Patent ID: 8477661

Claim:
A system for providing a distributed conferencing service through an internet protocol (IP) network, the system comprising: a master mixer configured to provide distributed mixing of media streams associated with a distributed conference held through the IP network; and a plurality of tributary mixers configured to communicate with the master mixer, at least one of the tributary mixers configured to communicate with the master mixer through the IP network, each tributary mixer configured to: join one or more respective participants to the distributed conference; generate a first mixed media stream by mixing a plurality of ingress media streams from the respective participants; communicate the first mixed media stream to the master mixer; receive a second mixed media stream from the master mixer, the second mixed media stream comprising media from at least one other participant joined to the distributed conference through another of the tributary mixers, wherein the master mixer determines whether or not to also include the first mixed media stream in the second mixed media stream; and provide egress media streams to its respective participants, each egress media stream comprising the second mixed media stream, wherein for each egress media stream, the tributary mixer selectively mixes the second mixed media stream with at least a portion of the first mixed media stream, based on a mixer override signal from the master mixer indicating that the first mixed media stream is included in the second mixed media stream.