Patent ID: 8576273

Claim:
A Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) cascaded system, comprising a plurality of MCUs under management of a service management center, wherein the plurality of MCUs are in a mesh topology manner; each MCU in the plurality of MCUs is configured to receive information of a conference sent by the service management center; the MCU is further configured to, according to the information of the conference, schedule the conference, establish link list information about all MCUs that are to attend the conference, and call other MCUs that are to attend the conference to join the conference, wherein the link list information about the MCU comprises numbers of the other MCUs that are to attend the conference, a list of conference sites hung under the MCU, and a link path and a distance between the other MCUs and the MCU; the MCU is further configured to select MCUs connected to the MCU according to the link list information, send conference site information of the MCU to the MCUs connected to the MCU, request the MCUs connected to the MCU for the conference site information of the MCUs connected to the MCU, and after the conference site information of the MCUs connected to the MCU is received, combine the conference site information received from the MCUs and the conference site information of the MCU to form conference site information of the conference; and the MCU is further configured to select, according to the conference site information of the conference, a path to send video and audio data.