Media detection and packet distribution in a multipoint conference

A multipoint control unit for distributing media packets in a multipoint conference comprising:

• an interface operable to receive a plurality of audio signals, each of the plurality of audio signals including audio packets, wherein one or more audio packets from each of the plurality of audio signals is coded with an audiometric, the audiometric including an acoustic measurement from a conference site;
• and
• a conference control processor operable to:
• extract one or more audiometrics from one or more audio packets for each of the plurality of audio signals;
• select one or more active audio signals based on the one or more extracted audiometrics;
• determine a change in the active audio signal;
• update a media forwarding table in response to determining a change in an active audio signal, the media forwarding table including a directory for routing one or more of the plurality of audio signals;
• receive, in response to determining a change in the active audio signal, an instantaneous decoder refresh frame prior to distributing audio packets to one or more conference sites in accordance with the media forwarding table;
• and
• distribute audio packets to one or more conference sites in accordance with the media forwarding table.

A non-transitory, computer readable medium including code for distributing media packets in a multipoint conference, the code operable, when executed on a processor, to:

• receive a plurality of audio signals, each of the plurality of audio signals including audio packets, wherein one or more audio packets from each of the plurality of audio signals is coded with an audiometric, the audiometric including an acoustic measurement from a conference site;
• extract one or more audiometrics from one or more audio packets for each of the plurality of audio signals;
• select one or more active audio signals based on the one or more extracted audiometrics;
• determine a change in the active audio signal;
• update a media forwarding table in response to determining a change in an active audio signal, the media forwarding table including a directory for routing one or more of the plurality of audio signals;
• receive, in response to determining a change in the active audio signal, an instantaneous decoder refresh frame prior to distributing audio packets to one or more conference sites in accordance with the media forwarding table;
• and
• distribute audio packets to one or more conference sites in accordance with the media forwarding table.

A multipoint control unit for distributing media packets in a multipoint conference, comprising:

• means for receiving a plurality of audio signals, each of the plurality of audio signals including audio packets, wherein one or more audio packets from each of the plurality of audio signals is coded with an audiometric, the audiometric including an acoustic measurement from a conference site;
• means for extracting one or more audiometrics from one or more audio packets for each of the plurality of audio signals;
• means for selecting one or more active audio signals based on the one or more extracted audiometrics;
• means for determining a change in the active audio signal;
• means for updating a media forwarding table in response to determining a change in an active audio signal, the media forwarding table including a directory for routing one or more of the plurality of audio signals;
• means for receiving, in response to determining a change in the active audio signal, an instantaneous decoder refresh frame prior to distributing audio packets to one or more conference sites in accordance with the media forwarding table;
• and
• means for distributing audio packets to one or more conference sites in accordance with the media forwarding table.