Source selection for conference bridges
View Patent ↗The present invention provides an audio source selection process for a conference bridge. The conference bridge receives multiple audio sources and selects at least one of the audio sources based on the relative signal levels associated with the audio signal at each of the audio sources. The audio signals associated with the selected source are delivered to conference participants via one or more audio outputs. The conference bridge will repeatedly employ a selection process to select an audio source based on signal level measurements for the audio signals of the audio sources. During the selection process, the influence of a selected audio source relative to the other unselected audio sources is reduced, after the selected audio source has remained selected for more than a first time period.
1. A method for providing source selection for an audio conference comprising:
receiving level measurements for audio signals from a plurality of sources for a conference call;
determining how long a selected source has been the selected source;
when the selected source has been selected for longer than a first time, weighting at least one of the level measurements to reduce an influence of a level measurement for the selected source relative to level measurements for remaining ones of the plurality of sources;
selecting the selected source from the plurality of sources based on the level measurements and the weighting of at least one of the level measurements; and
providing audio signals for the selected source to a plurality of outputs for the conference call.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein weighting the at least one of the level measurements comprises decreasing the level measurement for the selected source by a weighting factor.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein weighting the at least one of the level measurements comprises increasing the level measurement for the remaining ones of the plurality of sources by at least one weighting factor.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the influence of the level measurement for the selected source relative to the level measurements for the remaining ones of the plurality of sources is continually reduced after the first time.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the influence of the level measurement for the selected source relative to the level measurements for the remaining ones of the plurality of sources is reduced after the first time as long as the selected source remains the selected source.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the influence of the level measurement for the selected source relative to the level measurements for the remaining ones of the plurality of sources is continually reduced after the first time as long as the selected source remains the selected source.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the influence of the level measurement for the selected source relative to the level measurements for the remaining ones of the plurality of sources is continually reduced during a defined period of time after the first time.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the influence of the level measurement for the selected source relative to the level measurements for the remaining ones of the plurality of sources is not further reduced after the defined period of time.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the influence of the level measurement of the selected source relative to the level measurements for the remaining ones of the plurality of sources remains reduced for a period of time after one of the remaining ones of the plurality of sources is selected as the selected source.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio signals for the remaining ones of the plurality of sources other than the selected source are not provided to the plurality of outputs for the conference call.
11. The method of claim 1 comprising:
selecting a selected video source from a plurality of video sources associated with the plurality of sources based on the level measurements and the weighting of at least one of the level measurements; and
providing video signals for the selected source to a plurality of video outputs for the conference call.
12. A system comprising:
a plurality of sources through which audio signals from a plurality of communication terminals are received for a conference call;
level measurement circuitry adapted to receive the audio signals from the plurality of sources for the conference call and provide level measurements for the audio signals for the plurality of sources; and
source selection circuitry adapted to:
receive the level measurements for the audio signals;
determine how long a selected source has been the selected source;
when the selected source has been selected for longer than a first time, weight at least one of the level measurements to reduce an influence of a level measurement for the selected source relative to level measurements for remaining ones of the plurality of sources;
select the selected source from the plurality of sources based on the level measurements and the weighting of at least one of the level measurements; and
effect delivery of the audio signals for the selected source to a plurality of outputs for the conference call.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein to weight the at least one of the level measurements, the source selection circuitry is further adapted to decrease the level measurement for the selected source by a weighting factor.
14. The system of claim 12 wherein to weight the at least one of the level measurements, the source selection circuitry is further adapted to increase the level measurement for the remaining ones of the plurality of sources by at least one weighting factor.
15. The system of claim 12 wherein the influence of the level measurement for the selected source relative to the level measurements for the remaining ones of the plurality of sources is continually reduced after the first time.
16. The system of claim 12 wherein the influence of the level measurement for the selected source relative to the level measurements for the remaining ones of the plurality of sources is reduced after the first time as long as the selected source remains the selected source.
17. The system of claim 12 wherein the influence of the level measurement for the selected source relative to the level measurements for the remaining ones of the plurality of sources is continually reduced after the first time as long as the selected source remains the selected source.
18. The system of claim 12 wherein the influence of the level measurement for the selected source relative to the level measurements for the remaining ones of the plurality of sources is continually reduced during a defined period of time after the first time.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein the influence of the level measurement for the selected source relative to the level measurements for the remaining ones of the plurality of sources is not further reduced after the defined period of time.
20. The system of claim 12 wherein the influence of the level measurement of the selected source relative to the level measurements for the remaining ones of the plurality of sources remains reduced for a period of time after one of the remaining ones of the plurality of sources is selected as the selected source.
21. The system of claim 12 wherein the audio signals for remaining ones of the plurality of sources other than the selected source are not provided to the plurality of outputs for the conference call.
22. The system of claim 12 wherein the source selection circuitry is further adapted to:
select a selected video source from a plurality of video sources associated with the plurality of sources based on the level measurements and the weighting of at least one of the level measurements; and
provide video signals for the selected source to a plurality of video outputs for the conference call.