Call movement in a conferencing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8941712-B2
Application number	US-201213517704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2012
Priority date	Jun 14, 2012
Publication date	Jan 27, 2015
Grant date	Jan 27, 2015

Abstract

Providing high availability multi-way conferencing. Separate signaling and media components may be provided within an MCU or among a cluster of MCUs. A signaling server may control signaling aspects of a conference while a media server may provide media support for the conference. In the event of media server failure, the signaling server may assign a new media server to provide media support for the conference. A backup signaling server may also monitor the signaling server and may provide signaling support for the conference in the event of signaling server failure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium comprising program instructions executable by a signaling server to provide a large-scale videoconference, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to:
register a plurality of media servers, wherein registering a media server comprises storing capability information for the media server;
establish media streams between each of a first group of endpoints and a first media server, wherein the first media server generates an audiovisual output based on media streams received from the first group of endpoints and provides the audiovisual output to the first group of endpoints;
establish media streams between each of a second group of endpoints and a second media server, wherein the second media server forwards the audiovisual output provided by the first media server to the second group of endpoints;
receive an active speaker indication corresponding to a first endpoint having a first media stream, wherein the first endpoint is comprised in the second group of endpoints;
reroute the first media stream of the first endpoint to the first media server based on the active speaker notification, wherein after rerouting the first endpoint is comprised in the first group of endpoints.

2. The memory medium of claim 1 ,
wherein the active speaker indication is an indication of voice activity at the first endpoint.

3. The memory medium of claim 1 ,
wherein the first endpoint remains connected to the videoconference during rerouting of the first media stream.

4. The memory medium of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further configured to:
reroute a second media stream of a second endpoint from the first media server to the second media server based on rerouting the first media stream of the first endpoint to the first media server.

5. The memory medium of claim 4 , wherein rerouting the second media stream is also based on determining that the second endpoint is a least active endpoint in the first group of endpoints.

6. A method for providing a large-scale videoconference, wherein the method is implemented by a multipoint control unit (MCU) comprising a signaling server and a plurality of media servers, the method comprising:
establishing, by the signaling server, media streams between each of a first group of endpoints and a first media server;
generating, by the first media server, an audiovisual output based on media streams received from the first group of endpoints;
providing, by the first media server, the audiovisual output to the first group of endpoints;
establishing, by the signaling server, media streams between each of a second group of endpoints and a second media server;
forwarding, by the second media server, the audiovisual output provided by the first media server to the second group of endpoints;
receiving, by the signaling server, an active speaker indication corresponding to a first endpoint having a first media stream, wherein the first endpoint is comprised in the second group of endpoints;
rerouting, by the signaling server, the first media stream of the first endpoint to the first media server based on the active speaker notification, wherein after rerouting the first endpoint is comprised in the first group of endpoints.

7. The method of claim 6 ,
wherein after rerouting the first media stream is comprised in the audiovisual output generated by the first media server.

8. The method of claim 6 ,
wherein the active speaker indication is an indication of voice activity at the first endpoint.

9. The method of claim 6 ,
wherein the first endpoint remains connected to the videoconference during rerouting of the first media stream.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
rerouting a second media stream of a second endpoint from the first media server to the second media server based on rerouting the first media stream of the first endpoint to the first media server.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein rerouting the second media stream also based on determining that the second endpoint is a least active endpoint in the first group of endpoints.

12. A signaling server configured to provide a large-scale videoconference, comprising:
at least a network port for communicating with a plurality of media servers and a plurality of endpoints;
processing hardware coupled to the at least a network port, wherein the processing hardware is configured to:
establish media streams between each of a first group of endpoints and a first media server, wherein the first media server generates an audiovisual output based on media streams received from the first group of endpoints and provides the audiovisual output to the first group of endpoints;
establish media streams between each of a second group of endpoints and a second media server, wherein the second media server forwards the audiovisual output provided by the first media server to the second group of endpoints;
receive an active speaker indication corresponding to a first endpoint having a first media stream, wherein the first endpoint is comprised in the second group of endpoints;
reroute the first media stream of the first endpoint to the first media server based on the active speaker notification, wherein after rerouting the first endpoint is comprised in the first group of endpoints.

13. The signaling server of claim 12 ,
wherein the active speaker indication is an indication of voice activity at the first endpoint.

14. The signaling server of claim 12 ,
wherein the first endpoint remains connected to the videoconference during rerouting of the first media stream.

15. The signaling server of claim 12 , wherein the processing hardware is further configured to:
reroute a second media stream of a second endpoint from the first media server to the second media server based on rerouting the first media stream of the first endpoint to the first media server.

16. The signaling server of claim 15 , wherein rerouting the second media stream is also based on determining that the second endpoint is a least active endpoint in the first group of endpoints.

Assignees

• Wamorkar Vivek
• Srinivas Sampath Kumar
• Shyam Rajdeep
• Nair Rethish Kumar Pukalakkatu Sivasankaran
• Logitech Europ Sa

Inventors

• Wamorkar Vivek
• Srinivas Sampath Kumar
• Shyam Rajdeep
• Nair Rethish Kumar Pukalakkatu Sivasankaran

Classifications

• H04L65/765

  intermediate · CPC title

• H04L67/148

  Migration or transfer of sessions · CPC title

• H04L12/1818

  Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties · CPC title

• H04M3/567

  Multimedia conference systems · CPC title

• H04L65/1086

  session scope modification · CPC title