Patent ID: 8289368

Claim:
A conferencing method, comprising: connecting a plurality of endpoint devices together in a conferencing session; creating a first conference group that comprises at least first and second endpoints of the plurality of endpoint devices; creating a second conference group that comprises at least a third endpoint; reading content delivery preferences associated with the first group; and directing content from the at least a first and second endpoints based on the preferences associated with the first group; determining at least one of media type capabilities, codec capabilities, and codec attribute capabilities for each endpoint in each of the first and second conference groups; mapping the endpoints from the first conference group to endpoints in the second conference group based on the determined at least one of media type capabilities, codec capabilities, and codec attribute capabilities; utilizing the mapping to convey media streams from the at least first and second endpoints in the first conference group to the at least a third endpoints in the second conference group; assigning a respective score to each of the determined at least one of media type capabilities, codec capabilities, and codec attribute capabilities; summing the assigned scores for each endpoint in each of the first and second conference groups; comparing the summed score for the first endpoint to the summed score for the at least a third endpoint; based on the comparing step, determining that the first endpoint and the at least a third endpoint are capable of utilizing a common codec; and allowing the first endpoint and the at least a third endpoint to utilize the common codec during the conferencing session when the first endpoint is switched to the at least a third endpoint.