Method of and arrangement for establishing a conference connection in a TDM communication system

A method for establishing conference connections among a first, second, and third participant respectively furnishing a first, second and third information signal so that a first, second and third conference signal comprising the sum of the information signal supplied by the other conference participants is transmitted, respectively, to said first, second and third participant, said information signals being nonlinearly encoded, comprising the steps of

• entering each of said information signals into corresponding storage locations in a first and second set of memory locations, so that a first, second and third pair of storage locations stores said first, second and third information signal, respectively, said pairs of storage locations having, respectively, a first, second and third participant-associated address;
• generating said first participant associated address;
• converting the so-generated first participant-associated address to said second participant-associated address and said third participant-associated address for said first and second set of memory locations, respectively, thereby automatically reading out said second and third information signals;
• linearizing the two so read-out signals and summing said linearized signals, thereby creating a sum signal;
• and
• transmitting said sum signal to said first participant under control of said first participant-associated address.

Apparatus for establishing a conference connection among a plurality of participants generating respective information signals, comprising, in combination,

• at least first and second memory means each for storing all of said information signals from said participants at respective participant-associated addresses;
• means for generating said participant-associated addresses;
• first and second address converting means connected to said participant-associatedd address generating means and, respectively, to said first and second memory means, both receiving each of said participant-associated addresses substantially simultaneously, each for converting the so-received address to another of said participant-associated addresses different from each other and different from said so-received address and applying the so-converted address to the respective one of said memory means, whereby information signals from the others of said participants are read out substantially simultaneously in response to each of said so-received addresses;
• code converter means connected to said first and second memory means for linearizing said read-out information signals;
• summing means connected to said code converter means for summing said linearized signals, thereby creating sum signals;
• reconverting means connected to said summing means to receive said sum signals and furnish compressed sum signals corresponding thereto;
• and
• means connected to said participant-associated address signal generating means and said reconverting means for transmitting said compressed sum signals to said participants under control of said participant-associated addresses.