# US 2020/0396338 A1 · Conference System > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0396338 A1 - Document ID: US20200396338A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/845,143 - Filed: 2020-04-10 - Published: 2020-12-17 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-29 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Audio-Technica - Applicants: Audio-Technica Corporation - Inventors: Kazuhiro Onizuka; Toru Aikawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200396338A1 ## CPC - H04M 3/561: {by multiplexing} - 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)} - H04L 12/1827: {Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation} - H04L 12/1863: {comprising mechanisms for improved reliability, e.g. status reports (arrangements for detecting or preventing errors by carrying supervisory signal the return channel H04L1/16)} - H04L 12/42: Loop networks - H04L 12/437: Ring fault isolation or reconfiguration {(for SDH/SONET ring networks H04J3/085)} - H04L 12/1822: {Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission} - H04L 12/1881: {with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management} - 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) - H04L 69/22: Parsing or analysis of headers - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A conference system, capable of reliably managing a connection state of a discussion unit and a control unit and continuously acquiring information from the discussion unit when a connection abnormality occurs, is provided. A conference system S includes a control unit 1 and a discussion unit 2, a running packet is repeatedly transmitted and received between both units, the running packet includes a counter flag, the control unit includes a CU communication portion 11, a CU storage portion 13, and a CU control portion 16, the discussion unit includes a DU control portion 26, the DU control portion increments the count value of the counter flag, and each time the running packet is received from the discussion unit, the CU control portion compares a count value stored in the CU storage portion and the count value of the counter flag included in the running packet received from the discussion unit. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-9. (canceled) ### Claim 10 A conference system comprising: a control unit; and a plurality of discussion units, wherein the plurality of discussion units are connected by a ring connection to the control unit, the control unit repeatedly transmits and receives a running packet to and from the plurality of discussion units, the running packet includes a counter flag, the plurality of discussion units includes: a first discussion unit that receives the running packet from the control unit, and a second discussion unit that transmit the running packet to the control unit, the control unit comprises: a CU communication portion, a CU storage portion, and a CU control portion, the first discussion unit comprises: a first DU control portion, and a first DU communication portion, the second discussion unit comprises: a second DU control portion, and a second DU communication portion, the CU control portion resets a count value of the counter flag included in the running packet before the running packet is transmitted to the first discussion unit, the CU communication portion transmits the running packet with the reset count value to the first discussion unit, the first DU control portion increments the count value of the counter flag, the first DU communication portion transmits the running packet, which includes the counter flag with the incremented count value, to a discussion unit connected to the first discussion unit, among the plurality of discussion units, the second DU control portion increments the count value of the counter flag received from a discussion unit connected to the second discussion unit, among the plurality of discussion units, the second DU communication portion transmits the running packet, which includes the counter flag with the incremented count value, to the control unit, the CU storage portion stores the incremented count value of the counter flag included in the running packet, and each time the control unit receives the running packet, the CU control portion compares the count value stored in the CU storage portion and the incremented count value of the counter flag included in the running packet. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The conference system according to claim 10, wherein, when the count value stored in the CU storage portion and the incremented count value of the counter flag included in the running packet are mismatched, the CU control portion renews the count value stored in the CU storage portion with the incremented count value of the counter flag included in the running packet. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The conference system according to claim 10, wherein the CU storage portion stores, in association, a relative ID of each discussion unit that is numbered based on the incremented count value of the counter flag included in the running packet, and an absolute ID of each discussion unit, and, when the count value stored in the CU storage portion and the incremented count value of the counter flag included in the running packet are mismatched, the CU control portion renews the association of the relative IDs and the absolute IDs. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The conference system according to claim 12, wherein the control unit comprises: a CU connection portion, and the first discussion unit and the second discussion unit are connected to the CU connection portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The conference system according to claim 13, wherein the CU connection portion includes a plurality of connection terminals. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The conference system according to claim 14, wherein, each time the control unit receives the running packet, the CU control portion compares a transmission connection terminal, which, among the plurality of connection terminals, transmitted the running packet, and a reception connection terminal, which, among the plurality of connection terminals, received the running packet, to judge a connection mode of the control unit and the discussion units. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The conference system according to claim 15, wherein when a discussion unit, among the plurality of discussion units, undergoes a connection abnormality, the first DU communication portion transmits the running packet, which includes the counter flag with the incremented count value, to the control unit, the CU control portion judges the connection mode to be a daisy chain connection mode when the transmission connection terminal and the reception connection terminal are matched, and judges the connection mode to be a ring connection mode when the transmission connection terminal and the reception connection terminal are not matched, and the judged connection mode is stored in the CU storage portion in association with the absolute IDs of the discussion units. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The conference system according to claim 16, wherein, when the connection mode stored in the CU storage portion and the judged connection mode differ, the CU control portion renews the connection mode stored in the CU storage portion with the judged connection mode. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The conference system according to claim 11, wherein the CU storage portion stores, in association, a relative ID of each discussion unit that is numbered based on the incremented count value of the counter flag included in the running packet, and an absolute ID of each discussion unit, the CU communication portion transmits a setting packet, carrying a unit setting command, to perform setting of the discussion units, to the discussion units, and the setting packet includes the absolute IDs of the discussion units as the transmission destinations of the setting packet.