Hardware architecture for video conferencing

A method for processing video in a multipoint control unit having a motherboard and at least one daughterboard, each of the at least one daughterboard having a plurality of processors interconnected via a daughterboard switch, the method comprising:

• switching data between the plurality of processors associated with the daughterboard and between the motherboard and daughterboard.

A method of transmitting a scaled video image to different destinations at different respective scaling levels with an MCU including a plurality of processors operable to perform processing of data representative of video images, the plurality of processors interconnected by a plurality of links, and a plurality of stream processors operable to process data as it passes between the processors over the plurality of links, the method comprising:

• performing video scaling of video data in a first of the stream processors to a first scale level required by a first destination and performing subsequent scaling of the video data using a second stream processor to a second, smaller scaling level for a second destination.

A computer readable medium encoded with computer program instructions for routing video data in a multipoint control unit having a plurality of signal processors, the computer program instructions comprising:

• instructions for performing video scaling of video data in a first stream processors to a first scale level required by a first destination and performing subsequent scaling of the video data using a second stream processor to a second, smaller scaling level for a second destination.

A video processing system for a multipoint control unit, comprising:

• a plurality of processors adapted to perform processing of data representative of video images, the plurality of processors being interconnected via switches operable to choose between unicast and multicast transmission of received data.

A method of routing video data in a multipoint control unit having a plurality of signal processors, the method comprising:

• storing or retrieving a network map holding data representative of a network topology which interconnects the signal processors;
• and
• selectively switching one or more of a plurality of switches to switch data between the signal processors in unicast or multicast mode dependent on the network map.

A computer readable medium encoded with computer program instructions for routing video data in a multipoint control unit having a plurality of signal processors, the computer program instructions comprising:

• instructions for storing a network map holding data representative of a network topology which interconnects the signal processors;
• and
• instructions for selectively switching one or more of a plurality of switches to switch data between the signal processors in unicast or multicast mode dependent on the network map.