Distributed media mixing and conferencing in IP networks

A method for providing a distributed conferencing service through an internet protocol (IP) network using an aggregate collection of IP media servers, the system comprising:

• joining a plurality of participants to a distributed conference through a tributary mixer, the tributary mixer in communication with a master mixer through the IP network;
• generating a first mixed media stream by mixing a plurality of ingress media streams from the participants joined through the tributary mixer;
• communicating the first mixed media stream to the master mixer;
• receiving a second mixed media stream from the master mixer, the second mixed media stream comprising media selected to be included in the distributed conference, wherein the master mixer determines whether or not to include the first mixed media stream in the second mixed media stream;
• and
• providing egress media streams to the participants joined through the tributary mixer, each egress media stream comprising the second mixed media stream,
• wherein, for each egress media stream, the tributary mixer selectively mixes the second mixed media stream with at least a portion of the first mixed media stream, based on a mixer override signal from the master mixer indicating that the first mixed media stream is included in the second mixed media stream.

A method for providing a distributed conferencing service through an internet protocol (IP) network using an aggregate collection of IP media servers, the system comprising:

• receiving, at a master mixer, a single first mixed media stream from each of a plurality of tributary mixers, at least one of the first mixed media streams being communicated through the IP network;
• and
• for each of the plurality of tributary mixers:
• generating, at the master mixer, a second mixed media stream corresponding to the particular tributary mixer by selectively mixing the plurality of first mixed media streams received from the other tributary mixers;
• determining whether the first mixed media stream received from the particular tributary mixer is included in the distributed conference;
• based on the determination, generating a mixer override signal;
• and
• transmitting the second mixed media stream and the corresponding mixer override signal from the master mixer to the particular tributary mixer,
• wherein the particular tributary mixer selectively mixes the second mixed media stream with at least a portion of the first mixed media stream, based on the mixer override signal.