US5594495A — Video data scaling for video teleconferencing wor…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 230 words

Video teleconferencing apparatus for a distributed data processing system having a plurality of computer workstations connected by a digital data network, the computer workstations comprising: a) source means for a local workstation to send frames of scaled video data across the digital data network to a remote workstation, frames of the unscaled video data having V horizontal lines of H pixels each, the source means comprising video data scaling means for scaling the frames of unscaled video data to reduce the quantity of horizontal lines and the quantity of pixels along each of the horizontal lines; b) packeting means for dividing the scaled video data of each of the frames among plural packets for transmission across the digital data network, the packets containing header information indicating a height and width of the frames contained in the packets and timing information indicating when the frames should be displayed; and c) receiver means for the local workstation to receive the packets and extract the frames of scaled video data from across the digital data network sent from source means of the remote workstation and display the frames in accordance with the timing information, the receiver means comprising pixel replication means for replicating the pixels of the received scaled video data to increase the quantity of horizontal lines to V and the quantity of pixels along each of the horizontal lines to H.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 230 words

Video teleconferencing apparatus for a distributed data processing system having a plurality of computer workstations connected by a digital data network, the computer workstations comprising: a) source means for a local workstation to send frames of scaled video data across the digital data network to a remote workstation, frames of the unscaled video data having V horizontal lines of H pixels each, the source means comprising video data scaling means for scaling the frames of unscaled video data to reduce the quantity of horizontal lines and the quantity of pixels along each of the horizontal lines; b) packeting means for dividing the scaled video data of each of the frames among plural packets for transmission across the digital data network, the packets containing header information indicating a height and width of the frames contained in the packets and timing information indicating when the frames should be displayed; and c) receiver means for the local workstation to receive the packets and extract the frames of scaled video data from across the digital data network sent from source means of the remote workstation and display the frames in accordance with the timing information, the receiver means comprising pixel replication means for replicating the pixels of the received scaled video data to increase the quantity of horizontal lines to V and the quantity of pixels along each of the horizontal lines to H.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 32 words

The video teleconferencing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the scaling means reduces the quantity of horizontal lines to about V/2, and the quantity of pixels along each horizontal line to about H/2.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 18 words

The video teleconferencing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the scaling means eliminates every other pixel horizontally and vertically.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 42 words

The video teleconferencing apparatus of claim 2 wherein the scaling means provides a scaled pixel to replace a plurality of pixels of the unscaled video data, wherein each scaled pixel is determined as a function of the plurality of pixels it replaces.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 26 words

The video teleconferencing apparatus of claim 2, wherein a received pixel is replicated horizontally and vertically to reconstruct the horizontal line and an adjacent horizontal line.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 22 words

The video teleconferencing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the replicated pixels are shifted relative to adjacent pixels from which they were replicated.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 26 words

The video teleconferencing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the replicated pixels are shifted by one pixel relative to the adjacent pixels from which they were replicated.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 193 words

A method for compressing and transmitting video teleconferencing data in a distributed data processing system having a plurality of computer workstations connected by a digital data network, comprising the steps of: a) the source workstation scaling a frame of video data to reduce the quantity of horizontal lines and the quantity of pixels along each of the horizontal lines in the frame; b) the source workstation dividing the frame of video data among several packets; c) the source workstation including header information in the packets indicating a height and width of the frame contained in the packets; d) the source workstation including timing information indicating when the frames should be displayed; e) the source workstation sending the packets across the digital data network to a remote workstation; f) the remote workstation receiving the packets of scaled video data from across the digital data network; g) the remote workstation replicating the pixels of the received scaled video data to increase the quantity of horizontal lines and the quantity of pixels along each of the horizontal lines; and h) the remote workstation displaying the unscaled frame of video data in response to the timing information.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 193 words

A method for compressing and transmitting video teleconferencing data in a distributed data processing system having a plurality of computer workstations connected by a digital data network, comprising the steps of: a) the source workstation scaling a frame of video data to reduce the quantity of horizontal lines and the quantity of pixels along each of the horizontal lines in the frame; b) the source workstation dividing the frame of video data among several packets; c) the source workstation including header information in the packets indicating a height and width of the frame contained in the packets; d) the source workstation including timing information indicating when the frames should be displayed; e) the source workstation sending the packets across the digital data network to a remote workstation; f) the remote workstation receiving the packets of scaled video data from across the digital data network; g) the remote workstation replicating the pixels of the received scaled video data to increase the quantity of horizontal lines and the quantity of pixels along each of the horizontal lines; and h) the remote workstation displaying the unscaled frame of video data in response to the timing information.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method of claim 8, wherein the scaling step comprises reducing the quantity of horizontal lines the quantity of pixels along each horizontal line.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method of claim 9, wherein the reducing step comprises eliminating every other pixel along a horizontal line, and eliminating every other horizontal line.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of claim 9, wherein the reducing step comprises replacing a plurality of pixels of the unscaled video data with a scaled pixel determined as a function of the plurality of pixels it replaces.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method of claim 9, wherein the replicating step comprises replicating a received pixel to replace adjacent pixels horizontally and vertically.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method of claim 12, wherein the replicating step further comprises shifting replicated pixels relative to adjacent pixels.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 13, wherein replicated horizontal lines are shifted by one pixel relative to the adjacent horizontal lines.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 147 words

A video teleconferencing apparatus, comprising: a digital data network; and at least two computer workstations linked via the digital data network, each workstation comprising: a local video source for generating a video signal; a frame grabber for generating digitized frames of video data from the video signals and compressing the frames of video data by reducing a number of pixels horizontally and vertically in the frames; a local audio source for generating digitized audio signals; a video buffer for storing frames of video data for display; and a network controller for sending the digitized and compressed frames of video data and the digitized audio signals across the digital data network to other workstations in packets containing header information indicating a height and width of the frames of video data and timing information, and for receiving digitized frames of video data and digitized audio data from other workstations.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 147 words

A video teleconferencing apparatus, comprising: a digital data network; and at least two computer workstations linked via the digital data network, each workstation comprising: a local video source for generating a video signal; a frame grabber for generating digitized frames of video data from the video signals and compressing the frames of video data by reducing a number of pixels horizontally and vertically in the frames; a local audio source for generating digitized audio signals; a video buffer for storing frames of video data for display; and a network controller for sending the digitized and compressed frames of video data and the digitized audio signals across the digital data network to other workstations in packets containing header information indicating a height and width of the frames of video data and timing information, and for receiving digitized frames of video data and digitized audio data from other workstations.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 36 words

A video teleconferencing apparatus as described in claim 15, wherein the compression reduces the quantity of horizontal lines by approximately one-half and the quantity of pixels along each of the remaining horizontal lines by approximately one-half.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 29 words

A video teleconferencing apparatus as described in claim 15, wherein the frames of video data are compressed by eliminating pixels horizontally and vertically in the frames of video data.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 39 words

A video teleconferencing apparatus as described in claim 15, wherein pixels contained in the compressed frames of video data are scaled pixels, a value of which are determined in response to adjacent pixels that were decimated in the compression.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 36 words

A video teleconferencing apparatus as described in claim 15, wherein each workstation decompresses frames of video data received across the digital data network by replicating received pixels horizontally and vertically in the frames of video data.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 32 words

A video teleconferencing apparatus as described in claim 19, wherein the horizontal or vertical lines of the decompressed frames of video data are shifted relative to adjacent lines relative to each other.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 17 words

A video teleconferencing apparatus as described in claim 20, wherein the lines are shifted by one pixel.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2000-01-14	2000-07-15	2001-01-14	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2004-01-14	2004-07-15	2005-01-14	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2008-01-14	2008-07-15	2009-01-14	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Video data scaling for video teleconferencing workstations communicating by digital data network

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