Patent ID: 10021177

Abstract:
A peer-to-peer (p2p) communication system is provided. One or both of audio and video can be transferred among a number of user terminals in the p2p system. The user terminals include at least one master terminal. The master terminal controls video or audio, or both, transfers among user terminals. The master terminal is identified, based on a determined topology, using obtained information provided in a data parameters table. Each user terminal includes a control for processing video and/or audio that is sent/received by the user terminal. Such processing can include encoding/decoding of video and/or audio. The master terminal control can process the same video and generate different video data to be provided to different user terminals. Such different video data is a function of the communication paths between the master terminal and the different user terminals. The master terminal control can also process the same audio and generate different audio data to be provided to different user terminals. Such different audio data can be a function of virtual relative positions associated with the user terminals. Audio volumes can also be separately controlled by each user terminal, including turning off audio volumes associated with one or more other user terminals. Similar controls can be provided for identity-related video images. Video and/or audio can be transferred in an aggregate manner, such as when the master terminal sends audio originating from a number of user terminals to another user terminal. In one embodiment, the master terminal control includes a Flash Player already configured to communicate with numerous webcams. This p2p system can be utilized with online game playing in which a game server is included, as well as having other communication applications.