Media detection and packet distribution in a multipoint conference

• US 20080266384A1
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Triplicane, Vijayaraghavan R., Atmakuri, Murthy V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,264,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/569 using the instant speaker's algorithm speech detection per se G10L25/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A method for distributing media packets in a multipoint conference includes receiving a plurality of audio signals. Each of the plurality of audio signals includes audio packets, wherein one or more audio packets from each of the plurality of audio signals is coded with an audiometric, the audiometric including an acoustic measurement from a conference site. The method further includes, for each of the plurality of audio signals, extracting an audiometric from one or more audio packets and selecting an active audio signal based on the extracted audiometrics. In addition, the method includes determining a change in the active audio signal and in response to determining a change in the active audio signal, updating a media forwarding table, the media forwarding table including a directory for routing one or more of the plurality of audio signals. The method further includes distributing audio packets to one or more conference sites in accordance with the media forwarding table.

Claims

1. A method for distributing media packets in a multipoint conference, comprising:

receiving a plurality of audio signals, each of the plurality of audio signals including audio packets, wherein one or more audio packets from each of the plurality of audio signals is coded with an audiometric, the audiometric including an acoustic measurement from a conference site;

extracting one or more audiometrics from one or more audio packets for each of the plurality of audio signals;

selecting one or more active audio signals based on the one or more extracted audiometrics;

determining a change in the active audio signal;

updating a media forwarding table in response to determining a change in an active audio signal, the media forwarding table including a directory for routing one or more of the plurality of audio signals; and

distributing audio packets to one or more conference sites in accordance with the media forwarding table.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of video signals, each of the plurality of video signals associated with one or more of the plurality of audio signals;

selecting an active video signal based on the one or more active audio signals; and

distributing one or more of the video signals in accordance with the media forwarding table, wherein the media forwarding table includes a directory for routing one or more of the plurality of video signals.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a change in the active video signal; and

updating the media forwarding table in response to determining a change in the active video signal.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein selecting an active video signal based on one or more active audio signals includes selecting an active video signal based on an archive, the archive maintaining a record of one or more active audio signals.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying the active video signal at a conference site.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one or more active audio signals based on the one or more extracted audiometrics includes comparing a plurality audiometrics from each of the plurality of audio signals, wherein the plurality of audiometrics are extracted from audio packets generated over a given time interval.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

broadcasting the one or more active audio signals at a remote conference site.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the audiometric includes a decibel measurement at a conference site.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the audiometric is weighted based on a plurality of acoustic measurements at a conference site.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ranking the plurality of audio signals according to the extracted audiometrics.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to determining a change in the active audio signal, receiving an instantaneous decoder refresh frame prior to distributing audio packets to one or more conference sites in accordance with the media forwarding table.

12. A multipoint control unit for distributing media packets in a multipoint conference comprising:

an interface operable to receive a plurality of audio signals, each of the plurality of audio signals including audio packets, wherein one or more audio packets from each of the plurality of audio signals is coded with an audiometric, the audiometric including an acoustic measurement from a conference site; and

a conference control processor operable to;

extract one or more audiometrics from one or more audio packets for each of the plurality of audio signals;

select one or more active audio signals based on the one or more extracted audiometrics;

determine a change in the active audio signal;

update a media forwarding table in response to determining a change in an active audio signal, the media forwarding table including a directory for routing one or more of the plurality of audio signals; and

distribute audio packets to one or more conference sites in accordance with the media forwarding table.

13. The multipoint control unit of claim 12, wherein the conference control processor is operable to:

select an active video signal based on the one or more active audio signals; and

distribute one or more of the video signals in accordance with the media forwarding table, wherein the media forwarding table includes a directory for routing one or more of the plurality of video signals.

14. The multipoint control unit of claim 13, wherein the conference control processor is operable to:

determine a change in the active video signal; and

update the media forwarding table in response to determining a change in the active video signal.

15. The multipoint control unit of claim 13, wherein the conference control processor is operable to select an active video signal based on one or more active audio signals by selecting an active video signal based on an archive, the archive maintaining a record of one or more active audio signals.

16. The multipoint control unit of claim 12, wherein the conference control processor includes:

a media layer operable to;

extract one or more audiometrics from one or more audio packets;

forward the one or more extracted audiometrics to a switching layer; and

distribute one or more of the video signals in accordance with the media forwarding table; and

a switching layer operable to;

select one or more active audio signals based on the one or more extracted audiometrics;

determine a change in the active audio signal;

update the media forwarding table in response to determining a change in an active audio signal.

17. The multipoint control unit of claim 12, wherein the conference control processor is operable to select one or more active audio signals based on the extracted audiometrics by comparing a plurality audiometrics from each of the plurality of audio signals, wherein the plurality of audiometrics are extracted from audio packets generated over a given time interval.

18. The multipoint control unit of claim 12, wherein the audiometric includes a decibel measurement at a conference site.

19. The multipoint control unit of claim 12, wherein the audiometric is weighted based on a plurality of acoustic measurements at a conference site.

20. The multipoint control unit of claim 12, wherein the conference control processor is further operable to rank the plurality of audio signals according to the extracted audiometrics.

21. The multipoint control unit of claim 12, wherein the conference control processor is further operable to receive an instantaneous decoder refresh frame prior to distributing audio packets to one or more conference sites in accordance with the media forwarding table.

22. A computer readable medium including code for distributing media packets in a multipoint conference, the code operable to:

receive a plurality of audio signals, each of the plurality of audio signals including audio packets, wherein one or more audio packets from each of the plurality of audio signals is coded with an audiometric, the audiometric including an acoustic measurement from a conference site;

extract one or more audiometrics from one or more audio packets for each of the plurality of audio signals;

select one or more active audio signals based on the one or more extracted audiometrics;

determine a change in the active audio signal;

update a media forwarding table in response to determining a change in an active audio signal, the media forwarding table including a directory for routing one or more of the plurality of audio signals; and

distribute audio packets to one or more conference sites in accordance with the media forwarding table.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the code is operable to:

receive a plurality of video signals, each of the plurality of video signals associated with one or more of the plurality of audio signals;

select an active video signal based on the one or more active audio signals; and

distribute one or more of the video signals in accordance with the media forwarding table, wherein the media forwarding table includes a directory for routing one or more of the plurality of video signals.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the code is operable to:

determine a change in the active video signal; and

update the media forwarding table in response to determining a change in the active video signal.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the code is operable to select an active video signal based on one or more active audio signals by selecting an active video signal based on an archive, the archive maintaining a record of one or more active audio signals.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the code is operable to display the active video signal at a conference site.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the code is operable to select one or more active audio signals based on the one or more extracted audiometrics by comparing a plurality audiometrics from each of the plurality of audio signals, wherein the plurality of audiometrics are extracted from audio packets generated over a given time interval.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the code is operable to broadcast the one or more active audio signals at a remote conference site.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the audiometric includes a decibel measurement at a conference site.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the audiometric is weighted based on a plurality of acoustic measurements at a conference site.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the code is operable to rank the plurality of audio signals according to the extracted audiometrics.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the code is operable to receive an instantaneous decoder refresh frame prior to distributing audio packets to one or more conference sites in accordance with the media forwarding table.

33. A multipoint control unit for distributing media packets in a multipoint conference, comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of audio signals, each of the plurality of audio signals including audio packets, wherein one or more audio packets from each of the plurality of audio signals is coded with an audiometric, the audiometric including an acoustic measurement from a conference site;

means for extracting one or more audiometrics from one or more audio packets for each of the plurality of audio signals;

means for selecting one or more active audio signals based on the one or more extracted audiometrics;

means for determining a change in the active audio signal;

means for updating a media forwarding table in response to determining a change in an active audio signal, the media forwarding table including a directory for routing one or more of the plurality of audio signals; and

means for distributing audio packets to one or more conference sites in accordance with the media forwarding table.