Method system and article of manufacture for multi-casting audio visual material

A multi-cast server adapted for use in a video-conferencing system comprising:

• a means for setting up a point to multi-point connection between a multi-cast server and a plurality of clients, said point to multi-point connection capable of transmitting an AVM stream from the multi-cast server to each of the plurality of clients;
• a means for receiving a default AVM stream;
• a means for dynamically accepting a point-to-point connection from any of the plurality of clients;
• a means for receiving an AVM stream originating from a client via a dynamically accepted point-to-point connection;
• a means for selecting either the default AVM stream or an AVM stream originating with one of the plurality of clients over the dynamically accepted point-to-point connection;
• a means for multi-casting a selected AVM stream over the point to multi-point connection wherein the source of the selected AVM stream is switched between the default AVM stream and one or more AVM streams received from a dynamic point-to-point connection;
• and
• an arbitrator for receiving speaking requests and granting speaking requests, wherein response to the arbitrator granting a speaking request, a point-to-point connection is dynamically established and the received AVM stream from the point-to-point connection is multi-cast as the selected AVM stream until the multi-cast server multi-casts the default AVM stream as the selected stream and terminates the point-to-point connection.

A multi-cast client for use in a video-conferencing system comprising:

• means for receiving a multi-cast AVM stream from a point to multi-point connection;
• means for generating a speaking request;
• means for transmitting the generated speaking request;
• means for generating a client AVM stream;
• means for transmitting the client AVM stream;
• means for dynamically setting up a point-to-point connection;
• means for terminating the dynamically setup point-to-point connection;
• wherein response to being granted permission to speak, the point-to-point connection is established and the client AVM stream is transmitted using the point-to-point connection while said multi-cast AVM stream is received, said client AVM stream being transmitted until permission to speak is otherwise terminated at which time the point-to-point connection is terminated but the multi-cast AVM stream continues to be received by the multi-cast client.

In a multi-cast client the method comprising:

• receiving a multi-cast AVM stream during a video-conferencing session;
• generating a speaking request;
• transmitting the speaking request;
• dynamically setting up a point-to-point connection and transmitting a client AVM stream in response to receiving permission to speak;
• terminating the dynamically setup point-to-point connection when said permission to speak is otherwise ended;
• and
• continuing to receive the multi-cast AVM stream after the point-to-point connection is terminated.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program embodied in said medium, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a multi-cast client causes the multi-cast client to:

• receive a multi-cast AVM stream during a video-conferencing session;
• generate a speaking request;
• transmit the speaking request;
• dynamically set up a point-to-point connection and transmit a client AVM stream in response to receiving permission to speak;
• terminate the dynamically setup point-to-point connection when said permission to speak is otherwise ended;
• and
• continue to receive the multi-cast AVM stream after the point-to-point connection has been terminated.

In a multi-cast server the method comprising:

• setting up a point to multi-point connection between a multi-cast server and a plurality of clients, said point to multi-point connection transmitting an AVM stream from the multi-cast server to each of the plurality of clients;
• establishing a first point-to-point connection between the multi-cast server and a first one of the plurality of clients for receipt of a first AVM stream by the multi-cast server from the first one of the plurality of clients;
• receiving the first AVM stream by the multi-cast server from the first one of the plurality of clients;
• multi-casting the first AVM stream from the multi-cast server to each of the plurality of clients;
• receiving, by the multi-cast server, a request from the second one of the plurality of clients to establish a second point-to-point connection between the multi-cast server and the second one of the plurality of clients;
• establishing the second point-to-point connection between the multi-cast server and the second one of the plurality of clients;
• receiving, by the multi-cast server, the second AVM stream from the second one of the plurality of clients via the second point-to-point connection;
• terminating the multi-casting of the first AVM stream from the multi-cast server to the each of the plurality of clients;
• multi-casting the second AVM stream from the multi-cast server to the each of the plurality of clients;
• after a period of time, terminating the multi-casting of the second AVM stream from the multi-cast server to the each of the plurality of clients;
• and
• again, multi-casting the first AVM stream from the multi-cast server to the each of the plurality of clients.