GB2473886A

GB2473886A - Multi-party web conferencing with simultaneous transmission of current speaker and invisible next speaker streams for seamless handover

Info

Publication number: GB2473886A
Application number: GB0917176A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Allan Powers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-09-24
Filing date: 2009-10-01
Publication date: 2011-03-30
Also published as: GB0917176D0; GB0916765D0

Abstract

As the number of parties in a video/audio/web/tele-conference increases the number of streams increases if all parties must send/receive streams from all other parties. The invention proposes a media server/multipoint control unit (MCU) to manage and reduce the number of streams. The server receives a stream from the active speaker/floor holder and transmits it to other conference participants. When a change of active speaker is determined, either automatically or by a human moderator, the server establishes a stream from the new presenter and transmits it to the other conference members simultaneously with the old presenter stream. The new presenter stream is transmitted in an invisible manner such that it is not initially displayed to recipients. At an appropriate time the recipients' displays are switched from the old stream to the new `invisible' stream. By overlapping the streams the changeover is carried out with minimal interruptions. The conference participants may use browser based software on PC's or mobile handheld device.

Description

Mosaic -web based audio and video stream regulation process

Description

The invention (application) relates to the field of Internet based Personal Computer (PC) or mobile hand-held device (MHD) video conferencing. The invention relates in particular but not exclusively to browser based audio/video conferencing.

The invention (application) supports the simultaneous audio/video conferencing of large numbers of participants.

The invention (application) is a specific solution to a problem found in Video and Voice over Internet Protocol communication solutions.

Internet based PC/ MHD video conferencing uses digital streams to deliver audio and video communications.

For two people to have an internet based conference a number of streams will be required These enable the provision of audio and visual communication at both ends of the conference.

When the number of participants increase the number of streams increase, not only proportionally, but sometimes as a multiple greater than the number of participants.

An example of this is through flash media streaming where if three people wish to conference the number of streams increases to nine. The increase in streams for larger number is directly proportional to the square of the number of participants.

i.e. 10 attendees/participants 100 streams, 500 attendees/participants= 250000 streams A significant problem is encountered when large numbers of concurrent conference participants wish to access Internet based video conferencing. The range of differences across users systems in terms of software, hardware and bandwidth infrastructure make it extremely difficult to synchronise large number of streams in real time.

Whilst Internet based PC conferencing has been available for a number of years large operators have limited conferencing in the main to one to one experiences.

Where multiple PC based systems have materialised they have been limited in the number participants and ultimately technical difficulties have limited the development of systems with large participant numbers.

Large audience PC conferencing operators have used different techniques like PC and screen sharing for large scale attendance mainly through VOIP technology. This type of technology goes no way towards developing large number of participants for PC based video conferencing.

The invention involves the use of a number of client side (PC/ MHD) applications to manage audio and video streams to and from a media server.

This is done through a control mechanism coded within the client side applications that signal switching sequences to all conference participants.

A participant accesses a web page through a PCI MHD (figure 1, A).

Through the webpage the client application is downloaded from the web server (figure 1, B & C) to the PC/ MHD and then loaded into the webpage (figure 1, D).

In the preferred embodiment this would be through the download of a SWF file via the web page.

Once loaded, the client application establishes a connection to the media server (figure 1, E).

When the server confirms the connection (figure 1, F), the participant can then use the client application to manage streams and streaming inbound and outbound through the media server to connect to other users.

The invention in fact stops all audio and video streaming until permissions are given for a participant to stream audio and video data to the media server With this invention when the participant (figure 2, Connected User 1) requests to talk the client side application informs the current administrator through the media server (figure 2, A & B) who determines who has priority to speak. The administrator's client application informs the server (figure 2, C) which then informs all client side applications which participant has priority and adjusts the interface and streams accordingly. For Connected User I the client application would allow the participant to send audio and video data to the server (figure 2, D). For Connected User 2, Connected User 3 and the Administrator the streams are set to receive the stream from Connected User I (figure 2, E, F & 0) The invention manages the streams through the client side application (figure 2, D, E, F & G) so that only streams related to one participant (figure 2, Connected User I) are broadcast in any instance whilst all other streams are held in preparation for broadcast (figure 2).

When another participant (figure 2, Connected User 2) wants to talk, the client side application informs the current administrator through the media server (figure 2, H & I) who determines who has priority to speak. The administrator's client application informs the server (figure 2, J) which then informs all client side applications which participant has priority and adjusts the interface and streams accordingly. For Connected User I the client application would stop the current stream to the server and prepare to receive the stream from Connected User 2 (figure 2, K). For Connected User 2 the client application would disable the stream from Connected User I and then allow the participant to send audio and video data to the server (figure 2, L). For Connected User 3 and the Administrator the streams are switched to receive the stream from Connected User 2 (figure 2, M & N).

Switching Sync In order to create a switching mechanism which would allow presenters to step up and start talking without any delays we will have to consider the following approach: 1. A queuing system that will allow the next presenter's stream to get prepared by creating an invisible stream being sent down to the connected clients before the presenter actually steps up.

a. The Media Server is sending the stream of the Active Presenter P1 to the each of the connected users (Figure 4) b. Another Presenter P2 requests to talk next c. The request is processed and accepted.

d. The Presenter P2 stream then gets prepared and is being sent to the Media Server which forwards it to the connected users as an invisible stream, ready to go once the Active Presenter P1 steps down (Figure 5).

d. When Presenter P1 steps down the Media Server stops Presenter P1 stream from being transmitted. The makes the invisible Presenter P2 stream the only active and visible stream being transmitted down to the connected users (Figure 6).

The preferred embodiment of the invention would be browser based. The client application download would be a flash SWF file to a local PC or mobile hand held device.

The administrator in the preferred embodiment would be a participant in the conference! meeting! event.

In alternative embodiments the administrator maybe an automated process (figure 3, B & G) i.e. for some social networking solutions or public service solutions.

Alternative embodiments could include use of java, C++, C or any other programming language to produce the client application for this system which may or may not be browser based.

The obvious use of the invention be around larger PCI based training, seminars and conferencing events. It is this area of web based conferencing that requires a solution to stream management for real time interactive web based PCI MHD video conferencing.

Whilst improved network infrastructure and bandwidth may increase capacity this will soon be exceeded with traffic problems as online video conferencing and broadcast media develops in popularity.

Equally important are solutions that provide efficiency in software and streaming systems that minimise network and bandwidth use.

Possible future advantages of the invention would be for Internet television.

Future Internet based television with such a system would have the ability to allow viewers! participants of an audience, possibly world wide, to interact within programmes or broadcasts in the same way that a TV studio based audience can do in present broadcasting.

Another import use of this system would be to give increased real-time access to participants to civil, legal and political processes. Whilst this would be advantage for all potential participants this would be particularly useful to participants who were geographically isolated or had mobility problems through age or disability.

Claims

Title 4 Mosaic -web based audio and video stream regulation process Claims 1. A method of supporting the simultaneous Internet based audio/video conferencing of multiple numbers of participants through single audio and video stream broadcasting.

The method comprises:
2. The download and/ or installation of a client application per user.
3. Use of a server to manage and give permissions to a number of client side applications.
4. The use of a media server to manage user audio and video streams.
5. Stream regulation which allows for audio/visual stream switching between users
6. Stream regulation which is managed by an administration system (manual or automatic) that determines which user has permissions to stream at any given point.
7. An administration system which communicates with the users through the client applications and vice-versa.
8. The administration system, through user requests and notification, manages user priorities through a request and queuing system to regulate stream permissions.
9. A streaming Internet based audio/video conferencing system which allows one user to stream audio/video streams whilst blocking all other users from streaming.
10. An alternative of 9 would be a streaming Internet based audio/video conferencing system which allows one user to stream audio/video, one user to stream an invisible audio/video stream whilst blocking all other users from streaming.
11. An alternative of 10 would be a streaming Internet based audio/video conferencing system which allows one user to stream audio/video, two or more users to stream invisible audio/video streams whilst blocking all other users from streaming.
12. An embodiment of the invention could be a method that supports the simultaneous Internet based audio/video conferencing of multiple numbers of participants through single audio and video stream broadcasting through the use of web browsers. The method would comprise of claims 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 and 11
13. An embodiment of the invention could be a method that supports the simultaneous Internet based audio/video conferencing of multiple numbers of participants through single audio and video stream broadcasting but allowed more than one user to stream audio/ video streams whilst blocking all other users from streaming. The method would comprise claims 2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and could make use of web browsers.
14. The invention would allow large numbers of PC/MHD users to simultaneously connect to Internet based audio/video conferences and communicate with both audio and video streams to all participants.