A video conferencing group management method and device

Abstract

This invention provides a video conferencing group management method, characterized by comprising: receiving a meeting request; identifying a meeting number based on the meeting request; adding the meeting request corresponding to the meeting number to at least one meeting entity based on the meeting number; and managing the grouping of at least one meeting within the same meeting entity. While achieving privacy protection, this method also supports grouping management of already held independent meetings and pre-grouping management of meeting numbers for planned meetings, thereby supporting ultra-large-scale meetings. Furthermore, this invention also provides a video conferencing group management device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of video communication technology, and more specifically, the embodiments of the present invention relate to a video conferencing group management method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] This section is intended to provide background or context for embodiments of the invention as set forth in the claims. The description herein is not an admission that it is prior art simply because it is included in this section.

[0003] Internet-based video communication technology has been widely used, especially in large-scale conferences. To facilitate user management, different discussion groups are often created within the same meeting. After participants join the meeting, they are manually moved to their respective department's discussion group, making it easy for participants to understand each other's departments. However, due to the large number of participants in large conferences, the meetings can become monotonous at the beginning and during their duration. Furthermore, different discussion groups sharing the same meeting room resources can lead to resource scarcity, preventing participants from making better use of meeting resources.

[0004] Therefore, the existing technology has the following drawbacks:

[0005] a. The grouping scenario is limited, with only discussion groups available.

[0006] b. Cannot support extremely large-scale meetings.

[0007] c. It fails to adequately protect user privacy.

[0008] To overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings, this invention designs a video conferencing group management method that, while achieving privacy protection, can simultaneously support group management (discussion groups) for already held independent meetings, and can also support pre-group management of meeting numbers for planned meetings, thereby achieving the goal of supporting ultra-large-scale meetings. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to design a method and apparatus for video conferencing group management, which can support group management (discussion groups) of existing independent meetings while achieving privacy protection, and also support pre-group management of meeting numbers for planned meetings, thereby achieving the goal of supporting ultra-large-scale meetings.

[0010] In this context, embodiments of the present invention are intended to provide a video conferencing group management method and apparatus.

[0011] In a first aspect of the present invention, a video conferencing group management method is provided, comprising: receiving a meeting request; identifying a meeting number based on the meeting request; adding the meeting request corresponding to the meeting number to at least one meeting entity based on the meeting number; and performing group management on at least one meeting within the same meeting entity.

[0012] In one embodiment of the invention, the meeting number includes one or a combination of a conference number and a sub-conference number.

[0013] In another embodiment of the present invention, the step of adding the meeting request corresponding to the meeting number to at least one meeting entity based on the meeting number includes: adding the meeting request corresponding to the meeting number that conforms to the number segment rule to the same meeting entity.

[0014] In yet another embodiment of the invention, the meeting entity includes a set of participants and a unique root group and / or a regular group.

[0015] In another embodiment of the present invention, the number segment rule is the mapping relationship between the conference number and the conference entity.

[0016] In another embodiment of the present invention, adding the meeting requests corresponding to the meeting numbers that conform to the number segment rules to the same meeting entity includes: adding the corresponding meeting requests to the same meeting entity based on the conference number and / or sub-conference number.

[0017] In another embodiment of the present invention, the root group and / or ordinary group respectively include one or a combination of independent meeting control unit, sharing unit, whiteboard unit and terminal list.

[0018] In another embodiment of the present invention, the group management of at least one meeting within the same meeting entity includes: dynamic group management or static group management of at least one meeting within the same meeting entity.

[0019] In another embodiment of the present invention, the dynamic group management includes splitting a meeting within the same meeting entity into multiple meetings by migrating participants within the same meeting entity to different groups within the meeting.

[0020] In another embodiment of the present invention, the static group management includes: merging the meetings corresponding to different groups in the same meeting entity into a single meeting by connecting or disconnecting the different groups of participants in the same meeting entity from the root group.

[0021] In another embodiment of the present invention, the static group management further includes: connecting or disconnecting the different groups of participants within the same meeting entity from the root group; and merging and interconnecting the meeting control units, sharing units, whiteboard units, and terminal lists contained in the different groups of participants within the same meeting entity.

[0022] In another embodiment of the present invention, the step of merging and interconnecting the meeting control units, sharing units, whiteboard units, and terminal lists contained in different groups of participants within the same meeting entity includes: merging and interconnecting the meeting control units, sharing units, whiteboard units, and terminal lists contained in different groups of participants within the same meeting entity through a unit sharing a root group.

[0023] In a second aspect of the present invention, a video conferencing group management device is provided. The device includes: a receiving module for receiving a meeting entry request; an identification module for identifying a meeting number based on the meeting entry request; an joining module for adding the meeting entry request corresponding to the meeting number to at least one meeting entity based on the meeting number; and a grouping module for grouping at least one meeting within the same meeting entity.

[0024] In one embodiment of the invention, the meeting number includes one or a combination of a conference number and a sub-conference number.

[0025] In another embodiment of the present invention, the joining module includes a module for adding the joining requests corresponding to the meeting numbers that conform to the number segment rules to the same meeting entity.

[0026] In yet another embodiment of the invention, the meeting entity includes a set of participants and a unique root group and / or a regular group.

[0027] In another embodiment of the present invention, the number segment rule is the mapping relationship between the conference number and the conference entity.

[0028] In another embodiment of the present invention, the module for adding the meeting request corresponding to the meeting number that conforms to the number segment rule to the same meeting entity includes: a module for adding the corresponding meeting request to the same meeting entity based on the conference number and / or sub-conference number.

[0029] In another embodiment of the present invention, the root group and / or ordinary group respectively include one or a combination of independent meeting control unit, sharing unit, whiteboard unit and terminal list.

[0030] In another embodiment of the present invention, the grouping module includes: a module for performing dynamic or static grouping management of at least one meeting within the same meeting entity.

[0031] In another embodiment of the present invention, the dynamic group management includes a module for splitting a meeting within the same meeting entity into multiple meetings by migrating participants within the same meeting entity to different groups within the meeting.

[0032] In another embodiment of the present invention, the static group management includes a module for merging meetings corresponding to different groups in the same meeting entity into a single meeting by connecting or disconnecting the different groups of participants in the same meeting entity from the root group.

[0033] In another embodiment of the present invention, the static group management further includes: a module for connecting or disconnecting different groups of participants within the same meeting entity from the root group; and a module for merging and interconnecting the meeting control units, sharing units, whiteboard units, and terminal lists contained in different groups of participants within the same meeting entity.

[0034] In another embodiment of the present invention, the module for enabling the meeting control unit, sharing unit, whiteboard unit and terminal list contained in different groups of participants within the same meeting entity to merge and communicate respectively includes: a module for enabling the meeting control unit, sharing unit, whiteboard unit and terminal list contained in different groups of participants within the same meeting entity to merge and communicate respectively through a unit that shares a root group.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a video conferencing group management method and apparatus can support the group effect of audio and video images by isolating participating terminals within the same conference entity or merging different participating terminals to ensure the visibility range of the terminals. Attached Figure Description

[0036] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Several embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings by way of example and not limitation, wherein:

[0037] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating a method for implementing video conferencing group management according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically.

[0038] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a meeting entity architecture according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0039] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating static packet call behavior according to yet another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0040] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating the static group connection principle according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0041] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a dynamic grouping creation structure according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0042] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a dynamic grouping termination structure according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0043] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an apparatus for implementing video conferencing group management according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0044] In the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The principles and spirit of the invention will now be described with reference to several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are given merely to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make this disclosure more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0046] Those skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as a system, apparatus, device, method, or computer program product. Therefore, this disclosure can be specifically implemented in the following forms: entirely hardware, entirely software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or a combination of hardware and software.

[0047] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a video conferencing group management method and apparatus are proposed.

[0048] The principles and spirit of the present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to several representative embodiments. Invention Overview

[0050] The inventors have discovered that existing technologies have the following drawbacks: a) they only offer one grouping scenario, namely discussion groups; b) they cannot support very large-scale meetings; and c) they cannot adequately protect user privacy.

[0051] To overcome the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a video conferencing group management method, comprising: receiving a meeting request; identifying a meeting number based on the meeting request; adding the meeting request corresponding to the meeting number to at least one meeting entity based on the meeting number; and managing at least one meeting within the same meeting entity in groups.

[0052] After introducing the basic principles of the present invention, various non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0053] Application Scenarios Overview

[0054] The embodiments of the present invention can be applied to scenarios such as remote video conferencing, remote teaching or training. However, those skilled in the art will fully understand that the applicable scenarios of the embodiments of the present invention are not limited by any aspect of this framework.

[0055] Exemplary methods

[0056] The following section provides examples and references. Figure 1-6 This description illustrates a method for implementing video conferencing group management according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that the above application scenarios are shown only to facilitate understanding of the spirit and principles of the invention, and the embodiments of the invention are not limited in any way. Rather, the embodiments of the invention can be applied to any applicable scenario.

[0057] refer to Figure 1 The diagram schematically illustrates a method flowchart for implementing video conferencing group management according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method includes the following steps:

[0058] S100, Receive membership request.

[0059] As an example, when a user needs to join a video conference, clicking the "Join" button displayed on the interface will send a joining request to the server, at which point the server will receive the joining request sent by the user.

[0060] S110. Identify the meeting number based on the meeting request.

[0061] As an example, the meeting number includes one or a combination of a conference number and a sub-conference number.

[0062] S120. Based on the meeting number, add the meeting application corresponding to the meeting number to at least one meeting entity.

[0063] As an example, adding the meeting request corresponding to the meeting number to at least one meeting entity based on the meeting number includes adding the meeting requests corresponding to meeting numbers that conform to the number segment rules to the same meeting entity. Here, the number segment rules are the mapping relationship between meeting numbers and meeting entities. A meeting entity includes a set of participating members and a unique root group and / or ordinary groups. That is, within the same meeting entity, there is only one root group, but it may contain multiple ordinary groups or none. The meeting number corresponds to the meeting entity and the root group (Root-Group). Sub-meeting numbers can be used to calculate the meeting entity to which the meeting number belongs. For example, in the meeting number 97-XXXXX-YYYY, 97-XXXXX is the meeting number, and its corresponding meeting entity and root group can be determined using this meeting number. 97-XXXXX-YYYY is the sub-meeting number, and obviously, the meeting entity corresponding to the meeting number can be calculated from the sub-meeting number.

[0064] Specific examples, such as Figure 2The diagram shows the conference entity architecture. The conference entity conf (Conference) contains a collection of participants (All EP), a root group (Group-Root), and n ordinary groups (Group-1 and Group-n). The conference entity conf manages the conference terminals of all participants within the conference entity. The root group (Group-Root) manages the relationships between the remaining ordinary groups (Group-n) and the root group (Group-Root). Each group (Group) has independent meeting control / sharing / whiteboard units, as well as a list of terminals managed by the group (Ep-List). Each participant (Ep) has a group tag, and only one group tag. This group tag is used to mark the terminal's group affiliation. Within each group, the terminal's audio / video screen, sharing, whiteboard, and meeting control management are mutually visible, but independent of other groups. That is, it exists independently from participants in the Group-Root group and the ordinary groups Group-1 and Group-n, and participants in different groups cannot communicate with each other. This effectively ensures the privacy of participants in different groups within the same video conference. Furthermore, since the applications in different groups within the same video conference are independent, it effectively ensures resource compatibility and avoids the inefficient resource allocation that occurs when different groups in the same meeting share the applications provided by the conference, as seen in existing technologies. For example, when everyone in different groups within the same meeting can draw and view the whiteboard, the whiteboard is a unique resource. If different groups use the same resource, it may lead to line display errors, or if one group turns off the whiteboard, it directly affects the use of other groups. Therefore, this application binds such global resources to groups, so that each group has its own exclusive resources. When multiple groups are associated, certain rules are used to ensure that all groups share the merged resources, thereby achieving the visibility of content in different groups.

[0065] S120. Group management is performed on at least one meeting within the same meeting entity.

[0066] As an example, the group management of at least one meeting within the same meeting entity includes: dynamic group management or static group management of at least one meeting within the same meeting entity. Dynamic group management includes: splitting one meeting within the same meeting entity into multiple meetings by migrating participants within the same meeting entity to different groups within the meeting. Static group management includes: merging meetings corresponding to different groups within the same meeting entity into a single meeting by establishing or disconnecting connections between the different groups of participants within the same meeting entity and the root group.

[0067] like Figure 3The diagram illustrates static group call behavior. The core of a static group is a conference entity and multiple conference numbers. The static group conference number generation principle is: one main conference number and N sub-conference numbers. The main conference number corresponds to the conference entity, the root group (Root-Group), and the N sub-conference numbers. The main conference number can be assigned to a specific conference entity and associated with a corresponding group, isolated from other numbers in the system through number ranges.

[0068] For example: 97-XXXXX-YYYY. The 97 number segment is a dedicated segment for static group conferences; other conference numbers cannot be assigned to it. XXXXX marks a group of static group conferences, i.e., all numbers with the same 97-XXXXX range. If a call occurs, it constitutes a single conference entity. YYYY marks a single static group number, i.e., 97-XXXXX-YYYY is the final calling number for the terminal. All terminals calling this number are grouped into one group. The root group is a special entity, marked with 97-XXXXX. In other words, the root group (the main body of the conference) is a short number. That is, EP1-4 calling 9766666 means 4 people are calling into the root group; EP5-12 calling 97666660001 means 8 people are calling into ordinary group 1; EP13-20 calling 97666660002 means 8 people are calling into ordinary group 2. At this point, the four people calling the root group can connect the root group with the ordinary group so that the sharing / whiteboard / meeting control units of the ordinary group connected to the root group can be integrated and interconnected with the sharing / whiteboard / meeting control units of the root group.

[0069] Combination Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the static group connection principle. As shown, Root-Group, Group-1, and Group-3 form a group relationship, allowing interconnected content among their respective terminals. Specifically, participants in the root group, ordinary group 1, and ordinary group 3 can communicate with each other. Furthermore, the previously independent units of the root group, ordinary group 1, and ordinary group 3 are merged. For example, if the whiteboard supports line drawing on the terminal, when multiple groups are connected, ensuring that all terminals in the area use the same whiteboard unit guarantees that the lines from these terminals can be aggregated and superimposed for correct display on all terminals. In other words, the independent shared / whiteboard / meeting control units that each group originally possessed are now interconnected by sharing the unit of the root group in the connected state, achieving content fusion and interoperability.

[0070] As an example, in a scenario of partitioned management for a tightly controlled meeting or a large conference, each partition can independently complete roll call / check-in by calling a number. When the conference begins, these partitions can be merged with a single click, and the merged roll call / check-in results will be displayed together in the main conference. Furthermore, the merged participants can communicate with each other. This effectively ensures more efficient completion of participant check-in tasks while saving time and costs.

[0071] As an example, the core of dynamic grouping is a single meeting entity and a single meeting number. Groups are created flexibly during the meeting. Therefore, any meeting can support dynamic grouping without the need for specially planned meeting numbers. Dynamic grouping differs from static grouping, where all terminals share a single number, requiring only logical isolation of audio / video / sharing functions on the terminals. In other words, participants in dynamic grouping are not bound to the group itself. Participants migrate between groups to achieve screen fusion / isolation (changing the participant's group attributes). If group discussion is needed, a temporary GroupId is generated, and a group is created. If group discussion needs to end, and everyone needs to return to a single meeting, the group is destroyed, and participants are moved back to the root group. Figure 5 The diagram illustrates the dynamic group creation structure. At the start of the meeting, everyone is in the root group, and all participants are visible to each other. At this point, the root group acts as the host group. If group discussions are needed, new groups are created (two dynamic groups, Group-1 and Group-n), resulting in a three-group state. Users 1-4 are in the root group, users 5-12 are in Group-1, and users 13-20 are in Group-n. Although users 1-4, 5-12, and 13-20 are still within the same main meeting body, they are independent of each other and cannot communicate. Figure 6 As shown, if one of the groups finishes its discussion, it can choose to return to the main meeting, disband the group on the spot, and assign its members to the root group for management. At this time, users 1-4 and users 13-20 are independent of each other and cannot communicate with users 5-12. Therefore, based on the above embodiments, it can be seen that the present invention can implement a group architecture that enables the temporary nature of temporary discussion group services, as well as the planarability of strongly controlled / large-scale meetings.

[0072] This application enables dynamic or static group management of participants within the same meeting entity. Consequently, the invention can integrate or separate the functions of different groups within the same meeting entity in real time, thereby achieving the temporary nature of temporary discussion group services and the planarability of highly controlled / large-scale meetings.

[0073] Exemplary device

[0074] After introducing the method of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the following references are made. Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a video conferencing group management device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The device includes the following modules:

[0075] The receiving module 700 is used to receive membership requests.

[0076] As an example, when a user needs to join a video conference, clicking the "Join" button displayed on the interface will send a joining request to the server, at which point the server will receive the joining request sent by the user.

[0077] The identification module 710 is used to identify the meeting number based on the meeting request.

[0078] As an example, the meeting number includes one or a combination of a conference number and a sub-conference number.

[0079] The joining module 720 is used to add the joining application corresponding to the meeting number to at least one meeting entity based on the meeting number.

[0080] As an example, adding the meeting request corresponding to the meeting number to at least one meeting entity based on the meeting number includes adding the meeting requests corresponding to meeting numbers that conform to the number segment rules to the same meeting entity. Here, the number segment rules are the mapping relationship between meeting numbers and meeting entities. A meeting entity includes a set of participating members and a unique root group and / or ordinary groups. That is, within the same meeting entity, there is only one root group, but it may contain multiple ordinary groups or none. The meeting number corresponds to the meeting entity and the root group (Root-Group). Sub-meeting numbers can be used to calculate the meeting entity to which the meeting number belongs. For example, in the meeting number 97-XXXXX-YYYY, 97-XXXXX is the meeting number, and its corresponding meeting entity and root group can be determined using this meeting number. 97-XXXXX-YYYY is the sub-meeting number, and obviously, the meeting entity corresponding to the meeting number can be calculated from the sub-meeting number.

[0081] Specific examples, such as Figure 2The diagram shows the conference entity architecture. The conference entity conf (Conference) contains a collection of participants (All EP), a root group (Group-Root), and n ordinary groups (Group-1 and Group-n). The conference entity conf manages the conference terminals of all participants within the conference entity. The root group (Group-Root) manages the relationships between the remaining ordinary groups (Group-n) and the root group (Group-Root). Each group (Group) has independent meeting control / sharing / whiteboard units, as well as a list of terminals managed by the group (Ep-List). Each participant (Ep) has a group tag, and only one group tag. This group tag is used to mark the terminal's group affiliation. Within each group, the terminal's audio / video screen, sharing, whiteboard, and meeting control management are mutually visible, but independent of other groups. That is, it exists independently from participants in the Group-Root group and the ordinary groups Group-1 and Group-n, and participants in different groups cannot communicate with each other. This effectively ensures the privacy of participants in different groups within the same video conference. Furthermore, since the applications in different groups within the same video conference are independent, it effectively ensures resource compatibility and avoids the inefficient resource allocation that occurs when different groups in the same meeting share the applications provided by the conference, as seen in existing technologies. For example, when everyone in different groups within the same meeting can draw and view the whiteboard, the whiteboard is a unique resource. If different groups use the same resource, it may lead to line display errors, or if one group turns off the whiteboard, it directly affects the use of other groups. Therefore, this application binds such global resources to groups, so that each group has its own exclusive resources. When multiple groups are associated, certain rules are used to ensure that all groups share the merged resources, thereby achieving the visibility of content in different groups.

[0082] Grouping module 730 is used to manage groups of at least one meeting within the same meeting entity.

[0083] As an example, the group management of at least one meeting within the same meeting entity includes: dynamic group management or static group management of at least one meeting within the same meeting entity. Dynamic group management includes: splitting one meeting within the same meeting entity into multiple meetings by migrating participants within the same meeting entity to different groups within the meeting. Static group management includes: merging meetings corresponding to different groups within the same meeting entity into a single meeting by establishing or disconnecting connections between the different groups of participants within the same meeting entity and the root group.

[0084] like Figure 3 The diagram illustrates static group call behavior. The core of a static group is a conference entity and multiple conference numbers. The static group conference number generation principle is: one main conference number and N sub-conference numbers. The main conference number corresponds to the conference entity, the root group (Root-Group), and the N sub-conference numbers. The main conference number can be assigned to a specific conference entity and associated with a corresponding group, isolated from other numbers in the system through number ranges.

[0085] For example: 97-XXXXX-YYYY. The 97 number segment is a dedicated segment for static group conferences; other conference numbers cannot be assigned to it. XXXXX marks a group of static group conferences, i.e., all numbers with the same 97-XXXXX range. If a call occurs, it constitutes a single conference entity. YYYY marks a single static group number, i.e., 97-XXXXX-YYYY is the final calling number for the terminal. All terminals calling this number are grouped into one group. The root group is a special entity, marked with 97-XXXXX. In other words, the root group (the main body of the conference) is a short number. That is, EP1-4 calling 9766666 means 4 people are calling into the root group; EP5-12 calling 97666660001 means 8 people are calling into ordinary group 1; EP13-20 calling 97666660002 means 8 people are calling into ordinary group 2. At this point, the four people calling the root group can connect the root group with the ordinary group so that the sharing / whiteboard / meeting control units of the ordinary group connected to the root group can be integrated and interconnected with the sharing / whiteboard / meeting control units of the root group.

[0086] Combination Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the static group connection principle. As shown, Root-Group, Group-1, and Group-3 form a group relationship, allowing interconnected content among their respective terminals. Specifically, participants in the root group, ordinary group 1, and ordinary group 3 can communicate with each other. Furthermore, the previously independent units of the root group, ordinary group 1, and ordinary group 3 are merged. For example, if the whiteboard supports line drawing on the terminal, when multiple groups are connected, ensuring that all terminals in the area use the same whiteboard unit guarantees that the lines from these terminals can be aggregated and superimposed for correct display on all terminals. In other words, the independent shared / whiteboard / meeting control units that each group originally possessed are now interconnected by sharing the unit of the root group in the connected state, achieving content fusion and interoperability.

[0087] As an example, in a scenario of partitioned management for a tightly controlled meeting or a large conference, each partition can independently complete roll call / check-in by calling a number. When the conference begins, these partitions can be merged with a single click, and the merged roll call / check-in results will be displayed together in the main conference. Furthermore, the merged participants can communicate with each other. This effectively ensures more efficient completion of participant check-in tasks while saving time and costs.

[0088] As an example, the core of dynamic grouping is a single meeting entity and a single meeting number. Groups are created flexibly during the meeting. Therefore, any meeting can support dynamic grouping without the need for specially planned meeting numbers. Dynamic grouping differs from static grouping, where all terminals share a single number, requiring only logical isolation of audio / video / sharing functions on the terminals. In other words, participants in dynamic grouping are not bound to the group itself. Participants migrate between groups to achieve screen fusion / isolation (changing the participant's group attributes). If group discussion is needed, a temporary GroupId is generated, and a group is created. If group discussion needs to end, and everyone needs to return to a single meeting, the group is destroyed, and participants are moved back to the root group. Figure 5 The diagram illustrates the dynamic group creation structure. At the start of the meeting, everyone is in the root group, and all participants are visible to each other. At this point, the root group acts as the host group. If group discussions are needed, new groups are created (two dynamic groups, Group-1 and Group-n), resulting in a three-group state. Users 1-4 are in the root group, users 5-12 are in Group-1, and users 13-20 are in Group-n. Although users 1-4, 5-12, and 13-20 are still within the same main meeting body, they are independent of each other and cannot communicate. Figure 6 As shown, if one of the groups finishes its discussion, it can choose to return to the main meeting, disband the group on the spot, and assign its members to the root group for management. At this time, users 1-4 and users 13-20 are independent of each other and cannot communicate with users 5-12. Therefore, based on the above embodiments, it can be seen that the present invention can implement a group architecture that enables the temporary nature of temporary discussion group services, as well as the planarability of strongly controlled / large-scale meetings.

[0089] It should be noted that although several units / modules or sub-units / modules of a virtual avatar display device based on a video communication system are mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is merely exemplary and not mandatory. In fact, according to embodiments of the present invention, the features and functions of two or more units / modules described above can be embodied in one unit / module. Conversely, the features and functions of one unit / module described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple units / modules.

[0090] Furthermore, although the operations of the method of the present invention are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that these operations must be performed in that specific order, or that all the operations shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. Additionally or alternatively, certain steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or one step may be broken down into multiple steps.

[0091] While the spirit and principles of the invention have been described with reference to several specific embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed specific embodiments, and the division of aspects does not imply that features in these aspects cannot be combined for benefit; such division is merely for ease of description. The invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A video conferencing group management method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive membership requests; Based on the membership request, a meeting number is identified, which includes a structure formed by a combination of a conference number and a sub-conference number; Based on the meeting number and the number segment rules, the membership application corresponding to the meeting number is added to at least one meeting entity. The meeting entity includes a set of participants and a unique root group and / or at least one ordinary group. The number segment rules are the mapping relationship between meeting numbers and meeting entities. In the same meeting entity, there is only one root group, which corresponds to the conference number. The ordinary groups corresponding to multiple sub-meeting numbers all belong to the meeting entity corresponding to the root group. The meeting entity corresponding to the conference number can be calculated from the sub-meeting number. Group management is implemented for at least one meeting within the same meeting entity, wherein: The root group and / or ordinary group respectively contain one or a combination of independent meeting control unit, sharing unit, whiteboard unit and terminal list; The group management includes dynamic group management and static group management. The static group management includes: connecting or disconnecting different ordinary groups in the meeting entity with the root group. When an ordinary group is connected to the root group, the resource units of each ordinary group are integrated and interconnected through the resource units of the shared root group. When an ordinary group is disconnected from the root group, the resource units of each ordinary group and the root group are not interconnected. The dynamic group management includes: splitting a meeting within the same meeting entity into multiple meetings by migrating participants within the same meeting entity to different ordinary groups within the meeting, with resource units between different ordinary groups not being interconnected; and destroying ordinary groups to migrate all participants in the meeting back to the root group, allowing resource units of all members to be interconnected. The resource unit includes one or a combination of a meeting control unit, a sharing unit, a whiteboard unit, and a terminal list.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of adding the meeting request corresponding to the meeting number to at least one meeting entity based on the meeting number includes: Join requests corresponding to meeting numbers that conform to the number segment rules are added to the same meeting entity.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of adding the meeting request corresponding to the meeting number that conforms to the number segment rule to the same meeting entity includes: The corresponding membership requests are added to the same meeting entity based on the conference number and / or sub-conference number.

4. A video conferencing group management device, characterized in that, The device comprises: The receiving module is used to receive a membership request and identify the meeting number based on the membership request. The meeting number includes a structure formed by a combination of the conference number and the sub-conference number. The identification module is used to identify the meeting number based on the meeting request; The joining module is used to add the joining application corresponding to the meeting number to at least one meeting entity based on the meeting number and the number segment rule. The meeting entity includes a set of participants and a unique root group and / or at least one ordinary group. The number segment rule is the mapping relationship between meeting numbers and meeting entities. In the same meeting entity, there is only one root group, which corresponds to the conference number. The ordinary groups corresponding to multiple sub-meeting numbers all belong to the meeting entity corresponding to the root group. The meeting entity corresponding to the conference number can be calculated from the sub-meeting number. The grouping module is used to manage groups of at least one meeting within the same meeting entity, wherein: The root group and / or ordinary group respectively contain one or a combination of independent meeting control unit, sharing unit, whiteboard unit and terminal list; The grouping module includes a module for dynamic and static grouping management of at least one meeting within the same meeting entity; The static group management module includes: a module for connecting or disconnecting different ordinary groups in the conference entity with the root group; when an ordinary group is connected to the root group, the resource units of each ordinary group are integrated and interconnected through the resource units of the shared root group; when an ordinary group is disconnected from the root group, the resource units of each ordinary group and the root group are not interconnected. The dynamic group management module includes: a module for splitting a meeting within the same meeting entity into multiple meetings by migrating participants within the same meeting entity to different ordinary groups within the meeting, thus preventing resource units between different ordinary groups from communicating with each other; and a module for destroying ordinary groups, migrating all participants in the meeting back to the root group, and enabling resource units of all members to communicate with each other. The resource unit includes one or a combination of a meeting control unit, a sharing unit, a whiteboard unit, and a terminal list.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The joining module includes: This module is used to add meeting requests corresponding to meeting numbers that conform to the number range rules to the same meeting entity.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The module for adding meeting requests corresponding to meeting numbers that conform to the number segment rules to the same meeting entity includes: Module for adding the corresponding membership requests to the same meeting entity based on the conference number and / or sub-conference number.

Images