Conference control method and related device

Abstract

The present application provides a conference control method. The method is applied to a conference control system, and the conference control system comprises a conference server and a conference controller. The method comprises: the conference server receives a conference control request sent by the conference controller, wherein the conference control request is used for requesting to execute a target instruction related to a video conference; the conference server determines at least one hard terminal having a pairing relationship with the conference controller, wherein the hard terminal is used for achieving a hardware video conference on the basis of an embedded architecture; and the conference server processes the conference control request so as to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction. According to the method, by providing a conference controller in a conference room where a hard terminal is deployed, without replacing the hard terminal, a user can achieve rich remote conference control functions on the hard terminal by means of the conference controller.

Description

Conference control method and related equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on November 21, 2023, with application number 202311563645.1 and invention name “A hard terminal controller management method and device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application.

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on February 18, 2024, with application number 202410181782.7 and invention name “A conference control method and related equipment”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of computer technology, and in particular to a conference control method, system, computing device cluster, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product. Background Art

[0004] With the continuous development of computer technology, video conferencing has emerged. Video conferencing can include hardware video conferencing (HVC), which refers to a video conferencing method based on embedded architecture. Specifically, users can implement hardware video conferencing through a hardware terminal, which is usually deployed in a conference room and can be connected to an external display to broadcast the conference video.

[0005] In hardware video conferencing, users can join a video conference through the hardware terminal management portal or the TV remote control that comes with the hardware terminal. After joining the video conference, users can also use the TV remote control that comes with the hardware terminal to turn the microphone on and off. However, these conference control methods are inefficient and difficult to implement.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] This application provides a conference control method that can implement a wide range of remote conference control functions on hard terminals through a conference controller without replacing the hard terminals. This application also provides a conference control system, a computing device cluster, a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program product corresponding to this method.

[0008] In the first aspect, the present application provides a conference control method, which can be executed by a conference control system, and the conference control system includes a conference server and a conference controller. Among them, the conference control system can be a software system, and the software system can be deployed in a computing device cluster, and the computing device cluster executes the program code of the software system, thereby executing the conference control method of the present application. In some examples, the conference control system can be a hardware system, for example, the conference control system can be a computing device cluster with conference control functions, and the above hardware system executes the conference control method of the present application when it is running. For example, the conference server can be a server with conference functions. The server can be a cloud server, such as a central server in a central cloud computing cluster, or an edge server in an edge cloud computing cluster. Of course, the server can also be a server in a local data center. Among them, the local data center refers to a data center directly controlled by the user. For another example, the conference controller can be a computing device with conference control capabilities.

[0009] Specifically, the conference server can receive a conference control request sent by the conference controller, wherein the conference control request can be used to request the execution of target instructions related to the video conference. The conference server can determine at least one hard terminal that has a paired relationship with the conference controller, and the hard terminal can be used to implement hardware video conferencing based on an embedded architecture. Then, the conference server can process the conference control request to control at least one hard terminal to execute the target instructions.

[0010] In this method, a conference controller is provided in a conference room equipped with a hard terminal. The conference controller provides conference control functions, and users (e.g., conference participants) can send conference control requests through the conference controller. By establishing a pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal in the conference room on the conference server, the conference server can process the conference control request based on this pairing relationship, allowing the hard terminal to execute the target instructions related to the video conference. In this way, users can use the conference controller to implement a variety of remote conference control functions for the hard terminal without having to replace the hard terminal.

[0011] In some possible implementations, the conference controller presents at least one instruction control. In response to a trigger operation on a target control in at least one instruction control, the conference controller may send a conference control request corresponding to the target control, and the conference server may receive the conference control request.

[0012] In this method, the conference controller provides a command control, and different command controls correspond to different commands related to video conferencing. Conference participants can quickly trigger the conference controller to generate conference control requests by triggering the command controls, thereby improving the efficiency of conference control in video conferencing.

[0013] In some possible implementations, the pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal is established through the following steps: the conference server generates first pairing information of the hard terminal, then the conference server receives a pairing request sent by the conference controller, which carries second pairing information. In response to the first pairing information and the second pairing information being the same, the conference server can establish a pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal.

[0014] In this method, the first pairing information generated by the conference server is compared with the second pairing information carried in the pairing request to achieve pairing between the conference controller and the hard terminal, thereby avoiding pairing errors.

[0015] In some possible implementations, after establishing a pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal, the conference server can receive a conference information subscription request sent by the conference controller. Then, based on the pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal, the conference server can establish a conference information subscription link with the conference controller. The conference information subscription link is used to transmit the conference information of the hard terminal.

[0016] In this method, by establishing a conference information subscription link, the conference controller can present the conference information of the hard terminal. Users (such as conference participants) can intuitively view and understand the conference information of the hard terminal in the conference room through the conference controller, and push the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller.

[0017] In some possible implementations, the conference server can send the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller through the conference information subscription link; or, in response to changes in the conference information of the hard terminal, the conference server can update the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller through the conference information subscription link.

[0018] In this method, the conference server can send the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller, or update the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller when the conference information of the hard terminal changes, thereby pushing the conference information to the conference controller in a timely manner.

[0019] In some possible implementations, a conference control request is used to request to join a video conference. The conference server can generate a joining request for at least one hard terminal. In response to the conference server receiving a joining response from at least one hard terminal, the conference server can establish a control link with the conference controller. The control link is used to control at least one hard terminal to execute target instructions during the video conference.

[0020] In this method, the conference controller can control the hard terminal to join the video conference. By establishing a control link between the conference server and the conference controller, the conference server can remotely control the hard terminal through the control link during the video conference.

[0021] In some possible implementations, during a video conference, the conference controller can send target instructions to the conference server through the control link, such as instructions to mute the hard terminal, instructions to turn on the hard terminal video screen, instructions to invite other conference participants, instructions to adjust the conference view, etc. The conference server controls at least one hard terminal to execute the target instructions by processing the target instructions, thereby realizing rich conference control functions.

[0022] In some possible implementations, at least one hard terminal generates a conference join response via a connector, or the conference server forwards the conference join request from at least one hard terminal to the at least one hard terminal via an access gateway. In response to the at least one hard terminal accepting the conference join request, the at least one hard terminal generates a conference join response. In this method, a hard terminal can generate a conference join response based on the connector or access gateway, enriching the conference join methods for hard terminals.

[0023] In some possible implementations, a conference control request is used to request screen sharing in a video conference. The conference server can generate first shared screen information corresponding to at least one hard terminal and send the first shared screen information to the conference controller, so that the conference controller presents the first shared screen information. Subsequently, the conference server can receive second shared screen information sent by the conference client. In response to the first shared screen information and the second shared screen information being identical, the conference server can establish a shared link with the conference client, wherein the conference client is deployed on a device of a conference participant in the video conference. The conference server receives a data stream sent by the conference client via the shared link and sends the data stream to at least one hard terminal, so that the at least one hard terminal plays the data stream.

[0024] In this method, by presenting the shared screen information in the conference controller, the conference client can obtain a shared link between the conference server and the conference client, and transmit the data stream to the hard terminal, thereby realizing screen sharing in a conference room where a hard terminal is deployed without relying on the hard terminal's own screen projection capability.

[0025] In some possible implementations, the pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal can be kept active within a set period, and when the user turns on the conference controller, there is no need to pair it again.

[0026] In a second aspect, the present application provides a conference control system, the system comprising:

[0027] The conference controller is configured to send a conference control request, wherein the conference control request is used to request execution of a target instruction related to the video conference;

[0028] A conference server, configured to receive the conference control request and determine at least one hard terminal paired with the conference controller, wherein the hard terminal is configured to implement hardware video conferencing based on an embedded architecture;

[0029] The conference server is further configured to process the conference control request to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction.

[0030] In some possible implementations, the conference controller presents at least one command control, and the conference controller is specifically configured to:

[0031] In response to a triggering operation on a target control in the at least one instruction control, a conference control request corresponding to the target control is sent.

[0032] In some possible implementations, the conference server is further configured to:

[0033] generating first pairing information of the hard terminal;

[0034] receiving a pairing request sent by the conference controller, where the pairing request carries second pairing information;

[0035] In response to the first pairing information being the same as the second pairing information, a pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal is established.

[0036] In some possible implementations, the conference server is further configured to:

[0037] Receiving a conference information subscription request sent by the conference controller;

[0038] According to the pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal, a conference information subscription link is established with the conference controller, and the conference information subscription link is used to transmit the conference information of the hard terminal.

[0039] In some possible implementations, the conference server is further configured to:

[0040] Sending the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller via the conference information subscription link; or

[0041] In response to a change in the conference information of the hard terminal, the conference information of the hard terminal is updated to the conference controller through the conference information subscription link.

[0042] In some possible implementations, the conference control request is used to request to join a video conference, and the conference server is specifically configured to:

[0043] generating a conference joining request for the at least one hard terminal;

[0044] In response to receiving a conference joining response from the at least one hard terminal, a control link is established with the conference controller, wherein the control link is used to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction during the video conference.

[0045] In some possible implementations, the at least one hard terminal is further configured to:

[0046] Generate a join response via the connector; or,

[0047] The conference server forwards the conference joining request for the at least one hard terminal to the at least one hard terminal via an access gateway, and generates a conference joining response in response to the at least one hard terminal answering the conference joining request.

[0048] In some possible implementations, the conference control request is used to request screen sharing in a video conference, and the conference server is specifically configured to:

[0049] generating first shared screen information corresponding to the at least one hard terminal, and sending the first shared screen information to the conference controller so that the conference controller presents the first shared screen information;

[0050] receiving second shared screen information sent by a conference client, and in response to the first shared screen information being the same as the second shared screen information, establishing a sharing link with the conference client, where the conference client is deployed on a device of a conference participant in the video conference;

[0051] A data stream sent by the conference client through the shared link is received, and the data stream is sent to the at least one hard terminal, so that the at least one hard terminal plays the data stream.

[0052] In a third aspect, the present application provides a computing device cluster. The computing device cluster includes at least one computing device, each of which includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one processor and the at least one memory communicate with each other. The at least one processor is configured to execute instructions stored in the at least one memory, causing the computing device or computing device cluster to perform the conference control method described in the first aspect or any implementation of the first aspect.

[0053] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, wherein the instructions instruct a computing device or a computing device cluster to execute the conference control method described in the first aspect or any implementation of the first aspect.

[0054] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computing device or a computing device cluster, enables the computing device or computing device cluster to execute the conference control method described in the first aspect or any one of the implementations of the first aspect.

[0055] Based on the implementation methods provided in the above aspects, this application can also be further combined to provide more implementation methods. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical methods of the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments.

[0057] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a hard terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a hardware video conferencing system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a conference control system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] FIG4 is a flow chart of a conference control method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a process for establishing a pairing relationship according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a process for generating first pairing information according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a process for pushing conference information to a hard terminal according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a process of reserving a conference according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a process for joining a video conference provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a process for generating a conference joining response according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of a screen sharing process according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] 12A to 12Q are schematic diagrams of a conference control interface provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device cluster provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another computing device cluster provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another computing device cluster provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] The terms "first" and "second" in the embodiments of this application are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0074] First, some technical terms involved in this application are introduced.

[0075] Video conferencing is a method of meeting that uses a network and communication equipment to transmit audio and video signals in real time, enabling participants in different locations to communicate face-to-face. Depending on the implementation method, video conferencing can be divided into hardware video conferencing and software video conferencing, which are described below.

[0076] Hardware video conferencing (HVC) originated in the 1980s and refers to a video conferencing method based on embedded architecture. Specifically, hardware video conferencing can be implemented using hardware video conferencing systems provided by hardware video conferencing service providers.

[0077] Hardware video conferencing systems consist of hardware terminals and a multi-control unit (MCU). They primarily utilize the highly compatible Session Initialization Protocol (SIP) or the Audio and Video Protocol (H.323) for conference communications. The MCU, which can be understood as a conference server, is typically deployed in a network center. The MCU is used to aggregate, distribute, and switch signals from multiple hardware terminals. For example, the MCU can mix and switch audio and video data from multiple hardware terminals, broadcast and route data from multiple terminals, and so on.

[0078] Hard terminals are typically deployed in conference rooms, allowing users (e.g., conference participants) to conduct hardware video conferencing in conference rooms. Referring to Figure 1 , a schematic diagram of a hard terminal is shown. Hard terminal 101 can be connected to audio and video equipment, such as a microphone 102, speakers 103, a camera 104, headphones 105, and an external display 106. During a hardware video conference, participants can speak through microphone 102, listen to the audio content of the video conference through speakers 103 or headphones 105, present themselves through camera 104, and watch the video content of the video conference on external display 106.

[0079] Hardware video conferencing systems can also include a TV remote control that comes with the hardware terminal. In hardware video conferencing, participants can use the TV remote control to control the conference. Conference control refers to controlling the relevant functions of the video conference.

[0080] 2 shows an architecture diagram of a hardware video conferencing system. In a traditional conference room where hard terminals are deployed, the hard terminals can be connected to a conference server, so that conference participants can conduct a hardware video conference in the conference room.

[0081] In some examples, conference participants can use a television remote control to join a video conference. Specifically, the hardware video conferencing system can provide a hard terminal management portal and display the portal on an external display connected to the hard terminal. Conference participants can use the television remote control to access the conference management menu on the hard terminal management portal and enter the conference identification number (ID) and conference password to trigger the hard terminal to join the video conference.

[0082] In other examples, conference participants can use their TV remote to control the microphone. Specifically, they can use the TV remote to enter "#7" to turn on the microphone and "#8" to turn it off. For hardware terminals with screen projection capabilities, conference participants can also use the built-in screen projection software of the hardware video conferencing system to achieve local screen projection.

[0083] With the development of the internet, software video conferencing (SVC) has emerged. SVC, also known as cloud video conferencing, refers to a video conferencing method based on personal computers (PCs), offering high efficiency, convenience, and low cost. Specifically, SVC can be implemented using video conferencing software provided by SVC service providers.

[0084] Video conferencing software supports multi-terminal access. In some examples, video conferencing software can be deployed on mobile terminals, such as personal computers, mobile phones, and tablets. By running the video conferencing software on a mobile terminal, meeting participants can conduct a software video conference. In other examples, video conferencing software can be deployed on smart terminals, such as smart large screens and intelligent large screens. By deploying smart terminals in conference rooms, meeting participants can conduct software video conferencing in the conference room.

[0085] Video conferencing software provided by software video conferencing service providers supports a wide variety of conference control features. Specifically, during the development phase of the video conferencing software, developers at software video conferencing service providers can develop different types of conference control features, such as the ability to join a video conference, invite other users to a video conference, modify the names of participants in a video conference, turn the camera on or off, share the screen in a video conference, switch screen views in a video conference, and select meeting participants in a video conference.

[0086] This allows participants to control the conference through mobile devices or smart terminals equipped with video conferencing software. For example, participants can use a variety of methods, such as controlling the mobile terminal with a mouse or keyboard, touching the smart terminal, or interacting with the smart terminal through voice, achieving efficient and comprehensive conference control.

[0087] Based on the above description, it can be seen that, on the one hand, hardware video conferencing service providers only provide a few simple conference control functions when providing hardware video conferencing systems. Moreover, since hardware video conferencing systems do not include video conferencing software, hardware video conferencing service providers cannot easily add new conference control functions through software upgrades. Therefore, the conference control capabilities of conference rooms deployed with hardware terminals are limited. On the other hand, since hardware video conferencing was introduced relatively early and the hardware video systems are relatively old, meeting participants need to use the provided TV remote control to control these few simple conference control functions. Compared with software video conferencing methods such as using a mouse and keyboard to control a mobile terminal, or using touch and voice interaction to control a smart terminal for conference control, this interactive flexibility is poor, making it difficult to achieve efficient and convenient conference control.

[0088] Typically, users (e.g., businesses, companies, etc.) who have already purchased hardware video conferencing systems need to replace them with smart terminals (e.g., smart screens) equipped with video conferencing software to achieve comprehensive meeting control in their conference rooms. However, hardware video conferencing systems are expensive, making this approach costly.

[0089] In view of this, the present application provides a conference control method. The method can be executed by a conference control system, which includes a conference server and a conference controller. Among them, the conference control system can be a software system, and the software system can be deployed in a computing device cluster, and the computing device cluster executes the program code of the software system, thereby executing the conference control method of the present application. In some examples, the conference control system can be a hardware system, for example, the conference control system can be a computing device cluster with conference control functions, and the above hardware system executes the conference control method of the present application when it is running. For example, the conference server can be a server with conference functions. The server can be a cloud server, such as a central server in a central cloud computing cluster, or an edge server in an edge cloud computing cluster. Of course, the server can also be a server in a local data center. Among them, the local data center refers to a data center directly controlled by the user. For another example, the conference controller can be a computing device with conference control capabilities.

[0090] Specifically, the conference server can receive a conference control request sent by the conference controller, wherein the conference control request can be used to request the execution of target instructions related to the video conference. The conference server can determine at least one hard terminal that has a paired relationship with the conference controller, and the hard terminal can be used to implement hardware video conferencing based on an embedded architecture. Then, the conference server can process the conference control request to control at least one hard terminal to execute the target instructions.

[0091] In this method, a conference controller is provided in a conference room equipped with a hard terminal. The conference controller provides conference control functions, and users (e.g., conference participants) can send conference control requests through the conference controller. By establishing a pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal in the conference room on the conference server, the conference server can process the conference control request based on this pairing relationship, allowing the hard terminal to execute the target instructions related to the video conference. In this way, users can use the conference controller to implement a variety of remote conference control functions for the hard terminal without having to replace the hard terminal.

[0092] In order to make the technical solution of the present application clearer and easier to understand, the system architecture of the present application is introduced below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0093] Referring to the architectural diagram of the conference control system shown in FIG3 , the conference control system 30 includes a conference server 301 and a conference controller 302 . Specifically, the conference server 301 and the conference controller 302 are capable of communicating with each other. Depending on the form of the conference server 301 , the communication method between the conference server 301 and the conference controller 302 may vary. In some embodiments, the conference server 301 is a server in a local data center, and the conference server 301 can communicate with the conference controller 302 via a local area network. In other embodiments, the conference server 301 may be a cloud server, and the conference server 301 can communicate with the conference controller 302 via the Internet.

[0094] The hard terminal 31 can access the conference server 301. The hard terminal 31 can be a hardware terminal based on SIP or H.323, capable of implementing hardware video conferencing based on an embedded architecture. In some embodiments, the hard terminal 31 can register with the access gateway 32 and access the conference server 301 through the access gateway 32. The access gateway 32 can maintain the access registration status of the hard terminal 31 as a service. Furthermore, considering that the hard terminal 31 is typically based on the SIP or H.323 protocol, the access gateway 32 can also provide access protocol conversion functionality, enabling the hard terminal 31 to access the conference server 301 via the SIP or H.323 protocol, thereby enabling communication between the hard terminal 31 and the conference server 301.

[0095] In other embodiments, the hard terminal 31 is not registered in the access gateway 32, and the hard terminal 31 can access the conference server 301 through the connector 33. The connector 33 can act as a service, acting as a proxy for the hard terminal 31 to access the conference server 301 when the hard terminal 31 is not registered. Similarly, considering that the hard terminal 31 is usually based on the SIP or H.323 protocol, the connector 33 can also provide an access protocol conversion function, enabling the hard terminal 31 to directly call the conference server 301 through the SIP or H.323 protocol, thereby achieving communication between the hard terminal 31 and the conference server 301.

[0096] The conference controller 302, also known as a conference terminal controller or a hard terminal controller, can be provided to the user in the form of software or hardware. For example, the conference controller 302 can be provided to the user in the form of software such as an application or a plug-in. The user can deploy the application or plug-in on a conference room device (e.g., a tablet or mobile device in the conference room) to implement remote conference control for the hard terminal. For another example, the conference controller 302 can also be provided to the user in the form of hardware such as a tablet (pad) or a mobile device. The user can deploy the tablet or mobile device in the conference room, and the tablet or mobile device has remote conference control capabilities for the hard terminal.

[0097] The conference server 301 may store the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31. In some embodiments, the conference server 301 may provide pairing information and generate a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 in the same conference room.

[0098] During a video conference, conference controller 302 may send a conference control request. This conference control request may be used to request execution of a target command related to the video conference, such as a command to join the video conference or a command to share the screen during the video conference. Next, conference server 301 receives the conference control request sent by conference controller 302, identifies at least one hard terminal 31 paired with conference controller 302, and processes the conference control request to control at least one hard terminal 31 to execute the target command.

[0099] In this way, since the conference server 301 and the conference controller 302 can communicate with each other, and the conference server 301 and the hard terminal 31 can communicate with each other, by establishing a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 in the conference server 301, the user (for example, a conference participant) can trigger a conference control request through the conference controller 302. The conference server 301 determines the hard terminal 31 that needs to be controlled based on the pairing relationship, processes the conference control request, and realizes the effect of the conference controller 302 remotely controlling the hard terminal 31 to control the conference, for example, the conference controller 302 remotely controls the hard terminal 31 to join a video conference, remotely controls the hard terminal 31 to mute in a video conference, remotely controls the hard terminal 31 to turn on the camera in a video conference, etc.

[0100] In some possible implementations, the conference control system 30 may further include a conference client 303. The conference client 303 may be deployed on a device of a conference participant in a video conference, such as a personal computer or mobile device. The conference server 301 may generate first shared screen information corresponding to the hard terminal 31 and send the first shared screen information to the conference controller 302 for presentation on the conference controller 302. Subsequently, the conference participant may enter second shared screen information in the conference client 303 and send the second shared screen information to the conference server 301. In this manner, the conference server 301 may match the first shared screen information with the second shared screen information. If the first shared screen information and the second shared screen information are identical, the conference client 303 may send a data stream to the conference server 301, which then forwards the data stream to the hard terminal 31. The hard terminal 31 may then play the data stream, thereby enabling screen sharing between the conference client 303 and the hard terminal 31. In this way, screen sharing does not need to rely on the screen projection capability of the hard terminal itself. Even for hard terminals that do not have the screen projection capability, the screen projection function can be realized.

[0101] Based on the conference control system 30 shown in Figure 3, the present application further provides a conference control method. The conference control method of the present application is described below in conjunction with an embodiment.

[0102] Referring to the flow chart of the conference control method shown in FIG4 , the method includes the following steps:

[0103] S401: The conference controller 302 sends a conference control request to the conference server 301.

[0104] The conference control request is used to request the execution of a target command related to the video conference. It is understood that a video conference involves a variety of target commands related to the video conference, such as a command for the hard terminal 31 to join a video conference, a command for the hard terminal 31 to mute itself during a video conference, a command for the hard terminal 31 to invite other participants to join the video conference, a command for the hard terminal 31 to adjust the view of participants during a video conference, and a command for the hard terminal 31 to share its screen during a video conference.

[0105] In the embodiment of the present application, a conference control request may be generated by conference controller 302, and conference server 301 may receive the conference control request. In other words, by adding conference controller 302 (e.g., adding a tablet or mobile device equipped with conference controller 302) to a conference room equipped with hard terminal 31, a user may generate a target instruction requesting execution of a video conference through conference controller 302, thereby triggering conference control functions with the aid of conference controller 302.

[0106] In some possible implementations, the conference controller 302 may present at least one command control. Specifically, in response to a trigger operation on a target control in the at least one command control, the conference controller 302 may send a conference control request corresponding to the target control, and the conference server 301 may receive the conference control request.

[0107] That is, the conference controller 302 may provide at least one command control, and different command controls may correspond to different commands related to the video conference. For example, the first command control may correspond to a command for the hard terminal 31 to join the video conference, and the second command control may correspond to a command for the hard terminal 31 to mute the video conference.

[0108] A user (e.g., a conference participant) can select a target control from at least one command control on conference controller 302 based on actual conference control needs and trigger the target control. In this way, conference controller 302 can send a conference control request corresponding to the target control to conference server 301. For example, if a conference participant's conference control need is for hard terminal 31 to join a video conference, the conference participant can trigger a first command control. In response to this triggering operation, conference controller 302 can send a command to conference server 301 requesting hard terminal 31 to join the video conference.

[0109] By presenting the command control on the conference controller 302 , conference participants can quickly trigger the conference controller 302 to generate a conference control request by triggering the command control, thereby improving the efficiency of conference control in the video conference.

[0110] S402 : The conference server 301 determines at least one hard terminal 31 that has a paired relationship with the conference controller 302 .

[0111] The hard terminal 31 can be used to implement hardware video conferencing based on an embedded architecture. A pairing relationship can be understood as an association between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31. In some embodiments, a conference controller 302 and a hard terminal 31 deployed in the same conference room can be paired. This allows the conference controller 302 to remotely control the hard terminal 31 in the same conference room, thereby achieving conference control.

[0112] Considering that multiple hard terminals 31 can be deployed in a conference room, the present embodiment does not limit the number of hard terminals 31 that can be paired with the conference controller 302. For example, if a conference room has only one hard terminal 31, the conference controller 302 can be paired with that hard terminal 31. If a conference room has two hard terminals 31, the conference controller 302 can be paired with both hard terminals 31. In this way, the conference controller 302 can switch between multiple hard terminals 31, solving the problem of remote conference control for multiple hard terminals in the conference room.

[0113] The pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 can be stored in the conference server 301. Referring to FIG5 , which shows a flow chart of establishing a pairing relationship, the conference server 301 can establish a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 through the following steps:

[0114] A1: The conference server 301 generates first pairing information of the hard terminal 31 .

[0115] The first pairing information can be understood as the correct verification information required for pairing with the hard terminal 31. In different scenarios, the first pairing information can have different forms. For example, the first pairing information can be a pairing code, a pairing QR code, a pairing account and a pairing account credential, etc. This embodiment of the application does not limit this.

[0116] In some possible implementations, referring to a flowchart of generating first pairing information shown in FIG6 , the conference server 301 may generate the first pairing information through the following steps:

[0117] A11: The hard terminal management portal obtains first pairing information from the conference server 301;

[0118] A12: The conference server 301 generates first pairing information for the hard terminal 31;

[0119] A13: The conference server 301 returns the first pairing information to the hard terminal management portal website;

[0120] A14: The hard terminal management portal displays the first pairing information.

[0121] The hard terminal management portal website can be a website provided by the conference server 301 for hard terminal management. Specifically, a user (for example, a conference room administrator) can access the hard terminal management portal website through a mobile device and trigger a request to obtain the first pairing information on the hard terminal management portal website. In response to the request, the conference server 301 can generate the first pairing information, such as a randomly generated pairing code, a randomly generated pairing QR code, a randomly generated pairing account and pairing account credentials, etc. In this way, after receiving the first pairing information, the hard terminal management portal website can display it on the hard terminal management portal website. In other words, the conference room administrator can view the first pairing information in the hard terminal management portal website through a mobile device.

[0122] A2: The conference controller 302 sends a pairing request to the conference server 301.

[0123] The pairing request carries second pairing information, and the second pairing information can be understood as verification information for pairing with the hard terminal 31 .

[0124] The second pairing information can have the same form of expression as the first pairing information. For example, when the first pairing information is the pairing code generated by the conference server 301, the second pairing information can be the pairing code entered by the user through the conference controller 302. When the first pairing information is the pairing QR code generated by the conference server 301, the second pairing information can be the information obtained by the user after scanning the pairing QR code using the conference controller 302. When the first pairing information is the pairing account and the pairing account credential, the second pairing information can be the pairing account and the pairing account credential entered by the user through the conference controller 302.

[0125] In some possible implementations, the first pairing information can be displayed on a hard terminal portal website. Based on the first pairing information displayed on the hard terminal portal website, the conference room administrator can enter the second pairing information in the conference controller 302 to send a pairing request to the conference server 301. For example, if the first pairing information displayed on the hard terminal portal website is "123456," the conference room administrator can bring a mobile device to the conference room and, based on the first pairing information displayed, enter "123456" in the conference controller 302 in the conference room.

[0126] A3: In response to the first pairing information being the same as the second pairing information, the conference server 301 establishes a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 .

[0127] After receiving the second pairing information, conference server 301 can match it with the first pairing information. If the first pairing information matches the second pairing information, it indicates that the verification information sent by conference controller 302 is the correct verification information required for pairing with hard terminal 31. Conference server 301 can establish a pairing relationship between conference controller 302 and hard terminal 31.

[0128] Considering the security issues that may arise during the process of the conference server 301 establishing the pairing relationship, the conference server 301 may further authenticate the conference controller 302 after receiving the pairing request sent by the conference controller 302 .

[0129] In some embodiments, the first pairing information is a pairing code. To prevent remote impersonation, the conference server 301 can verify the identity of the conference controller 302 through local secondary verification. For example, the conference server 301 can send a secondary verification code to the hard terminal management portal. The conference room administrator can obtain the secondary verification code by viewing the hard terminal portal and enter it on the conference controller 302 for identity verification.

[0130] In other embodiments, the first pairing information is a pairing QR code. Considering the problem of counterfeiting of the pairing QR code, the conference server 301 can determine whether the conference controller 302 and the conference room administrator belong to the same tenant to perform identity authentication.

[0131] In other embodiments, the first pairing information is a pairing account and a pairing account credential. The conference server 301 can verify the identity of the conference controller 302 by locking an anti-attack slider, etc., to perform identity authentication.

[0132] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, after the conference server 301 establishes a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31, there is no need to pair the conference controller 302 again when the conference controller 302 is subsequently opened. In other words, the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 can be maintained within a set period.

[0133] Similarly, the conference server 301 can also unpair the conference controller 302 from the hard terminal 31. In some embodiments, a user (e.g., a conference room administrator) can trigger a unpairing request through the hard terminal management portal. In other embodiments, a user can also trigger a unpairing request through the conference controller 302. Upon receiving the unpairing request, the conference server 301 can delete the pairing between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31, completing the unpairing.

[0134] After the conference server 301 establishes a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31, the conference server 301 can push conference information related to the hard terminal 31 to the conference controller 302. Referring to FIG7 , which shows a flow diagram of pushing conference information to a hard terminal, the conference server 301 can establish a conference information subscription link through the following steps:

[0135] B1: The conference controller 302 sends a conference information subscription request to the conference server 301;

[0136] B2: The conference server 301 establishes a conference information subscription link with the conference controller 302 based on the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 .

[0137] It is understood that after the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 establish a pairing relationship, the conference controller 302 can send a conference information subscription request to request to obtain the conference information of the hard terminal 31. Based on the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31, the conference server 301 can establish a conference information subscription link between the conference server 301 and the conference controller 302. The conference information subscription link can be used to transmit the conference information of the hard terminal 31.

[0138] B3: The conference server 301 sends the conference information of the hard terminal 31 to the conference controller 302 through the conference information subscription link.

[0139] Because a conference information subscription link exists between conference server 301 and conference controller 302, conference server 301 can send the acquired conference information of hard terminal 31 to conference controller 302 via the conference information subscription link. For example, conference server 301 can send the conference information of hard terminal 31 to conference controller 302 in the form of a conference list.

[0140] In this way, the conference controller 302 can present the conference information of the hard terminal 31 , and users (such as conference participants) can intuitively view and understand the conference information of the hard terminal 31 in the conference room through the conference controller 302 , thereby pushing the conference information of the hard terminal 31 to the conference controller 302 .

[0141] B4: In response to the change in conference information sent by the hard terminal 31 , the conference server 301 updates the conference information of the hard terminal 31 to the conference controller 302 through the conference information subscription link.

[0142] It is understood that the conference information of the hard terminal 31 may change, for example, if a new pending video conference is added or an existing pending video conference is deleted. When the conference information of the hard terminal 31 changes, the conference server 301 can re-push the conference information of the hard terminal 31 through the conference information subscription link and update the conference information displayed in the conference controller 302.

[0143] In some possible implementations, the user can change the conference information of the hard terminal 31 through the conference controller 302. Referring to FIG8 , which is a flow chart of a conference reservation process, the conference server 301 can generate the conference information of the hard terminal 31 through the following steps:

[0144] B41: The conference controller 302 sends a conference reservation request to the conference server 301;

[0145] B42: The conference server 301 generates conference information of the hard terminal 31 according to the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31.

[0146] The conference reservation request may include conference information, such as the conference topic, meeting time, and meeting participants. A user (e.g., a conference participant) triggers the generation of a conference reservation request through the conference controller 302. Upon receiving the conference reservation request, the conference server 301 determines the hard terminal 31 that needs to change its conference information based on its paired relationship, and generates conference information for the hard terminal 31 based on the information included in the conference reservation request, thereby completing the conference reservation.

[0147] Thus, after generating the conference information of the hard terminal 31 , the conference server 301 can re-push the conference information of the hard terminal 31 through the conference information subscription link, inform the conference controller 302 of the conference reservation result, and update the conference information presented in the conference controller 302 .

[0148] S403: The conference server 301 processes the conference control request to control at least one hard terminal 31 to execute a target instruction.

[0149] Since the conference server 301 has determined at least one hard terminal 31 that has a paired relationship with the conference controller 302, the conference server 301 can process the conference control request, thereby controlling at least one hard terminal 31 to execute the target instruction, achieving the effect that can be achieved by the conference controller 302 remotely controlling the hard terminal to process the conference control request.

[0150] For example, when a conference control request is used to request joining a video conference, the conference server 301 processes the conference control request, allowing at least one hard terminal 31 to join the video conference. For another example, when a conference control request is used to request screen sharing in a video conference, the conference server 301 processes the conference control request, and the projected screen content can be displayed on at least one hard terminal 31.

[0151] The following describes different conference control requests separately.

[0152] In some embodiments, the conference control request is used to request to join a video conference. Referring to FIG9 , a flow chart of joining a video conference is shown. The hard terminal 31 can join the video conference by following the steps below:

[0153] C1: The conference server 301 generates a conference joining request for at least one hard terminal 31 .

[0154] Since the conference control request is a request to join a video conference, the conference server 301 can determine at least one hard terminal 31 paired with the conference controller 302 based on the pairing relationship of the conference controller 302 , and thus generate a conference joining request for the at least one hard terminal 31 .

[0155] C2: The hard terminal 31 sends a conference joining response to the conference server 301.

[0156] In response to the conference joining request generated by the conference server 301, the hard terminal 31 may respond to join the video conference. Specifically, the hard terminal 31 may generate the conference joining response in different ways.

[0157] 10 , a flow chart of generating a conference joining response is shown. In this embodiment of the present application, the hard terminal can generate a conference joining response through step C21 or through steps C22 to C24.

[0158] In some possible implementations, such as C21, hard terminal 31 can generate a conference join response via connector 33. Specifically, if hard terminal 31 is not registered with access gateway 32, conference server 301 cannot address hard terminal 31. Therefore, hard terminal 31 can proactively generate a conference join response via connector 33 and join the video conference.

[0159] In some other possible implementations, such as C22 to C24, the conference server 301 may forward a conference joining request for at least one hard terminal 31 to the at least one hard terminal 31 via an access gateway. In response to the at least one hard terminal 31 answering the conference joining request, the at least one hard terminal 31 may generate a conference joining response.

[0160] In specific implementations, when hard terminal 31 registers with access gateway 32, access gateway 32 can route the request based on the hard terminal identifier (e.g., the hard terminal number) carried in the join request and forward the join request to hard terminal 31. By configuring hard terminal 31 in automatic answer mode, hard terminal 31 can automatically generate a join response and join the video conference.

[0161] C3: The conference controller 302 establishes a control link with the conference server 301.

[0162] After at least one hard terminal 31 joins the video conference, it indicates that at least one hard terminal 31 is already in the video conference. The conference server 301 can send the joining information of the hard terminal 31 to the conference controller 302, for example, updating the status of the hard terminal 31 to the conference controller 302 as having joined the conference. In this way, the conference controller 302 can obtain the joining information and establish a long connection (i.e., a control link) with the conference server 301. During the video conference, the conference controller 302 can remotely control the hard terminal 31 through the control link.

[0163] For example, during a video conference, the conference controller 302 can send target instructions to the conference server 301 through the control link, such as instructions to mute the hard terminal, instructions to turn on the hard terminal video screen, instructions to invite other conference participants, instructions to adjust the conference view, etc. The conference server 301 controls at least one hard terminal 31 to execute the target instructions by processing the target instructions, thereby realizing rich conference control functions.

[0164] In other embodiments, the conference control request is used to request screen sharing in a video conference. Referring to FIG11 , a flowchart of screen sharing is shown. The hard terminal 31 can implement screen sharing through the following steps:

[0165] D1: The conference server 301 generates first shared screen information corresponding to at least one hard terminal 31;

[0166] D2: The conference server 301 sends the first shared screen information to the conference controller 302;

[0167] D3: The conference controller 302 presents the first shared screen information.

[0168] The first shared screen information may be understood as the correct verification information required to implement screen sharing on the hard terminal 31. In the embodiment of the present application, the first shared screen information may be generated by the conference server 301 and presented in the conference controller 302.

[0169] D4: The conference client 303 sends the second shared screen information to the conference server 301 .

[0170] The conference client 303 can be deployed on devices of conference participants in a video conference, such as personal computers or mobile devices used by conference participants, so that conference participants can share their screens through the conference client 303. The second shared screen information can be understood as verification information for implementing screen sharing on the hard terminal 31.

[0171] Specifically, the conference participant can trigger a screen projection request through the conference client 303 and input the second shared screen information according to the first shared screen information presented in the conference controller 302 for verification.

[0172] D5: In response to the first shared screen information being identical to the second shared screen information, the conference server 301 establishes a sharing link with the conference client 303 .

[0173] After receiving the second shared screen information, conference server 301 can match it with the first shared screen information. If the first shared screen information matches the second shared screen information, it indicates that the verification information sent by conference client 303 is the correct verification information required to implement screen sharing on hard terminal 31. Conference server 301 can then establish a shared link between conference server 301 and conference client 303, which can receive the data stream sent by conference client 303.

[0174] D6: The conference client 303 sends a data stream to the conference server 301;

[0175] D7: The conference server 301 sends a data stream to at least one hard terminal 31;

[0176] D8: At least one hard terminal 31 plays the data stream.

[0177] In this way, the conference client 303 can send a data stream, such as a data stream of the current desktop of the conference client 303, to the conference server 301 via a shared link. After receiving the data stream, the conference server 301 can send the data stream to at least one hard terminal 31, so that the at least one hard terminal 31 can play the data stream, for example, on an external display connected to the at least one hard terminal 31, thereby displaying the same content as the conference client 303 and achieving screen sharing.

[0178] It is understandable that conference participants can also share their screens before the video conference starts. When the conference client 303 sends a screen projection request, but the hard terminal 31 has not joined the video conference, the conference server 301 can execute steps C1 to C2, control the hard terminal 31 to join the video conference, and then realize screen sharing.

[0179] Based on the above description, it can be seen that by establishing a pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal, the user can trigger the generation of target instructions related to the video conference through the conference controller, and through the processing of the conference server, the effect of remotely controlling the hard terminal to execute the target instructions can be achieved, enriching the conference control function and improving the user experience in video conferencing.

[0180] The foregoing describes a conference control method provided in an embodiment of the present application, which will be introduced below in conjunction with specific scenarios.

[0181] Refer to the schematic diagram of a conference control interface shown in Figures 12A to 12Q. Figure 12A is a display window 1200 for the first pairing information. Specifically, the display window 1200 for the first pairing information can be presented in the hard terminal management portal website. After the user (for example, the conference room administrator) obtains the first pairing information, the conference server 301 can return the first pairing information. In this way, the hard terminal management portal website can present the display window 1200 for the first pairing information. The first pairing information can be displayed in the display window 1200 for the first pairing information, for example, a pairing QR code and a pairing code (such as ABCD-ABCD) can be displayed.

[0182] Figure 12B is an input window 1201 for the second pairing information. Specifically, the input window 1201 for the second pairing information can be presented in the conference controller 302. The user (for example, a conference room administrator) can input the second pairing information based on the first pairing information displayed in the display window 1200 of the first pairing information to pair the conference controller 302 with the hard terminal 31.

[0183] FIG12C shows a verification code input window 1202. Specifically, the verification code input window 1202 may be displayed in the conference controller 302. After a user (e.g., a conference room administrator) sends a pairing request through the conference controller 302, the conference server 301 may authenticate the conference controller 302 by sending a verification code. For example, the conference server 301 may send a verification code to the conference room administrator's mobile device and display the verification code input window 1202 on the conference controller 302. The conference room administrator may enter the verification code received on the mobile device into the verification code input window 1202 to complete the authentication.

[0184] Figure 12D shows the hard terminal management portal website 1203. After the conference server 301 establishes a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31, the user (for example, a conference room administrator) can view the pairing relationship through the hard terminal management portal website 1203. In addition, the hard terminal management portal website 1203 can also display information related to the hard terminal, such as the hard terminal name, the department to which the hard terminal belongs, the hard terminal device model, the hard terminal serial number (SN code), the hard terminal status, etc.

[0185] Figure 12E is the display page 1204 of the conference controller. After the conference server 301 establishes a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31, the display page 1204 of the conference controller can display information related to the hard terminal 31 (for example, the name of the hard terminal 31), and provide controls for joining a conference, initiating a conference, and sharing a screen projection, so that users can remotely control the hard terminal 31 through the controls provided in the display page 1204 of the conference controller.

[0186] After the conference server 301 establishes a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31, the user can cancel the pairing relationship through the conference controller 302. As shown in Figures 12F and 12G, the display page 1204 of the conference controller provides a setting control. After the user triggers the setting control, an unpairing control 12041 can be further presented. After the user triggers the unpairing control 12041, an unpairing window 12042 can be presented on the display page 1204 of the conference controller. The unpairing window 12042 is used to confirm with the user whether to cancel the pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal. In other embodiments, the user can also unbind through the unpairing control provided by the hard terminal management portal 1203, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0187] After the conference server 301 establishes a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31, the conference server 301 can push the conference information of the hard terminal 31 to the conference controller 302. As shown in Figure 12H, the conference controller's display page 1204 displays the conference information of the hard terminal 31, such as the meeting time and meeting topic.

[0188] The user can schedule a meeting by triggering the initiate meeting control on the conference controller display page 1204. As shown in FIG12I , the conference controller display page 1204 may present a conference schedule window 12043, in which the user can enter meeting information such as the meeting subject and meeting time to schedule a meeting.

[0189] As shown in FIG12J , when a conference with a hard terminal 31 is ongoing, a join control may be provided in the ongoing conference information area of ​​the conference controller display page 1204 . The user may trigger the join control to control the hard terminal to join the ongoing conference.

[0190] Figure 12K shows a conference join page 1205. Specifically, conference join page 1205 may be displayed in conference controller 302. A user may enter a conference ID on conference join page 1205 to control hard terminal 31 to join the video conference. As shown in Figure 12L , for video conferences requiring a conference password, after the user enters the conference ID, conference join page 1205 may further present a password input window 12051. The user may enter the conference password on password input window 12051 to control hard terminal 31 to join the video conference.

[0191] After the hard terminal 31 joins the video conference, as shown in FIG12M , the conference controller display page 1204 may present multiple command controls to support the user in remotely controlling the conference for the hard terminal 31 through the conference controller 302. For example, the conference controller display page 1204 may display the conference topic and conference ID, and provide controls for mute, start video, share the screen, invite other conference participants, and adjust the conference view.

[0192] The user can generate different conference control requests by triggering the command control. As shown in Figures 12N, 12O and 12P, after the user triggers the control to adjust the conference view, the display page 1204 of the conference controller can present a view selection window 12044, and the user can adjust the conference view in the video conference through the view selection window 12044, for example, to adjust it to speaker mode, picture-in-picture mode or gallery mode. After the user triggers the control to invite other conference participants, the display page 1204 of the conference controller can present an external invitation window 12045, and the external invitation window 12045 can display an invitation QR code, conference topic, conference ID and conference password, so that other conference participants can join the video conference through the external invitation window 12045. After the user triggers the screen sharing control, the display page 1204 of the conference controller can present a screen projection window 12046, and the screen projection window 12046 displays a first screen sharing information (for example, a screen projection code "ABCDEFGH"), and the user can enter the second screen sharing information in the conference client 303 to achieve screen sharing.

[0193] Conference controller display page 1204 also provides a control for leaving the conference. As shown in FIG12Q , after the user triggers the control, conference controller display page 1204 may present a leave conference window 12047, which prompts the user to confirm whether to leave the current video conference. Thus, through the pairing relationship between conference controller 302 and hard terminal 31, conference controller 302 is able to remotely control hard terminal 31, realizing a rich set of conference control functions.

[0194] Based on the conference control method of the aforementioned embodiment, the present application embodiment further provides a conference control system 30 as described above. The conference control system 30 is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0195] Referring to the structural diagram of the conference control system 30 shown in FIG3 , the conference control system 30 includes:

[0196] The conference controller 302 is used to send a conference control request, where the conference control request is used to request execution of a target instruction related to the video conference;

[0197] The conference server 301 is configured to receive a conference control request and determine at least one hard terminal that is paired with the conference controller, wherein the hard terminal is configured to implement hardware video conferencing based on an embedded architecture;

[0198] The conference server 301 is further configured to process conference control requests to control at least one hard terminal to execute target instructions.

[0199] The conference controller 302 may include a communication module 3021 for sending a conference control request. Similarly, the conference server 301 may include a communication module 3011 for receiving a conference control request, a determination module 3012 for determining at least one hard terminal paired with the conference controller, and a processing module 3013 for processing the conference control request to control at least one hard terminal to execute a target instruction.

[0200] The communication module 3021, communication module 3011, determination module 3012, and processing module 3013 described above can be implemented as hardware modules or software modules. Specifically, the communication module 3021, communication module 3011, determination module 3012, and processing module 3013 can be implemented as a computing device or a computing engine on the computing device. The following description will use the determination module 3012 as an example.

[0201] When implemented via software, determination module 3012 may be an application or application module, such as a computing engine, running on a computing device or computing device cluster. This application may be provided to users as a virtualized service. Virtualized services may include virtual machine (VM) services, bare metal server (BMS) services, and container services. VM services utilize virtualization technology to create a virtual machine (VM) resource pool on multiple physical hosts (such as computing devices) to provide users with VMs on demand. BMS services create a virtual BMS resource pool on multiple physical hosts to provide users with BMSs on demand. Container services create a virtual container resource pool on multiple physical hosts to provide users with containers on demand. A VM is a simulated virtual computer, essentially a single logical computer. BMS is a scalable, high-performance computing service with computing performance comparable to traditional physical machines and secure physical isolation. Containers are a kernel virtualization technology that provides lightweight virtualization to isolate user space, processes, and resources. It should be understood that the VM service, BMS service and container service in the above-mentioned virtualization services are merely specific examples. In actual applications, the virtualization service may also be other lightweight or heavyweight virtualization services, which are not specifically limited here.

[0202] When implemented by hardware, the determination module 3012 may include at least one computing device, such as a server. Alternatively, the determination module 102 may be implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD). The PLD may be a complex programmable logical device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof.

[0203] In some possible implementations, the conference controller 302 presents at least one command control, and the conference controller 302 (e.g., the communication module 3021) is specifically configured to:

[0204] In response to a triggering operation on a target control in at least one instruction control, a conference control request corresponding to the target control is sent.

[0205] In some possible implementations, the conference server 301 further includes a generation module and a creation module (not shown in the figure). The conference server 301 (eg, the generation module) is further configured to:

[0206] Generate first pairing information of the hard terminal;

[0207] The conference server 301 (e.g., the communication module 3012) is also used to:

[0208] Receive a pairing request sent by the conference controller 302 (e.g., the communication module 3021), where the pairing request carries the second pairing information;

[0209] The conference server 301 (e.g., a setup module) is also used to:

[0210] In response to the first pairing information being the same as the second pairing information, a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal is established.

[0211] In some possible implementations, the conference server 301 (e.g., the communication module 3011) is further configured to:

[0212] Receive a conference information subscription request sent by the conference controller 302 (e.g., the communication module 3021);

[0213] The conference server 301 (e.g., a setup module) is also used to:

[0214] According to the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal, a conference information subscription link is established with the conference controller 302 . The conference information subscription link is used to transmit the conference information of the hard terminal.

[0215] In some possible implementations, the conference server 301 (e.g., the communication module 3011) is further configured to:

[0216] Send the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller 302 (eg, the communication module 3021) via the conference information subscription link; or

[0217] In response to changes in the conference information of the hard terminal, the conference information of the hard terminal is updated to the conference controller 302 (eg, the communication module 3021 ) through the conference information subscription link.

[0218] In some possible implementations, the conference control request is used to request to join a video conference, and the conference server 301 (e.g., the processing module 3013) is specifically configured to:

[0219] generating a conference joining request for at least one hard terminal;

[0220] In response to receiving a conference joining response from at least one hard terminal, a control link is established with the conference controller 302 , where the control link is used to control at least one hard terminal to execute a target instruction during the video conference.

[0221] In some possible implementations, the at least one hard terminal is further configured to:

[0222] Generate a join response via the connector; or,

[0223] The conference server 301 (eg, the communication module 3011 ) forwards a conference joining request from at least one hard terminal to the at least one hard terminal via an access gateway, and generates a conference joining response in response to the at least one hard terminal accepting the conference joining request.

[0224] In some possible implementations, the conference control request is used to request screen sharing in a video conference, and the conference server 301 (e.g., the processing module 3013) is specifically configured to:

[0225] Generate first shared screen information corresponding to at least one hard terminal, and send the first shared screen information to the conference controller 302 so that the conference controller 302 presents the first shared screen information;

[0226] receiving second shared screen information sent by the conference client 303, and establishing a sharing link with the conference client 303 in response to the first shared screen information being the same as the second shared screen information, wherein the conference client 303 is deployed on a device of a conference participant in the video conference;

[0227] The data stream sent by the conference client 303 through the shared link is received, and the data stream is sent to at least one hard terminal, so that the at least one hard terminal plays the data stream.

[0228] This application also provides a computing device 1300. As shown in Figure 13, computing device 1300 includes a bus 1302, a processor 1304, a memory 1306, and a communication interface 1308. Processor 1304, memory 1306, and communication interface 1308 communicate with each other via bus 1302. Computing device 1300 can be a server or a terminal device. It should be understood that this application does not limit the number of processors and memories in computing device 1300.

[0229] Bus 1302 may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, among others. Buses may be classified as address buses, data buses, control buses, and the like. For ease of illustration, FIG13 shows a single line, but this does not imply a single bus or type of bus. Bus 1302 may include a path for transmitting information between various components of computing device 1300 (e.g., memory 1306, processor 1304, and communication interface 1308).

[0230] The processor 1304 may include any one or more processors such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor (MP), or a digital signal processor (DSP).

[0231] The memory 1306 may include a volatile memory, such as a random access memory (RAM). The memory 1306 may also include a non-volatile memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid state drive (SSD). The memory 1306 stores executable program code, and the processor 1304 executes the executable program code to implement the aforementioned conference control method. Specifically, the memory 1306 stores instructions for the conference control system 30 to execute the conference control method.

[0232] The communication interface 1308 uses a transceiver module such as, but not limited to, a network interface card or a transceiver to implement communication between the computing device 1300 and other devices or a communication network.

[0233] Embodiments of the present application also provide a computing device cluster. The computing device cluster includes at least one computing device. The computing device can be a server, such as a central server, an edge server, or a local server in a local data center. In some embodiments, the computing device can also be a terminal device such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a smartphone.

[0234] As shown in Figure 14, the computing device cluster includes at least one computing device 1300. The memory 1306 of one or more computing devices 1300 in the computing device cluster may store the same conference control system 30 instructions for executing the conference control method.

[0235] In some possible implementations, one or more computing devices 1300 in the computing device cluster may also store some of the instructions for the conference control system 30 to execute the conference control method. In other words, the combination of one or more computing devices 1300 can jointly execute the instructions for the conference control system 30 to execute the conference control method.

[0236] It should be noted that the memories 1306 in different computing devices 1300 in the computing device cluster may store different instructions for executing partial functions of the conference control system 30 .

[0237] FIG15 illustrates a possible implementation. As shown in FIG15 , two computing devices 1300A and 1300B are connected via a communication interface 1308. The memory in computing device 1300A stores instructions for executing the functions of a conference controller (e.g., communication module 3021). The memory in computing device 1300B stores instructions for executing the functions of a conference server (e.g., communication module 3011, determination module 3012, and processing module 3013). In other words, the memories 1306 of computing devices 1300A and 1300B jointly store instructions for the conference control system 30 to execute the action correction method.

[0238] The connection method between the computing device clusters shown in FIG15 may be considered to be applied to a conference control system 30 provided by the present application, which includes a conference controller and a conference server. Therefore, it is considered that the functions implemented by the communication module 3021 are performed by the computing device 1300A, while the functions implemented by the communication module 3011, the determination module 3012, and the processing module 3013 are performed by the computing device 1300B.

[0239] It should be understood that the functionality of the computing device 1300A shown in FIG15 may also be implemented by multiple computing devices 1300. Similarly, the functionality of the computing device 1300B may also be implemented by multiple computing devices 1300.

[0240] In some possible implementations, one or more computing devices in a computing device cluster may be connected via a network. The network may be a wide area network or a local area network, etc. FIG16 shows a possible implementation. As shown in FIG16 , two computing devices 1300C and 1300D are connected via a network. Specifically, the network is connected via a communication interface in each computing device. In this type of possible implementation, the memory 1306 in the computing device 1300C stores instructions for executing the functions of a conference controller (e.g., a communication module 3021). At the same time, the memory 1306 in the computing device 1300D stores instructions for executing the functions of a conference server (e.g., a communication module 3011, a determination module 3012, and a processing module 3013).

[0241] The connection method between the computing device clusters shown in Figure 16 can be based on the fact that the conference control method provided in this application is applied to a conference control system 30, and the conference control system 30 includes a conference controller and a conference server. Therefore, it is considered that the functions implemented by the communication module 3021 are performed by the computing device 1300C, and the functions implemented by the communication module 3011, the determination module 3012 and the processing module 3013 are performed by the computing device 1300D. It should be understood that the functions of the computing device 1300C shown in Figure 16 can also be completed by multiple computing devices 1300. Similarly, the functions of the computing device 1300D can also be completed by multiple computing devices 1300.

[0242] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be stored by a computing device or a data storage device such as a data center that contains one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (for example, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (for example, a solid-state drive). The computer-readable storage medium includes instructions that instruct the computing device to execute the above-mentioned application to the conference control system for executing the conference control method.

[0243] The present application also provides a computer program product containing instructions. The computer program product may be software or a program product containing instructions that can be run on a computing device or stored on any available medium. When the computer program product is run on at least one computing device, it causes the at least one computing device to execute the conference control method described above.

[0244] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the protection scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A conference control method, characterized in that: Applied to a conference control system, the conference control system includes a conference server and a conference controller, and the method includes: The conference server receives a conference control request sent by the conference controller, where the conference control request is used to request execution of a target instruction related to the video conference; The conference server determines at least one hard terminal that has a pairing relationship with the conference controller, and the hard terminal is used to implement a hardware video conference based on an embedded architecture; The conference service end processes the conference control request to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The conference controller presents at least one instruction control, and the conference server receives a conference control request sent by the conference controller, including: In response to a trigger operation on a target control in the at least one instruction control, the conference controller sends a conference control request corresponding to the target control; The conference service end receives the conference control request.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal is established through the following steps: The conference server generates first pairing information of the hard terminal; The conference server receives a pairing request sent by the conference controller, where the pairing request carries second pairing information; In response to the first pairing information being the same as the second pairing information, the conference service end establishes a pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that After establishing the pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal, the method further includes: The conference server receives a conference information subscription request sent by the conference controller; The conference service end establishes a conference information subscription link with the conference controller according to the pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal, and the conference information subscription link is used to transmit the conference information of the hard terminal.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: The conference server sends the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller through the conference information subscription link; or, In response to changes in the conference information of the hard terminal, the conference server updates the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller through the conference information subscription link.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The conference control request is used to request to join a video conference, and the conference server processes the conference control request to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction, including: The conference server generates a conference joining request for the at least one hard terminal; In response to the conference service end receiving a conference joining response from the at least one hard terminal, the conference service end establishes a control link with the conference controller, wherein the control link is used to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction during the video conference.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that Before the conference server establishes a control link with the conference controller in response to the conference server receiving the conference joining response from the at least one hard terminal, the method further includes: The at least one hard terminal generates a joining response via the connector; or, The conference service end forwards the conference joining request for the at least one hard terminal to the at least one hard terminal through the access gateway, and in response to the at least one hard terminal answering the conference joining request, the at least one hard terminal generates a conference joining response.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The conference control request is used to request screen sharing in a video conference, and the conference server processes the conference control request to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction, including: The conference server generates first shared screen information corresponding to the at least one hard terminal, and sends the first shared screen information to the conference controller so that the conference controller presents the first shared screen information; The conference server receives the second shared screen information sent by the conference client, and in response to the first shared screen information being the same as the second shared screen information, the conference server establishes a shared link with the conference client, and the conference client is deployed on the Devices of meeting participants in a video conference; The conference server receives the data stream sent by the conference client through the shared link, and sends the data stream to the at least one hard terminal, so that the at least one hard terminal plays the data stream.

9. A conference control system, characterized in that: The system comprises: A conference controller, used to send a conference control request, wherein the conference control request is used to request execution of a target instruction related to a video conference; A conference server, configured to receive the conference control request and determine at least one hard terminal that has a pairing relationship with the conference controller, wherein the hard terminal is configured to implement a hardware video conference based on an embedded architecture; The conference server is further configured to process the conference control request to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction.

10. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that The conference controller presents at least one instruction control, and the conference controller is specifically used to: In response to a trigger operation on a target control in the at least one instruction control, a conference control request corresponding to the target control is sent.

11. The system according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: The conference server is also used for: Generate first pairing information of the hard terminal; receiving a pairing request sent by the conference controller, wherein the pairing request carries second pairing information; In response to the first pairing information being the same as the second pairing information, a pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal is established.

12. The system according to claim 11, characterized in that The conference server is also used for: Receiving a conference information subscription request sent by the conference controller; According to the pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal, a conference information subscription link is established with the conference controller, and the conference information subscription link is used to transmit the conference information of the hard terminal.

13. The system according to claim 12, characterized in that The conference server is also used for: Sending the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller through the conference information subscription link; or, In response to a change in the conference information of the hard terminal, the conference information of the hard terminal is updated to the conference controller through the conference information subscription link.

14. The system according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that: The conference control request is used to request to join a video conference, and the conference server is specifically used to: generating a joining request for the at least one hard terminal; In response to receiving a conference joining response from the at least one hard terminal, a control link is established with the conference controller, wherein the control link is used to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction during the video conference.

15. The system according to claim 14, characterized in that The at least one hard terminal is also used for: Generate a join response through a connector; or, The conference service end forwards the conference joining request for the at least one hard terminal to the at least one hard terminal through the access gateway, and generates a conference joining response in response to the at least one hard terminal answering the conference joining request.

16. The system according to any one of claims 9 to 15, characterized in that The conference control request is used to request screen sharing in a video conference, and the conference server is specifically used to: generating first shared screen information corresponding to the at least one hard terminal, and sending the first shared screen information to the conference controller so that the conference controller presents the first shared screen information; receiving second shared screen information sent by a conference client, and in response to the first shared screen information being the same as the second shared screen information, establishing a shared link with the conference client, the conference client being deployed on a device of a conference participant in the video conference; A data stream sent by the conference client through the shared link is received, and the data stream is sent to the at least one hard terminal so that the at least one hard terminal plays the data stream.

17. A computing device cluster, characterized in that: The computing device cluster includes at least one computing device, and the at least one computing device includes at least one processor and at least one memory, wherein the at least one memory stores computer-readable instructions; the at least one processor executes the computer-readable instructions so that the computing device cluster executes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The method comprises computer-readable instructions; the computer-readable instructions are used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

19. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises computer-readable instructions; the computer-readable instructions are used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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