Systems and methods of communicating I/O data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9350945-B2
Application number	US-201013990205-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2010
Priority date	Nov 30, 2010
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

Video conferencing systems and methods are provided. A video conferencing system can include an audio/video (A/V) data path coupling a plurality of network devices. The system can further include at least one input/output (I/O) device providing I/O data coupled to at least one of the plurality of network devices. The I/O data is communicated along the A/V data path to each of the plurality of network devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An input/output (I/O) data communication system, comprising:
a control data path coupling a plurality of network devices to communicate control data among the plurality of network devices;
an audio/video (A/V) data path coupling a plurality of network devices to communicate A/V data among the plurality of network devices; and
an input/output (I/O) data path coupling the plurality of network devices to communicate I/O data among the plurality of network devices;
wherein the control data path and the A/V data path include dissimilar data paths and use different protocols;
wherein the A/V data path and the I/O data path include shared data paths and use the same protocol;
wherein the control data occupies a first bandwidth and the A/V data occupies a second bandwidth greater than the first bandwidth.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the A/V data path includes fewer intervening nodes than the control data path.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one I/O device to provide the I/O data, the at least one I/O device coupled to at least one network device;
wherein each of the plurality of network devices comprises an active desktop shared among the network devices; and
wherein the I/O data can be provided to the active desktop using the at least one I/O device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the I/O data is routed coincident with the A/V data.

5. An input/output (I/O) data communication method, comprising:
establishing a control data path among a plurality of network devices;
establishing an audio/video (A/V) data path among the plurality of network devices;
communicating control data among the plurality of network devices along the control data path and communicating A/V data among the plurality of network devices along the A/V data path, the control data path and the A/V data path comprising dissimilar data paths and using different protocols;
generating input/output (I/O) data using at least one network device;
establishing an I/O data path among the plurality of network devices, the I/O data path and the A/V data path comprising a common path and using the same protocol; and
communicating I/O data among the plurality of network devices via the A/V data path;
wherein the control data occupies a first bandwidth and the A/V data occupies a second bandwidth greater than the first bandwidth.

6. The method of claim 5 , a protocol of the A/V data path accommodating an increased bandwidth relative to a protocol of the control data path.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the I/O data is routed coincident with the A/V data.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the A/V data path traverses at least one intervening firewall.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein generating input/output (I/O) data using at least one network device comprises:
initiating an active desktop session among the plurality of network devices; and
entering I/O data into at the at least one network device using a coupled I/O device.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the same protocol of the A/V data path and the I/O data path comprises a protocol configured to traverse an intervening firewall disposed between at least a portion of the plurality of network devices.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the A/V data path and the I/O data path use a Session Traversal Utilities for Network Address Translators (STUN).

12. The method of claim 5 , wherein the A/V data path includes fewer intervening nodes than the control data path.

13. An input/output (I/O) data communication method, comprising:
initiating a conference among a plurality of network devices, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of network devices are coupled to an input/output I/O device to provide I/O data;
establishing a control data path among the plurality of network devices to communicate control data of the conference among the plurality of network devices;
establishing an audio/video (A/V) data path among the plurality of network devices to communicate A/V data of the conference among the plurality of network devices;
wherein the control data path and the A/V data path include dissimilar data paths among the plurality of network devices and use different protocols;
establishing an I/O data path between the plurality of network devices to communicate the I/O data among the plurality of network devices;
wherein the A/V data path and the I/O data path include shared data paths among the plurality of network devices and use the same protocol;
wherein the control data occupies a first bandwidth and the A/V data occupies a second bandwidth greater than the first bandwidth.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the same protocol of the A/V data path and the I/O data path comprises a protocol configured to traverse at least one intervening firewall disposed between at least a portion of the plurality of network devices.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the A/V data path and the I/O data path use a Session Traversal Utilities for Network Address Translators (STUN) protocol.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the I/O data is routed coincident with the A/V data.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the A/V data path includes fewer intervening nodes than the control data path.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
establishing the control data path prior to establishing the A/V data path.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the control data includes at least one of a request to initiate the conference sent from an initiator of the conference to the plurality of network devices, a notification of the conference, an acceptance of the conference, and a system performance parameter associated with the plurality of network devices.

Assignees

• Lukasik Derek
• Alcorn Byron A
• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Lukasik Derek
• Alcorn Byron A

Classifications

• H04N7/15 Primary

  Conference systems · CPC title

• H04L65/403

  Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15) · CPC title

• H04L65/1069

  Session establishment or de-establishment · CPC title

• H04L12/1827

  Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation · CPC title