Context aware layout manager for video conferencing systems

Abstract

In videoconferencing systems, the views of remote participants need to be laid out on the display according to context/importance of each view, and to the existing display setup. Current approaches require the user to be involved in the control process of videoconferencing systems, and consequently cause an increase of time and cost when using this technology. We propose a novel approach based on the real estate market theory to automatically manage the layout of any type of display setup in videoconferencing systems while being aware of the context of the videoconference. We analyze the suitability of the proposed approach by comparing it to another layout manager approach, namely rule-based approach. The major advancement of this approach is that it gets the videoconferencing technology closer to its goal: to make participants able to communicate as if they were located in the same room.