US 5,490,247 AGranted

Video subsystem for computer-based conferencing system

AssigneeIntel Corporation

InventorsPeter Tung, Mike Gutmann

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A video microcode resides on a video board of the computer conferencing system. A video capture driver, a video manager, and a video applications programming interface reside on a general-purpose host processor of the computer conferencing system. The video microcode receives local analog video signals, generates local compressed video signals corresponding to the local analog video signals, and passes the local compressed video signals to the video capture driver. The video capture driver controls the operations of the video microcode and passes the local compressed video signals to the video manager. The video manager passes the local compressed video signals to a communications subsystem of the computer conferencing system for transmission over a communications link to a remote computer conferencing system. The video manager receives remote compressed video signals from the communications subsystem and passes the compressed video signals to the video capture driver, the communications subsystem having received the remote compressed video signals over the communications link from the remote computer conferencing system. The video capture driver generates remote decompressed video signals corresponding to the remote compressed video signal for local playback.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A video subsystem for a computer conferencing system having a general-purpose host processor, comprising:

(a) a video capture means for:
(1) receiving local video signals;
(2) compressing the local video signals to generate local compressed video signals;
and
(3) passing the local compressed video signals to a communications subsystem of the computer conferencing system for transmission over a communications link to a remote computer conferencing system;
and
(b) a video playback means for:
(1) receiving remote compressed video signals from the communications subsystem, the remote compressed video signals having been transmitted by the remote computer conferencing system over the communications link;
and
(2) decompressing the remote compressed video signals to generate remote decompressed video signals for local playback, wherein the decompression of the remote compressed video signals is implemented on the general-purpose host processor, wherein the video subsystem comprises a video manager adapted for residing in the general-purpose host processor and for controlling operations of the video subsystem, for passing the local compressed video signals to the communications subsystem, and for receiving the remote compressed video signals from the communications subsystem, wherein the video manager comprises:
(1) a library component adapted to provide a library of functions of the video applications programming interface;
(2) a capture component adapted to control the capture of the local video signal by the video board and distribution of the local compressed video signals from the video board;
(3) a playback component adapted to control the decompression and playback of the remote compressed video signals;
(4) a network library component adapted to provide interfaces to send the local compressed video signals to the communications subsystem and to receive the remote compressed video signals from the communications subsystem;
and
(5) an audio-video synchronization library component adapted to provide interfaces to enable synchronization of the local and remote video signals with local and remote audio signals in the computer conferencing system.

13 more elements

A computer conferencing system, comprising:

(a) a general-purpose host processor;
(b) a video board;
and
(c) a video subsystem adapted for residing partially in the general-purpose host processor and partially in the video board, wherein the video subsystem comprises:
(1) a video capture means for:
(i) receiving local video signals;
(ii) compressing the local video signals to generate local compressed video signals;
and
(iii) passing the local compressed video signals to a communications subsystem of the computer conferencing system for transmission over a communications link to a remote computer conferencing system;
and
(2) a video playback means for:
(i) receiving remote compressed video signals from the communications subsystem, the remote compressed video signals having been transmitted by the remote computer conferencing system over the communications link;
and
(ii) decompressing the remote compressed video signals to generate remote decompressed video signals for local playback, wherein the decompression of the remote compressed video signals is implemented on the general-purpose host processor, wherein the video subsystem comprises a video manager adapted for residing in the general-purpose host processor and for controlling operations of the video subsystem, for passing the local compressed video signals to the communications subsystem, and for receiving the remote compressed video signals from the communications subsystem, wherein the video manager comprises:
(1) a library component adapted to provide a library of functions of the video applications programming interface;
(2) a capture component adapted to control the capture of the local video signal by the video board and distribution of the local compressed video signals from the video board;
(3) a playback component adapted to control the decompression and playback of the remote compressed video signals;
(4) a network library component adapted to provide interfaces to send the local compressed video signals to the communications subsystem and to receive the remote compressed video signals from the communications subsystem;
and
(5) an audio-video synchronization library component adapted to provide interfaces to enable synchronization of the local and remote video signals with local and remote audio signals in the computer conferencing system.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/157,478Filed 24 Nov 1993
Granted: 6 Feb 1996
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H04N 21/4143
Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance: embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
H04L 12/1813
For broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast: for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms
H04M 3/567
Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities: multimedia conference systems
H04N 7/15
Systems for two-way working: conference systems