Patent ID: 7664056
Filing Date: 2010-02-16
Classification: H04L,H04M,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for adding a telephone participant to a multi-participant video conference, comprising: sending a first message to each of a plurality of multicast appliances over the Internet, wherein the first message comprises a group address which identifies participants; each of the multicast appliances receiving the first message; establishing a plurality of virtual private networks across the Internet between the multicast appliances; wherein one or more of the participants are able to communicate in the multi-participant video conference; the telephone participant joining the multi-participant video conference, wherein said joining comprises: the telephone participant participating in the multi-participant video conference comprises: at a computer system of the first participant, decoding the IP packets containing the digital voice data to produce the digital voice data; mixing the digital voice data of the telephone participant with digital voice data of the first participant; providing the mixed digital voice data of the telephone participant and the first participant to the other participants; mixing the digital voice data of the first participant and the digital voice data of the other participants; providing the mixed digital voice data of the first participant and the other participants to the telephone participant.