System and method for supporting a plurality of media conferences

A device for supporting a plurality of media conferences, comprising:

• a plurality of digital signal processors (DSPs), each DSP operable to receive input data packets from conference participants and to process the input data packets to generate output data packets, each DSP further operable to determine whether the media conference is set to an active mode and to communicate the output data packets to the conference participants in response to determining that the media conference is set to the active mode;
• and
• a system resource management (SRM) module coupled to the DSPs and operable to allocate a media conference to a first DSP and a second DSP and to set the media conference to the active mode in the first DSP and a stand-by mode in the second DSP, wherein the first DSP communicates output data packets associated with the media conference in response to the SRM module setting the media conference to the active mode in the first DSP, the SRM module further operable to set the media conference to the active mode in the second DSP and to de-allocate the media conference from the first DSP, wherein the second DSP communicates output data packets associated with the media conference in response to the SRM module setting the media conference to the active mode in the second DSP,
• wherein the SRM module is further operable to de-allocate the first media conference from the first DSP if resource information relating to the first DSP exceeds a resource threshold.

A method of supporting a plurality of media conferences using a plurality of digital signal processors (DSPs), the method comprising:

• allocating a media conference to a first DSP and a second DSP;
• setting the media conference to an active mode in the first DSP and a stand-by mode in the second DSP;
• communicating input data packets associated with the media conference to the first and second DSPs;
• processing the input data packets to generate output data packets at the first and second DSPs;
• determining whether the media conference is set to the active mode in the first and second DSPs;
• communicating the output data packets from the first DSP to one or more end-user devices in response to determining that the media conference is set to the active mode in the first DSP;
• de-allocating the media conference from the first DSP;
• setting the media conference to the active mode in the second DSP;
• and
• communicating the output data packets from the second DSP to the end-user devices in response to determining that the media conference is set to the active mode in the second DSP.

A device for supporting a plurality of media conferences, comprising:

• a system resource management (SRM) module operable to allocate a media conference to a first DSP and a second DSP and to set the media conference to an active mode in the first DSP and a stand-by mode in the second DSP,
• wherein the first DSP communicates one or more output data streams associated with the media conference to one or more end-user devices in response to the SRM module setting the media conference to the active mode in the first DSP, the SRM module further operable to deallocate the media conference from the first DSP and to set the media conference to the active mode in the second DSP,
• wherein the second DSP communicates one or more output data streams associated with the media conference to the end-user devices in response to the SRM module setting the media conference to the active mode in the second DSP,
• wherein the SRM module de-allocates the media conference from the first DSP if resource information relating to the first DSP exceeds a resource threshold.

System resource management (SRM) software embodied in a computer-readable medium and operable to perform the following steps:

• allocating a media conference to a first DSP and a second DSP;
• setting the media conference to an active mode in the first DSP and a stand-by mode in the second DSP;
• communicating input data packets associated with the media conference to the first and second DSPs;
• communicating output data packets from the first DSP to one or more end-user devices in response to setting the media conference to the active mode in the first DSP;
• de-allocating the media conference from the first DSP;
• setting the media conference to the active mode in the second DSP;
• and
• communicating the output data packets from the second DSP to the end-user devices in response to setting the media conference to the active mode in the second DSP.