Patent ID: 8917635

Claim:
A method of allocating conference resources on a conference system, said method comprising: dynamically calculating for multiple participants of a given conference, by a controller of said system, a quality drop coefficient (QDC) for possible resource allocations of said system for said given conference, wherein said QDC for a given participant for a given resource allocation represents a quality of service said participant would experience in said given conference if said given resource allocation is implemented in said given conference and, wherein said QDC is calculated by said controller separately for each participant in said conference and is computed according to a second highest video rate between said multiple participants; dynamically calculating, by said controller, for said possible resource allocations a quality drop value (QDV), which QDV for a given resource allocation represents a weighted aggregation of said calculated QDC's for said given resource allocation; dynamically selecting, by said controller from said possible resource allocations said resource allocation with said lowest calculated QDV; and implementing, by said system, said selected resource allocation, by, via said controller, one of sending said selected resource allocation for each participant to said each participant and commanding said participant associated with said selected resource allocation to limit the output of said associated participant.