Multi-users real-time transcoding system and method for multimedia sessions

A method for conducting a multi-user communication session between participating terminals, at least some of the participating terminals having at least one incompatible media characteristic, the method comprising:

• employing at least one processor for:
• (a) at any given time, granting permission to only one of the participating terminals to send a media stream to other participating terminals;
• (b) establishing a communication session between two participating terminals;
• (c) upon another participating terminal joining the communication session, establishing the multi-user communication session, comprising:
• (c1) determining the at least one incompatible media characteristic between the participating terminals;
• (c2) provided the at least one incompatible media characteristic have been determined, updating a description of the multi-user communication session for at least one of the participating terminals so as to accommodate media capabilities of the participating terminals;
• and
• (c3) transcoding media streams between the participating terminals according to respective updated descriptions of the multi-user communication session for the participating terminals;
• and
• (d) upon a participating terminal leaving the multi-user communication session:
• (d1) determining the at least one incompatible media characteristic between remaining participating terminals;
• (d2) provided the at least one incompatible media characteristic between the remaining participating terminals has been determined, further updating a description of the multi-user communication session for at least one of the remaining participating terminals so as to accommodate media capabilities of the remaining participating terminals;
• and
• (d3) transcoding media streams between the remaining participating terminals according to respective further updated descriptions of the multi-user communication session for the remaining participating terminals.

A system for conducting a multi-user communication session between at least three participating terminals, at least some of the participating terminals having one or more incompatible media characteristic, the system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• computer readable instructions stored in at least one memory device for execution by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to:
• (a) at any given time, grant permission to only one of the participating terminals to send a media stream to other participating terminals;
• (b) upon another participating terminal joining the multi-user communication session, and upon a participating terminal leaving the multi-user communication session:
• (b-1) determine the one or more incompatible media characteristic between the participating terminals;
• (b-2) provided the one or more incompatible media characteristic has been determined, update description of the multi-user communication session for at least one of the participating terminals so as to accommodate media capabilities of the participating terminals;
• and
• (b-3) transcode media streams between the participating terminals according to respective updated descriptions of the multi-user communication session for the participating terminals.

A system for conducting a multi-user communication session between participating terminals, at least some of the participating terminals having at least one incompatible media characteristic, the system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• computer readable instructions stored in at least one memory device for execution by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to:
• (a) at any given time, grant permission to only one of the participating terminals to send a media stream to other participating terminals;
• (b) establish a communication session between two participating terminals;
• (c) upon another participating terminal joining the communication session, establish the multi-user communication session, comprising:
• (c1) determining the at least one incompatible media characteristic between the participating terminals;
• (c2) provided the at least one incompatible media characteristic have been determined, updating a description of the multi-user communication session for at least one of the participating terminals so as to accommodate media capabilities of the participating terminals;
• and
• (c3) transcoding media streams between the participating terminals according to respective updated descriptions of the multi-user communication session for the participating terminals;
• and
• (d) upon a participating terminal leaving the multi-user communication session:
• (d1) determine the at least one incompatible media characteristic between remaining participating terminals;
• (d2) provided the at least one incompatible media characteristic between the remaining participating terminals has been determined, further update a description of the multi-user communication session for at least one of the remaining participating terminals so as to accommodate media capabilities of the remaining participating terminals;
• and
• (d3) transcode media streams between the remaining participating terminals according to respective further updated descriptions of the multi-user communication session for the remaining participating terminals.