Method and system for handling audio signals of conference

• US 8,170,191 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2004
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Potekhin, Sergey, Eran, Knaz, Brachel, Nir, Leviav, Eyal
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): GAY, SONIA L
• Application Number:
  US10/909,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20060026002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,829 Days
• Field of Search: 37920201-20501, 370260-261, 370/401, 709/204, 709/227
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A new system and method particularly useful in handling the audio of a “large” conference is disclosed. The system and method initially defines certain conferees as panel members, which can provide audio to and receive audio from the conference, and audience members, which only passively receive audio from the conference. In one aspect, an audience member can request to participate in the conference. By making an appropriate request, the audience member can, if system resources are adequate, participate fully as a panel member and may supply audio to the conference for at least some portion of time. Alternatively, the audience member can supply information other than audio data to the conference, such as voting data or other data allowing the audience member to participate in the conference as more than a merely passive listening participant.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a conference between a plurality of terminals with a conferencing control unit, the method comprising:

designating at the control unit at least one terminal as a panel terminal;

allocating an audio port for each of the at least one panel terminal;

designating at the control unit at least one terminal as an audience terminal;

associating a broadcast-multicast port with at least one audience terminal based on a total number of the plurality of terminals;

receiving and decoding compressed audio signals from the at least one panel terminal at the control unit via its associated audio port;

mixing the received decoded audio signals at the control unit to generate a mixed audio signal for sending to the at least one panel terminal via its associated audio port and at least one audience terminal via the broadcast-multicast port;

receiving at the control unit a compressed audio stream comprising a request from the at least one audience terminal;

decoding the compressed audio stream comprising the request; and

analyzing the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the conference is an audio conference, an audio/video conference, or a multimedia conference.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein designating the terminals is performed when reserving the conference, starting the conference, or connecting one of said terminals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a request to change the requesting terminal from an audience terminal to a panel terminal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein changing the requesting terminal comprises allocating an audio port to the requesting terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining at the control unit whether the request from the audience terminal can be implemented.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether the request from the audience terminal can be implemented comprises determining whether an audio port on the control unit is available.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether the request from the audience terminal can be implemented comprises determining whether an audio port on the control unit can be released.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a request to speak during the conference.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a vote.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received as an audio in-band signal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received as a DTMF signal.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received as a signal of a voice.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received as a signal over one or more out-of-band channels.

15. A method of conducting a conference between a plurality of terminals with a conferencing control unit, the method comprising:

initially designating at the control unit at least one terminal as a panel terminal;

allocating an audio port for each of the at least one panel terminal, wherein the control unit generates a mixed audio signal from audio signals received from the at least one panel terminal, and transmits a mixed compressed audio signal to each of the at least one panel terminal via the associated audio port;

initially designating at the control unit at least one terminal as an audience terminal;

associating a broadcast-multicast port with the at least one audience terminal based on a total number of the plurality of terminals;

wherein the audience terminal receives the mixed compressed audio signal from the broadcast-multicast port in the control unit;

receiving at the control unit a compressed audio stream comprising a request from at least one audience terminal;

decoding the compressed audio stream comprising the request; and

analyzing the request.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the conference is an audio conference, an audio/video conference, or a multimedia conference.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein designating the terminals is performed when reserving the conference, starting the conference, or connecting one of said terminals.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the request comprises a request to change the requesting terminal from an audience terminal to a panel terminal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein changing the requesting terminal comprises allocating an audio port to the requesting terminal.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining if the request can be implemented by the control unit, thereafter receiving information from the requesting audience terminal.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the request comprises a request to speak during the conference, and wherein the information comprises audio data from the requesting terminal.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the information comprises a vote.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the request is received as an audio in-band signal.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the request is received as a DTMF signal.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the request is received as a signal of a voice.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the request is received as a signal over one or more out-of-band channels.

27. A system for conducting a conference over a network and between a plurality of terminals, the system comprising:

a control unit in communication with the plurality of terminals via the network, each of the plurality of terminal being designatable by the control unit as a panel terminal or an audience terminal,

wherein the control unit

allocates an audio port for each panel terminal,

receives audio signals only from the panel terminals via the audio ports,

generates mixed audio signals from the received audio signals,

associates a broadcast-multicast port with the audience terminals based on a total number of the plurality of terminals;

sends mixed compressed audio signals to the panel terminals via the audio ports and to the audience terminals via the broadcast-multicast port,

receives a compressed audio stream comprising a request from the at least one audience terminal,

decodes the compressed audio stream comprising the request, and

analyzes the request.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the conference is an audio conference, an audio/video conference, or a multimedia conference.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the compressed audio signal comprises a request from the audience terminal.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the control unit changes the designation of an audience terminal to a panel terminal in response to the request.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the control unit allocates an audio port to the requesting terminal.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the control unit determines whether an audio port of the control unit is available for the requesting terminal.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the control unit releases an audio port of an inactive panel terminal and allocates the released audio port to the requesting terminal.

34. The system of claim 27, wherein the electronic signals comprise a vote, a response, or a message for the conference.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein the compressed audio signals comprise a command from the audience terminal.

36. The system of claim 27, wherein the compressed audio signals comprise in-band signals, out-of-band signals, DTMF symbols, or voice signals.

37. A control unit for conducting a conference between a plurality of terminals, the control unit comprising:

at least one panel module comprising at least one audio port, the panel module allocated for one or more panel terminals of the plurality of terminals, the panel module receiving compressed audio signals only from the one or more panel terminals, generating mixed audio signals from the received compressed audio signals, generating mixed compressed audio signals from the mixed audio signals, and sending mixed compressed audio signals to the one or more panel terminals; and

at least one audience module, the audience module allocated for one or more audience terminals of the plurality of terminals, the audience module receiving compressed audio signals from the one or more audience terminals,

wherein the control unit includes one or more broadcast-multicast ports for the one or more audience terminals, and

wherein the control unit associates the one or more broadcast-multicast ports with the one or more audience terminals based on a total number of the plurality of terminals.

38. The control unit of claim 37, wherein the audience module includes a decoder/parser for decoding/parsing the audience data, and an analyzer for analyzing the decoded/parsed data.

39. The control unit of claim 37, wherein the modules are permanent or temporary logic modules.

40. The control unit of claim 37, wherein the compressed audio signal includes a request for the control unit to designate the sending audience terminal as a panel terminal.

41. The control unit of claim 40, wherein the control unit determines whether the panel module has a free audio port for the requesting terminal.

42. The control unit of claim 40, wherein the control unit allocates the free audio port of the panel module to the requesting terminal.

43. The control unit of claim 40, wherein the control unit releases an audio port of an inactive panel terminal and allocates the released audio port to the requesting terminal.

44. The control unit of claim 43, wherein the control unit designates the inactive terminal as an audience terminal.

45. The control unit of claim 37, wherein the compressed audio signal includes a vote, a response, or a message for the conference.

46. The control unit of claim 37, wherein the compressed audio signal is sent by the audience terminal to the control unit using in-band signals, out-of-band signals, DTMF signals, or voice signals.

47. The control unit of claim 37, wherein the compressed audio signal is sent over one or more out-of-band channels.