Conducting a direct private videoconference within a videoconference
View Patent ↗Conducting a private videoconference within a videoconference. A videoconference may be established between a plurality of endpoints. Input may be received requesting the private videoconference for a plural subset of the plurality of endpoints. The private videoconference may be established between the plural subset of the plurality of endpoints. The initial videoconference may continue during the private videoconference. Private videoconference data may be transmitted only to the plural subset of endpoints of the private videoconference. The private videoconference may be sent directly between the plural subset of endpoints or may be sent via a multipoint control unit, e.g., of the initial videoconference. The private videoconference data may not be sent to the remaining endpoints of the initial videoconference.
1. A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for conducting a private videoconference within a first videoconference, wherein the program instructions are executable to:
perform the first videoconference between a plurality of endpoints;
receive input requesting the private videoconference for a plural subset of the plurality of endpoints, wherein the plural subset consists of a first endpoint and one or more second endpoints, wherein the plural subset is not the entirety of the plurality of endpoints, and wherein the input is received during the first videoconference;
initiate the private videoconference between the plural subset of the plurality of endpoints, wherein said initiating the private videoconference does not end the first videoconference;
transmit first videoconference information directly to the second one or more endpoints of the plural subset during the private videoconference, wherein during the private videoconference, a remaining subset of the plurality of endpoints continue transmitting videoconference data in the first videoconference, wherein the videoconference data of the plural subset is not transmitted to the remaining subset; and
wherein a multipoint control unit (MCU) performs decoding and encoding operations on video information transmitted in the first videoconference, wherein said transmitting does not involve the MCU, and wherein the MCU does not encode and decode the first videoconference information.
2. The memory medium of claim 1 , wherein a multipoint control unit (MCU) transmits the videoconference data of the first videoconference during the private videoconference.
3. The memory medium of claim 1 , wherein the input is received by the first endpoint of the plural subset.
4. The memory medium of claim 1 , wherein the input is received via a graphical user interface provided by the first endpoint.
5. The memory medium of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to:
end the private videoconference between the plural subset of the plurality of endpoints, wherein said ending comprises rejoining the plural subset with the remaining subset in the first videoconference.
6. The memory medium of claim 1 , wherein the remaining subset of videoconferencing endpoints display text or a static image for at least one of the plural subset of videoconferencing endpoints during the private videoconference.
7. A method for conducting a private videoconference within a first videoconference, comprising:
performing, by a first videoconference endpoint, the first videoconference between a plurality of videoconference endpoints, wherein a multipoint control unit (MCU) performs decoding and encoding operations on video information transmitted in the first videoconference;
receiving, by the first videoconference endpoint, input requesting the private videoconference for a plural subset of the plurality of endpoints, wherein the plural subset comprises the first endpoint and one or more second endpoints, wherein the plural subset is not the entirety of the plurality of endpoints, and wherein the input is received during the first videoconference;
initiating, by the first videoconference endpoint, the private videoconference between the plural subset of the plurality of videoconference endpoints, wherein said initiating the private videoconference does not end the first videoconference;
transmitting, by the first videoconference endpoint, first videoconference information to one or more second videoconference endpoints of the plural subset to conduct the private videoconference, wherein said transmitting does not involve the MCU, and wherein the MCU does not encode and decode the first videoconference information.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a multipoint control unit (MCU) transmits the videoconference data of the first videoconference during the private videoconference.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the input is received by the first endpoint of the plural subset.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the input is received via a graphical user interface provided by the first endpoint.
11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
ending the private videoconference between the plural subset of the plurality of endpoints, wherein said ending comprises rejoining the plural subset with the remaining subset in the first videoconference.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the remaining subset of videoconferencing endpoints display text or a static image for at least one of the plural subset of videoconferencing endpoints during the private videoconference.
13. A videoconferencing endpoint configured to conduct a private videoconference within a first videoconference, comprising:
a processor;
a network port coupled to the processor, wherein the network port is configured to couple to a plurality of videoconferencing endpoints over a network;
a memory medium coupled to the processor, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions executable by the processor:
perform the first videoconference between a plurality of endpoints using the network port;
receive input requesting the private videoconference for a plural subset of the plurality of endpoints, wherein the plural subset consists of the videoconferencing endpoint and one or more second endpoints, wherein the plural subset is not the entirety of the plurality of endpoints, and wherein the input is received during the first videoconference;
initiate the private videoconference between the plural subset of the plurality of endpoints, wherein said initiating the private videoconference does not end the first videoconference;
transmit, via the network port, first videoconference information directly to the second one or more endpoints of the plural subset during the private videoconference, wherein during the private videoconference, a remaining subset of the plurality of endpoints continue transmitting videoconference data in the first videoconference, wherein the videoconference data of the plural subset is not transmitted to the remaining subset; and
wherein a multipoint control unit (MCU) performs decoding and encoding operations on video information transmitted in the first videoconference, wherein said transmitting does not involve the MCU, and wherein the MCU does not encode and decode the first videoconference information.
14. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 13 , wherein a multipoint control unit (MCU) transmits the videoconference data of the first videoconference during the private videoconference.
15. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 13 , wherein the input is received via a graphical user interface provided by the videoconferencing endpoint.
16. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to:
end the private videoconference between the plural subset of the plurality of endpoints, wherein said ending comprises rejoining the plural subset with the remaining subset in the first videoconference.
17. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 13 , wherein the remaining subset of videoconferencing endpoints display text or a static image for at least one of the plural subset of videoconferencing endpoints during the private videoconference.
18. A method for conducting a private videoconference within a first videoconference, comprising:
performing, by a multipoint control unit (MCU), the first videoconference between a plurality of videoconference endpoints, wherein the MCU performs decoding and encoding operations on video information transmitted in the first videoconference;
receiving input, during the first videoconference, requesting the private videoconference for a plural subset of the plurality of videoconference endpoints, wherein the plural subset is not the entirety of the plurality of videoconference endpoints, and wherein the input is received during the first videoconference;
initiating the private videoconference between the plural subset of the plurality of videoconference endpoints, wherein said initiating the private videoconference does not end the first videoconference;
wherein during the private videoconference:
transmitting first videoconference information from a first videoconference endpoint of the plural subset to one or more second videoconference endpoints of the plural subset to conduct the private videoconference, wherein said transmitting does not involve the MCU, and wherein the MCU does not encode and decode the first videoconference information; and
transmitting, by the MCU, second videoconference information from a first videoconference endpoint of a remaining subset to one or more second videoconference endpoints of the remaining subset to conduct the first videoconference, wherein the MCU encodes and decodes the second videoconference information;
wherein the first videoconference information of the plural subset is not transmitted to the remaining subset.