Patent ID: 6466550
Filing Date: 2002-10-15
Classification: H04L,H04M

Abstract:
A distributed conferencing system comprising:multiple conferencing transceivers that communicate audio conference data to each other over a packet data network using a shared multicast group address, each transceiver comprising: a bi-directional conference local data interface connected to at least one local conferencing point; a bidirectional conference remote packet data interface connected to said packet data network; a first data flow path from said local data interface to said remote packet data interface and a second data flow path from said remote packet data interface to said local data interface; a switch inserted in said first data flow path; and an arbitrator that monitors source attributes of conference data appearing at each of said interfaces and opens said switch when the number of contemporaneously received sources of conference data exceeds a preset maximum and the source attributes of conference data appearing at said remote packet data interface take precedence over the source attributes of conference data appearing at said local data interface.