Telepresence between a multi-unit location and a plurality of single unit locations
View Patent ↗Performing a videoconference. The videoconference may be established at a first videoconferencing location between at least three videoconferencing locations. The locations may include the first location, a second location, and a third location. The first location may maintain a plurality of videoconferencing units and the second and third locations may each maintain a single videoconferencing unit. A first videoconferencing unit of the first location acts as a multipoint control unit (MCU) of the videoconference. The MCU may receive respective videoconferencing information from each videoconferencing unit of the videoconference. The MCU may provide active videoconferencing information of an active participant to ones of the videoconferencing units at the second and third locations corresponding to non-active participants. The MCU may provide second and third videoconference information from the videoconferencing units of the second and third locations for presentation at the first location. This provision may be performed independently of the active participant.
1. A method for performing a videoconference, the method comprising:
establishing, at a first videoconferencing location, a videoconference between at least three videoconferencing locations, wherein the at least three videoconferencing locations comprise the first videoconferencing location, a second videoconferencing location, and a third videoconferencing location, wherein the first videoconferencing location maintains a first plurality of videoconferencing units, wherein the second and third videoconferencing locations each maintain a single videoconferencing unit, wherein each videoconferencing unit has a corresponding at least one display and at least one video input, wherein a first videoconferencing unit of the first videoconferencing location acts as a multipoint control unit (MCU) of the videoconference;
the MCU receiving respective video conferencing information from each videoconferencing unit of the at least three videoconferencing locations; and
the MCU providing a respective video stream to each of the videoconferencing units of the at least three videoconferencing locations,
wherein each of the respective video streams comprises videoconferencing information from a respective one or more of the videoconferencing units of the videoconference,
wherein the respective video streams provided to the videoconferencing units of the first videoconferencing location comprise videoconferencing information from only videoconferencing units of other videoconferencing locations, and
wherein the respective video streams provided to the videoconferencing units of the first videoconferencing location each comprise videoconferencing information from a different one or more of the videoconferencing units of the videoconference than the respective video streams provided to the others of the videoconferencing units of the first videoconferencing location.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
the MCU determining an active participant at the first videoconferencing location;
wherein the respective video streams provided to the videoconferencing units of videoconferencing locations other than the first videoconferencing location each comprise videoconferencing information from the active participant.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
the MCU determining an active participant at the second videoconferencing location;
wherein one of the respective video streams provided to one of the videoconferencing units of the first videoconferencing location comprises videoconferencing information from the active participant;
wherein the respective video stream provided to the videoconferencing unit of the third videoconferencing location comprises videoconferencing information from the active participant; and
wherein the respective video stream provided to the active participant comprises videoconferencing information from only videoconferencing units other than the active participant.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising initiating the videoconference, wherein said initiating comprises:
the MCU receiving information from the videoconferencing unit of the second videoconferencing location indicating that the second videoconferencing location only includes a single videoconferencing unit;
the MCU receiving information from the videoconferencing unit of the third videoconferencing location indicating that the third videoconferencing location only includes a single videoconferencing unit.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
the MCU providing a composite video to the videoconferencing unit of the second videoconferencing location, wherein the composite video comprises video from a plurality of: the first videoconferencing unit of the first videoconferencing location, a second videoconferencing unit at the first videoconferencing location, and the videoconferencing unit at the third videoconferencing location.
6. A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for performing a videoconference, wherein the program instructions are executable to:
establish, at a first videoconferencing location, a videoconference between at least three videoconferencing locations, wherein the at least three videoconferencing locations comprise the first videoconferencing location, a second videoconferencing location, and a third videoconferencing location, wherein the first videoconferencing location maintains a first plurality of videoconferencing units, wherein the second and third videoconferencing locations each maintain a single videoconferencing unit, wherein each videoconferencing unit has a corresponding at least one display and at least one video input;
receive respective videoconferencing information from each videoconferencing unit of the at least three videoconferencing locations; and
provide a respective video stream to each of the videoconferencing units of the at least three videoconferencing locations,
wherein each of the respective video streams comprises videoconferencing information from a respective one or more of the videoconferencing units of the videoconference,
wherein the respective video streams provided to the videoconferencing units of the first videoconferencing location comprise videoconferencing information from only videoconferencing units of other videoconferencing locations, and
wherein the respective video streams provided to the videoconferencing units of the first videoconferencing location each comprise videoconferencing information from a different one or more of the videoconferencing units of the videoconference than the respective video streams provided to the others of the videoconferencing units of the first videoconferencing location.
7. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 6 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to:
determine an active participant at the first videoconferencing location;
wherein the respective video streams provided to the videoconferencing units of videoconferencing locations other than the first videoconferencing location each comprise videoconferencing information from the active participant.
8. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 6 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to:
determine an active participant at the second videoconferencing location;
wherein one of the respective video streams provided to one of the videoconferencing units of the first videoconferencing location comprises videoconferencing information from the active participant;
wherein the respective video stream provided to the videoconferencing unit of the third videoconferencing location comprises videoconferencing information from the active participant; and
wherein the respective video stream provided to the active participant comprises videoconferencing information from only videoconferencing units other than the active participant.
9. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 6 , wherein the program instructions are executable to:
receive information from the videoconferencing unit of the second videoconferencing location indicating that the second videoconferencing location only includes a single videoconferencing unit;
receive information from the videoconferencing unit of the third videoconferencing location indicating that the third videoconferencing location only includes a single videoconferencing unit.
10. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 6 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to:
provide a composite video to the videoconferencing unit of the second videoconferencing location, wherein the composite video comprises video from a plurality of: a first videoconferencing unit of the first videoconferencing location, a second videoconferencing unit at the first videoconferencing location, and the videoconferencing unit at the third videoconferencing location.
11. A videoconferencing system for use at a first videoconferencing location, the videoconferencing system comprising:
a first videoconferencing unit, configured to operate as a multipoint control unit (MCU) for a videoconference;
at least one display coupled to the first videoconferencing unit;
at least one video input device coupled to the first videoconferencing unit;
wherein the first videoconferencing unit is configured to:
establish a videoconference between at least a second videoconferencing unit at the first videoconferencing location, a videoconferencing unit at a second videoconferencing location, and a videoconferencing unit at a third videoconferencing location, wherein the second and third videoconferencing locations each maintain a single videoconferencing unit, wherein each videoconferencing unit has a corresponding at least one display and at least one video input;
receive video input from a first participant via the at least one video input device;
generate videoconferencing information from the video input;
receive respective videoconferencing information from each videoconferencing unit of the at least three videoconferencing locations;
provide a respective video stream to each videoconferencing unit of the at least three videoconferencing locations,
wherein the providing a respective video stream to each videoconferencing unit includes providing a respective video stream to the at least one display coupled to the first videoconferencing unit,
wherein each of the respective video streams comprises videoconferencing information from a respective one or more of the videoconferencing units of the videoconference,
wherein the respective video streams provided to the videoconferencing units of the first videoconferencing location comprise videoconferencing information from only videoconferencing units of other videoconferencing locations, and
wherein the respective video streams provided to the videoconferencing units of the first videoconferencing location each comprise videoconferencing information from a different one or more of the videoconferencing units of the videoconference than the respective video streams provided to the others of the videoconferencing units of the first videoconferencing location.
12. The videoconferencing system of claim 11 , wherein the first videoconferencing unit is further configured to:
determine an active participant at the first videoconferencing location;
wherein the respective video streams provided to the videoconferencing units of videoconferencing locations other than the first videoconferencing location each comprise videoconferencing information from the active participant.
13. The videoconferencing system of claim 11 , wherein the first videoconferencing unit is further configured to:
determine an active participant unit at the second videoconferencing location;
wherein one of the respective video streams provided to one of the videoconferencing units of the first videoconferencing location comprises videoconferencing information from the active participant unit;
wherein the respective video stream provided to the videoconferencing unit of the third videoconferencing location comprises videoconferencing information from the active participant unit; and
wherein the respective video stream provided to the active participant unit comprises videoconferencing information from only videoconferencing units other than the active participant unit.
14. The videoconferencing system of claim 11 , wherein the first videoconferencing unit is further configured to:
receive information from the videoconferencing unit of the second videoconferencing location indicating that the second videoconferencing location only includes a single videoconferencing unit;
receive information from the videoconferencing unit of the third videoconferencing location indicating that the third videoconferencing location only includes a single videoconferencing unit.
15. The videoconferencing system of claim 11 , wherein the first videoconferencing unit is further configured to:
provide a composite video to the videoconferencing unit of the second videoconferencing location, wherein the composite video comprises video from a plurality of: the first videoconferencing unit, the second videoconferencing unit at the first videoconferencing location, and the videoconferencing unit at the third videoconferencing location.