Patent ID: 8301697
Filing Date: 2012-10-30
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A physical conferencing data distributed system, comprising: a conference data dispatch system; a plurality of conference participant computing systems that each include one or more processors; and a plurality of network distribution paths of a network, the plurality of network distribution paths connecting the conference display system and the plurality of conference participant computing systems; a conferencing data caching system that is interposed between the conference data dispatch system and a subset of the plurality of conference participant computing systems, the subset including a first conference participant computing system of a first type and a second conference participant computing system of a second type; wherein the conference data dispatch system comprises: a conference data identification module that is structured to identify conference data that represents a physical conference being held between physical conference participants, at least some of the physical conference participants attending the physical conference via the network using the plurality of conference participant computing systems, the conference data including video data, audio data, and application data that is generated as a result of the execution of the physical conference; a segmentation module that is structured to segment the conference data into a plurality of segments, including segmenting the video data, the audio data, and the application data into the plurality of segments; an encoding module that is structured to: (i) encode the conference data, including encoding each of the plurality of segments into a plurality of encoded segments using different encoding settings for each encoded segment, such that each of the plurality of segments is encoded into at least (a) a first corresponding encoded segment using first encoding settings for the first type of participant computing system, the first encoding settings using a first key corresponding to the first conference participant computing system for encrypting the first corresponding segment; and (b) a second corresponding encoded segment using second encoding settings for the second type of participant computing system, the second encoding settings refraining from encrypting the second corresponding encoded segment, and (ii) use a manifest to identify the different encoding settings, the manifest being modifiable during the transmission of the conference data from the conference data dispatch system to the plurality of conference participant computing systems to vary the encodings which are used to encode the plurality of segments into the plurality of encoded segments; a matching module that is structured to identify which of the plurality of encoded segments to flow to each of the plurality of conference participant computing systems, including identifying that, for each of the plurality of segments, first corresponding encoded segments that were encoded using the first settings are to be flowed to the first conference participant computing system and second corresponding segments that were encoded using the second settings are be flowed to the second participant computing systems; and a distribution module that is structured to: (i) cause the plurality of encoded segments to be flowed to the plurality of conference participant computing systems as identified by the matching module, (ii) send the manifest to the plurality of conference participant computing systems to enable each of the conference participant computing systems to select particular encoding settings with which the conference data transmitted to the conference participant will be encoded, and (iii) cause at least some of the identified encoded segments, including those encoded with the first encoding, to be flowed to the conference data caching system; and wherein the conferencing data caching system comprises: a conference data intake module that is structured to receive encoded segments that were flowed from the conference data dispatch system to the subset of conference participant computing systems, including receiving first corresponding encoded segments that were encoded using the first encoding settings and second corresponding encoded segments that were encoded using the second encoding settings; a caching determination module that is structured to determine for each received encoded segment, whether or not to cache the encoded segment; a caching module that is structured to cache each received encoded segment that is determined by the caching determination module to be cached; and a dispatch module that is structured to dispatch at least some of the received encoded segments to a corresponding conference participant computing system further along the particular network distribution path, including dispatching the first corresponding encoded segments that were encoded using the first encoding settings to the first conference participant computing system and dispatching the second corresponding encoded segments that were encoded using the second encoding settings to the second conference participant computing system.