Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer conferencing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-24
2004-03-09
Vu, Viet D. (Department: 2154)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer conferencing
C709S225000, C709S238000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06704769
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to the field of multimedia conferencing, and more particularly to the field of role-based media management in a multimedia conferencing system.
2. Description of Related Art
Video conferencing systems are being used in a wide variety of settings to enable effective communication among participants (and audiences) at different geographical sites. Each video conferencing location includes a video camera, a display, a microphone, and a speaker. Each video conferencing location may also be equipped for data collaboration such as file sharing, a collaborative white board, and the like. The media making up a video conference, including audio, video, and data, may be directed through one or more multi-point conference units (“MCU's”) that aggregate media streams from the various participants, and that mix and distribute appropriate streams to the participants and the audience. The system may employ one or more gateways to permit conferences that join participants across data networks and telecommunications networks.
Conventional video conferencing systems can provide a platform for a distributed, collaborative environment shared by a number of participants. However, as a significant disadvantage, existing systems do not provide any mechanism for a moderator, or individual participants, to select media based on the media's role in the video conference. In current systems, a media source, such as a video source, an audio source, a computer screen, or a data source, has a logical identifier and a type. However, these identifiers provides very little guidance to a moderator or participant with respect to the nature of the source, and only by examining the stream can a determination of the source's role be made. Even this step may provide no indication of the role intended for the stream by its source. This poses particular difficulty in multi-point video conferences, where any number of media streams may be present, and a participant has no mechanism for discerning the role of each stream.
There remains a need for a multimedia conferencing system that permits management of a multimedia conference based upon the role of media streams.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the principles of the invention, there is provided a system, apparatus, and method for managing media in a multimedia conferencing system according to media roles. Each media stream may be explicitly labeled with a role that describes the function or purpose of the stream, such as “people” or “content.” The labels may be hierarchical, and may include layers for media type, additional media source description, and the like, e.g., “people/presenter” or “people/presenter/video.” A policy manager is provided for managing roles, such that the multimedia conference may be more effectively presented to participants. A token management system may also be provided so that control of the multimedia conference roles can be transferred during the conference.
A method for managing media roles in a multimedia conferencing network according to the principles of the invention includes receiving a data signal from a media source; determining a role for the data signal, the role being indicative of a purpose of the media source in a multimedia conference; generating a label for the data signal, based upon the role; combining the label and the data signal to provide a labeled signal; and transmitting the labeled signal.
In another aspect, a method for displaying a multimedia conference according to the principles of the invention includes receiving a multimedia conference signal comprising a plurality of data signals, each data signal including a media stream and a label, the label further including a role for the media stream; determining a policy, the policy including on or more roles; and displaying selected ones of the plurality of data signals that have labels corresponding to the roles of the policy.
In one aspect, a data signal embodied on a multimedia conferencing carrier signal according to the principles of the invention includes a media stream, the media stream being generated by a media source within a multimedia conference; a label for the media stream, the label including a role that defines a function of the media stream in the multimedia conference.
In another aspect, a multimedia conferencing terminal according to the principles of the invention includes a media display; a plurality of output switches, each output switch receiving one or more media outputs, each output switch responsive to an output control signal for selecting one or more of the one or more media outputs to output as switched outputs, thereby providing one or more switched outputs to the media display; and a policy manager, the policy manager applying a predetermined policy to generate the output control signal, and the policy manager providing the output control signal to the plurality of output switches, whereby the media display is controlled according to the predetermined policy.
In another aspect, a multimedia conferencing system according to the principles of the invention includes a multipoint conference unit; and a plurality of multimedia conferencing terminals connected in a communicating relationship with the multipoint conference unit, each multimedia conferencing terminal including a policy manager, the policy manager applying a predetermined policy to a plurality of media streams associated with a multimedia conference among the plurality of multimedia conferencing terminals.
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Marketing Brochure, “Making it Easy to Get Together”, Tandberg, obtained from www.tandberg.com on May 16, 2001.
Specification Brochure, Tangberg 2000, obtained from www.tandberg.com on May 16, 2001.
Bernstein Jeffrey G.
Botzko Stephen C.
Comstock Elizabeth M.
Howell Brian A.
Kruger William L.
Polycom, Inc.
Vu Viet D.
Wong, Cabello, Lutsch, Rutherford & Brucchleri, L.L.P.
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