An end
station for a videoconference /
multimedia conference is disclosed, where the end
station requests, receives and displays multiple video streams.
Call control messages request video streams with specified video policies. A static policy specifies a constant source video
stream, e.g., a participant. A dynamic policy dynamically maps various source streams to a requested
stream and shows, for example, the current speaker, or a round robin of participants. A
network access device, e.g., a media switch or a video
composition system, mediates between the multi-
stream end
station and the core conference
system. Multi-stream endpoints need not
handle the complexity of directly receiving video according to a potentially wide variety of
call control protocols, formats, and bit-rates. Multi-stream endpoints decentralize
compositing video streams, which increases functional flexibility and reduces the need for centralized equipment.