Side-Group Conference Routing With Remote Video Rendering
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video conferencing technologies lack the ability to facilitate side group conversations and integrate voice assistant services seamlessly within a main conference, limiting user interaction and functionality.
Innovation Solution
A server-based conference session management system that allows participants to create side conversations, invite subgroups and voice assistants, and manage audio and video streams dynamically, ensuring isolated and simultaneous participation in multiple groups with voice assistant integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a participant leaves the main conference to join a side group conversation, then the side conversation can be isolated, but the participant cannot remain part of the main conference
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the conference into multiple independent groups (main conference and side conversations), each with its own audio and video stream routing. This allows participants to be members of multiple groups simultaneously while keeping each group's communication isolated. The server creates separate routing paths for each group, enabling participants to receive and send streams to multiple groups without interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The server implements multi-functional stream routing capability that can dynamically route audio and video streams to multiple different groups based on participant membership. A single participant's stream can be simultaneously routed to the main conference and multiple side conversations, and the server can manage these multiple routing configurations without requiring separate physical infrastructure for each group.
2Adaptability or versatility
If voice assistant services from multiple providers are integrated into the main conference and side conversations, then functionality is enhanced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as an intermediary layer between participants and multiple voice assistant providers. It manages the routing of audio streams to and from different voice assistant services, handling the complexity of multiple provider integrations centrally. This allows voice assistants from different providers to be integrated into both main conferences and side conversations without requiring each participant's device to manage multiple provider connections directly.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for routing audio and/or video streams and remote rendered video layout for conference side group conversations and voice assistant providers are disclosed. During a main conference comprising a plurality of users, a request is received to create a side group conversation comprising a subgroup of the plurality of users. A voice assistant provider is invited to the side group conversation. Users in the subgroup may be granted different permissions to query or receive responses from the voice assistant. Incoming audio and video streams from each user are demultiplexed and decoded. Decoded audio streams are processed by an appropriate audio mixer of the group and voice assistant. Decoded video streams are processed and rendered based on a video grouping render policies. Processed audio streams for each group and voice assistant and/or rendered videos are encoded and routed to each user through their dedicated multiplexer.