Server-Side Video Call Annotation Merging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video call annotation methods are limited to one-to-one scenarios and cannot support simultaneous annotation by multiple users, failing to meet the demands for collaborative annotation in applications like remote guidance and remote medical care.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for sharing information during a video call that allows multiple users to annotate simultaneously by receiving annotation requests, generating annotated images based on position information, and transmitting these images, using a server to process and merge annotations with real-time video frames, enabling simultaneous online annotating and improving efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing annotating methods are used where each user annotates locally and sends completed pictures, then annotation simplicity is maintained, but simultaneous annotation by multiple users cannot be supported
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple annotation operations into a single centralized annotation area on the server. Instead of each user annotating independently on their own terminal, all users annotate on the same image displayed on their respective terminals, with all annotations being processed and merged by the server. This allows simultaneous annotation by multiple users while maintaining system simplicity through centralized management.
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as an intermediary between multiple users and the annotation image. It receives annotation requests from multiple users, processes the annotations in a unified coordinate system, and sends the annotated image back to all users. This intermediary role enables simultaneous annotation while managing the complexity of coordinate conversion and annotation merging.
2Productivity
If annotation requests are processed sequentially, then system simplicity is maintained, but annotation efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous processing of annotation requests by maintaining an annotation queue on the server. When multiple annotation requests are received, they are processed sequentially in the queue without interrupting the video call or requiring users to wait. This ensures continuous annotation processing while maintaining system simplicity through queue-based management.
3Measurement precision
If screen resolution differences between terminals are not considered, then processing simplicity is maintained, but annotation position accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the coordinate system parameter based on screen resolution. When an annotation request is received, the server retrieves the terminal's screen resolution and converts the annotation coordinates from the terminal's coordinate system to the server's standardized coordinate system. This parameter adjustment ensures accurate annotation positioning across different screen resolutions while managing complexity through systematic conversion.
Data Source
AI summary
The present application provides a method and apparatus for sharing information during a video call. The method includes: receiving an annotation request from a terminal participating in the video call; determining a frame of image that corresponds to the annotation request in the video call as an image to be annotated; receiving from the terminal an annotation message that corresponds to the annotation request; generating an annotated image by annotating at a corresponding position in the image to be annotated based on the annotation message; and transmitting the annotated image. This allows generating the annotated image by a server.