Abstract: A data stream from an internal endpoint of a video conference participant is received at an enterprise media processing node. The internal endpoint is accessible to the enterprise media processing node behind a firewall on an enterprise network. The received data stream is translated and transcoded into a predefined common communication protocol. A data stream in the common communication protocol is received at an external media processing node using a firewall friendly protocol to traverse the firewall from an external endpoint. The external endpoint communicates with the external media processing node outside the enterprise network. A composite data stream of the received data streams from endpoints within the enterprise network and outside the enterprise network is selectively generated, and sent to the internal endpoint.

Abstract: A data stream from an internal endpoint of a video conference participant is received at an enterprise media processing node. The internal endpoint is accessible to the enterprise media processing node behind a firewall on an enterprise network. The received data stream is translated and transcoded into a predefined common communication protocol. A data stream in the common communication protocol is received at an external media processing node using a firewall friendly protocol to traverse the firewall from an external endpoint. The external endpoint communicates with the external media processing node outside the enterprise network. A composite data stream of the received data streams from endpoints within the enterprise network and outside the enterprise network is selectively generated, and sent to the internal endpoint.

Abstract: A user interface is presented for a hearing-impaired user to make selections that influence how that user participates in a video conference and how other participants in that video conference interact with the hearing-impaired user. For example, through appropriate user interface selections, the hearing-impaired user may specify that he/she is to always preview (for editing purposes, etc.) any sign language translations made by a video conferencing system before those translations are released to the other participants, whether as text and/or speech. Through other user interface selections, the user may configure linguistic and/or playback characteristics associated with the sign-language-to-speech translations, with speech signals being produced so as to include certain effects when played out at the endpoints of the other participants and/or emulate a desirable video conference persona from the standpoint of the hearing-impaired user.

Abstract: A data stream from an internal endpoint of a video conference participant is received at an enterprise media processing node. The internal endpoint is accessible to the enterprise media processing node behind a firewall on an enterprise network. The received data stream is translated and transcoded into a predefined common communication protocol. A data stream in the common communication protocol is received at an external media processing node using a firewall friendly protocol to traverse the firewall from an external endpoint. The external endpoint communicates with the external media processing node outside the enterprise network. A composite data stream of the received data streams from endpoints within the enterprise network and outside the enterprise network is selectively generated, and sent to the internal endpoint.

Abstract: A data stream from an internal endpoint of a video conference participant is received at an enterprise media processing node. The internal endpoint is accessible to the enterprise media processing node behind a firewall on an enterprise network. The received data stream is translated and transcoded into a predefined common communication protocol. A data stream in the common communication protocol is received at an external media processing node using a firewall friendly protocol to traverse the firewall from an external endpoint. The external endpoint communicates with the external media processing node outside the enterprise network. A composite data stream of the received data streams from endpoints within the enterprise network and outside the enterprise network is selectively generated, and sent to the internal endpoint.

Abstract: A data stream from an internal endpoint of a video conference participant is received at an enterprise media processing node. The internal endpoint is accessible to the enterprise media processing node behind a firewall on an enterprise network. The received data stream is translated and transcoded into a predefined common communication protocol. A data stream in the common communication protocol is received at an external media processing node using a firewall friendly protocol to traverse the firewall from an external endpoint. The external endpoint communicates with the external media processing node outside the enterprise network. A composite data stream of the received data streams from endpoints within the enterprise network and outside the enterprise network is selectively generated, and sent to the internal endpoint.

Abstract: A user interface is presented for a hearing-impaired user to make selections that influence how that user participates in a video conference and how other participants in that video conference interact with the hearing-impaired user. For example, through appropriate user interface selections, the hearing-impaired user may specify that he/she is to always preview (for editing purposes, etc.) any sign language translations made by a video conferencing system before those translations are released to the other participants, whether as text and/or speech. Through other user interface selections, the user may configure linguistic and/or playback characteristics associated with the sign-language-to-speech translations, with speech signals being produced so as to include certain effects when played out at the endpoints of the other participants and/or emulate a desirable video conference persona from the standpoint of the hearing-impaired user.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and machine readable media for implementing a teleconferencing system using transparent relays. The transparent relays may be used to push network probing and certain functionalities as close as possible to each teleconferencing endpoint in order to improve overall video performance.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for provision of video conferencing with load balancing. In some embodiments, a protocol connector module receives a media processing request from a client application for the video conference endpoint device and a client application identifier, a profile for the client application is retrieved using the client application identifier, at least one load balancing capability is determined for the client application using the identifier, a load balancing technique is selectively performed based on the at least one load balancing capability, and performance of the client application is logged with the load balancing technique in the profile.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for provision of video conference services. In some embodiments, a service connector module of a video conference system receives a request to switch a participant user of a video conference to a communication mode for the video conference received at a participant endpoint device, the request to switch is (a) a request to switch from an unidirectional communication mode to a bidirectional communication mode, or (b) a request to switch from the bidirectional communication mode to the unidirectional communication mode, determining information on at least one distribution capability from one or more interactions with the participant endpoint device, determines a distribution scheme for the communication mode using the at least one distribution capability, sends a request to establish a connection with the endpoint device using the distribution scheme, receives a notification on establishment of the connection, and sends a request to terminate a prior connection.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for assigning a plurality of endpoints of a video conference system to a plurality of encoders located on a server of the video conference system. At least a first group of the endpoints is assigned to first one of the encoders, and at least a second group of the endpoints, the second group disjoint from the first group, is assigned to a second one of the encoders.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for provision of video conferencing with reflector MCUs, transcoder MCUs, and/or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, a protocol connector module of a video conference system receives information on multi-data stream composition capabilities of a client application for a participant endpoint device of a video conference, session state information is received for creation of a composite of received video conference data streams for presentation at the client application, and instructions are selectively sent for handling media processing for each of the received video conference data stream from other participant devices based on the received multi-data stream composition capabilities information of the client application.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for provision of video conference services. In some embodiments, a service connector module of a video conference system receives a request to switch a participant user of a video conference to a communication mode for the video conference received at a participant endpoint device, the request to switch is (a) a request to switch from an unidirectional communication mode to a bidirectional communication mode, or (b) a request to switch from the bidirectional communication mode to the unidirectional communication mode, determining information on at least one distribution capability from one or more interactions with the participant endpoint device, determines a distribution scheme for the communication mode using the at least one distribution capability, sends a request to establish a connection with the endpoint device using the distribution scheme, receives a notification on establishment of the connection, and sends a request to terminate a prior connection.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and machine readable media for implementing a teleconferencing system using transparent relays. The transparent relays may be used to push network probing and certain functionalities as close as possible to each teleconferencing endpoint in order to improve overall video performance.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for provision of video conferencing with load balancing. In some embodiments, a protocol connector module receives a media processing request from a client application for the video conference endpoint device and a client application identifier, a profile for the client application is retrieved using the client application identifier, at least one load balancing capability is determined for the client application using the identifier, a load balancing technique is selectively performed based on the at least one load balancing capability, and performance of the client application is logged with the load balancing technique in the profile.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for interfacing heterogeneous endpoints and web-based media sources in a video conference. Interfacing heterogeneous endpoints can be challenging due to audio/video (A/V) streams being encoded in a format that is proprietary to a media provider of the A/V stream (e.g., format that is proprietary to Skype). To address such a challenge, a client application from the media provider may be installed at a virtual machine, and may be used to decode A/V streams that are encoded in a format proprietary to the media provider. Further, to display content from a web-based media source (e.g., YouTube) in a video conference, a browser may be installed at a virtual machine, and may be used to virtually render a media signal from the web-based media source, such virtually rendered media signal subsequently being captured and presented in a video conference.

Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support the operation of a Virtual Media Room or Virtual Meeting Room (VMR), wherein each VMR can accept from a plurality of participants at different geographic locations a variety of video conferencing feeds of audio and video streams from video conference endpoints. A globally distributed infrastructure that supports operations of the VMR through a plurality of MCUs (Multipoint Control Unit) built from off-the-shelf components instead of custom hardware as media processing nodes, each configured to process the plurality of audio and video streams from the plurality of video conference endpoints in real time.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for provision of video conferencing with load balancing. In some embodiments, a protocol connector module receives a media processing request from a client application for the video conference endpoint device and a client application identifier, a profile for the client application is retrieved using the client application identifier, at least one load balancing capability is determined for the client application using the identifier, a load balancing technique is selectively performed based on the at least one load balancing capability, and performance of the client application is logged with the load balancing technique in the profile.

Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support error resilient coding of H.264 compatible video streams for low latency/delay multimedia communication applications by utilizing and integrating a plurality of error resilient H.264 encoding/decoding schemes in an efficient manner. These error resilient H.264 encoding/decoding schemes can be used to offer a better quality video even when there is network loss of picture frames in the video stream. It has the ability to recover from such loss and recover faster than other techniques without requiring additional data/frames to be sent over the network to achieve the same level of recovery.

Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support the operation of a Virtual Media Room or Virtual Meeting Room (VMR), wherein each VMR can accept from a plurality of participants at different geographic locations a variety of video conferencing feeds of audio and video streams from video conference endpoints and enables a multi-party video conferencing session in real time among the plurality of participants. Each of the participants is offered a rich set of conferencing and collaboration interaction hitherto not experienced by video conferencing participants and a moderator of the video conference is further offered with in-meeting management and control over a plurality of security and privacy settings during the video conference. These interactions encompass controlling of a video conferencing session, its configuration, privacy, security, the visual layout of the participants, customization of the VMR and adaptation of the room to different vertical applications.