US 6,590,604 B1 · Personal videoconferencing system having distributed processing architecture

Abstract

A personal videoconferencing system includes a videoconferencing appliance connected to a personal computer through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) or similar connection. The appliance is provided with a video camera and microphone for generating local video and audio streams. The local video and audio streams are compressed by a video and audio encoder residing at the appliance, and the compressed video and audio streams are conveyed to the personal computer over the USB connection. The appliance may be further provided with an audio decoder for decompressing a remote audio stream received by the personal computer through a network interface and conveyed to the appliance via the USB connection. A video decoder, located on the personal computer, is configured to decompress the local video stream (received through the USB connection) as well as a remote video stream received through the network interface. The decompressed video streams are then sent to a monitor for display to a user. The decompressed audio stream may be played either at a loudspeaker coupled to the audio decoder or at the personal computer.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A videoconferencing appliance connected externally from a personal computer for decompressing non-video signals, said personal computer including a network interface for receiving compressed remote audio and video streams from a remote conference endpoint and a processor for distributing compressed remote audio stream to the videoconferencing appliance via a first communication interface for decompression so that the first communication interface directs the remote audio stream away from said personal computer, the video conferencing appliance comprising:

a microphone for generating a local audio stream;
a video camera for generating a local video stream;
an audio encoder, coupled to the microphone, for compressing the local audio stream;
a video encoder, coupled to the video camera, for compressing the local video stream;
a second communication interface, coupled to the audio and video encoders and the first communication interface, for conveying the compressed local audio and video streams to said personal computer and for receiving the remote audio stream from said personal computer;
and
an audio decoder for decompressing the compressed remote audio stream received from said personal computer through the second communication interface.

4 more elements

A video conferencing system having distributed processing architecture, comprising:

a personal computer including:
a network interface for receiving the compressed remote audio and video streams from a remote conference endpoint and for transmitting compressed local audio and video streams to the remote endpoint;
a processor for decoding compressed remote video stream and for distributing compressed remote audio stream to a video conferencing appliance for decompression;
a video decoder for decompressing the compressed remote video stream;
a monitor, coupled to the video decoder, for displaying the decompressed remote video stream;
and
a first communication interface for conveying the compressed remote audio stream to the videoconference appliance and for directing the remote audio stream away from the personal computer;
the video conference appliance including:
a microphone for generating a local audio stream;
a video camera for generating a local video stream;
an audio encoder, coupled to the microphone, for compressing the local audio stream;
a video encoder, coupled to the video camera, for compressing the local video stream;
a second communication interface, coupled to the audio and video encoders and the first communication interface, for conveying the compressed local audio and video streams to the personal computer and for receiving the remote audio stream from said personal computer;
and
an audio decoder for decompressing the compressed remote audio stream received from the personal computer through the second communication interface.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Personal videoconferencing system having distributed processing architecture

Life of this patent

Personal videoconferencing system having distributed processing architecture

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23