Apparatus and method for combining network conferences that are not co-located

• US 20070177529A1
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaplan, Jonathan, Provino, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,643,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

An audio management apparatus manages simultaneous streams of packet-switched audio data for a network conference tool, and allows the combining of conferences that are not co-located. The apparatus uses at least two audio bridges, each of which receives audio inputs from a plurality of local connection points, does mixing of the audio data for each local connection-point and provides the audio outputs thereto. Also provided is a communications link between the two audio bridges, and each of the audio bridges creates an audio mix from its local connection points and outputs it over the communications link to the other audio bridge. Each bridge may treat the audio data from the other audio bridge as it does any other call. In this way, the combining of the two conferences is accomplished in a simple and straightforward manner.

Claims

1. An audio management apparatus for managing simultaneous streams of packet-switched audio data for a network conference that provides communication between a plurality of different connection points, audio data being received from and transmitted to the connection points by the audio management apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a first audio bridge having a conference manager that receives audio data from each of a first group of the connection points, and provides an output mix of audio data to each connection point of said first group according to respective mixing protocols maintained for each connection point of said first group;

a second audio bridge having a conference manager that receives audio data from each of a second group of the connection points, and provides an output mix of audio data to each connection point of said second group according to respective mixing protocols maintained for each connection point of said second group; and

an audio communications link between the first audio bridge and the second audio bridge that allows the transmission of audio data between the first audio bridge and the second audio bridge, wherein the conference manager of the first audio bridge provides an output mix of audio data from a plurality of the connection points of the first group to the conference manager of the second audio bridge via the link, and wherein the conference manager of the second audio bridge provides an output mix of audio data from a plurality of the connection points of the second group to the conference manager of first audio bridge, such that audio communication is enabled between the first group of the connection points and the second group of the connection points.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the communications link comprises the public switched telephone network.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising at least one additional audio bridge that, together with the first audio bridge and the second audio bridge, are interconnected with one another via at least one audio communications link so as to provide an output mix of audio data from each of a plurality of groups of connection points, each associated with a different audio bridge, to others of the audio bridges.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first audio bridge and the second audio bridge are geographically remote from each other.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the output mix of audio data that is received by the second audio bridge from the first audio bridge is processed by the conference manager of the second audio bridge in the same manner as audio inputs from each of the second group of connection points.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the output mix of audio data provided by the conference manager of the first audio bridge is a mix of the audio data inputs from all of the connection points of the first group.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the audio data transmitted and received by the conference managers of each of the audio bridges is packet-switched audio data.

8. A method for managing simultaneous streams of packet-switched audio data for a network conference that provides communication between a plurality of different connection points, the method comprising:

providing a first audio bridge having a conference manager that receives audio data from each of a first group of the connection points, and provides an output mix of audio data to each connection point of said first group according to respective mixing protocols maintained for each connection point of said first group;

providing a second audio bridge having a conference manager that receives audio data from each of a second group of the connection points, and provides an output mix of audio data to each connection point of said second group according to respective mixing protocols maintained for each connection point of said second group;

connecting the first audio bridge and the second audio bridge with an audio communications link that allows the transmission of audio data between the first audio bridge and the second audio bridge;

generating a first mix of audio data from a plurality of the connection points of the first group with the conference manager of the first audio bridge and providing the first mix to the conference manager of the second audio bridge via the link; and

generating a second mix of audio data from a plurality of the connection points of the second group with the conference manager of the second audio bridge and providing the second mix to the conference manager of first audio bridge via the link, such that audio communication is enabled between the first group of the connection points and the second group of the connection points.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the communications link comprises the public switched telephone network.

10. A method according to claim 8 further comprising providing at least one additional audio bridge that, together with the first audio bridge and the second audio bridge, are interconnected with one another via at least one audio communications link so as to provide an output mix of audio data from each of a plurality of groups of connection points, each associated with a different audio bridge, to others of the audio bridges.

11. A method according to claim 8 wherein the first audio bridge and the second audio bridge are geographically remote from each other.

12. A method according to claim 8 further comprising processing, with the conference manager of the second audio bridge, the output mix of audio data that is received from the first audio bridge in the same manner as audio inputs from each of the second group of connection points.

13. A method according to claim 8 wherein the output mix of audio data provided by the conference manager of the first audio bridge is a mix of the audio data inputs from all of the connection points of the first group.

14. A method according to claim 8 wherein the audio data transmitted and received by the conference managers of each of the audio bridges is packet-switched audio data.

15. An audio management apparatus for managing simultaneous streams of packet-switched audio data for a network conference that provides communication between a plurality of different connection points, audio data being received from and transmitted to the connection points by the audio management apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving audio data from each of a first group of the connection points associated with a first audio bridge and providing an output mix of audio data to each connection point of said first group according to respective mixing protocols maintained for each connection point of said first group;

means for receiving audio data from each of a second group of the connection points associated with a second audio bridge and providing an output mix of audio data to each connection point of said second group according to respective mixing protocols maintained for each connection point of said second group;

means for connecting the first audio bridge and the second audio bridge with an audio communications link that allows the transmission of audio data between the first audio bridge and the second audio bridge;

means for generating a first mix of audio data from a plurality of the connection points of the first group and providing the first mix to the second audio bridge via the link; and

means for generating a second mix of audio data from a plurality of the connection points of the second group and providing the second mix to the first audio bridge via the link, such that audio communication is enabled between the first group of the connection points and the second group of the connection points.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the communications link comprises the public switched telephone network.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15 further comprising additional means for receiving audio data from each of at least one additional group of the connection points with at least one additional audio bridge and for providing an output mix of audio data to each connection point of each additional group according to respective mixing protocols maintained for each connection point of each additional group, and means for interconnecting the audio bridges with one another via at least one audio communications link so as to provide an output mix of audio data from each of the plurality of groups of connection points, each associated with a different audio bridge, to others of the audio bridges.

18. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the first audio bridge and the second audio bridge are geographically remote from each other.

19. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the output mix of audio data that is received by the second audio bridge from the first audio bridge is processed in the same manner as audio inputs from each of the second group of connection points.

20. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the first output mix of audio data is a mix of the audio data inputs from all of the connection points of the first group.