Multicast videoconferencing

Abstract

In one embodiment, the invention is a method of transferring data. The method includes receiving a first video data stream at a first machine. The method also includes multicasting the first video data stream in uncompressed and raw form through a network. The method further includes receiving the first video data stream at a second machine. The method also includes playing the first video data stream on the second machine.

1 - 66 . (canceled) 
     
     
         67 . A system for video conferencing using a multicast signal to send video data in a many-to-many network configuration in real-time among a set of client machines, comprising:
 a login server to process requests of each user in a Multicast queue to join a video conference via a multicast stream that transmits the video data, the video data being uncompressed;   wherein, the login server connects to the set of client machines using a TCP winsock connection;   a profile server coupled to the login server, the profile server verifies an identity of a requesting user;   a registry server coupled to the profile server;   wherein, the registry server is operable to retrieve information about the requesting user whose identity has been verified by the profile server and to provide communications data for the requesting user to connect to the video conference through the multicast stream.   
     
     
         68 . The system of  claim 67 :
 wherein, the login server further identifies a request for a new transaction among the requests from each user to join the video conference;   wherein, the registry server is operable to receive user information of a user of the request for the new transaction whose identity was not verified by the profile server.   
     
     
         69 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein a client machine of the requesting user has an open port operable to receive a multicast signal for connecting to the video conference. 
     
     
         70 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the video data is sent at a data rate that matches a client machine among the set of client machines having the largest bandwidth. 
     
     
         71 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the set of client machines comprises a Web TV system. 
     
     
         72 . The system of  claim 67 , wherein the set of client machines comprises a wireless phone. 
     
     
         73 . A computer-implemented method of live video conferencing between multiple participants using multiple client machines through a network, comprising:
 establishing a connection with an Internet Location Server (ILS) to request start of a video conference;   creating a multicast steam for the Dye video conference;   processing a request of a participant to join the live video conference;   verifying an identity of the participant;   in response to verification of the identity of the participant, retrieving information of the participant;   providing information related to the live video conference to the participant through the multicast stream to establish a connection between the participant and the multicast stream;   wherein, packet loss is corrected for using a multicast global listener (multicast GL) in the multicast stream between the plurality of participants.   
     
     
         74 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 73 , wherein network is a wireless network. 
     
     
         75 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 73 , wherein the participant requests to join the live video conference using a wireless phone. 
     
     
         76 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 73 , wherein the multiple client machines comprises a Web TV system. 
     
     
         77 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 73 , wherein the information of the participant includes communication data comprising, one or more of, communication ports and IP addresses. 
     
     
         78 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 73 , wherein the multicast GL is implemented in, one or more of, TAPI 3 and IGMPv3. 
     
     
         79 . A system for live video conferencing between a plurality of participants through a network utilizing a low-bandwidth and low-overhead protocol, comprising:
 means for, establishing a connection with an Internet Location Server (ILS) to request start of a live video conference;   means for, creating a multicast stream for the live video conference;   means for, processing a request of a participant to join the video conference;   means for, verifying an identity of the participant;   means for, retrieving information of the participant in response to verification of the identity of the participant;   means for, providing information related to the five video conference to the participant through the multicast stream;   wherein, packet loss is corrected for using a Multicast global listener (multicast CL).   
     
     
         80 . The system of  claim 79 , wherein the network is a wireless network through which the plurality of participants can connect to the live video conference using wireless phones. 
     
     
         81 . The system of  claim 79 , wherein the information includes communication data comprising, one or more of, communication ports and IP addresses. 
     
     
         82 . The system of  claim 79 , wherein the multicast GL is implemented in, one or more of, TAPI 3 and IGMPv3. 
     
     
         83 . A machine-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for multicasting video and audio data through a network of a set of destination machines, the method comprising:
 multicasting said video and audio data as a rate-specific data stream sent through said network using a bi-directional delivery protocol (BDP), wherein the rate-specific data stream corresponds to a first client having available network bandwidth to receive the rate-specific data stream, and wherein the first client is connected to said network;   determining the available bandwidth of said network based on the first client; and   dynamically adjusting the rate-specific data stream based on the available bandwidth of said network;   wherein, said video and audio data is multi casted through the network in uncompressed form; and   wherein, said using said b-directional delivery protocol (BDP) comprises sending a binomial TCP forward packet and a simple UDP backwards packet.   
     
     
         84 . The method of  claim 83 , further comprising:
 multicasting at least a portion of the video and audio data to the first client;   sending a signal to a checksum point to request a data packet of the video and audio data that is missing from the at least a portion of the video and audio data received at the first client;   receiving a checksum result at the first client; and   determining a list of data packets that are missing from the at least a portion of the video and audio data received at the first client using the checksum result.   
     
     
         85 . The method of  claim 83 , further comprising:
 multicasting the video and audio data to a second client connected to said network.   
     
     
         86 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 85  further comprising:
 multicasting the video and audio data through the network from the second client; and 
 receiving the video and audio data at the first client. 
 
     
     
         87 . The method of  claim 86 , further comprising:
 using a multicast global listener (multicast GL) between the first client and the second client to correct for packet loss;   wherein, the first client sends the video and audio data to the second client and the second client sends the data to the first client.   
     
     
         88 . The method of  claim 87 , wherein, the multicast GL is implemented in, one or more of, TAPI 3 and IGMPv3. 
     
     
         89 . The method of  claim 85 , further comprising:
 performing a multi-client web browsing session;   wherein, a browser at the first client is locked to a browser at the second client and displays the same website as that displayed at the second client.   
     
     
         90 . The method of  claim 85 , wherein, the audio data is uncompressed. 
     
     
         91 . The method of  claim 85 , wherein, the video data is uncompressed. 
     
     
         92 . The method of  claim 83 , wherein, the network is a one-to-many network and the multicast stream is established from an outermost client in the one-to-many network configuration. 
     
     
         93 . The method of  claim 91 , wherein the first client sends the video data to the second client and the second client sends the data to the first client to correct for packet loss in the one-to-many network configuration of video conferencing.