Source selection for conference bridges
AssigneeNortel Networks Limited
InventorDany Sylvain
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides an audio source selection process for a conference bridge. The conference bridge receives multiple audio sources and selects at least one of the audio sources based on the relative signal levels associated with the audio signal at each of the audio sources. The audio signals associated with the selected source are delivered to conference participants via one or more audio outputs. The conference bridge will repeatedly employ a selection process to select an audio source based on signal level measurements for the audio signals of the audio sources. During the selection process, the influence of a selected audio source relative to the other unselected audio sources is reduced, after the selected audio source has remained selected for more than a first time period.
Claims32
A method for providing source selection for an audio conference, comprising:
- receiving information characterizing at least one audio source for a conference call;
- determining how long at least one selected source has been a selected source;
- when at least one selected source has been selected for longer than a first time period, weighting the information characterizing at least one of the sources to reduce an influence of information characterizing the at least one selected source relative to information characterizing at least one unselected source;
- selecting at least one selected source from the plurality of sources based on the information characterizing the sources and the weighting of the information characterizing at least one of the sources;
- providing at least one audio signal for the at least one selected source to at least one output for the conference call.
A system, comprising:
- a plurality of input ports through which audio signals from a plurality of audio sources are received for a conference call;
- an audio source characterization element operable to receive the audio signals from the plurality of input ports and to generate information characterizing at least one audio source based on its respective audio signal;
- a source selection element operable to:
- receive the information characterizing the at least one audio source;
- determine how long at least one selected input port has been selected;
- when a selected input port has been selected for longer than a first time period, weight the information characterizing at least one of the audio sources to reduce an influence of information characterizing the selected source relative to information characterizing remaining ones of the plurality of input ports;
- select at least one input port based on the level measurements and the weighting of the at least one level measurement;
- and
- effect delivery of at least one audio signal for the at least one selected input port to at least one output port for the conference call.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.