Method for handling larger number of people per conference in voice conferencing over packetized networks

• US 7,349,352 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2002
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Communications Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Vandermersch, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, STEVEN H D
• Application Number:
  US10/056,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20030063573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,252 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/261
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5063 Centrally initiated conference, i.e. Conference server dials participants computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30
• 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

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for handling larger number of people per conference in voice conferencing over packetized networks. A method for providing a conferencing session may include receiving inputs from a number of participants in a conferencing session. The received inputs are combined into an output packet including at least two sub-packets. The sub-packets having payloads including mixed received inputs from the number of participants. The payloads of at least two of the sub-packets contain different mixed received inputs.

Claims

1. A method for providing a conferencing session, comprising:

receiving inputs from a number of participants in a conferencing session;

determining a number of prominent inputs from the received inputs, the inputs being determined as prominent based upon voice clarity and voice loudness;

combining prominent inputs into an output packet including a first sub-packet and a second sub-packet, wherein the first sub-packet has a first payload and the second sub-packet has a second payload, the first payload and the second payload including inputs combined from at least a portion of the received inputs from the number of participants, wherein the first payload includes at least one received input that is not included in the second sub-packet; and

configuring the sub-packets in the output packet so that upon receipt of the output packet by a participant, the participant examines the packets and output a first examined sub-packet which does not include an indication that the sub-packet includes content received from the participant, the output packet being configured as a UDP packet which encapsulates the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet, the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet configured as RTP packets.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the determined prominent inputs are utilized to provide the first payload for the first sub-packet and the second payload for the second sub-packet.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein inputs are determined as prominent based upon a characteristic including at least one of signal strength and prominence history.

4. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the second sub-packet includes at least one received input that is not included in the first sub-packet, wherein the at least one received input that is not included in the first sub-packet includes a next most prominent received input.

5. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet include headers indicating originating participants of the first payload and the second payload.

6. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising transmitting the output packet to at least a portion of the number of participants in the conferencing session utilizing a multicast IP address.

7. A method for providing a conferencing session, comprising:

receiving inputs from a number of participants in a conferencing session;

determining a number of prominent inputs from the received inputs, the inputs being determined as prominent based upon voice clarity and voice loudness;

combining prominent inputs into an output packet including at least two sub-packets, the sub-packets having payloads including mixed received inputs from the number of participants, wherein the payloads of at least two of the sub-packets contain different mixed received inputs; and

configuring the sub-packets in the output packet so that upon receipt of the output packet by a participant, the participant examines the packets and outputs a first examined sub-packet which does not include an indication that the sub-packet includes content received from the participant, the output packet being configured as a UDP packet which encapsulates the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet configured as RTP packets.

8. The method as described in claim 7, wherein the determined prominent inputs are utilized to provide the payloads for the sub-packets.

9. The method as described in claim 8, wherein inputs are determined as prominent based upon a characteristic including at least one of signal strength and prominence history.

10. The method as described in claim 7, wherein the sub-packets include headers indicating originating participants of the first payload and the second payload.

11. The method as described in claim 10, wherein the headers are contributing sources (CSRC) headers.

12. The method as described in claim 7, further comprising transmitting the output packet to at least a portion of the number of participants in the conferencing session utilizing a multicast IP address.

13. A conferencing system suitable for providing a conferencing session to a plurality of participants, comprising:

a multipoint conferencing unit communicatively coupled over a packetized connection to a plurality of input/output devices as utilized by a number of participants so as to enable the participants of a conferencing session to interact, wherein the multipoint conferencing unit is configured to

receive inputs from the input/output devices in a conferencing session;

determine a number of prominent inputs from the received inputs, the inputs being determined as prominent based upon voice clarity and voice loudness;

combine prominent inputs into an output packet including a first sub-packet and a second sub-packet, wherein the first sub-packet has a first payload and the second sub-packet has a second payload, the first payload and the second payload including inputs combined from at least a portion of the received inputs from the number of participant, wherein the first payload includes at least one received input that is not included in the second sub-packet; and

configure the sub-packets in the output packet so that upon receipt of the output packet by a participant, the participant examines the packets and outputs a first examined sub-packet which does not include an indication that the sub-packet includes content received from the participant, the output packet being configured as a UDP packet which encapsulates the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet, the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet configured as RTP packets.

14. The conferencing system as described in claim 13, wherein the determined prominent inputs are utilized to provide the first payload for die first sub-packet and the second payload for the second sub-packet.

15. The conferencing system as described in claim 14, wherein inputs are determined as prominent based upon a characteristic including at least one of signal strength and prominence history.

16. The conferencing system as described in claim 13, wherein the second sub-packet includes at least one received input that is not included in the first sub-packet, wherein the at least one received input that is not included in the first sub-packet includes a next most prominent received input.

17. The conferencing system as described in claim 13, wherein the first sub-packet and the second sub-packet include headers indicating originating participants of the first payload and the second payload.

18. The conferencing system as described in claim 13, wherein the multipoint conferencing system further transmits the output packet to at least a portion of the number of participants in the conferencing session utilizing a multicast IP address.