Controlling video display mode in a video conferencing system

Abstract

System and method for controlling video display modes in a video conferencing system. An audio signal from each of a plurality of video conferencing system locations may be received. An accumulated amount of audio signal may be determined from each of one or more of the audio signals. Subsequently, a display mode of two or more possible display modes may be determined for at least one of the video conferencing system locations based on the determined accumulated audio signal. Determining the accumulated audio signal may comprise determining a signal metric for each of one or more of the audio signals using an integrated form of the signal. The method may include comparing accumulated amounts of audio signal from one or more audio signals with at least one accumulation threshold. The display mode may also be determined based on the comparison between the accumulated audio signal and at least one accumulation threshold.

1 . A method, comprising: 
 receiving an audio signal from each of a plurality of video conferencing system locations;    determining an accumulated amount of the audio signal from each of one or more of the audio signals; and    determining a display mode for at least one of the video conferencing system locations based on said determining, wherein the display mode is determined from two or more possible display modes.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining the accumulated amount of audio signal comprises: 
 determining a signal metric for each of one or more of the respective audio signals using an integrated form of the respective signal.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , 
 wherein said determining the accumulated amount of the audio signal comprises integrating each of the one or more audio signals from the plurality of video conferencing systems to generate respective accumulated amounts of audio signal.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the two or more possible display modes comprise a single window display mode and a multiple window display mode.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 comparing the accumulated amount of the audio signal from one or more of the audio signals with at least one accumulation threshold;    wherein the display mode is determined based on said comparing.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein: 
 if the accumulated amount of audio signal corresponding to a first location exceeds an accumulation threshold, displaying video signals from the first location on a display of each of a plurality of video conferencing systems in a single window mode;    if the accumulated amount of audio signal corresponding to any location does not exceed the accumulation threshold, displaying video signals from a plurality of locations on a display of each of a plurality of video conferencing systems in a continuous presence mode.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein: 
 if the accumulated amount of audio signal corresponding to a subset of locations exceeds the accumulation threshold, displaying video signals from that respective subset of locations on a display of each of a plurality of video conferencing systems in a continuous presence mode.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 modifying a respective accumulation threshold for a video conferencing system when an accumulated amount of audio signal has not exceeded the respective accumulation threshold within a predetermined amount of time.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 modifying a respective accumulation threshold for a video conferencing system when an accumulated amount of audio signal has recently exceeded the respective accumulation threshold within a predetermined amount of time.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 5 , 
 wherein said comparing comprises comparing the accumulated amounts of audio signal from each of the audio signals with the at least one accumulation threshold.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , 
 wherein said determining the accumulated amount of the audio signal comprises determining the accumulated amount of the audio signal after the audio signal has exceeded an audio threshold.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the accumulated amount of audio signal from each of one or more of the audio signals is an uninterrupted accumulated amount of audio signal.    
   
   
       13 . A computer accessible memory medium comprising program instructions for determining a display mode in a video conferencing system, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement: 
 receiving an audio signal from each of a plurality of video conferencing system locations;    determining an accumulated amount of the audio signal from each of one or more of the audio signals; and    determining a display mode for at least one of the video conferencing system locations based on said determining, wherein the display mode is determined from two or more possible display modes.    
   
   
       14 . The memory medium of  claim 13 , 
 wherein the accumulated amount of audio signal from each of one or more of the audio signals is an uninterrupted accumulated amount of audio signal.    
   
   
       15 . The memory medium of  claim 13 , 
 wherein said determining the accumulated amount of the audio signal comprises integrating each of the one or more audio signals from the plurality of video conferencing systems to generate respective accumulated amounts of audio signal.    
   
   
       16 . The memory medium of  claim 13 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement: 
 comparing the accumulated amount of the audio signal from one or more of the audio signals with at least one accumulation threshold;    wherein the display mode is determined based on said comparing.    
   
   
       17 . A method for automatically determining a display mode for a display device comprising the steps of: 
 (a) receiving a signal from each of multiple endpoints;    (b) monitoring an amount of audio signal from each of the multiple endpoints;    (c) comparing the amount of audio signal from each of the multiple endpoints with predefined parameters; and    (d) determining a display mode from available display modes, wherein available display modes are single-window display and multiple-window display, based on step (c);    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 (e) wherein when the determined display mode is different than a current display mode of the display device, transmitting a display mode command signal based on a determination in step (d), the display mode command signal affecting the display mode of the display device; and    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , 
 wherein step (e) comprises a command signal to specify the multiple-window display upon the duration from each of the multiple endpoints not exceeding a first predefined parameter.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein step (e) comprises a command signal to specify the single-window display to display video images originating from one of the multiple endpoints from which the duration exceeds a predefined parameter and upon none of the durations from each of the other multiple endpoints exceeds the predefined parameter.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein step (e) comprises a command signal to specify the multiple-window display upon the durations from at least two of the multiple endpoints exceeding a predefined parameter.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the display device is coupled to a video conferencing device or application.  
   
   
       23 . A system, comprising: 
 a plurality of video conferencing systems, wherein the plurality of video conferencing systems are coupled through a network and wherein the plurality of video conferencing systems provide video and audio signals of participants using the respective systems;    a signal integrator, wherein the signal integrator determines an amount of accumulated audio signal for each of the plurality of video conferencing systems; and    a mode switch coupled to the signal integrator and operable to select a display mode based on the amount of accumulated audio signal for each of the plurality of video conferencing systems    
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 23 , 
 wherein if the amount of accumulated audio signal of a first video conferencing system exceeds an accumulation threshold, the mode switch directs a display coupled to at least one of the video conferencing systems to display the video signals provided by the first video conferencing system with the amount of accumulated audio signal that exceeds the accumulation threshold.    
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein if each of the amounts of accumulated audio signal of the plurality of video conferencing systems do not exceed the accumulation threshold, a display on at least one of the plurality of video conferencing system displays at least two of the plurality of video conferencing systems video signals.  
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein if two or more of the plurality of video conferencing systems each exceed the accumulation threshold, a display on at least one of the plurality of video conferencing system displays the two or more of the plurality of video conferencing systems.  
   
   
       27 . A switching system for automatically determining a display mode for a video display device comprising: 
 an integrator configured to determine an amount of audio signal of each of a plurality of audio signals, the signals being from a source at each of multiple endpoints; and    a switching processor coupled to the integrator and to a video switching module, configured to determine an appropriate display mode from the available display modes, wherein available display modes are single-window display and multiple-window display, based upon a comparison of the integrated audio signal energy of each of the signals with at least one predefined parameter.    
   
   
       28 . The switching system of  claim 27 , 
 wherein upon a determination that the appropriate display mode is different than the current display mode the switching processor transmits to the video switching module a display mode command, the display mode command being chosen from a single-window display command to effect the single-window display and a multiple-window display command to effect the multiple-window display.