Patent ID: 8125932

Claim:
A method for performing multipoint video conferencing comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a plurality of input signals each comprising a plurality of source pictures received from a plurality of source endpoints; and (b) transmitting composite pictures at a variable frame rate, wherein the transmission of each composite picture (a) is triggered by the receipt of a source picture from one or more of the source endpoints and (b) generated as soon as one of the plurality of source pictures is received, wherein said composite pictures represent composite images divided into image segments that (i) are associated with different ones of the source endpoints, (ii) contain the constituent images respectively represented by the source pictures from the source endpoints with which those image segments are associated, (iii) update only one image segment in each composite picture with the image respectively represented by the source picture from the associated source endpoint and (iv) all of the composite pictures comprise (A) only one coded portion per frame and (B) an indicator to not code associated with each of the image segments that are unchanged.