Control unit for multipoint multimedia/audio conference
First Claim
1. A control unit for facilitating multipoint communication between a plurality of endpoints, each endpoint including at least a microphone and a speaker, each endpoint being operative to send a compressed audio input signal to the control unit and receive a compressed output signal from the control unit, the control unit comprising:
- at least one audio module, each audio module receiving compressed audio input signals from at least one endpoint and sending compressed audio output signals to at least one endpoint of said plurality of endpoints, each audio module including at least one audio port logical unit, each audio port logical unit being assigned to at least one endpoint within a conference and being operative to handle audio signal processing required by the endpoints associated with said audio port logical unit;
an audio controller logical unit; and
a common interface to route compressed audio streams to and from at least one audio module such that operation of the audio port logical unit eliminates a need for a central audio signal processing logical unit for the conference.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multipoint controller unit in which the audio signal processing is distributed among several audio ports. The control of the audio signal processing may be centrally or distributively managed by one or more audio controllers. The audio signal processing may include selecting audio streams from a common interface and/or mixing the signals from the common interface. Each audio port may enhance the audio signal and generate control information from the audio signal. The audio ports are synchronized by a common information channel while the audio controllers are synchronized by a common control channel interface. Port fragmentation is reduced since the audio signal processing that relates to an endpoint within a conference is handled by a single audio port.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A control unit for facilitating multipoint communication between a plurality of endpoints, each endpoint including at least a microphone and a speaker, each endpoint being operative to send a compressed audio input signal to the control unit and receive a compressed output signal from the control unit, the control unit comprising:
at least one audio module, each audio module receiving compressed audio input signals from at least one endpoint and sending compressed audio output signals to at least one endpoint of said plurality of endpoints, each audio module including at least one audio port logical unit, each audio port logical unit being assigned to at least one endpoint within a conference and being operative to handle audio signal processing required by the endpoints associated with said audio port logical unit;
an audio controller logical unit; and
a common interface to route compressed audio streams to and from at least one audio module such that operation of the audio port logical unit eliminates a need for a central audio signal processing logical unit for the conference. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A system comprising:
a plurality of audio ports between which audio signal processing of a conference is distributed. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system comprising:
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a plurality of audio ports between which audio signal processing of a conference is distributed, the signal processing including mixing at least one audio signal, each one of the plurality of audio ports including a decoder that decodes a compressed audio stream, an analyze and enhance unit that analyzes the decoded audio stream and outputs control information;
a switch that selects audio signals to be mixed by a mixer, and sends the audio signals to the mixer, an encoder that encodes the audio signal mixed by the mixer, one or more audio controllers that communicate with the plurality of audio ports to control the mixer and the switch forming a centralized management system for the conference;
a control channel interface for broadcasting the control information from the one or more audio controllers to the plurality of audio ports;
an information channel for transferring the control information from the plurality of audio ports to the one or more audio controllers;
a compressed audio common interface that carries the compressed audio stream to the plurality of audio ports to be decoded by the decoder, and receives output from the encoder; and
a system format common interface that receives the decoded audio signal after it has been decoded by the decoder, and broadcasts the decoded audio signal to be received by the switch. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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25. A method comprising:
distributing audio signal processing of a conference between a plurality of audio ports.
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41. A method comprising:
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broadcasting an output of audio signal processing of a conference between a plurality of audio ports, the audio signal processing including receiving a compressed audio stream, decoding the compressed audio stream, analyzing the output of the decoding, generating control information, enhancing the output of the decoding to form an enhanced audio stream, outputting control information, and formatting the enhanced audio stream;
broadcasting output of the formatting;
broadcasting the control information from the plurality of audio ports to the one or more audio controllers;
selecting formatted audio signals based on the broadcast instructions;
mixing the selected signals;
encoding output of the mixing; and
broadcasting the output from the encoding on a common interface.
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42. A method comprising:
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distributing audio signal processing of a conference between a plurality of audio ports, the audio signal processing including receiving a compressed audio stream, decoding the compressed audio stream, analyzing the output of the decoding, generating control information, enhancing the output of the decoding to form an enhanced audio stream, outputting control information, and formatting the enhanced audio stream;
broadcasting output of the formatting;
broadcasting the control information from the plurality of audio ports to one or more audio controllers;
selecting formatted audio signals based on the broadcast control information;
mixing the selected formatted audio signals;
encoding output of the mixing; and
broadcasting the output from the encoding on a common interface.
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43. A method comprising:
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distributing audio signal processing of a conference between a plurality of audio ports, the audio signal processing including receiving a compressed audio stream, decoding the compressed audio stream, analyzing the output of the decoding and generating control information, outputting the control information, and formatting the decoded audio stream, broadcasting output of the formatting;
broadcasting the control information from the plurality of audio ports to one or more audio controllers;
selecting formatted audio signals based on the broadcast control information;
mixing the selected formatted audio signals;
encoding output of the mixing; and
broadcasting the output from the encoding on a common interface.
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44. A method comprising:
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distributing audio signal processing of a conference between a plurality of audio ports, the audio signal processing including receiving a compressed audio stream, decoding the compressed audio stream, analyzing the output of the decoding and generating control information, and enhancing the output of the decoding to form an enhanced audio stream, outputting the control information, broadcasting the enhanced audio stream;
broadcasting the control information from the plurality of audio ports to one or more audio controllers;
selecting decoded audio signals based on the broadcast control information;
mixing the selected decoded audio signals;
encoding output of the mixing; and
broadcasting the output from the encoding on a common interface.
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Specification