Video Conferencing Audio Routing for On-Demand Translation Streams
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individual participants in video conferences often struggle to follow presentations due to language barriers, as existing systems do not facilitate easy and flexible simultaneous translation of audio streams.
Innovation Solution
A video conferencing system and method that allows for bidirectional transmission of audio and video signals among at least three endpoints, enabling a first endpoint to transmit streams to a second endpoint, where a request device can selectively request a translated audio stream from a third endpoint, which generates and transmits the translation based on request signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If simultaneous translation is provided for all participants, then language barrier is eliminated, but bandwidth consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides translation services selectively to individual participants or groups based on their language needs rather than uniformly to all participants. The third endpoint generates translated audio streams only for those second endpoints that have requested them, allowing each participant to receive translation only if needed, thus eliminating language barriers for those who require it while avoiding unnecessary bandwidth consumption for participants who understand the original language.
2Adaptability or versatility
If translation services are made available to all participants, then accessibility is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a third endpoint that acts as an intermediary between the first endpoint (source) and second endpoints (receivers). This third endpoint receives the original audio stream, generates translated versions, and selectively transmits them to requesting second endpoints. This intermediary architecture simplifies the overall system by centralizing translation functionality at one endpoint rather than requiring translation capabilities at multiple endpoints, thus improving accessibility while managing system complexity.
3Reliability
If multiple audio streams are transmitted simultaneously, then translation quality is maintained, but network load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system transmits the original audio stream continuously from the first endpoint to all second endpoints. Translated audio streams are generated and transmitted only periodically or on-demand when a second endpoint sends a request signal. This periodic or on-demand transmission approach maintains translation quality for those who need it while significantly reducing overall network load by avoiding continuous transmission of multiple audio streams to all participants.
Data Source
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AI summary
A video conferencing system configured for the bidirectional transmission of video and audio signals using streaming technology between at least three endpoints (EP1-EP3), each comprising a transmitting device and/or a receiving device (SE) for audio streams (AS1, AS2, AS2") and/or for video streams (VS1, VS2, VS2"), includes: i) at least one first endpoint (EP1) with at least one transmitting device (SE) for audio streams and preferably also with a transmitting device (SE) for video streams; ii) at least one second endpoint (EP2) with a receiving device (SE) for audio streams; iii) at least one third endpoint (EP3) with at least one transmitting device (SE) for audio streams and one receiving device (SE) for audio streams;wherein a) the first endpoint (EP1) is connected to the second endpoint (EP2) and the third endpoint (EP3) to transmit a first audio stream (AS1) to the second endpoint (EP2) and the third endpoint (EP3) by means of the audio stream transmitter (SE) and preferably also to transmit a first video stream (VS1) in parallel to the first audio stream (AS1) by means of the video stream transmitter (SE) at least to the second endpoint (EP2); b) the second endpoint (EP2) has a request device, preferably a graphical user interface (UI), and is connected to the third endpoint (EP3) to selectively request a second audio stream (AS2) from the third endpoint (EP3) by means of a request signal (AF) generated or generable by the request device and to receive from the third endpoint (EP3) by means of the receiving device (SE) which second audio stream (AS2) is derived from the first audio stream (AS1);c) the third endpoint (EP3) is configured to receive the first audio stream (AS1) from the first endpoint (EP1) and the request signal (AF) from the second endpoint (EP2) and, depending on the request signal (AF), to generate the second audio stream (AS2) and transmit it to the second endpoint (EP2).