Granted Patent B2

US 9,571,792 · App. 14/911,527 · Granted Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

Claims (42)

1. A method for interfacing a plurality of videoconferencing client devices comprising a video routing client and a video mixing client, wherein said mixing client comprises a Multiparty Conference Unit able to receive a plurality of client video streams and to generate a mixed video stream by mixing said plurality of client video streams the method comprising, in a computer server connected to the client devices:

receiving a first client video stream from the video routing client;

tagging a video image of the first client video stream received from the video routing client,

sending, through a bidirectional communication channel, the first client video stream to the mixing client,

receiving, through the bidirectional communication channel with the mixing client, a mixed video stream from said mixing client,

detecting in the mixed video stream received from the mixing client a video image portion which is different from the tagged video image of the first client video stream,

extracting the detected video image portion from the mixed video stream,

generating a second client video stream from the extracted video image portion;

sending the second client video stream to the video routing client.

2. A method according to claim 1 , the method further including:

receiving additional information data, wherein the additional information data is included in the first client video stream;

tagging the additional information data received from the video routing client;

sending the tagged additional information data to the mixing client,

detecting in the mixed video stream received from the mixing client additional information data which is different from the tagged additional information data,

extracting the additional information data detected in the mixed video stream,

sending the extracted additional information data in the second client video stream to the video routing client or to the video routing clients.

3. A method according to claim 1 , the method further including:

Detecting that the video image portion that is different from the tagged client video image comprises a plurality of disjoint portions;

generating a plurality of second client video streams, each second client video stream corresponding to a different one of the disjoint portions;

sending the plurality of second client video streams to the video routing client.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the client video stream received from the video routing client is carried on a bidirectional communication channel carrying a plurality of video streams in both directions.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the tagging includes adding a frame around the video image of the first client video stream received from the video routing client.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the tagging includes adding a transparent layer on the video stream received from the video routing client.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a plurality of first client video streams from a plurality of video routing clients;

tagging each first client video stream received from the plurality of video routing clients;

sending, through a plurality of bidirectional communication channels, each tagged first client video stream to the mixing client,

detecting in the mixed video stream received from the mixing client the video image portion which is different from each of the plurality of tagged first client video streams.

8. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the method further includes:

receiving a plurality of additional information data from a plurality of first video routing client;

tagging the plurality of additional information data received from the plurality of first video routing client.

9. A video processing server for interfacing a plurality of videoconferencing clients devices comprising a video routing client and a video mixing client, wherein said mixing client comprises a Multiparty Conference Unit able to receive a plurality of client video streams to generate a mixed video stream by mixing said plurality of client video streams, the video processing server including:

a router able to

receive a first client video stream from the video routing client device,

Send to the video routing client a second client video stream generated from a video image portion extracted from a mixed video stream received from the mixing client;

a tagging agent block able to mark the first client video stream received from the video routing client,

a communication block able to

send in a bidirectional communication channel the tagged first client video stream to the mixing client, and to

receive a mixed video stream generated by the mixing client including tagged first client video stream sent to said mixing client;

a tag detector block able to detect a video image portion of the mixed video stream received from the mixing client which is different from the tagged first client video stream, and

extract the detected image portion in the mixed video stream received from the mixing client.

10. The Video processing server according to claim 9 , wherein the first client video stream from the video routing client and the second client video stream sent to the video routing client are carried on a bidirectional communication channel established between the server and the video routing client.

Assignments (11)