Multipoint processing unit

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for communicating between an application and a multipoint processing module adapted to mix, switch, and process media streams, the multipoint processing module having at least one audio processor module for processing audio data in a multipoint conference and at least one video processor module for processing video data in a multipoint conference, the computer-executable instructions performing the step of:

• exposing at least one application program interface by the multipoint processing module to receive a request from the application to command the multipoint processing module to modify a default operation of the multipoint processing module to alter at least one attribute of at least one of the audio processor module and video processor module, the application program interface for interfacing software components
• wherein said at least one application program interface comprises a video interface, the application using said video interface to request the multipoint processing module to change a routing of at least one video input stream towards at least one video output stream and
• wherein the request is selected from the group consisting of:
• a command to retrieve a video crossbar topology, the video crossbar topology indicating how a set of video input streams is being routed to a set of video output streams based on a content of associated audio input streams;
• a command to change the video crossbar topology to indicate to the multipoint processing module how the set of video input streams should be routed to a set of video output streams based on a content of associated audio input streams;
• a command to retrieve a value of a video crossbar control parameter;
• a command to set a value of a video crossbar control parameter;
• a command to retrieve a minimum value, a maximum value, and a default value for a video crossbar control parameter;
• a command to retrieve a mixing capability and a transcoding capability of the video crossbar;
• and
• a command to retrieve a video level of a list of video input streams.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for communicating between an application and a multipoint processing module adapted to mix, switch, and process media streams, the multipoint processing module having at least one audio processor module for processing audio data in a multipoint conference, and at least one video processor module for processing video data in a multipoint conference, the computer-executable instructions performing the step of:

• exposing at least one application program interface by the multipoint processing module to receive a request from the application to command the multipoint processing module to modify a default operation of the multipoint processing module to alter at least one attribute of at least one of the audio processor module and video processor module, the application program interface for interfacing software components
• wherein said at least one application program interface further comprises a video interface, the application using said video interface to request the multipoint processing module to change a routing of at least one video input stream towards at least one video output stream and
• wherein the request to route at least one audio input stream is selected from the group consisting of:
• a command to retrieve an audio crossbar topology, the audio crossbar topology indicating how a set of audio input streams is being routed to a set of audio output streams;
• a command to change the audio crossbar topology to indicate to the multipoint processing module how the set of audio input streams should be routed to a set of audio output streams;
• a command to retrieve a value of an audio crossbar control parameter;
• a command to set a value of an audio crossbar control parameter;
• a command to retrieve a minimum value, a maximum value, and a default value for an audio crossbar control parameter;
• a command to retrieve a mixing capability and a transcoding capability of the audio crossbar;
• and
• a command to retrieve an audio level of a list of audio input streams;
• and
• the request to route at least one video input stream is selected from the group consisting of:
• a command to retrieve a video crossbar topology, the video crossbar topology indicating how a set of video input streams is being routed to a set of video output streams based on a content of associated audio input streams;
• a command to change the video crossbar topology to indicate to the multipoint processing module how the set of video input streams should be routed to a set of video output streams based on a content of associated audio input streams;
• a command to retrieve a value of a video crossbar control parameter;
• a command to set a value of a video crossbar control parameter;
• a command to retrieve a minimum value, a maximum value, and a default value for a video crossbar control parameter;
• a command to retrieve a mixing capability and a transcoding capability of the video crossbar;
• and
• a command to retrieve a video level of a list of video input streams.

A multipoint processing accelerator apparatus for transmitting audio and video data over a plurality of channels in a multipoint conference being controlled by an application, the application controlling the apparatus by an application program interface of the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one hardware module having a default operation for applying signal processing operations to at least one of the audio and video data;
• and
• a minidriver, said minidriver communicating with the application through at least one property set to do one of receiving a command to modify the default operation of the at least one hardware module and sending a command to the application
• wherein the at least one property set comprises an audio topology property set and
• wherein the audio topology property set comprises:
• a property to do one of updating an audio crossbar content and retrieving an audio crossbar content;
• a property to retrieve mixing and transcoding capabilities of an audio crossbar;
• a property to do one of setting a periodicity of an interrupt service routine and getting a periodicity of an interrupt service routine;
• a property to do one of setting a maximum number of mixed input signals and getting a maximum number of mixed input signals;
• a property to do one of enabling silence detection and disabling silence detection;
• a property to do one of enabling automatic gain control and disabling automatic gain control;
• and
• a property to retrieve a value of an audio level of a list of audio input streams.

A multipoint processing accelerator apparatus for transmitting audio and video data over a plurality of channels in a multipoint conference being controlled by an application, the application controlling the apparatus by an application program interface of the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one hardware module having a default operation for applying signal processing operations to at least one of the audio and video data;
• and
• a minidriver, said minidriver communicating with the application through at least one property set to do one of receiving a command to modify the default operation of the at least one hardware module and sending a command to the application
• wherein the at least one property set comprises a video topology property set and
• wherein the video topology property set comprises:
• a property to do one of updating a video crossbar content and retrieving a video crossbar content;
• a property to retrieve picture composition capabilities of the video crossbar;
• a property to do one of setting a periodicity of an interrupt service routine and getting a periodicity of an interrupt service routine;
• a property to do one of setting a time to evaluate whether a speaker is continuing to speak and getting a time to evaluate whether a speaker is continuing to speak;
• a property to do one of setting a second time during which a speaker and a video switching process can not be taken over by a second speaker and getting a second time during which a speaker and a video switching process can not be taken over by a second speaker;
• and
• a property to do one of setting a third time and getting a third time, the third time being the time when a switch is made and when a fast update request is sent to the speaker's system.