System and method for providing internet based phone conferences using multiple codecs

1. A computer product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

a receiving module for receiving a data structure that includes digitized speech from a transmitting forum participant in a forum;

an analyzer module for analyzing said data structure to determine whether said digitized speech in said data structure is redundantly represented in a plurality of forms;

a selection module for selecting one or more forms from said plurality of forms in said data structure when said digitized speech is redundantly represented in said data structure in said plurality of forms based on an aspect of said forum;

a forwarding module for forwarding a portion of said data structure to a receiving forum participant, thereby communicating said digitized speech from said transmitting forum participant in said forum;

said portion of said data structure that is forwarded to said receiving forum participant by said forwarding module includes data in said data structure that corresponds to each of said one or more forms selected by said selection module when said digitized speech is redundantly represented in said data structure in said plurality of forms.

2. The computer product of claim 1 , wherein each form in said plurality of forms is characterized by an operation of a different codec on a voice signal that corresponds to said digitized speech from said transmitting forum participant.

3. The computer product of claim 1 , wherein each form in said plurality of forms is characterized by a different amount of a characteristic, said characteristic selected from the group consisting of a coding method, a transmitted bandwidth, a bit rate, a form of bit rate, a level of speech quality, an amount of error correction, a band signaling tone, a complexity, a frame size, an amount of delay, and a native sampling rate.

4. The computer product of claim 1 , wherein said digitized speech is redundantly represented in said data structure in a first form and a second form,

said first form determined by an operation of a first codec on a voice signal corresponding to said digitized speech;

said second form determined by an operation of a second codec on said voice signal corresponding to said digitized speech;

said first codec characterized by a first predetermined transmitted bandwidth; and

said second codec characterized by a different second predetermined transmitted bandwidth.

5. The computer product of claim 1 , wherein said digitized speech is redundantly represented in said data structure in a first and second form, said first form characterized by an operation of a first codec on a voice signal corresponding to said digitized speech and said second form characterized by an operation of a second codec on said voice signal corresponding to said digitized speech, wherein

said first codec operates with a first frame length and said second codec operates with a different second frame length,

said first form and said second form represented in said data structure in unequal durational amounts.

6. The computer product of claim 1 , wherein said aspect is a status of said receiving forum participant, a number of nonpaying participants in said forum or a number of paying participants in said forum.

7. A computer readable memory used to direct a client/server system to function in a specified manner, comprising:

executable instructions stored in said memory, said executable instructions including:

instructions to receive a data structure that includes digitized speech from a transmitting forum participant in a forum;

instructions to analyze said data structure to determine whether said digitized speech in said data structure is redundantly represented in a plurality of forms;

instructions to select one or more forms from said plurality of forms in said data structure when said digitized speech is redundantly represented in said data structure in said plurality of forms based on an aspect of said forum;

instructions to forward a portion of said data structure to a recieving forum participant, thereby communicating said digitized speech from said transmitting forum participant in said forum;

said portion of said data structure that is forwarded to said receiving forum participant by said instructions to forward includes data in said data structure that corresponds to each of said one or more forms selected by said instructions to select one or more forms when said digitized speech is redundantly represented in said data structure in said plurality of forms.

8. The computer readable memory of claim 7 , wherein each form in said plurality of forms is characterized by an operation of a different codec on a voice signal that corresponds to said digitized speech from said transmitting forum participant.

9. The computer readable memory of claim 7 , wherein each form in said plurality of forms is characterized by a different amount of a characteristic, said characteristic selected from the group consisting of a transmitted bandwidth, a bitrate, a form of bitrate, a level of speech quality, an amount of error correction, a band signaling tone, a complexity, a frame size, an amount of delay, and a native sampling rate.

10. The computer readable memory of claim 7 , wherein said digitized speech is redundantly represented in said data structure in a first form and a second form,

said first form determined by an operation of a first codec on a voice signal corresponding to said digitized speech;

said second form determined by an operation of a second codec on said voice signal corresponding to said digitized speech;

said first codec characterized by a first predetermined transmitted bandwidth; and

said second codec characterized by a different second predetermined transmitted bandwidth.

11. The computer readable memory of claim 7 , wherein said digitized speech is redundantly represented in said data structure in a first and second form, said first form characterized by an operation of a first codec on an voice signal corresponding to said digitized speech and said second form characterized by an operation of a second codec on said voice signal corresponding to said digitized speech,

said first codec operates with a first frame length and said second codec operates with a different second frame length; and

said first form and said second form represented in said data structure in unequal durational amounts.

12. The computer readable memory of claim 7 , wherein said aspect of said forum is a status of said receiving forum participant, a number of nonpaying participants in said forum, or a number of paying participants in said forum.

13. A computer readable memory used to direct a client/server system to function in a specified manner, comprising:

executable instructions stored in said memory, said executable instructions including:

first instructions to select one or more codecs based on an aspect of a forum;

instructions to convert to compressed digital data, by operation of each said selected codec, a voice signal associated with a participant in said forum;

instructions to package said digital data into a packet; and

instructions to transmit said packet, thereby communicating digitized speech from said participant in said forum;

when more than one codec is selected, said digital data includes a redundant representation of said voice signal associated with said participant in said forum.

14. The computer readable memory of claim 13 wherein

said first instructions choose a first and a second codec; and

said instructions to convert to compressed digital data include:

instructions to convert a first amount of said voice signal associated with said participant in said forum to a first quanta of compressed digital data having a first degree of a characteristic;

instructions to convert a second amount of said voice signal associated with said participant in said forum to a second quanta of compressed digital data having a second degree of said characteristic;

said first amount of said voice signal overlapping at least in part said second amount of said voice signal.

15. The computer readable memory of claim 13 , said characteristic is a transmitted bandwidth, a bit rate, a form of bit rate, a level of speech quality, an amount of error correction, a band signaling tone, a complexity, a frame size, an amount of delay, or a native sampling rate.

16. The computer readable memory of claim 13 , said aspect of said forum is a status of a participant in said forum, a number of nonpaying participants in said forum, or a number of paying participants in said forum.