Patent Application
20120062689
The present invention relates generally to videoconferencing systems, and more particularly personalized virtual meeting rooms.
Videoconferencing between two or more users typically involves a multipoint control unit (MCU). An MCU can receive audio and video streams from each user's videoconferencing terminal, mixes them to produce mixed audio and video streams, and transmits the mixed audio and video streams back to the user terminals. In one instance, a host, say user A, can invite other users to join a videoconferencing session by providing them with a number or identifier, which can be presented to the MCU during call initiation. When the user terminal presents the number of identifier to the MCU, the MCU can identify that user terminal as joining a videoconferencing session hosted by user A. The MCU can then present the user terminal with a communication environment associated with user A.
The communication environment is typically called a virtual meeting room (VMR), and the associated number or identifier is typically called a VMR number. When users dials in to join a videoconferencing session, the user can be presented with gathering phase information that may include a voice greeting followed by a visual presentation containing information such as the name of the meeting, name of the host, names of other invited users, names of the users that have already joined, etc. Gathering phase information can also be accompanied by some music while the user waits for the meeting to get underway. Once the videoconferencing begins, the MCU can present video of other participants to the user with a particular layout. Typically, this layout will be based on the number of participants, the number of display screens at the user, etc.
Traditionally, VMRs are configured by an administrator of the MCU. The administrator can configure certain parameters that are common to all VMRs supported by the MCU. These parameters can include, for example, dial plan for the VMRs, gathering phase information, maximum number of users, etc. For example,
However, these traditional MCUs do not allow the host user to personalize the VMRs assigned to them. As a result, the host user is unable to provide useful information to the users after they have entered the VMR.
A multipoint control unit (MCU) can allow host users of a videoconferencing system to specify personal parameters for virtual meeting rooms (VMRs). The MCU can assign a virtual meeting room for each user and assign a VMR identifier to each VMR. A user can distribute the VMR identifier to guest users who wish to join a videoconferencing session. A guest user can present the VMR identifier to the MCU during establishment of the videoconference. The MCU can present the guest user a VMR associated with the received VMR identifier.
The MCU can include a database for storing VMR parameters that include both personal VMR parameters specified by the users and admin VMR parameters specified by the administrator. Host users and administrator can access and modify VMR parameters via a server. The server can be a web server and the host user or administrator can modify VMR parameters by requesting a webpage in a web browser. VMR parameter values can be selected or entered on the webpage and sent back to the server. The server can then subsequently update the database.
Personal VMR parameters can include the title, theme, background image, background video, gathering phase music, RSS newsfeeds, video layout, optional meeting URL, etc. Admin VMR parameters can include parameters that are related to specific VMRs or can include common parameters that apply to all VMRs. For example, common parameters can include total number of VMRs, gathering phase music, default VMR parameters, etc.
The MCU can include a control module that can generate a VMR based on the both the personal VMR parameters and the admin VMR parameters. The control module can also use an audio and video module to generate audio and video streams that include the VMR configured based on personal and admin VMR parameters.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be more readily understood from reading the following description and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Users A 203, B 204, and C 205 (host users) can be assigned VMRs at the MCU 202. These VMRs can have associated identification numbers. For example, VMR for user A 203, VMR-A, can have a VMR number 1111 associated with it. Similarly, VMR-B and VMR-C can have VMR numbers 2222 and 3333, respectively, associated with them. Users having VMRs assigned at the MCU 202 can distribute the associated VMR numbers to other users they wish to invite to join a videoconferencing session. For example, user A 203 wanting to invite user X 206, user Y 207, and user Z 208 (guest users) can ask them to enter the VMR number 1111 when establishing connection with MCU 202. On receiving VMR number 1111 from the guest users, the MCU 202 can setup a videoconferencing session between guest users X 206, Y 207, Z 208, and host user A 203 within an environment described by configuration parameters of VMR-A. Similarly, MCU 202 can setup a videoconferencing session in VMR-B (host user B 204) and VMR-C (host user C 205) upon receiving VMR numbers 2222 and 3333, respectively.
MCU 202 can also include Server 304 and a VMR database 305. Server 304 can allow users at host users A-C 203-205 to communicate with the MCU 202 for modifying the parameters of their respective VMRs. In one instance, server 304 can be a HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) server allowing users at endpoints 203-208 to use a HTTP client (e.g., web browser) to access their VMR parameters. VMR parameters can be stored in a VMR database 305, which can communicate with server 304. Users can generate, access, modify, and store VMR parameters in the VMR database 305 via server 304. For example, user A 203 can access and modify associated parameter list VMR-A 305a, user B 204 can access and modify associated parameter list VMR-B 305b, and so on. Server 304 can provide host users with a user interface, in HTML, Flash, Java applets, etc., so that users can select individual parameters and specify personalized values for those parameters. Server 304 and database 305 can include security and confidentiality features to defend against unauthorized access to the VMR database 305. For example, server 304 can have users enter a username and password for authentication. Additionally, users can be restricted access to the parameters associated with their own VMRs only.
VMR parameters 305a-305n can include administrator VMR parameters in addition to personal VMR parameters (defined by the host user).
Control module 302 can access the configuration parameters for a VMR and generate audio-visual content accordingly. For example, if guest user X 206 were to present a VMR number 2222, then the control module 302 can access VMR configuration parameters for VMR-B 305b, and process audio and video streams to be sent to user X 206 based on these parameters. Control module 302 can access gathering stage parameters from VMR and generate audio and video streams accordingly. For example, if the gathering phase parameters specify that the user receive an audio greeting, then the control module 302 can control the audio and video module 303 to generate the audio greeting stream and then transmit the stream to the user. As another example, if the configuration parameters specify that the VMR have a video layout having 2×2 grid of video streams, then the control module 302 can control the audio and video module 303 to generate a composite video stream that includes video images from four sources laid out in a 2×2 grid, and transmit the composite video stream to the users associated with that VMR.
Host users can also specify the gathering phase parameters for the videoconferencing session. Recall that a guest user (e.g., users X 206, Y 207, and Z 208) joining a videoconference is put in a gathering phase from the time he/she enters the VMR number to the time when audio-visual communication with other users begins. During this time, traditional MCUs presented guest users of all VMRs with the same content. But, with personalized parameters, the host users can personalize one or more aspects of the gathering phase. For example, the host user can specify the background image of the VMR or present an introduction video or slide show to the guest users. The music to be played can also be specified. Typically, the host user can select one or more previously stored audio files in the database 305, and stream the audio content of the audio file to the guest user. Additionally, guest users can be presented with RSS (Really Simple Syndication) news feeds. The host user can of course personalize these parameters keeping in mind the topic of the videoconferencing session.
Personalized parameters 501 can also include conference parameters that specify the default layout of the videoconferencing session as seen by the users. For example, for a videoconferencing between four users, the layout parameters of the VMR can be specified to present a 2×2 grid of image windows, in which three of the image windows can display video stream from three other users. The fourth image window can receive a video stream of the ongoing slide presentation, relevant document, or other data. Personal VMR parameter list can specify various combinations of video layouts based on the number of users. Therefore, when the number of users within the videoconferencing changes, layout of the VMR can change accordingly. Personalized parameters can also specify whether the videoconferencing session in the VMR is to be recorded. The parameters may specify whether only audio, only video, or both are to be recorded. Location of storage of recorded VMR sessions can also be specified.
A user can also select from a number of “themes,” which represent a set of predefined personal VMR parameters. For example, a host user can predefine a theme for frequently held videoconferencing sessions. Such themes, can have predefined values for personal VMR parameters such as, gathering phase music, background image, background video, RSS news feed, layout, etc. By selecting a theme, the user does not have to select values for every individual personal VMR parameter.
Additional personal VMR parameters can specify websites and URLs that the VMR can display. For example, the host user can configure the VMR to display the guest user's social networking webpage such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. This content can be configured to be displayed during the gathering phase as well as overlaid on the video during the videoconferencing session. VMR parameters can also be specified to provide the guest users with a browser window for the guest users to browse the Internet whilst waiting for the gathering phase to end.
Note that control module 302 can use combined personal and admin VMR parameters to generate a VMR configuration. Admin parameters can be similar to the ones shown in
It is also envisioned that the administrator 209 can be an endpoint similar to users A-C 203-205 and X-Z 206-208, and can participate in a videoconferencing session in the role of a guest user or a host user. Server 304 can present the admin 209 with a webpage similar to webpage 601 to select values for personal VMR parameters when the admin is acting as a host user. Furthermore, server 304 can present the admin 209 with a webpage 601 that lists admin VMR parameters instead of personal VMR parameters.
The above description is illustrative and not restrictive. Many variations of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of this disclosure. The scope of the invention should therefore be determined not with reference to the above description, but instead with reference to the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents.
