Interactive video distribution systems – Video distribution system with upstream communication – Transmission network
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-24
2002-08-27
Luu, Le Hien (Department: 2756)
Interactive video distribution systems
Video distribution system with upstream communication
Transmission network
C725S109000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06442758
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to a multimedia conferencing system, and is particularly directed to a central processing hub—sometimes referred to as a digital media forum—whose purpose is to receive video and audio data signals from remote user terminals, process them in one way or another, and to deliver composite video and audio signals to the remote user terminals. The criteria which govern the nature of the composite video and audio signals which are delivered to any remote user terminal may vary from one remote user terminal to another, and they may vary from time to time with respect to any remote user terminal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A multimedia conferencing system is one which utilizes a variety of media types and sources, particularly utilizing live or real-time video and audio sources from a plurality of remote users. Those remote users may be geographically scattered very widely, ranging from being located in different areas of the same office building, to different cities, and even to different continents.
In order to maintain a multimedia conferencing system, a central processing hub is required, which must function as a multipoint control unit. This enables a plurality of participants to conduct a multi-party multimedia conference.
A multimedia conference will comprise at least two participants, and up to very many participants. The total number of participants in any particular multimedia conference is dynamically configurable, as discussed in detail hereafter, and is limited only by the particular hardware configuration being employed. However, one aspect of the present invention, as will be described hereafter, is the fact that the hardware configuration may be dynamically configurable. Moreover, so a plurality of substantially identical central processing hubs may be cascaded one to another, as described hereafter.
In keeping with a particular aspect of the present invention, each participant in any multimedia conference may utilize different video, audio, and data compression technology than any other participant, they may use different multimedia control protocols than any other participant, and they may even communicate within the dynamically configured multimedia conference using different transmission rates and different network protocols.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a platform upon which there may be established inter-operability between disparate multimedia network types, and inter-operability between different multimedia terminal types, along with multi-party multimedia communications.
As will be described in greater detail hereafter, the central processing hub of the present invention provides a multimedia platform which will support a family of products that meet the communication requirements noted above. At the core of the central processing hub, there is a fully redundant backplane—having regard to the system architecture—which provides high-speed media and packet buses. These buses allow for high-speed switching and interconnection with other central processing hubs as may be required. Connected to the media and packet buses are a plurality of line cards, again having regard to the system architecture, which provide for a variety of functions that are necessary in any multimedia conferencing system, including media processing, video encoding, shelf control, bus control, line interface requirements, and so on. Such architecture is described in greater detail hereafter, along with detailed discussion of various ones of the line cards which are employed.
When multimedia conferencing occurs, multiple remote sites can participate in live, real-time, multi-party multimedia conferences. With collage conferencing, a video collage is assembled at the central processing hub and forwarded or transmitted to the various participants in the then ongoing multimedia conference. As will be discussed hereafter, the video collage which is sent to various participants may differ from one participant or remote user site to another participant or remote user site. Generally, any multimedia conference is controlled by a so-called Session Manager. However, as will be noted hereafter, the session manager is not necessarily an individual person, it may be an intelligent network or a personal computer which operates in keeping with certain predetermined criteria to establish the nature of the video and audio signals which are delivered to the remote user terminals.
A multimedia conferencing system in keeping with the present invention, as described hereafter, will support many individual input streams, which may have varying speeds and protocols. Video pre-processing may be required, including scaling depending on the protocol being used. Video post-processing will include creation of a collage, whereby various video images may be placed in different positions, each video image having a controlled size—which may vary from image to image within the collage, and which vary from time to time with respect to any and all images being presented.
Audio pre-processing may occur, including adjusting and controlling the volume for each participant. Also, audio post-processing may occur, particularly in such a manner as described hereafter whereby the audio signal which is sent to any participant will be processed in such a manner that they will not receive an audio signal containing his or her own audio input.
As indicated previously, and as will be discussed in greater detail hereafter, central processing hubs in keeping with the present invention are each such as to include a high-speed backplane which may be connected one to another so as to be cascaded. Moreover, a cascaded plurality of central processing hubs will function as if it were a single large-scale processing hub.
The present invention provides a multimedia conferencing system whereby a number of different providers, each of which may operate a proprietary network protocol or protocols, may be interlinked one with another through the central processing hub. Accordingly, the present invention will provide a platform for a conferencing system including a management node and a central processing hub by which gateway and multipoint control are provided. By providing appropriate functionality and management control software for the various functional units, line cards, and backplane circuitry included in a central processing hub in keeping with the present invention, the precise nature of the central processing hub in keeping with the present invention is essentially transparent or not noticeable to networks—including various service providers who may deliver multimedia conferencing video and audio data signals to the central processing hub. Thus, the various service providers may invest their resources in delivering video and audio content in keeping with their own transmission protocols, rather than having to satisfy specific input protocols as is generally the case in the industry prior to the present invention having been developed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A typical patent which describes prior art video conferencing systems is LUKACS U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,011, which teaches a video conferencing system which is said to be infinitely expandable, and which is a real-time conferencing system. In this patent, each of the conference participants has the ability to customize their own individual display of other participants, using a chain of video composing modules which can be expanded so as to combine video signal streams from any number of conference participants in real time. Different media types may be associated through appropriate software and manipulated for multimedia uses. The Lukacs system is such as to allow each individual user to dynamically change who can receive the information that they provide to the conference.
ELY et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,796,424 describes a system and method for providing video conferencing services where a broadband switch network, a broad-band session controller, and a broadband service control point are provided. Here, connections are prov
Geofroy Paul Joseph
Jang Raymond Edward
Russell Paul Robert
Wilson Susan Elizabeth
(Marks & Clerk)
Convedia Corporation
Luu Le Hien
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