Multimedia conferencing method and signal

A method of linking a plurality of participants for a conference call, comprising the steps of:

• a) establishing a plurality of N participants pi to participate in said conference call;
• b) selecting a first participant as an initiating participant p0 from said plurality of N participants pi;
• c) ordering the remainder of said plurality of N participants pi, so that said remainder of said plurality of N participants pi, are identified as participants pi through pN−1;
• d) connecting said plurality of N participants pi in a ring whereby each of said plurality of N participants pi is connected to a preceding participant pi−1 and a succeeding participant pi+1, whereby said initiating participant p0 is connected to said participant pN−1 as its preceding participant and to participant p1 as its succeeding participant, thereby completing said ring;
• e) accepting an input S(C, 0) from contributing ones of participants pc during a first time interval t0;
• f) transmitting an initial input S(0, 0) from said initiating participant p0 to its succeeding participant p1, as a first signal A(0, 0);
• g) combining said initial input S(0, 0) from said initiating participant p0 with an input S(1, 0) accepted by the next succeeding participant p1 if said participant p1 is a contributing participant pC, thereby forming a first combined signal A(1,0);
• h) transmitting said first combined signal A(1, 0) to the next succeeding participant p2;
• i) combining said first combined signal A(1, 0) with the input S(2,0) accepted by said next succeeding participant p2, if said next succeeding participant is a contributing participant pC, to form thereby a second combined signal A(2,0) representing a combination of signals from each preceding contributing participant pC starting at said initiating participant p0 and including said next succeeding participant p2, combined in accordance with a predetermined formula;
• j) repeating steps h) and i) at successive participants pi until a combined signal A(N−1, 0) is transmitted from participant pN−1 to said initiating participant p0, said combined signal A(N−1, 0) representing a combined signal containing all of the desired inputs S(Ci, 0) of all contributing participants pc from among participants p0 through pN−1, combined in accordance with said predetermined formula;
• k) removing input S(0, 0) from said combined signal A(N-1, 0) after said signal A(N-1, 0) is received by participant pN−1;
• l) replacing input S(0, 0) in said combined signal A(N-1, 0) with an input S(0,M), where M represents a time interval tM subsequent to said first time interval t0, after said signal A(N−1, 0) is received by participant p0;
• and
• m) repeating steps h), i), j), k) and l) until said conference call is completed.