Peer-to-peer multipoint video conferencing with layered video

A peer-to-peer (P2P) architecture for multipoint video conferencing using layered video coding at the end hosts is proposed. The system primarily targets end points with low bandwidth network connections and enables them to create a multipoint video conference without any additional networking and computing resources beyond what is needed for a point-to-point conference. For P2P multipoint video conferencing applications, wide-area collaboration is significant for connecting participants from different parts around the globe to support collaborative work. In our system, peers collaborate for streaming video, and the motivation behind the use of layered video is to overcome the problem of denying video requests by peers and assure that each participant peer can view any other participant at any configuration. Layered video encoding techniques usable within this architecture are discussed. A protocol for operating the system has been developed, simulated and its performance has been analyzed. Furthermore, a multi-objective optimization approach has been developed to simultaneously minimize the number of base layer receivers and the delay experienced by the peers while maximizing the granted additional requests to support peers having multiple video input bandwidths. The use of the multi-objective optimization scheme is demonstrated through an example scenario and simulations. A prototype has also been implemented, and the system has been formally specified and verified. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.