Managing internet protocol unicast and multicast communications
First Claim
1. A system for managing Internet Protocol of at least one of unicast and multicast communications over a network, the system comprising:
- network interface means for interfacing between the network and other parts of the system;
signal processing means connected to the network interface means having at least one audio channel for decompressing and de-packetising audio signals received from a plurality of remote systems through the network interface means and for outputting the audio signals to audio mixer means for mixing the received audio signals at different respective audio levels relative to the respective remote systems such that a resultant audio mix has no component resulting from local mixing of the system'"'"'s own audio input, nor any component resulting from mixing at the respective remote systems so that the audio mix is a full mix of audio signals from the remote systems mixed by the system with no local source audio and having at least one audio channel for compressing and packetising audio signals received from the audio mixer means mixed at different respective audio levels for transmission through the network interface means over the network;
audio channel manager means connected to the signal processing means for dynamically allocating the audio channels in the signal processing means and connected to the audio mixing means for signalling an allocated channel to the audio mixing means; and
message manager means connected to the network interface means and to the audio channel manager means for managing the at least one of unicast and multicast communication of the audio signals.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for managing internet protocol of at least unicast and/or multicast communications over a network has a network interface 20 for interfacing between the network 10 and other parts of the system. An audio compression/decompression and packetising controller 30 is interposed between the interface 20 and an audio mixer 40 such that the network interface outputs audio signals to the audio mixer for mixing the audio signals at different respective audio levels. An audio channel manager is connected to the controller 30 and audio mixer 40 so as to dynamically allocate audio channels and for connecting the audio mixer to an allocated channel. A message manager 60 is connected to the network interface and to the audio channel manager for managing the unicast and/or multicast communication of the audio signals.
33 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A system for managing Internet Protocol of at least one of unicast and multicast communications over a network, the system comprising:
- network interface means for interfacing between the network and other parts of the system;
signal processing means connected to the network interface means having at least one audio channel for decompressing and de-packetising audio signals received from a plurality of remote systems through the network interface means and for outputting the audio signals to audio mixer means for mixing the received audio signals at different respective audio levels relative to the respective remote systems such that a resultant audio mix has no component resulting from local mixing of the system'"'"'s own audio input, nor any component resulting from mixing at the respective remote systems so that the audio mix is a full mix of audio signals from the remote systems mixed by the system with no local source audio and having at least one audio channel for compressing and packetising audio signals received from the audio mixer means mixed at different respective audio levels for transmission through the network interface means over the network;
audio channel manager means connected to the signal processing means for dynamically allocating the audio channels in the signal processing means and connected to the audio mixing means for signalling an allocated channel to the audio mixing means; and
message manager means connected to the network interface means and to the audio channel manager means for managing the at least one of unicast and multicast communication of the audio signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- network interface means for interfacing between the network and other parts of the system;
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7. A method for managing Internet Protocol transmission of at least one of unicast and multicast communications over a network to a remote system, comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving an audio transmission request at audio channel manager means to transmit an audio signal over the network to a remote location;
b) the audio channel manager means communicating with signal processing means to determine whether an appropriate audio compression and packetisation channel is allocated within the signal processing means and if not establishing such a channel and instructing an audio mixer connected to the signal processing means thereof;
c) message manager means connected to the audio channel manager means determining whether an existing multicast session is established with the remote system and if it is established adding the address of the remote system to an address list of the existing multicast session but if it is not established determining whether to establish a new multicast session or a unicast session as appropriate with the remote location and if so establishing the new multicast session and adding the address of the remote location to an address list of the new multicast session or establishing the unicast session;
d) using the signal processing means to compress and packetise the audio signal; and
e) transmitting the compressed and packetised audio signal over the network to the remote system;
such that an audio mix at the remote system has no component resulting from local mixing of the remote system'"'"'s own audio input, nor any component resulting from mixing at other systems so that the audio mix is a full mix of audio signals from systems mixed by the remote system with no local source audio. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17)
- a) receiving an audio transmission request at audio channel manager means to transmit an audio signal over the network to a remote location;
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13. A method for managing reception of at least one of unicast and multicast communications over a network from a plurality of remote systems, comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving an audio reception request at audio channel manager means to receive one or more audio signals over the network from a remote system;
b) the audio channel manager means communicating with signal processing means to determine whether an appropriate audio de-compression and de-packetisation channel is allocated within the signal processing means and if such a channel is not established, establishing the channel;
c) the audio channel manager means notifying an audio mixer of the allocated channel;
d) receiving the audio signal at the signal processing means;
e) the signal processing means decompressing and de-packetising the received audio signal in the allocated channel and outputting the decompressed and de-packetised audio signal to the audio mixing means; and
f) the audio mixing means mixing the received signal with other received audio signals from the plurality of remote systems and outputting the mixed audio signals to audio outputs connected to the audio mixing means;
such that a resultant audio mix has no component resulting from local mixing of the system'"'"'s own audio input, nor any component resulting from mixing at the respective remote systems so that the audio mix is a full mix of audio signals from the remote systems mixed by the system with no local source audio. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
- a) receiving an audio reception request at audio channel manager means to receive one or more audio signals over the network from a remote system;
Specification