IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,006,075

Granted Patent B2

US 11,006,075 · App. 16/569,158 · Granted May 11, 2021

Method and system for conducting video conferences of diverse participating devices

Inventor: Avishay Halavy (Tel Aviv, IL)

Assignee: Polycom, Inc.

H04N7/152 H04L45/74 H04L65/403 H04L65/60 H04N7/147 H04N19/172 H04N19/44 H04N19/91

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 11,006,075
App. No.: 16/569,158
Granted: May 11, 2021
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

A novel universal bridge (UB) can handle and conduct multimedia multipoint conferences between a plurality of MREs and LEPs without using an MRM, an MCU and a gateway. Further, a UB can be configured to allocate and release resources dynamically according to the current needs of each conferee and the session.

Claims (120)

1. A method of configuring a universal bridge for a multimedia conferencing system for a continuous presence multimedia conference having at least two media relay endpoints and at least two legacy endpoints, comprising:

allocating for each media relay input stream in a conference corresponding to a presented media relay endpoint:

a media relay input processor of a plurality of media relay input processors and a stream identifier for a stream of transport frames from the media relay input processor for the media relay input stream from the presented media relay endpoint; and

a decoder module of a plurality of decoder modules and a stream identifier for a decoded stream of transport frames from the decoder module for the stream from the media relay input processor;

allocating for each media relay endpoint in the conference:

a media combiner module of a plurality of media combiner modules and a stream identifier for each stream of transport frames from the media combiner module to be provided to the presented media relay endpoint; and

a media relay output processor of a plurality of media relay output processors;

allocating for each legacy input stream in the conference corresponding to a presented legacy endpoint:

a legacy input processor of a plurality of legacy input processors and a stream identifier for a stream of transport frames from the legacy input processor for the legacy input stream from the presented legacy endpoint;

a decoder module of a plurality of decoder modules and a stream identifier for a decoded stream of transport frames from the decoder module for the stream from the legacy input processor; and

allocating for each legacy endpoint in the conference:

a media combiner module of a plurality of media combiner modules and a stream identifier for a stream of transport frames from the media combiner module to be provided to the presented legacy endpoint;

an encoder output module of a plurality of encoder output modules and a stream identifier for a stream of transport frames from the encoder output module; and

a legacy output processor of a plurality of legacy output processors,

wherein at least one of the stream identifiers represents a multicast address for the respective stream of transport frames, a multicast addressed stream being transported over a network.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

creating a control table and a routing table;

allocating an entry in the control table for each media relay endpoint and each legacy endpoint in the conference; and

allocating an entry in the routing table for each media relay input stream and each legacy input stream.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

determining a current continuous presence image to be presented at a media relay endpoint in the conference; and

updating the routing table to allow the media combiner module allocated to each media relay endpoint to obtain transport frames corresponding to presented media relay endpoints and transport frames corresponding to presented legacy endpoints.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

determining a current continuous presence image to be presented at a legacy endpoint in the conference; and

updating the routing table to allow the media combiner module allocated to the legacy endpoint to obtain transport frames from the decoder modules associated with presented media relay endpoints and presented legacy endpoints.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

determining a current continuous presence image to be presented at a media relay endpoint in the conference;

determining a current continuous presence image to be presented at a legacy endpoint in the conference; and

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

a media relay input processor receives an input of a stream of compressed media packets and provides an output of a stream of compressed media transport frames,

a decoder module receives an input of a stream of compressed media transport frames and provides an output of a stream of uncompressed media transport frames,

a media combiner module receives an input of a stream of compressed media transport frames and provides an output of a stream of compressed media transport frames or receives an input of a stream of uncompressed media transport frames and provides an output of a stream of uncompressed media transport frames,

a media relay output processor receives an input of a stream of compressed media transport frames and provides an output of a stream of compressed media packets,

a legacy input processor receives an input of a stream of compressed media packets and provides an output of a stream of compressed media transport frames,

an encoder output module receives an input of a stream of uncompressed media transport frames and provides an output of a stream of compressed media transport frames, and

a legacy output processor receives an input of a compressed media stream of transport frames and provides an output of a stream of compressed media packets,

the method further comprising:

routing streams of transport frames among the allocated media relay input processors, decoder modules, media combiner modules, media relay output processors, legacy input processors, encoder output modules and legacy output processors based on the stream identifiers.

7. A method of configuring a universal bridge for a multimedia conferencing system for a continuous presence multimedia conference having at least two media relay endpoints and at least one legacy endpoint, comprising:

allocating for each media relay input stream in a conference corresponding to a presented media relay endpoint:

a decoder module of a plurality of decoder modules and a stream identifier for a decoded stream of transport frames from the decoder module for the stream from the media relay input processor;

allocating for each media relay endpoint in the conference:

a media combiner module of a plurality of media combiner modules and a stream identifier for each stream f of transport frames rom the media combiner module to be provided to the presented media relay endpoint; and

a media relay output processor of a plurality of media relay output processors;

allocating for each legacy input stream in the conference corresponding to a presented legacy endpoint:

a decoder module of a plurality of decoder modules and a stream identifier for a decoded stream of transport frames from the decoder module for the stream from the legacy input processor; and

allocating for each legacy endpoint in the conference:

an encoder output module of a plurality of encoder output modules and a stream identifier for a stream of transport frames from the encoder output module; and

a legacy output processor of a plurality of legacy output processors,

wherein at least one of the stream identifiers represents a multicast address for the respective stream of transport frames, a multicast addressed stream being transported over a network.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

creating a control table and a routing table;

allocating an entry in the control table for each media relay endpoint and each legacy endpoint in the conference; and

allocating an entry in the routing table for each media relay input stream and each legacy input stream.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining a current continuous presence image to be presented at a media relay endpoint in the conference; and

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining a current continuous presence image to be presented at a legacy endpoint in the conference; and

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining a current continuous presence image to be presented at a media relay endpoint in the conference;

determining a current continuous presence image to be presented at a legacy endpoint in the conference; and

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein:

a media relay input processor receives an input of a stream of compressed media packets and provides an output of a stream of compressed media transport frames,

a decoder module receives an input of a stream of compressed media transport frames and provides an output of a stream of uncompressed media transport frames,

a media relay output processor receives an input of a stream of compressed media transport frames and provides an output of a stream of compressed media packets,

a legacy input processor receives an input of a stream of compressed media packets and provides an output of a stream of compressed media transport frames,

an encoder output module receives an input of a stream of uncompressed media transport frames and provides an output of a stream of compressed media transport frames, and

a legacy output processor receives an input of a compressed media stream of transport frames and provides an output of a stream of compressed media packets,

the method further comprising:

13. A method of configuring a universal bridge for a multimedia conferencing system for a continuous presence multimedia conference having at least one media relay endpoint and at least two legacy endpoints, comprising:

allocating for each media relay input stream in a conference corresponding to a presented media relay endpoint:

a decoder module of a plurality of decoder modules and a stream identifier for a decoded stream of transport frames from the decoder module for the stream from the media relay input processor;

allocating for each media relay endpoint in the conference:

a media relay output processor of a plurality of media relay output processors;

allocating for each legacy input stream in the conference corresponding to a presented legacy endpoint:

a decoder module of a plurality of decoder modules and a stream identifier for a decoded stream of transport frames from the decoder module for the stream from the legacy input processor; and

allocating for each legacy endpoint in the conference:

an encoder output module of a plurality of encoder output modules and a stream identifier for a stream of transport frames from the encoder output module; and

a legacy output processor of a plurality of legacy output processors,

wherein at least one of the stream identifiers represents a multicast address for the respective stream of transport frames, a multicast addressed stream being transported over a network.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

creating a control table and a routing table;

allocating an entry in the control table for each media relay endpoint and each legacy endpoint in the conference; and

allocating an entry in the routing table for each media relay input stream and each legacy input stream.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining a current continuous presence image to be presented at a media relay endpoint in the conference; and

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining a current continuous presence image to be presented at a legacy endpoint in the conference; and

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining a current continuous presence image to be presented at a media relay endpoint in the conference;

determining a current continuous presence image to be presented at a legacy endpoint in the conference; and

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

a media relay input processor receives an input of a stream of compressed media packets and provides an output of a stream of compressed media transport frames,

a decoder module receives an input of a stream of compressed media transport frames and provides an output of a stream of uncompressed media transport frames,

a media relay output processor receives an input of a stream of compressed media transport frames and provides an output of a stream of compressed media packets,

a legacy input processor receives an input of a stream of compressed media packets and provides an output of a stream of compressed media transport frames,

an encoder output module receives an input of a stream of uncompressed media transport frames and provides an output of a stream of compressed media transport frames, and

a legacy output processor receives an input of a compressed media stream of transport frames and provides an output of a stream of compressed media packets,

the method further comprising:

Assignments (3)

NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 22, 2023

From: POLYCOM, INC.

To: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.

Reel/Frame 064056/0947 →

RELEASE OF PATENT SECURITY INTERESTS Recorded Aug 30, 2022

From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

To: PLANTRONICS, INC.; POLYCOM, INC.

Reel/Frame 061356/0366 →

SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 20, 2019

From: PLANTRONICS, INC.; POLYCOM, INC.

To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

Reel/Frame 051395/0879 →