Device for use in a digital conference system

• US 9,838,647 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2011
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Televic Conference NV (Daninvest NV)
• Original Assignee: Televic Conference NV (Daninvest NV)
• Inventors: Lylon, Carl, Talloen, Patrick, Vantomme, Davy
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Charles C
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLARK, ROSENE S
• Application Number:
  US13/819,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20130163411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,359 Days
• Field of Search: 370260, 370263, 370221, 370216, 725 76, 725 77, 725 75, 725 74, 725 78, 725 87, 725105, 725106, 725112, 725113, 725115, 725149, 725 23, 725 28, 725 71, 725 80, 725 81, 725 92, 455 306, 455431, 701 3, 709217, 381 77, 381 86
• 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: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A device for use in a digital conference system has a first and a second port in connection with each other and has a configuration device for configuring, on receipt of a trigger signal, either the first or the second port as input port of the device and the other port as output port. The trigger signal is a synchronization signal. The device is preferably a delegate unit or an extension unit.

Claims

1. A device for use in a digital conference system comprising a central unit, said device being arranged for exchanging audio and video signals with said central unit, said device comprising:

a first and a second port, each port comprising two pairs of differential lines,

a detection device having a processor configured to arrange said first and said second port in a receive mode at start-up or loss of a digital conference network and then automatically detect which of said first and said second port is an input port when said port is synchronized to the digital conference network, and

a configuration device having a processor configured to arrange, on receipt of a trigger signal being a synchronisation signal, said detected input port as the input port of the device by configuring the two pairs of differential lines as an external differential receive pair and an internal differential transmit pair and the other port of the first and the second port as an output port of the device by configuring the two pairs of differential lines as an internal differential receive pair and an external differential transmit pair.

2. The device as in claim 1, wherein said synchronisation signal is a bit synchronisation signal.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein said device is a delegate unit in a digital conference system.

4. The device as in claim 1, said device being an extension unit in a digital conference system.

11. The device as in claim 1, wherein the central unit is configured to combine multiple audio channels from multiple delegate units and to distribute the received audio channels.

12. The device as in claim 11, wherein the central unit is further configured to combine multiple data channels from multiple delegate units and to distribute the received data channels.

13. The device as in claim 12, wherein the central unit is further configured to distribute combinations of the received audio channels and the received data channels.

14. The device as in claim 1, wherein the central unit is further configured to automatically select an active link on one of the first port and the second port.

15. The device as in claim 11, wherein the central unit is further configured to automatically select an active link on one of the first port and the second port.

16. The device as in claim 12, wherein the central unit is further configured to automatically select an active link on one of the first port and the second port.

17. The device as in claim 13, wherein the central unit is further configured to automatically select an active link on one of the first port and the second port.

5. A digital conference system comprising:

a plurality of devices configured for use in the digital conference system, said devices having a processor configured to exchange audio and video signals with at least one central unit and arranged in a daisy chain topology,

each of said devices comprising a first and a second port, each port comprising two pairs of differential lines, a detection device having a processor configured to arrange said first and said second port in a receive mode at start-up or loss of a digital conference network and then automatically detect which of said first and said second port is an input port when said port is synchronized to the digital conference network, and a configuration device having a processor configured to arrange, on receipt of a trigger signal being a synchronisation signal, said detected port as the input port of the device by configuring the two pairs of differential lines as an external differential receive pair and an internal differential transmit pair and the other port of the first and second port as an output port of the device by configuring the two pairs of differential lines as an internal differential receive pair and an external differential transmit pair; and

the at least one central unit configured for the digital conference system.

6. The digital conference system as in claim 5, comprising a network monitoring module arranged to poll said plurality of devices.

7. The digital conference system as in claim 6, wherein said central unit is arranged to poll said network monitoring module.

8. The digital conference system as in claim 5, comprising a storage arrangement that stores configuration information.

9. A method for obtaining redundancy in a digital conference system, wherein the digital conference system comprises at least one central unit and a plurality of devices configured for use in the digital conference system and arranged in a daisy chain topology, each of said devices comprising a first and a second port, each port comprising two pairs of differential lines, a detection device having a processor configured to arrange said first and said second port in a sense mode at start-up or loss of a digital conference network and then automatically detect which of said first and said second port is the input port when said port is synchronized to the digital conference network, and a configuring device having a processor configured to arrange said detected port as the input port of the device by configuring the two pairs of differential lines as an external differential receive pair and an internal differential transmit pair and the other port of the first and the second port as the output port by configuring the two pairs of differential lines as an internal differential receive pair and an external differential transmit pair, so that each device has two paths to said at least one central unit, the method comprising the steps of:

creating an active network branch connecting a set of devices of the digital conference system via a first path of said two paths,

when a failure in said digital conference system is detected, making the output port of at least the device at an end of the active branch act as the input port by sending a trigger signal, said trigger signal being a synchronisation signal, and configuring the two pairs of differential lines as the external differential receive pair and the internal differential transmit pair so that a second path of said two paths becomes active.

10. A method for replacing a device comprised in a digital conference system, said digital conference system being configured as a network comprising a plurality of devices configured for use in the digital conference system and arranged in a daisy chain topology, each device comprising a first and a second port, each port comprising two pairs of differential lines, wherein said first port is configured as an input port by configuring the two pairs of differential lines as an external differential receive pair and an internal differential transmit pair and said second port as an output port by configuring the two pairs of differential lines as an internal differential receive pair and an external differential transmit pair and a central unit, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting loss of a device of said digital conference system,

replacing said device by a replacement device,

detecting the replacement device in the digital conference system,

detecting which of said first and said second port is an input port when said port is synchronized to the digital conference network by placing said first and said second port in a receive mode,

configuring with the central unit said detected replacement device with configuration settings of the lost device by using a trigger signal, said trigger signal being a synchronisation signal, wherein said detected port is configured as the input port by configuring the two pairs of differential lines as the external differential receive pair and the internal differential transmit pair and the other port of the first and the second port as the output port by configuring the two pairs of differential lines as the internal differential receive pair and the external differential transmit pair.