Scalable high-performance interactive real-time media architectures for virtual desktop environments

Abstract

System for providing interactive two-way audio in desktop virtualization environment, the desktop virtualization environment comprising a desktop virtualization server computer and desktop virtualization client endpoint device with associated microphone element. The system incorporates instance of server software for running on a desktop virtualization server and providing interactive user interface functions to associated desktop virtualization client endpoint device; and instance of endpoint software executing on the desktop virtualization endpoint device including a network port, the instance of endpoint software receiving an incoming real-time video stream from the network port and providing at least real-time and display functions on the desktop virtualization client endpoint device. In the system, the desktop virtualization client endpoint is configured to: accept real-time audio input from a microphone element associated with the desktop virtualization client endpoint; and provide an outgoing real-time compressed audio stream to the network port responsive to the real-time video input from the microphone element.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for providing interactive two-way audio in a desktop virtualization environment, the desktop virtualization environment comprising at least one desktop virtualization server computer and at least one desktop virtualization client endpoint device with an associated microphone element, the system comprising:
 a. at least one instance of server software executing on the desktop virtualization server and providing at least interactive user interface functions to an associated desktop virtualization client endpoint device; and   b. at least one instance of endpoint software executing on the desktop virtualization client endpoint device comprising a network port, the at least one instance of endpoint software receiving an incoming real-time audio stream from the network port and providing at least real-time and audio playback functions on the desktop virtualization client endpoint device,   wherein the at least one desktop virtualization client endpoint is configured to:
 i. accept real-time audio input from a microphone element associated with the desktop virtualization client endpoint; and 
 ii. provide an outgoing real-time compressed audio stream to the network port responsive to the real-time audio input from the microphone element. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the incoming real-time audio stream is provided by a different instance of endpoint software executing on a different desktop virtualization client endpoint device. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the outgoing real-time audio stream is provided to a different instance of endpoint software executing on a different desktop virtualization client endpoint device. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the real-time audio input from the microphone element is a compressed audio stream. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the real-time audio input from a microphone element is an uncompressed audio stream. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the instance of endpoint software includes an audio compression algorithm, which performs audio compression to produce the outgoing real-time compressed audio stream. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the instance of endpoint software is configured such that, should the desktop virtualization client endpoint device comprise a multicore processor, the audio compression algorithm is executed on a specific core of the multicore processor. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5  wherein at least one video compression function is provided by the hardware of desktop virtualization client endpoint device, and the instance of endpoint software includes an interface for use in exchanging audio streams with the hardware of the desktop virtualization client endpoint device. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the instance of endpoint software comprises a audio decompression algorithm. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein at least one video decompression function is provided by the hardware of desktop virtualization client endpoint device, and wherein the instance of endpoint software includes an interface for use in exchanging audio streams with the hardware of the desktop virtualization client endpoint device. 
     
     
         11 . A method for providing interactive two-way audio in a desktop virtualization environment, the desktop virtualization environment comprising at least one desktop virtualization server computer and at least one desktop virtualization client endpoint device with an associated microphone element, the method comprising:
 c. providing, using at least one instance of server software executing on the desktop virtualization server, at least interactive user interface functions to an associated desktop virtualization client endpoint device;   d. receiving, using at least one instance of endpoint software executing on the desktop virtualization client endpoint device comprising a network port, an incoming real-time audio stream from the network port and providing at least real-time and audio playback functions on the desktop virtualization client endpoint device;   e. accepting, using the at least one desktop virtualization client endpoint, real-time audio input from a microphone element associated with the desktop virtualization client endpoint; and   f. providing, using the at least one desktop virtualization client endpoint, an outgoing real-time compressed audio stream to the network port responsive to the real-time audio input from the microphone element.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the incoming real-time audio stream is provided by a different instance of endpoint software executing on a different desktop virtualization client endpoint device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the outgoing real-time audio stream is provided to a different instance of endpoint software executing on a different desktop virtualization client endpoint device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the real-time audio input from the microphone element is a compressed audio stream. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the real-time audio input from a microphone element is an uncompressed audio stream. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising executing an audio compression algorithm, which performs audio compression to produce the outgoing real-time compressed audio stream. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein should the desktop virtualization client endpoint device comprise a multicore processor, the audio compression algorithm is executed on a specific core of the multicore processor. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising providing at least one video compression function by the hardware of the desktop virtualization client endpoint device, wherein the instance of endpoint software includes an interface for use in exchanging audio streams with the hardware of the desktop virtualization client endpoint device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the instance of endpoint software comprises a audio decompression algorithm. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising providing at least one video decompression function by the hardware of desktop virtualization client endpoint device, wherein the instance of endpoint software includes an interface for use in exchanging audio streams with the hardware of the desktop virtualization client endpoint device.