim 12,

wherein the master endpoint has a first number of input ports;

wherein the master endpoint is operable to support a videoconference having a number of facilitator endpoints and leaf endpoints greater than the first number.

22. The method of claim 12,

wherein the master endpoint has a first number of video decoders;

wherein the master endpoint is operable to support a videoconference having a number of facilitator endpoints and leaf endpoints greater than the first number.

23. A system, comprising:

a facilitator endpoint, comprising;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions executable by the processor to;

receive a video image from each of at least two leaf endpoints;

composite at least two of the received video images into a composite video image;

send the composite video image to a master endpoint, wherein the master endpoint is operable to implement a videoconference between a plurality of leaf endpoints, wherein the plurality of leaf endpoints comprises the at least two leaf endpoints; and

send an indication to the master endpoint that the facilitator endpoint is about to be unavailable, wherein the master endpoint is operable to assign the at least two leaf endpoint to a different facilitator endpoint in response to the master endpoint receiving the indication.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the master endpoint is operable to receive composite video images from two or more facilitator endpoints, separate at least one video image from each of the two or more received composite video images, and composite at least a subset of the separated video images into a new composite video image.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the master endpoint is further operable to send the new composite video image to at least one leaf endpoint of the plurality of endpoints.

26. The system of claim 24,

wherein the program instructions are further executable to receive audio from each of at least two leaf endpoints of the plurality of endpoints and send the received audio to the master endpoint;

and

wherein the program instructions are further executable to form a cumulative audio stream based on one or more of the received audio streams from the master endpoint and send the cumulative audio stream to at least one leaf endpoint.

27. The system of claim 23,

wherein the facilitator endpoint is operable to enable the master endpoint to support a videoconference having a number of facilitator endpoints and leaf endpoints greater than a number of input ports of the master endpoint.