Video and audio processing devices and video conference system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9762857-B2
Application number	US-201614993092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2016
Priority date	Jan 12, 2015
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A video conference system including at least one client device and a host device able to be connected to the client devices and a remote device is provided. The host device obtains at least one piece of candidate video data as well as multiple pieces of to-be-integrated audio data, selects one piece of video data from the candidate video data, integrates the to-be-integrated audio data and sends the selected video data and the integrated audio data to the remote device, where the to-be-integrated audio data includes client audio data and host audio data, the candidate video data includes at least one piece of client video data and host video data. Video and audio processing devices corresponding to the client device and the remote device are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An video and audio processing device comprising:
a communication circuit, configured for connecting to at least one other local device and a remote device;
an image capturing device, configured for capturing image signals;
an audio receiving device, configured for capturing audio signals;
a memory, configured for storing file data; and
a processor, coupled to the communication circuit, the image capturing device, the audio receiving device, and the memory, and configured for:
obtaining a plurality pieces of candidate video data from the at least one other local device through the communication circuit and from the image capturing device;
obtaining a plurality pieces of candidate audio data from the at least one other local device through the communication circuit and from the audio receiving device and;
selecting only one piece of the candidate video data according to at least one of a maximal audio volume, a maximal audio signal-to-noise ratio, a longest audio receiving time period, and an audio receiving time period being greater than a time period threshold of the pieces of candidate audio data corresponding to each piece of the candidate video to generate selected video data;
integrating the pieces of the candidate audio data to generate integrated audio data; and
transmitting the integrated audio data and the selected video data to the remote device through the communication circuit.

2. The video and audio processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured for:
receiving remote video data and remote audio data from the remote device through the communication circuit; and
transmitting the remote video data and remote audio data to each of the at least one other local device through the communication circuit.

3. The video and audio processing device according to claim 2 further comprising:
a screen, configured for displaying images; and
an audio playing device, configured for playing audio, wherein the processor is further coupled to the screen and the audio playing device and is configured for:
playing the remote video data and the remote audio data respectively through the screen and the audio playing device.

4. The video and audio processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured for integrating the pieces of candidate audio data to generate the integrated audio data comprising:
performing at least one of audio mixing and audio denoising on the candidate audio data to generate the integrated audio data.

5. The video and audio processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured for:
receiving a second image signal and a second audio signal respectively from the image capturing device and the audio receiving device to generate second video data and second audio data;
determining whether the second audio data satisfies at least one transmission condition;
in response to the second audio data being determined satisfying the at least one transmission condition, setting the second video data and the second audio data respectively as one piece of the candidate video data and one piece of the candidate audio data; and
in response to the second audio data being determined not satisfying any of the at least one transmission condition, only setting the second audio data as one piece of the candidate audio data.

6. The video and audio processing device according to claim 5 , wherein the second audio data comprises an audio frequency, and wherein the processor is configured for determining whether the second audio data satisfies the at least one transmission condition comprising:
determining whether the audio frequency satisfies a human frequency.

7. The video and audio processing device according to claim 5 , wherein the second audio data further comprises an audio volume received by the audio receiving device, and wherein the processor is configured for determining whether the second audio data satisfies the at least one transmission condition comprising:
determining whether the audio volume is greater than a volume threshold.

8. The video and audio processing device according to claim 5 , wherein the video data further comprises an audio signal-to-noise ratio received by the audio receiving device, and wherein the processor is configured for determining whether the second audio data satisfies the at least one transmission condition comprising:
determining whether the audio signal-to-noise ratio is greater than a signal-to-noise ratio threshold.

9. A video conference system comprising:
at least one client device, wherein each of the at least one client device respectively generates client video data and client audio data; and
a host device, connected to each of the at least one client device and a remote device, wherein the host device generates host video data and host audio data, obtains the client video data and the client audio data from the at least one client device, selects only one piece of the host video data and the client video data according to at least one of a maximal audio volume, a maximal audio signal-to-noise ratio, a longest audio receiving time period, and an audio receiving time period being greater than a time period threshold of each of the host audio data and the client audio data to generate selected video data, integrates the host audio data and the client audio data to generate integrated audio data, and transmits the selected video data and the integrated audio data to the remote device.

10. The video conference system according to claim 9 , wherein for each of the at least one client device:
the client device determines whether the client audio data satisfies at least one transmission condition;
in response to the client audio data being determined satisfying the at least one transmission condition, the client device transmits the client audio data and the client video data to the host device; and
in response to the client audio data being determined not satisfying the at least one transmission condition, the client device transmits only the client audio data to the host device.

11. The video conference system according to claim 9 , wherein the host device further receives remote video data and remote audio data from the remote device and transmits the remote video data and the remote audio data to each of the at least one client device.

Assignees

• Chan Chieh-Yu
• Weng Ming-Che
• Compal Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Chan Chieh-Yu
• Weng Ming-Che

Classifications

• H04N23/66

  Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices · CPC title

• H04N21/8547

  involving timestamps for synchronizing content · CPC title

• H04L67/025

  for remote control or remote monitoring of applications · CPC title

• H04N7/15 Primary

  Conference systems · CPC title

• H04N21/4348

  Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams · CPC title