Integrated conference floor control
Methods and systems for providing a composite conference environment are disclosed. More particularly, a virtual reality environment (VRE) that can accommodate the inclusion of a conventional multipoint conference as a registered user or individual participants in a conventional multipoint conference as registered users within a composite conference environment hosted by the VRE is provided. Accordingly, a conference that is spread across multiple servers, namely a virtual reality server and a conventional multipoint conference server, can be created and moderated. Moreover, audio/video streams, features, and control can be provided to all users participating in the composite conference environment.
1. A method performed by a processor for presenting conference information, comprising:
providing a virtual reality environment (VRE) module;
registering a first user with the VRE module;
registering a second user with the VRE module;
using the VRE module, providing the first and second users with shared information;
providing a multipoint control unit (MCU) conference module;
registering a third user with the MCU conference module;
joining the first, second, and third users in a composite conference environment; and
determining whether the VRE module or the MCU conference module shall serve as the master of the composite conference environment based on at least one of an administrative determination or a dynamic consideration.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in the composite conference environment, displaying a roster of all the users participating in the composite conference environment.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
creating, by the VRE, an avatar for each of the first, the second, and the third users.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
registering a fourth user with the MCU conference module.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
the MCU conference module providing a signal including at least one of an audio and a video stream from at least one of the third and fourth users to the VRE module as a mixed signal stream; and
representing the third and fourth users by the VRE module as a shared avatar.
6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
the MCU conference module routing signals including at least one of an audio and a video stream from each of the third and fourth users to the VRE module as separate signal streams, and providing a roster identifying the third and fourth users to the VRE module; and
representing the third and fourth users by the VRE module as separate avatars.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the MCU conference module operates as a video endpoint with respect to the composite conference environment.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein audio and video signals exchanged within the composite conference environment are provided from the VRE module to the MCU conference module.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein audio and video signals exchanged within the composite conference environment are determined by the VRE module.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving a first command input from one of the first, second, third, and fourth users;
applying a first operation in response to the first command input to at least some of the first, second, third, and fourth users.
11. A system, comprising:
a conference server, including:
a communication interface;
a first memory;
a first processor;
a multipoint control unit (MCU) conference module stored in the first memory and executed by the first processor;
a virtual reality (VR) server, including:
a communication interface;
a second memory;
a second processor;
a virtual reality (VR) module stored in the second memory and executed by the second processor, wherein the VR module is operable to register users in a virtual reality environment (VRE) maintained by the VR module directly, and wherein the VR module is further operable to register users participating in a multipoint conference maintained by the MCU conference module in the VRE maintained by the VR module, and wherein the VR module is operable to determine whether the VR module or the MCU conference module shall serve as the master of the VRE based on at least one of an administrative determination or a dynamic consideration.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the users participating in the multipoint conference are represented in the VRE as a single avatar.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the users participating in the multipoint conference are each represented in the VRE as their own avatar.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the VR module registers the multipoint conference as a user in the VRE.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the VRE environment provides a visual depiction including avatars for users registered in the VRE directly and at least a first avatar for users registered in the VRE through the MCU conference.
16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a plurality of endpoints, wherein a first set of the plurality of endpoints includes one or more endpoints registered and in communication with the VR module, wherein a second set of the plurality of endpoints includes one or more endpoints registered and in communication with the MCU conference module, wherein audio and video streams are exchanged between all of the endpoints through operation of at least the VR module.
17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions, the non-transitory computer executable instructions causing a processor to execute a method for providing a composite conference environment through a virtual reality (VR) module, the non-transitory computer executable instructions comprising:
instructions to create at least a first avatar to represent at least a first user registered with the VR module in a virtual reality environment (VRE);
instructions to receive an advertisement by a multipoint control unit (MCU) that the MCU has video endpoint capabilities;
instructions to create at least a second avatar to represent at least one of the MCU and a second user registered with the MCU in the VRE;
instructions to provide a video representation of the VRE that includes the first and second avatars to the first and second users; and
instructions to determine whether the VR module or the MCU conference module shall serve as the master of the composite conference environment based on at least one of an administrative determination or a dynamic consideration.
18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the advertisement by the MCU is provided as a session initiation protocol (SIP) message.
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the MCU provides a roster including at least the second user and a third user to the VR module, wherein the second user is represented by the second avatar, and wherein the third user is represented by a third avatar.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the contents of an audio/video stream provided to the users is determined by the relationship of avatars representing the users to a representation of a source of audio/video information included in the audio/video stream.