SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DISTRIBUTED AUDIO CONFERENCING

• US 20160212273A1
• Filed: 01/09/2016
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wyde Voice, LLC
• Original Assignee: Wyde Voice, LLC
• Inventors: Tsypnyatov, Evgeny, Kachan, Anatoliy
• Application Number:
  US14/991,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20160212273A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5045 Selection of bridge/multipoint control unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/562 where the conference facilities are distributed

Abstract

Methods, systems, means and machine-readable media embodying program instructions for geo-distributed teleconferencing by carrying out a teleconference using a plurality of regional bridges that each connect with a different group of callers, where one of the regional bridges is selected as a master bridge that operates differently than the other bridges.

Claims

1. A teleconferencing system comprising:

a first regional bridge that receives a first call from a first user after the first user dials a first regional phone number, wherein the first regional bridge identifies a teleconference based on input from the first user;

a second regional bridge that receives a second call from a second user after the second user dials a second regional phone number, wherein the second regional bridge identifies the teleconference based on input from the second user; and

a communication channel formed between the first regional bridge and the second regional bridge that permits the first regional bridge and the second regional bridge to collectively host the teleconference,

wherein the communication channel exchanges first audio output and first meta data from the first regional bridge to the second regional bridge, and

wherein the communication channel exchanges second audio output and second meta data from the second regional bridge to the first regional bridge.

2. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises:

a processor that designates one of the first and second regional bridges as a master node,

wherein the processor designates the first regional bridge as the master node when a first capacity of the first regional bridge is better than a second capacity of the second regional bridge, a first available bandwidth of the first regional bridge is better than a second available bandwidth of the second regional bridge, and/or a first reliability measurement of the first regional bridge is better than a second reliability measurement of the second regional bridge, and

wherein the processor designates the second regional bridge as the master node when a second capacity of the second regional bridge is better than a first capacity of the first regional bridge, a second available bandwidth of the second regional bridge is better than a first available bandwidth of the first regional bridge, and/or a second reliability measurement of the second regional bridge is better than a first reliability measurement of the first regional bridge.

3. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises:

a third regional bridge that receives a third call from a third user who uses a third regional phone number, wherein the third regional bridge identifies the conference identifier based on input from the third user that identifies the conference identifier; and

an additional communication channel formed between the third regional bridge and only a selected one of the first and second regional bridges,

wherein the additional communication channel exchanges third audio output and third meta data from the third regional bridge to the selected one of the first and second regional bridges, and

wherein the additional communication channel exchanges the first and second audio output and the first and second meta data from the selected one of the first and second regional bridges to the third regional bridge.

4. The teleconferencing system of claim 3, wherein the system further comprises:

a processor that designates one of the first, second and third regional bridges as a master node in order to minimize latency of data exchange among the first, second and third bridges.

5. The teleconferencing system of claim 3, wherein the system further comprises:

a processor that designates one of the first, second and third regional bridges as a master node in order to minimize a diameter of a spanning graph based on consideration of the locations of the first, second and third bridges.

6. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises:

a processor that designates one of the first, second and third regional bridges as a master node,

wherein the processor designates the first regional bridge as the master node when a first capacity of the first regional bridge is better than a second capacity of the second regional bridge and a third capacity of the third regional bridge, a first available bandwidth of the first regional bridge is better than a second available bandwidth of the second regional bridge a third available bandwidth of the third regional bridge, and/or a first reliability measurement of the first regional bridge is better than a second reliability measurement of the second regional bridge a third reliability measurement of the third regional bridge,

wherein the processor designates the second regional bridge as the master node when a second capacity of the second regional bridge is better than a first capacity of the first regional bridge and a third capacity of the third regional bridge, a second available bandwidth of the second regional bridge is better than a first available bandwidth of the first regional bridge a third available bandwidth of the third regional bridge, and/or a second reliability measurement of the second regional bridge is better than a first reliability measurement of the first regional bridge a third reliability measurement of the third regional bridge, and

wherein the processor designates the third regional bridge as the master node when a third capacity of the third regional bridge is better than a first capacity of the first regional bridge and a second capacity of the second regional bridge, a third available bandwidth of the third regional bridge is better than a first available bandwidth of the first regional bridge a second available bandwidth of the second regional bridge, and/or a third reliability measurement of the third regional bridge is better than a first reliability measurement of the first regional bridge a second reliability measurement of the second regional bridge.

7. The teleconferencing system of claim 1,

wherein the first meta data includes the conference identifier, a first identifier of the first user, and an indication as to whether the first user is speaking, and

wherein the second meta data includes the conference identifier, a second identifier of the second user, and an indication as to whether the second user is speaking.

8. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein the first regional bridge and the second region bridge are in different geographical regions.

9. The teleconferencing system of claim 3, wherein the first regional bridge, the second region bridge, and the third region bridge are in different geographical regions.

11. The teleconferencing system of claim 7, wherein the system further comprises:

a processor,

wherein the processor selects the first bridge as a master node for the teleconference during a first period of time based on a first set of one or more values of a set of one or more operating parameters for each bridge in the plurality of bridges during the first period of time, and wherein the processor selects the second bridge as the master node for the teleconference during a second period of time based on a second set of one or more values of the set of one or more operating parameters for each bridge in the plurality of bridges during the second period of time.

10. A teleconferencing system comprising:

a plurality of bridges that collectively host a teleconference, wherein the plurality of bridges includes at least a first bridge connected to a first caller of the teleconference and a second bridge connected to a second caller of the teleconference.