Patent ID: 7230639

Claim:
A method for conferencing, comprising the steps of: receiving at least one input signal from at least one input device; receiving descriptive information during a conference from at least one sensor; determining, in a substantially continuous manner, based on said descriptive information, a desirability for each of a plurality of possible output configurations, each of said possible output configurations specifying a routing of at least one output signal to at least one output device, wherein said desirability is evaluated numerically, and wherein said desirability comprises: selecting a most desirable output configuration among said plurality of possible output configurations; and providing said at least one output signal to said at least one output device in accordance with said most desirable output configuration, wherein said desirability comprises: a plurality of components; wherein each of said components is multiplied by a component weighting and then additively combined with all other of said components to yield said desirability, and wherein said component weighting indicates a relative importance of said each of said components in determining said desirability.