Patent ID: 6324169
Filing Date: 2001-11-27
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
A method for providing real-time multimedia conferencing services to a dispersed plurality of locations, where at least some of the locations employ local area networks, said plurality of locations being interconnected by a guaranteed service wide area network, where multimedia signals originating at the locations need resources within the wide area network and within a multimedia bridge connected to the wide area network,comprising the steps of:receiving multimedia signals from the local area networks at the wide area network by way of respective network routers;bridging the multimedia signals in the multimedia bridge; andtransmitting the bridged multimedia signals from the wide area network to one or more of the plurality of locations by way of respective network routers, transmissions within said wide area network comprising statistical multiplexing of said multimedia signals, whereby the bandwidth required to transmit the multimedia signals between the plurality of locations is reduced.