Abstract: A method for reducing keyboard noise in conferencing equipment which includes a microphone and a keyboard, the method including: providing, at a noise reduction apparatus, an audio signal originating from the microphone; detecting, at the noise reduction apparatus, an operation of the keyboard; providing, at the noise reduction apparatus, a pre-stored estimate of a keyboard audio noise resulting from the operation of the keyboard upon detection of the operation of the keyboard; and calculating, at the noise reduction apparatus, a noise reduced output signal based on the estimate of the keyboard audio noise and the audio signal.

Abstract: A pre-processing of video data before coding and transmission, for a method for noise reduction in High-Density video images. A low implementation-complex filter filters raw pixel data output of a video camera with a low pass property for both spatial and temporal noise and the filter is adapted based on the high frequency content of the picture, leaving most of the image content unaffected by the filtering process.

Abstract: A method for displaying an image on a display of a video conferencing apparatus, including: providing, at the display of the video conferencing apparatus, a primary image; providing, at the video conferencing apparatus, an observation angle of a viewer with respect to the display; modifying, at the video conferencing apparatus, the primary image by applying a scaling factor that is a function of the observation angle to the primary image, resulting in a modified image; and displaying the modified image on the display and the primary image on the display, wherein the modified image and the primary image are displayed in different viewing directions on a same display area of the display.

Abstract: The invention is related to video compression systems, and in particular to compression/decompression in digital video systems. The present invention discloses an alternative method to calculate values of interpolated pixel positions in a video picture.

Abstract: A method in a decoding process for determining full-resolution chroma pixel information (Cx) corresponding to a spatial fraction of a still-image or a video-frame represented by full-resolution luma pixel information (Y) and decimated chroma pixel information (Cxd) decimated by a decimation process, including: receiving the full-resolution luma pixel information at video or image processing apparatus; decimating, at the video or image processing apparatus, the full-resolution luma pixel information (Y) by said decimation process resulting in a decimated spatial luma fraction (Yd); determining, with the video or image processing apparatus, if the decimated chroma pixel information (Cxd) at least approximately can be expressed by {(Yd+shift1)*scale?shift2}; storing, in an electronic memory of the video or image processing apparatus, values of scale, shift1, and shift2 that result in a minimum deviation between {(Yd+shift1)*scale?shift2} and Cxd; and calculating, with the video or image processing apparatus, {(Y

Abstract: An arrangement and a method of localizing active speakers in a video conference includes a localization device that locates at least one microphone relative to the camera, while the at least one microphone in turn localizes the relative positions of audio sources. As the microphones are usually positioned close to the audio source in a video conference, the ratio of the distance between microphones relative to the distance between table microphone and audio source is reduced. Thus, the microphones are able to determine the positions of the audio sources with a higher resolution than if placed close to the camera. When the respective positions of the microphones relative to the camera and the audio source are known, the position of the audio source relative to the camera is then determined by means of geometrical calculations.

Abstract: Different sampling rates between a playout unit and a capture unit are compensated for via a system, method and computer program product. The playout unit receives samples from a computational unit, and the capture unit sends samples to the computational unit. A playout FIFO buffer operates in a playout time domain, and a capture FIFO buffer operates in a capture time domain. The computational unit is synchronized to a common clock. A first relationship is calculated between the common clock and a playout fifo buffer read pointer, and a second relationship is calculated between the common clock and a capture FIFO buffer write pointer. For each sample in the playout time domain a corresponding sample in the samples from said computational unit is found and sent to the playout FIFO buffer. For each sample in the common clock time domain the corresponding sample in the capture time domain is found and sent to the computational unit.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for connecting one or more systems to a user for automatic determination of which system the user may use to participate in a call. A predefined list of video conferencing systems and/or locations for each user is predefined and arranged in a prioritized order. When scheduling a meeting and/or a video conference, the predefined user lists are taken into account when selecting end-points and other resources involved in the meeting/conference. The selection process may be controlled by predefined rules also taking various system availability, network resources and the routes required for connecting the other systems in the conference into account The present invention also introduces presence applications to facilitate scheduling and set up of ad hoc meetings/conferences.

Abstract: A system and a method allowing simultaneous exchange of audio, video or data information between a plurality of units over a communication network, supported by a central unit, wherein the central unit is, based on knowledge regarding one or more of the units, adapted to instruct said one or more units to generate multimedia data streams adjusted to fit into certain restrictions to be presented on other units participating in a same session.

Abstract: A microphone assembly for desktop communication systems utilizes a directional microphones in a desktop conferencing system without exposing the microphone to unfavorable mechanical or acoustic influence. The microphones is built into the front portion of the base of the system, in a mechanically controlled and robust way. The microphone assembly maximizes microphone sensitivity in the direction of a near end user while simultaneously minimizing microphone sensitivity in the direction of the loudspeaker.

Abstract: A method for representing video data related to a macroblock of a video image in a coding procedure wherein certain, video data or combinations of video data is represented in predefined events associated with indexed positions in a Variable Length Code (VLC) table including codes assigned to each indexed position, including: determining, with a processor, that a first event among said predefined events occurs during the coding procedure; coding, with the processor, the first event with a code assigned to a position x in the VLC table being associated with the first event, the VLC table being stored in a memory device; determining, with the processor, whether x>0, wherein 0 denotes a position at a top of the VLC table; and rearranging, with the processor, the VLC table by associating a second event currently associated with a position x?1 with the position x, and associating the first event with the position x?1.

Abstract: When interacting and talking with each other, humans are quite successful at conveying information and reacting appropriately. That is, they are able to interpret situational information which in most cases is only implicitly given. This ability is in stark contrast to most of the current state-of-the-art computer and telecommunications systems, which in large are unaware of this context information. Consequently, there has recently been great interest in making applications more context-aware so that they can adapt to different situations and be more receptive to user's needs. The purpose of this project was to explore how one through examining different kinds of context information can find ways to automatically set a user's presence status. This presence status is useful as it allows for a person to decide whether it is appropriate to initiate communication or not.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to video coding/decoding and discloses a method for transforming to/from transform coefficients and residual pixel data in moving pictures by a set of semi-orthonormal basis vectors. The basis vectors are derived from conventional DCT or KTL matrixes, but relaxes to some extend the requirements for orthogonality, norm equality and element size limitation. In this way the present invention provides improved coding efficiency and lower complexity compared to previously used integer transforms.

Abstract: A method of performing a multimedia communication session over a communication link using Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and over a communication link using User Datagram Protocol (UDP), including the acts of: receiving a request, over the TCP link, to register from a client terminal located within a private network; a probe data packet to the client terminal, over the TCP link, requesting to send a data packet over the UDP link; and receiving a data packet from the client terminal that contains information relating to an address of the client terminal and a dynamic port over which the multimedia communication session is to be established.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product is configured to perform entropy coding of quantized transform coefficients when for some reason no pixels are available for prediction. Different variable length code tables are used for when pixel value predictions are available, or not. If not available, a fixed value is inserted in a block of pixels which is used as the prediction block for deriving the residual block, which in turn are transformed and quantized. A special variable length code table is then used to represent low frequency coefficients of the quantized transform coefficients.

Abstract: The present invention relates to managing and scheduling videoconferences. It introduces a novel mechanism for scheduling a virtual resource connected to an individual or a group of individuals. The virtual resource is associated to one or more conference systems in a conference management system, and an entity representing the virtual re-source is displayed in a conventional resource planning application (e.g. Microsoft Outlook) allowing a user to investigate if the virtual resource, i.e. at least one of the conference systems, is free or busy. The user is then able to schedule a conference with the resource by a familiar scheduling interface, and without having to know with which alternative conference systems the individual or group of individuals connected to the virtual resource is associated.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for providing a packet loss detection and down speeding mechanism for maintaining acceptable quality during a video call. Different scenarios of packet loss requiring different down speeding degrees are accommodated by a two-parted method combined by a low-part and a high-part decision and down speeding mechanisms. The method has a consecutively measured packet loss as input, and uses weighted packet loss parameter of recently measured packet loss to decide whether to down speed, and if so, whether the low-part or high-part down speeding mechanism should be used.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to conferencing network systems, and more specifically to a method and a device for establishing a route between a first and a second conference network device in a conference network.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting cell phone noise induced in telecommunication equipment, especially in microphones and other unshielded electronic units connected to a communication terminal. A noise detector is configured to execute a so-called “cepstrum” transform of a captured signal exposed to cell phone noise. Due to the characteristics of cell phone radio signals using TDMA, cell phone induced can then easily be detected from the cepstrum transform as peaks at known samples, and noise elimination or attenuation may then be executed on the captured signal when cell phone noise is detected.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a communications system (1) for handling communications sessions, for example multimedia calls or voice calls. The communications system (1) comprises a local terminal (10), an external server (40), a proxy interface agent (PIA) (11) between the terminal (10) and a shared network (20). The communication means includes a NAT function (32) through which the communications session must pass. The communications session is carried over the network (20) over one or more logical channels between the terminal (10) and the external server (40), during which the first NAT function (32) applies network address mappings on the terminal's transport addresses (14). The PIA (11) acts on behalf of the terminal (10) in communications with the external server (40), and establishes a logical channel on an outbound connection to the server that serves as a control channel between the PIA (11) and the server (40).