Patent ID: 7783704

Claim:
A method for establishing an overlay network of collaborative conference servers for use in a multi-participant conference, the method comprising: using a service provider to identify a set of conference servers that constitute the overlay network; using the identified conference servers to communicate an internet protocol address and a path delay time for each one of the identified conference servers to all of the identified conference servers in the set of conference servers to establish a plurality of collaborative conference servers by: communicating a path delay time for each one of the conference servers among the connected conference participants; and communicating the delay times of conference servers from each participant to its directly connected conference server; connecting at least two of the collaborative conference servers directly to at least two separate conference participants; establishing a controllable voice packet routing path through the collaborative conference servers in the overlay network, the controllable voice packet routing path comprising a path that connects once and only once to each directly attached conference server; directing all voice data packets along the established voice packet routing path through the overlay network; and using each one of the directly connected collaborative conference servers to simultaneously provide audio mixing for its directly attached participant.