Multipoint control unit cascaded system, communications method and device

• US 8,576,273 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Li, Dong, Wang, Enkui
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ndje, Theodore
• Application Number:
  US12/973,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20110085019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.09
• US Class Current: 348/14.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/562 where the conference facilities are distributed
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) cascaded system is provided, which includes a plurality of MCUs under the management of a service management center. The cascade manner between the MCUs in the system is a reticulated cascade. A communications method for an MCU cascaded system, an MCU, and a service management center are also provided. In the embodiments of the present invention, because the connection and networking mode of MCUs in a cascaded system is changed, a transmission path passing the least MCUs can be selected according to a connection situation between the MCUs. Therefore, transmission delay and decrease of video and audio quality due to multiple forwarding by MCUs can be effectively avoided, and thus the media stream transmission time is reduced, and the play quality of the media stream is guaranteed in an overall manner.

Claims

1. A Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) cascaded system, comprising a plurality of MCUs under management of a service management center, wherein the plurality of MCUs are in a mesh topology manner;

each MCU in the plurality of MCUs is configured to receive information of a conference sent by the service management center;

the MCU is further configured to, according to the information of the conference, schedule the conference, establish link list information about all MCUs that are to attend the conference, and call other MCUs that are to attend the conference to join the conference, wherein the link list information about the MCU comprises numbers of the other MCUs that are to attend the conference, a list of conference sites hung under the MCU, and a link path and a distance between the other MCUs and the MCU;

the MCU is further configured to select MCUs connected to the MCU according to the link list information, send conference site information of the MCU to the MCUs connected to the MCU, request the MCUs connected to the MCU for the conference site information of the MCUs connected to the MCU, and after the conference site information of the MCUs connected to the MCU is received, combine the conference site information received from the MCUs and the conference site information of the MCU to form conference site information of the conference; and

the MCU is further configured to select, according to the conference site information of the conference, a path to send video and audio data.

2. The MCU cascaded system according to claim 1, wherein the service management center is configured to determine and send the information of the conference, and the information of the conference comprises an MCU cascade situation of the conference;

the MCU cascade situation of the conference comprises information of all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference and whether a networking mode is in a mesh topology manner, wherein the information of all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference comprises all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference.

3. The MCU cascaded system according to claim 2, wherein the information of all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference further comprises numbers of all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference;

the MCU cascade situation of the conference further comprises a superior-subordinate relationship between an MCU and MCUs connected to the MCU, and

a connection relationship between the MCU and the other MCUs that are to attend the conference.

4. The MCU cascaded system according to claim 1, wherein the selecting the path is performed according to one or more kinds of information selected from:

a link distance of a transmission of the video and audio data, network quality, and network security.

5. A communications method for a Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) cascaded system, wherein the system comprising a plurality of MCUs under management of a service management center, the plurality of MCUs are in a mesh topology manner, and the method comprises:

receiving information of a conference sent by a service management center;

according to the information of the conference, scheduling the conference, establishing link list information about all MCUs that are to attend the conference, and calling other MCUs that are to attend the conference to join the conference, wherein the link list information about the MCU comprises numbers of the other MCUs that are to attend the conference, a list of conference sites hung under the MCU, and a link path and a distance between the other MCUs and the MCU;

selecting, according to the link list information, MCUs connected to the MCU;

sending conference site information of the MCU to the MCUs connected to the MCU;

requesting the MCUs connected to the MCU for the conference site information of the MCUs connected to the MCU; and

after the conference site information of the MCUs connected to the MCU is received, combining the conference site information received from the MCUs and the conference site information of the MCU to form conference site information of the conference; and

selecting, according to the conference site information, a path to send video and audio data.

6. The communication method for a cascaded system according to claim 5, wherein

the information of the conference comprises an MCU cascade situation of the conference;

the MCU cascade situation of the conference comprises information of all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference and whether a networking mode is in a mesh topology manner;

wherein the information of all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference comprises all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference.

7. The communications method for a cascaded system according to claim 6, wherein

the information of all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference further comprises numbers of all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference;

the MCU cascade situation of the conference further comprises a superior-subordinate relationship between an MCU and MCUs connected to the MCU, and

a connection relationship between the MCU and the other MCUs that are to attend the conference.

8. The communications method for a cascaded system according to claim 7, wherein the calling the other MCUs that are to attend the conference to join the conference comprises:

calling, according to the superior-subordinate relationship between the MCU and the MCUs connected to the MCU, subordinate MCUs connected to the MCU to join the conference.

9. The communications method for a cascaded system according to claim 6, wherein after the receiving the information of the conference sent by the service management center, the method further comprises negotiating, by the MCU, with the MCUs connected to the MCU to determine one or more kinds of information as follows:

the numbers of all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference;

the superior-subordinate relationship between the MCU and the MCUs connected to the MCU, and

the connection relationship between the MCU and the other MCUs that are to attend the conference.

10. The communications method for a cascaded system according to claim 9, wherein the calling the other MCUs that are to attend the conference to join the conference comprises:

calling, according to the superior-subordinate relationship between the MCU and the MCUs connected to the MCU, subordinate MCUs connected to the MCU to join the conference.

11. The communications method for an MCU cascaded system according to claim 5, wherein the selecting the path is performed according to one or more kinds of information selected from:

a link distance of a transmission of the video and audio data, network quality, and network security.

12. A Multipoint Control Unit (MCU), located in an MCU cascaded system, comprising an establishment unit, a synchronization unit, and a sending unit, wherein a cascade manner between MCUs in the system is in a mesh topology manner;

the establishment unit is configured to, according to information of the conference sent by a service management center, schedule a conference, establish link list information about all MCUs that are to attend the conference, and call other MCUs that are to attend the conference to join the conference, wherein the link list information about the MCU comprises numbers of the other MCUs that are to attend the conference, a list of conference sites hung under the MCU, and a link path and a distance between the other MCUs and the MCU;

the synchronization unit is configured to select MCUs connected to the MCU according to the link list information, send conference site information of the MCU to the MCUs connected to the MCU, request the MCUs connected to the MCU for the conference site information of the MCUs connected to the MCU, and after the conference site information of the MCUs connected to the MCU is received, combine the conference site information received from the MCUs and the conference site information of the MCU to form conference site information of the conference; and

the sending unit is configured to select, according to the conference site information of the conference, a path to send video and audio data.

13. The MCU according to claim 12, wherein the information of the conference comprises an MCU cascade situation of the conference;

the MCU cascade situation of the conference comprises information of all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference and whether a networking mode is in a mesh topology manner;

wherein the information of all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference comprises all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference.

14. The MCU according to claim 13, wherein the information of all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference further comprises numbers of all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference;

the MCU cascade situation of the conference further comprises a superior-subordinate relationship between an MCU and MCUs connected to the MCU, and

a connection relationship between the MCU and the other MCUs that are to attend the conference.

15. The MCU according to claim 13, wherein the MCU is further configured to determine one or more kinds of information as follows:

the numbers of all of the MCUs that are to attend the conference,

the superior-subordinate relationship between the MCU and the MCUs connected to the MCU, and

the connection relationship between the MCU and the other MCUs that are to attend the conference.

16. The MCU according to claim 12, wherein the selecting the path is performed according to one or more kinds of information selected from:

a link distance of a transmission of the video and audio data, network quality, and network security.