MCU Nested Videoconference Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current videoconferencing systems lack the ability to conduct private discussions among participants without disrupting the main conference or requiring users to resort to offline methods.
Innovation Solution
A multipoint control unit (MCU) facilitates a private videoconference by transmitting videoconference information within a subset of endpoints while maintaining the main conference, allowing participants to discuss privately without affecting others, and displaying indicators to ensure privacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If participants use offline methods (email, chat, cell phones) for private discussions, then privacy is maintained, but the convenience and integration with the videoconference is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The videoconference system segments participants into different groups (main conference participants and private conference participants). The MCU creates separate transmission paths for different participant subsets, allowing private discussions within the broader conference context without requiring external communication tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested conference structure where a private videoconference is embedded within the main videoconference. Participants can join a private conference while remaining part of the main conference, creating a conference-within-a-conference architecture that maintains both privacy and integration.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a private videoconference is conducted within the main videoconference, then convenience and integration are improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The MCU is designed with multi-functionality to handle both main conference operations and private conference operations. It can perform decoding, encoding, and video information transmission for different participant subsets using the same hardware resources, avoiding the need for separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The MCU acts as an intermediary that manages the complex routing of video information between different participant groups. It receives video inputs from all participants and selectively distributes them to appropriate subsets, simplifying the control architecture by centralizing the mediation function.
3Reliability
If video information is transmitted selectively to subset of endpoints, then privacy is improved, but the encoding and decoding overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs encoding and decoding operations only on the portions of video information needed for each participant subset. Rather than processing all video streams for all participants, the MCU selectively processes and transmits only the relevant video information to each group, reducing overall computational overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
Conducting a private videoconference within a videoconference. A videoconference may be established between a plurality of endpoints. Input may be received requesting the private videoconference for a plural subset of the plurality of endpoints. The private videoconference may be established between the plural subset of the plurality of endpoints. The initial videoconference may continue during the private videoconference. Private videoconference data may be transmitted only to the plural subset of endpoints of the private videoconference. The private videoconference may be sent directly between the plural subset of endpoints or may be sent via a multipoint control unit, e.g., of the initial videoconference. The private videoconference data may not be sent to the remaining endpoints of the initial videoconference.