Patent ID: 7456858

Claim:
A method for automatic generation and allocation of optimized setup of multiple end points (EPs) to multi site connection units (MCUs) in a distributed video conference system, comprising the steps of: a) estimating the number of MCUs needed, based on the number of EPs required to be connected in a video conference session, b) checking that there is a sufficient number of MCUs available according to the estimation by allocating each EP to an MCU, c) allocating EPs to MCUs, by connecting EPs to MCUs, characterized in that said allocating step c) is performed according to a weighting function, and that said allocating step comprises the substeps of: generating de-allocated lists, from the generated priority list of allocated EPs to MCUs, of EPs from all but a master MCU, creating routes between each EP and each MCU in the MCU de-allocated list, adding these routes to a list with a collection of routes, sorting list with collection of routes by lowest weight call, allocating each EP contained in the collection of routes to a preferred MCU, if sufficient resources are available on the MCU, and removing all other routes in the sorted list where this EP is present.