Patent · US Active

Systems and methods for selecting videoconferencing endpoints for display in a composite video image

US8514265B2 · kind B2 · utility

16Cited by
71References
21Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateOct 2, 2008
Grant dateAug 20, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 20, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N21/4788
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In some embodiments, a videoconferencing endpoint may be an MCU (Multipoint Control Unit) or may include embedded MCU functionality. In various embodiments, the endpoint may thus conduct a videoconference by receiving/compositing video and audio from multiple videoconference endpoints. The endpoint may select a subset of endpoints and form a composite video image from the subset of the videoconference endpoints to send to the other videoconference endpoints. In some embodiments, the subset of endpoints that are selected for compositing into the composite video image may be selected according to criteria such as the last N talking participants. In some embodiments, the master endpoint may request the non-talker endpoints to stop sending video to help conserve the resources on the master endpoint. In some embodiments, the master endpoint may ignore video from endpoints that are not being displayed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.