Method of combining signals in a telephone conference circuit

A method of establishing a telephone conference among plural members comprising the steps of:

• a. forming at least one group of up to a predetermined number of members;
• b. providing an adder A for each said group for combining signals from the members of each said group;
• c. providing an adder B for each member of each said group for combining the signals from each other member of the said group so that each member does not receive its own signal;
• and in the event there is more than one said group,
• d. connecting said adder A from a predetermined number of said groups to an adder C for combining the signals from said adders A;
• e. providing an adder D for each said adder B for combining the signals from said adders A so that each said adder B does not receive its own signal.

A method of establishing a telephone conference among plural members using a repeated hierarchical level method of connecting input signals wherein the repeated hierarchical level method comprises the steps of:

• a. arranging the input signals at a hierarchical level into groups of a predetermined number;
• b. providing a first adder to each of said groups, each said first adder for combining a predetermined number of said input signals into one first output signal;
• c. providing plural second adders, one for each of the input signals, for combining a predetermined number of said input signals into one second output signal so that all but one of said input signals is combined in each of said second output signals;
• and
• d. providing plural said first output signals as input signals at a further hierarchical level wherein steps a.-c. above are repeated.

A circuit for telephone conferencing among plural members comprising:

• an adder A for each group of up to a predetermined number of members for combining signals from the members of each said group;
• an adder B for each member of each said group for combining the signals from each other member of the said group so that each member does not receive its own signal;
• and in the event there is more than one said group, an adder C for combining the signals from a predetermined number of said adders A;
• an adder D for each said adder B for combining the signals from said adders A so that each said adder B does not receive its own signal.