Patent ID: 6058122
Filing Date: 2000-05-02
Classification: G06T,H04L,H04N,H04Q

Abstract:
A method of multiplexing moving pictures fed from a plurality of multimedia communication terminals through broadband Integrated Service Distance Network (B-ISDN) and displaying a multiplexed moving picture on a display unit of the plurality of terminals, by using a screen-splitting device in a Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) including a first network interface circuitry for interfacing a plurality of media signals from the plurality of multimedia communication terminals through broadband Integrated Service Distance Network (B-ISDN); a pre-processor for demultiplexing the media signals fed thereto from the first network interface circuitry into a preset number of streams with audio, video or data; a screen-splitting processor for operating and reordering the preset number streams fed from the pre-processing means at a completely compressed domain to obtain a screen formed by the preset number streams, to thereby split the screen; a post-processing circuitry for multiplexing the screen fed thereto from the screen-splitting processing circuitry into N multiplexed screens corresponding to the terminals; and a second network interface circuitry for outputting the multiplexed screens fed thereto from the post-processing means to the multimedia communication terminals, respectively, wherein N being a positive integer, which comprising the following steps;(a) checking a type and a performance of the terminals, and assistance possible performance of the MCU to the terminals by end-and-end signaling; and(b) sequentially retrieving frame of the moving pictures from each of the terminals connected thereto, and combining same at a completely compressed domain to generate a combined moving picture frame to each of the terminals, to thereby allow the combined moving picture frame to be displayed on a display unit of each of the terminals, said step (b) comprising:(b1) selecting M terminals among the plurality of terminals connected thereto:(b2) generating a start signal to the selected M terminals, the start signal allowing each of the selected terminals to generate the moving picture to be processed:(b3) processing a first and second moving pictures generated from two terminals in response to the start signal;(b4) processing a third and four moving pictures generated from two terminals in response to the start signal; and(b5) repeating said steps (b3) and (b4) until all of moving pictures from the selected M terminals are inputted.