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US 9,544,341 B2Granted
Distributed audio conferencing architecture with optimum resource utilization and seamless scalability
AssigneeShoreTel, Inc.
InventorsPramod Madabhushi, Prasannakumar Mallappa, Puneet Saran Sarna
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Abstract
A conference call solution with one or more conference server, one or more conference bridge and one or more media mixer. A conference server is chosen as the conference bridge for the conference call using various optimization techniques. A media mixer for the conference call may also be chosen using various optimization techniques. The media mixer mixes media data from one or more conference bridge. If a conference bridge or the media mixer fails, the system recovers from the failure with minimal interruption to the users.
Claims23
A conference server apparatus for facilitating a conference call, the apparatus comprising:
- a bridge controller to direct other components in the apparatus, the bridge controller communicatively coupled to a memory and a soft switch;
- the memory to store information for one or more components in the apparatus, the memory communicatively coupled to the bridge controller;
- the soft switch to (i) resolve dialed conference numbers to conference sessions managed by the conference server, (ii) establish call connections with telephones connected to the conference server apparatus through an associated switch, and (iii) establish call connections with at least one other conference server through at least one other softswitch associated with the at least one other conference server;
- and
- a media component to encode media data transmitted from the conference server apparatus to one or more other conference servers and to mix media data from n loudest participants to create outgoing mixed participant media data, and wherein the apparatus is configured to receive incoming mixed participant media data from the one or more other conference servers, which includes media data from another set of loudest participants, and to mix the incoming mixed participant media data with the outgoing mixed participant media data to provide a conference media stream that includes media data from a number of loudest participants that is greater than n.
2 more elements
A system for setting up conference call, the system comprising:
- a first conference bridge configured to transmit media data from a plurality of participants of the conference call to a media mixer, the first conference bridge comprising a bridge controller, a memory, and a soft switch;
- and
- the media mixer being configured to (i) prepare mixed media data from media data received from the first conference bridge and one or more other conference bridges and (ii) transmit the mixed media data to the first conference bridge, the media mixer comprising a bridge controller, a memory, a soft switch, and a media component
- the media component to encode and mix media data from n number of loudest participants to create outgoing mixed participant media data, to receive incoming mixed participant media data from the first conference bridge and the one or more other conference bridges which includes media data from another set of loudest participants, and to mix the incoming mixed participant media data with the outgoing mixed participant media data to provide a conference media stream that includes media data from a number of loudest participants that is greater than n.
1 more element
A system for setting up conference call, the system comprising:
- (a) a first conference bridge configured to transmit to a second conference bridge a first mixed participant media stream including media data from a first group comprising at least a first loudest party;
- and
- (b) the second conference bridge configured to transmit to the first conference bridge a second mixed participant media stream including media data from a second group comprising at least a second loudest party
- wherein the first conference bridge and second conference bridge each comprise:
- a bridge controller to direct other components in the respective conference bridge, the bridge controller communicatively coupled to a memory and a soft switch;
- the memory to store information for one or more components in the respective conference bridge, the memory communicatively coupled to the bridge controller;
- and
- the soft switch to (i) resolve dialed conference numbers to conference sessions managed by the conference server, (ii) establish call connections with telephones connected to the respective conference bridge through an associated switch, and (iii) establish call connections with at least one other conference server through at least one other soft switch associated with the at least one other conference server.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.