ATM RendezView: Decentralized architecture for multipoint conferencing.

Abstract

This thesis describes a novel architecture for a multipoint multimedia conferencing system and describes the operational prototype of such a system dubbed--"ATM RendezView". It eliminates service specific centralized Multipoint Control Units (MCU) by instead utilizing generic ATM network multipoint Switched Virtual Connection bearer services. This achieves functionality and performance improvements over MCU based conferencing systems, eases service deployment and reduces equipment costs. Today's commercially successful and emerging standard conferencing systems are built upon an architecture that was appropriate for Time Division Multiplexed networks. Emerging packet networks (Frame Relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode and IP) can support higher quality, broader functionality video conferencing more simply, on less expensive and more easily deployable decentralized systems. An operational prototype of such a videoconferencing system was developed by Keith Smith and myself. ATM RendezView utilizes Point-to-Multipoint Switched Virtual Connections to achieve a hybrid switched presence & continuous presence conference system with more user control over presentation than is available with current MCU based systems. Furthermore, RendezView enables full-motion 24-bit colour video and lipsynched high fidelity audio with end-to-end delay on the order of 100 mS. This is significantly better than existing commercial conferencing systems.