Modifying payloads of digital streams for digital conferencing

摘要

Using switching technologies to duplicate packets of a digital stream (e.g., digital video stream) sent from one workstation to multiple recipient workstations, where the switching technologies enable the multiple streams sent from the switch to the recipient workstations to be generated from a single digital stream sent from the sending workstation to the switch. Data units, such as video data units, may be transmitted by using a switch to enable receipt of a stream of data units including a payload portion and an attribute portion from at least two conferencing participants. The switch is used to duplicate at least a subportion of the payload portion of a data unit within the stream of data units, and to enable access to the duplicated subportion of the data unit by two or more conferencing participants.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
receiving a first data unit from a first conference terminal, the first data unit comprising a payload portion and a first attribute portion; modifying, by at least one processor, a content of the payload portion of the first data unit to generate a modified payload portion, wherein modifying the content of the payload portion of the first data unit to generate the modified payload portion comprises removing a video signal or an audio signal from the payload portion of the first data unit; duplicating the payload portion of the data unit; associating a second attribute portion with the duplicated payload portion to generate a second data unit; associating a third attribute data portion with the modified payload portion to generate a third data unit; sending the second data unit to a second conference terminal; and sending the third data unit to a third conference terminal.