Polycom, Inc.

Niv Wagner

Eyal Leviav

Eran Decker

Roni Vistuch

Avihay Barazany

Noam Eshkoli

Efrat Be'ery

Aviv Eisenberg

Craig Clapp

Zigi Gavish

Dynamically adapting a continuous presence (CP) layout in a videoconference enhances a videoconferencing experience by providing optimum visibility to regions of interest within the CP layout and ignoring regions of no interest. Based on the CP layout, a CP video image can be built, in which a conferee at a receiving endpoint can observe, simultaneously, several other participants' sites in the conference. For example, more screen space within the CP layout is devoted to presenting the participants in the conference and little or no screen space is used to present an empty seat, an empty room, or an unused portion of a room. Aspect ratios of segments of the CP layout (e.g., landscape vs. portrait) can be adjusted to optimally present the regions of interest. The CP layout can be adjusted as regions of interest change depending on the dynamics of the video conference.

Dynamic adaption of a continuous presence videoconferencing layout based on video content

A system and method is disclosed for adapting a continuous presence videoconferencing layout according to interactions between conferees. Using regions of interest found in video images, the arrangement of images of conferees may be dynamically arranged as displayed by endpoints. Arrangements may be responsive to various metrics, including the position of conferees in a room and dominant conferees in the videoconference. Video images may be manipulated as part of the arrangement, including cropping and mirroring the video image. As interactions between conferees change, the layout may be automatically rearranged responsive to the changed interactions.

Method and system for adapting a CP layout according to interaction between conferees

Methods and systems for presenting video images generated by multiple endpoints in a videoconference such that the displayed images have consistent appearance, for example consistent brightness levels are disclosed. Sampling methods and algorithms are used to calculate an appropriate amount of correction for each video image and the images are adjusted accordingly. Brightness correction may implement one or more brightness sampling and analyzing logical modules (BSAM) and one or more transforming logical module (TLM). The brightness matching methods may be implemented in centralized architecture, for example, as part of a multipoint control unit (MCU). Alternatively, the methods may be implemented using a distributed architecture.

Appearance matching for videoconferencing

One or more horizontal stripes are defined in a continuous presence video conferencing image, comprising one or more segments of the video image. The horizontal stripes may have different heights. A horizontal stripe builder associated with a continuous presence videoconferencing port composes and compresses the horizontal stripe from two or more video images received from a plurality of endpoints of the video conferencing system. A continuous presence image stream generator organizes compressed horizontal strips into a plurality of compressed continuous presence video streams for sending toward sites of the video conferencing system.

Method and system for creating a continuous presence video-conference

Systems and methods are disclosed for controlling cropping areas of video images to match the allocated area associated with the image in a video conferencing layout. The disclosed methods can protect regions of interest from being cropped. A region of interest within a video image is identified to adjust the cropping in such a way that the region of interest is preserved within the cropped image. The region of interest may be identified based on motion detection or flesh tone detection, for example.

Smart cropping of video images in a videoconferencing session

An association of videoconferencing services is disclosed that enables two or more videoconferences to be generated with each videoconference running independently from the others and having its own conferees. The association is achieved by having at least one conferee (a traveler) that can 'move' or 'travel' from one videoconference to another in the association. The one or more travelers belong to the association and not to any particular videoconference. In exemplary embodiments, the traveler can choose between the various associated videoconferences by making a selection to a multipoint control unit (MCU) that controls the associated videoconferences.

Method and system for allowing video-conference to choose between various associated video conferences

New videoconferencing services and methods for handling the video and audio of one or more sub-conferences running in parallel to a main videoconference are disclosed. In exemplary embodiment, a multipoint control unit (MCU) that controls one or more videoconferences may be requested by a conferee of a videoconference (a main videoconference) to establish a sub-conference according to a requester mode of operation.

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Rechovot, Israel

Niv Wagner