User-adaptive video telephony

Abstract

A device may control a video communication via transcoding and/or traffic shaping. The device may include a multipoint control unit (MCU) and/or a server. The device may receive one or more video streams from one or more devices. The device may analyze a received video stream to determine a viewing parameter. The viewing parameter may include a user viewing parameter, a device viewing parameter, and/or a content viewing parameter. The device may modify a video stream based on the viewing parameter. Modifying the video stream may include re-encoding the video stream, adjusting an orientation, removing a video detail, and/or adjusting a bit rate. The device may send the modified video stream to another device. The device may determine a bit rate for the video stream based on the viewing parameter. The device may indicate the bit rate by sending a feedback message and/or by signaling a bandwidth limit.

1 - 44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . A method of controlling a video communication, the method comprising:
 receiving a first video stream from a first device and a second video stream from a second device;   determining a viewing parameter associated with the first device by analyzing the first video stream;   modifying, based on the viewing parameter, the second video stream; and   sending the modified second video stream to the first device.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein modifying the second video stream comprises at least one of: re-encoding the second video stream, adjusting an orientation, removing a video detail, or adjusting a bit rate. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the viewing parameter is a first viewing parameter, and the method further comprising:
 determining a second viewing parameter associated with the second device by analyzing the second video stream;   modifying, based on the second viewing parameter, the first video stream, wherein modifying the first video stream comprises at least one of: re-encoding the first video stream, adjusting an orientation, removing a video detail, or adjusting a bit rate; and   sending the modified first video stream to the second device.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the viewing parameter is a first viewing parameter, the method further comprising:
 receiving a third video stream from a third device;   receiving a fourth video stream from the second device;   determining a third viewing parameter associated with the third device by analyzing the third video stream;   modifying the fourth video stream based on the third viewing parameter, wherein modifying the fourth video stream further comprises comparing bit rates associated with the first viewing parameter and the third viewing parameter, and wherein modifying the fourth video stream comprises, on a condition that the third viewing parameter is associated with a higher bit rate than the first viewing parameter, adjusting a bit rate associated with the fourth video stream based on the third viewing parameter; and   sending the modified fourth video stream to the third device.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the viewing parameter comprises a user viewing parameter that comprises at least one of: a user's presence, a user's location with respect to a screen of the first device, a user's orientation with respect to a screen of the first device, a user's viewing angle with respect to a screen of the first device, a user's distance from a screen of the first device, a user's visual acuity, an ambient lighting condition, a number of users viewing a screen of the first device, or a user's point of attention. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the viewing parameter comprises a device viewing parameter that comprises at least one of: size of a screen of the first device, contrast of a screen of the first device, brightness of a screen of the first device, pixel density of a screen of the first device, size of a window displaying multimedia content on the first device, setup of a camera on the first device, or a location of a window displaying the multimedia content on the first device. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the viewing parameter comprises a content viewing parameter that comprises at least one of: contrast, color gamut, or range of depth of three-dimensional content. 
     
     
         52 . A device for controlling a video communication, the device configured at least in part to:
 receive a first video stream from a first device and a second video stream from a second device;   determine a viewing parameter associated with the first device based on an analysis of the first video stream;   modify, based on the viewing parameter, the second video stream; and   send the modified second video stream to the first device.   
     
     
         53 . The device of  claim 52 , wherein being configured to modify the second video stream comprises being configured to at least one of: re-encode the second video stream, adjust an orientation, remove a video detail, or adjust a bit rate. 
     
     
         54 . The device of  claim 52 , wherein the viewing parameter is a first viewing parameter, the device further configured to:
 determine a second viewing parameter associated with the second device based on an analysis of the second video stream;   modify, based on the second viewing parameter, the first video stream, wherein being configured to modify the first video stream comprises being configured to at least one of: re-encode the first video stream, adjust an orientation, remove a video detail, or adjust a bit rate; and   send the modified first video stream to the second device.   
     
     
         55 . The device of  claim 52 , wherein the viewing parameter is a first viewing parameter, the device further configured to:
 receive a third video stream from a third device;   receive a fourth video stream from the second device;   determine a third viewing parameter associated with the third device based on an analysis of the third video stream;   modify the fourth video stream based on the third viewing parameter, wherein being configured to modify the fourth video stream further comprises being configured to compare bit rates associated with the first viewing parameter and the third viewing parameter, and wherein being configured to modify the fourth video stream comprises, on a condition that the third viewing parameter is associated with a higher bit rate than the first viewing parameter, being configured to adjust a bit rate associated with the fourth video stream based on the third viewing parameter; and   send the modified fourth video stream to the third device.   
     
     
         56 . The device of  claim 52 , wherein the viewing parameter comprises a user viewing parameter that comprises at least one of: a user's presence, a user's location with respect to a screen of the first device, a user's orientation with respect to a screen of the first device, a user's viewing angle with respect to a screen of the first device, a user's distance from a screen of the first device, a user's visual acuity, an ambient lighting condition, a number of users viewing a screen of the first device, or a user's point of attention. 
     
     
         57 . The device of  claim 52 , wherein the viewing parameter comprises a device viewing parameter that comprises at least one of: size of a screen of the first device, contrast of a screen of the first device, brightness of a screen of the first device, pixel density of a screen of the first device, size of a window displaying multimedia content on the first device, setup of a camera on the first device, or a location of a window displaying the multimedia content on the first device. 
     
     
         58 . The device of  claim 52 , wherein the viewing parameter comprises a content viewing parameter that comprises at least one of: contrast, color gamut, or range of depth of three-dimensional content. 
     
     
         59 . The device of  claim 52 , wherein the device comprises a multipoint control unit (MCU). 
     
     
         60 . A method of controlling a video communication, the method comprising:
 receiving a first video stream from a first device;   determining a viewing parameter associated with the first device by analyzing the first video stream;   determining, based on the viewing parameter, a video stream bit rate for a second video stream from a second device; and   indicating the video stream bit rate to the second device.   
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein indicating the video stream bit rate comprises:
 receiving the second video stream from the second device;   measuring a packet loss rate for the second video stream;   determining an adjusted packet loss rate, associated with the determined video stream bit rate, that differs from the measured packet loss rate;   generating a feedback message that indicates the adjusted packet loss rate; and   sending the feedback message to the second device.   
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the viewing parameter is a first viewing parameter, and wherein the video stream bit rate is a first video stream bit rate for the second video stream, and wherein indicating the video stream bit rate comprises:
 receiving a third video stream from a third device;   determining a third viewing parameter associated with the third device by analyzing the third video stream;   determining, based on the third viewing parameter, a second video stream bit rate for the second video stream; and   signaling a bandwidth limit, associated with the first video stream bit rate and the second video stream bit rate, to the second device.   
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 60 , further comprising receiving the second video stream from the second device, wherein indicating the video stream bit rate comprises removing one or more packets from the second video stream before sending the second video stream to the first device. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the viewing parameter comprises at least one of a user viewing parameter, a device viewing parameter, or a content viewing parameter.