Multipoint digital video composition and bridging system for video conferencing and other applications

Claim 2

A flexible multipoint composition and bridging system for bridging a plurality of users located at different terminal end locations of a communications network, each of said locations including terminal equipment for transmitting and receiving video images and data signals, said data signals including display configuration information for video images originating from at least one of said locations, said system comprising: means for receiving said video images and said data signals from each of said locations; means for generating respective video montage images for each of said locations based on said data signals received by said receiving means, said generating means including means for selectively resizing said video images received by said receiving means based on said data signals, and a plurality of frame composers for composing the resized video images and for producing said respective video montage images for each of said locations based on said data signals; and means for transmitting said respective video montage images generated by said generating means to each of said locations so that said respective video montage images may be displayed by a display device provided at each of said locations, whereby each of said terminal end location users may optionally and individually configure the respective video montage image displayed at their location based on said data signals transmitted from their location.

Claim 3

The system according to claim 1, wherein said generating means further comprises inverse transform means for performing an inverse transform operation to convert received video images represented in transform space to video images represented in signal space, and wherein said resizing means comprises means for selectively resizing said video images while said video images are represented in signal space.

Claim 4

The system according to claim 2, wherein said inverse transform means comprises means for performing an Inverse Blocked Discrete Cosine Transform.

Claim 5

The system according to claim 2, wherein said generating means further comprises transform means for performing a transform operation to convert said video montage images represented in signal space into video montage images represented in transform space.

Claim 6

The system according to claim 4, wherein said transform means comprises means for performing a Blocked Discrete Cosine Transform.

Claim 7

The system according to claim 1, wherein said resizing means comprises means for selectively resizing said video images while said video images are represented in signal space.

Claim 8

The system according to claim 1, wherein said resizing means comprises means for selectively resizing said video images while said video images are represented in transform space.

Claim 9

The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for selectively inputting display configuration information which defines the manner in which said video montage images are displayed by said display device provided at each of said locations.

Claim 10

The system according to claim 8, wherein said display configuration information comprises information regarding the position, on said display device, of a display window provided for components of each video montage image.

Claim 11

The system according to claim 8, wherein said display configuration information comprises information regarding the relative depth, on said display device, of a display window provided for components of each video montage image.

Claim 12

The system according to claim 8, wherein said display configuration information comprises information regarding the size, on said display device, of a display window provided for components of each video montage image.

Claim 13

The system according to claim 8, wherein said display configuration information comprises information regarding the position, the relative depth, and the size, on said display device, of a display window provided for components of each video montage image.

Claim 14

The system according to claim 8, wherein said display configuration information comprises information for zooming, on said display device, components of said video montage image.

Claim 15

The system according to claim 8, wherein said display configuration information comprises information for panning, on said display device, components of said video montage image.

Claim 16

The system according to claim 1, further comprising said terminal equipment, wherein said terminal equipment at each of said locations comprises means for capturing video and audio teleconferencing information for transmission to other ones of said locations.

Claim 17

The system according to claim 1, wherein said terminal equipment at each of said locations comprises means for selectively inputting display configuration information which defines the manner in which components of each of said video montage images is displayed by a display device provided at said terminal equipment.

Claim 18

The system according to claim 1, wherein said generating means further comprises means for generating said respective video montage images in signal space.

Claim 19

The system according to claim 1, wherein said generating means further comprises means for generating said respective video montage images in transform space.

Claim 22

The method according to claim 19, wherein generating said respective video montage images further comprises performing an inverse transform operation to convert received video images represented in transform space to video images represented in signal space, and wherein said resizing comprises selectively resizing said video images while said video images are represented in signal space.

Claim 23

The method according to claim 20, wherein said performing of an inverse transform operation comprises performing an Inverse Blocked Discrete Cosine Transform.

Claim 24

The method according to claim 20, wherein said generating further comprises performing a transform operation to convert said video montage images represented in signal space into video montage images represented in transform space.

Claim 25

The method according to claim 22, wherein said performing of a transform operation comprises performing a Blocked Discrete Cosine Transform.

Claim 26

The method according to claim 19, wherein said resizing comprises selectively resizing said video images while said video images are represented in signal space.

Claim 27

The method according to claim 19, wherein said resizing comprises selectively resizing said video images while said video images are represented in transform space.

Claim 28

The method according to claim 19, further comprising inputting display configuration information which defines the manner in which said video montage images are displayed by a display device provided at each of said locations.

Claim 29

The method according to claim 26, wherein said display configuration information comprises information regarding the position, on said display device, of a display window provided for components of each video montage image.

Claim 30

The method according to claim 26, wherein said display configuration information comprises information regarding the relative depth, on said display device, of a display window provided for components of each video montage image.

Claim 31

The method according to claim 26, wherein said display configuration information comprises information regarding the size, on said display device, of a display window provided for components of each video montage image.

Claim 32

The method according to claim 26, wherein said display configuration information comprises information regarding the position, the relative depth, and the size, on said display device, of a display window provided for components of each video montage image.

Claim 33

The method according to claim 26, wherein said display configuration information comprises information for zooming, on said display device, components of said video montage image.

Claim 34

The method according to claim 26, wherein said display configuration information comprises information for panning, on said display device, components of said video montage image.

Claim 35

The method according to claim 19, further comprising capturing, at said terminal equipment, video and audio teleconferencing information for transmission to other ones of said locations.

Claim 36

The method according to claim 19, further comprising selectively inputting display configuration information at said terminal equipment at each of said locations, the input display configuration information defining the manner in which components of each of said video montage images is displayed by said display device provided at said terminal equipment.

Claim 37

The method according to claim 19, wherein said generating further comprises generating said respective video montage images in signal space.

Claim 38

The method according to claim 19, wherein said generating further comprises generating said respective video montage images in transform space.

Claim 39

A flexible multipoint composition and bridging system for bridging a plurality of users located at different terminal end locations of a communications network, each of said locations including terminal equipment for transmitting and receiving video images and data signals, said data signals including display configuration information for video images originating from at least one of said locations, said system comprising: means for receiving said video images and said data signals from each of said locations; means for generating respective video montage images for each of said locations based on said data signals received by said receiving means, said generating means including means for selectively resizing said video images received by said receiving means based on said data signals, and a plurality of frame composers for composing the resized video images and for producing said video montage images based on said data signals; and means for transmitting said video montage images generated by said generating means to each of said locations so that said video montage images may be displayed by a display device provided at each of said locations, wherein said generating means further comprises inverse transform means for performing an inverse transform operation to convert received video images represented in transform space to video images represented in signal space, and wherein said resizing means comprises means for selectively resizing said video images while said video images are represented in signal space.

Claim 40

A flexible multipoint composition and bridging system for bridging a plurality of users located at different terminal end locations of a communications network, each of said locations including terminal equipment for transmitting and receiving video images and data signals, said data signals including display configuration information for video images originating from at least one of said locations, said system comprising: means for receiving said video images and said data signals from each of said locations; means for generating respective video montage images for each of said locations based on said data signals received by said receiving means, said generating means including means for selectively resizing said video images received by said receiving means based on said data signals, and a plurality of frame composers for composing the resized video images and for producing said video montage images based on said data signals; and means for transmitting said video montage images generated by said generating means to each of said locations so that said video montage images may be displayed by a display device provided at each of said locations, wherein said generating means further comprises inverse transform means for performing an inverse transform operation to convert received video images represented in transform space to video images represented in signal space, and wherein said resizing means comprises means for selectively resizing said video images while said video images are represented in signal space.

Claim 45

A flexible multipoint composition and bridging system for bridging a plurality of users located at different terminal end locations of a communications network, each of said locations including terminal equipment for transmitting and receiving video images and data signals, said data signals including display configuration information for video images originating from at least one of said locations, said system comprising: means for receiving said video images and said data signals from each of said locations; means for generating respective video montage images for each of said locations based on said data signals received by said receiving means, said generating means generating said respective video montage images in transform space; and means for transmitting said respective video montage images generated by said generating means to each of said locations so that said respective video montage images may be displayed by a display device provided at each of said locations.

Claim 46

A flexible multipoint composition and bridging system for bridging a plurality of users located at different terminal end locations of a communications network, each of said locations including terminal equipment for transmitting and receiving video images and data signals, said data signals including display configuration information for video images originating from at least one of said locations, said system comprising: means for receiving said video images and said data signals from each of said locations; means for generating respective video montage images for each of said locations based on said data signals received by said receiving means, said generating means generating said respective video montage images in transform space; and means for transmitting said respective video montage images generated by said generating means to each of said locations so that said respective video montage images may be displayed by a display device provided at each of said locations.

Claim 47

The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for enabling different video montage images to be generated for each of said locations based on said data signals received by said receiving means.