US 8,576,273 B2Granted

Multipoint control unit cascaded system, communications method and device

AssigneeHuawei Device Co., Ltd.

InventorsDong Li, Enkui Wang

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Abstract

A Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) cascaded system is provided, which includes a plurality of MCUs under the management of a service management center. The cascade manner between the MCUs in the system is a reticulated cascade. A communications method for an MCU cascaded system, an MCU, and a service management center are also provided. In the embodiments of the present invention, because the connection and networking mode of MCUs in a cascaded system is changed, a transmission path passing the least MCUs can be selected according to a connection situation between the MCUs. Therefore, transmission delay and decrease of video and audio quality due to multiple forwarding by MCUs can be effectively avoided, and thus the media stream transmission time is reduced, and the play quality of the media stream is guaranteed in an overall manner.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) cascaded system, comprising a plurality of MCUs under management of a service management center, wherein the plurality of MCUs are in a mesh topology manner;

each MCU in the plurality of MCUs is configured to receive information of a conference sent by the service management center;
the MCU is further configured to, according to the information of the conference, schedule the conference, establish link list information about all MCUs that are to attend the conference, and call other MCUs that are to attend the conference to join the conference, wherein the link list information about the MCU comprises numbers of the other MCUs that are to attend the conference, a list of conference sites hung under the MCU, and a link path and a distance between the other MCUs and the MCU;
the MCU is further configured to select MCUs connected to the MCU according to the link list information, send conference site information of the MCU to the MCUs connected to the MCU, request the MCUs connected to the MCU for the conference site information of the MCUs connected to the MCU, and after the conference site information of the MCUs connected to the MCU is received, combine the conference site information received from the MCUs and the conference site information of the MCU to form conference site information of the conference;
and
the MCU is further configured to select, according to the conference site information of the conference, a path to send video and audio data.

2 more elements

A communications method for a Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) cascaded system, wherein the system comprising a plurality of MCUs under management of a service management center, the plurality of MCUs are in a mesh topology manner, and the method comprises:

receiving information of a conference sent by a service management center;
according to the information of the conference, scheduling the conference, establishing link list information about all MCUs that are to attend the conference, and calling other MCUs that are to attend the conference to join the conference, wherein the link list information about the MCU comprises numbers of the other MCUs that are to attend the conference, a list of conference sites hung under the MCU, and a link path and a distance between the other MCUs and the MCU;
selecting, according to the link list information, MCUs connected to the MCU;
sending conference site information of the MCU to the MCUs connected to the MCU;
requesting the MCUs connected to the MCU for the conference site information of the MCUs connected to the MCU;
and
after the conference site information of the MCUs connected to the MCU is received, combining the conference site information received from the MCUs and the conference site information of the MCU to form conference site information of the conference;
and
selecting, according to the conference site information, a path to send video and audio data.

6 more elements

A Multipoint Control Unit (MCU), located in an MCU cascaded system, comprising an establishment unit, a synchronization unit, and a sending unit, wherein a cascade manner between MCUs in the system is in a mesh topology manner;

the establishment unit is configured to, according to information of the conference sent by a service management center, schedule a conference, establish link list information about all MCUs that are to attend the conference, and call other MCUs that are to attend the conference to join the conference, wherein the link list information about the MCU comprises numbers of the other MCUs that are to attend the conference, a list of conference sites hung under the MCU, and a link path and a distance between the other MCUs and the MCU;
the synchronization unit is configured to select MCUs connected to the MCU according to the link list information, send conference site information of the MCU to the MCUs connected to the MCU, request the MCUs connected to the MCU for the conference site information of the MCUs connected to the MCU, and after the conference site information of the MCUs connected to the MCU is received, combine the conference site information received from the MCUs and the conference site information of the MCU to form conference site information of the conference;
and
the sending unit is configured to select, according to the conference site information of the conference, a path to send video and audio data.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/973,173Filed 20 Dec 2010 · continuation
Priority: CN 2008 1 006796020 Jun 2008
Published: US 2011/0085019 A114 Apr 2011
Granted: 5 Nov 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04N 7/152
Conference systems: multipoint control units therefor
H04L 65/403
Support for services or applications: arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences
H04M 3/562
Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities: where the conference facilities are…
H04M 3/567
Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities: multimedia conference systems