1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to multimedia communications. More particularly, this invention relates to a method and an apparatus for indexing multimedia communications.
2. Description of Related Art
Multimedia communications used, for example, in a conference call, may be saved for future review by conference call participants or other interested parties. That is, the audio, video and data communications that comprise the conference call may be stored for future retrieval and review. An individual may desire to see the entire conference call replayed, or may want to review only selected portions of the conference call. The individual may want to have participants identified to determine what they said and when they said it or to determine who is saying what. For example, the individual may want to review only the audio from one particular conference call participant.
However, some conference calls include more than one participant at a given location or end point. The audio, for example, for all the participants at a given location may be recorded and retained for future review. When a large number of participants are involved in the conference call, separating out individual audio tracks, for example, is difficult due to limitations of current systems to differentiate between the participants. This situation can arise when there are a large number of participants at all the locations or when there are a large number of participants at one particular location. Therefore, a more efficient and reliable method for indexing multimedia communications is needed.
The invention provides a reliable and efficient method and apparatus for indexing multimedia communications so that selected portions of the multimedia communications can be efficiently retrieved and replayed. The invention uses distinctive features of the multimedia communications to achieve the indexing. For example, the invention provides a combination of face recognition and voice recognition features to identify particular participants to a multicast, multimedia conference call. Data related to the identities of the particular participants, or metadata, may be added, as part of a multimedia data packet extension header, to multimedia data packets containing the audio and video information corresponding to the particular participants, thus indexing the multimedia data packets. The multimedia data packets with the extension headers may then be stored in a database or retransmitted in near real-time (i.e., with some small delay). Then, multimedia data packets containing, for example, audio from a particular individual, can be readily and reliably retrieved from the database by specifying the particular individual.
Other features, such as background detection and key scene changes can also be used to index the multimedia communications. Data related to these features is also added to multimedia data packet extension headers to allow reliable retrieval of data associated with these features.
In a preferred embodiment, the participants to the multimedia communications are connected via a local area network (LAN) to a multicast network. An index server within the multicast network receives the multimedia communications from different locations, manipulates/alters the communication and simultaneously broadcasts, or multicasts, the altered multimedia communications to all other locations involved in the multimedia communications. Alternately, the locations can be connected to the multicast network using plain old telephone service (POTS) lines with modems at individual locations and at the multicast network or using ISDN, xDSL, Cable Modem, and Frame Relay, for example.
These and other features and advantages of the invention are described in or are apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.