Multiway telepresence without a hardware MCU

1. A method for performing a videoconference, the method comprising:

establishing, at a first videoconferencing location, a videoconference between at least three videoconferencing locations, where the at least three videoconferencing locations comprise the first videoconferencing location, a second videoconferencing location, and a third videoconferencing location, wherein each videoconferencing location maintains a respective corresponding plurality of endpoints, each endpoint comprising a respective at least one display, a respective at least one video input, and a respective videoconferencing unit, wherein the respective videoconferencing unit of each endpoint is configured to communicate only with the respective videoconferencing unit of the corresponding endpoint at each of the other videoconferencing locations, comprising a first videoconferencing unit of a first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location communicating only with first videoconferencing units of corresponding first endpoints at the second and third videoconferencing locations, and a second videoconferencing unit of a second endpoint at the first videoconferencing location communicating only with second videoconferencing units of corresponding second endpoints at the second and third videoconferencing locations;

receiving, at the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location, an audio input signal from a first participant at the first videoconferencing location, wherein receiving the audio input signal from the first participant provides an indication to the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location that there is an active talker at the first videoconferencing location;

providing an indication to the second videoconferencing unit of the second endpoint at the first videoconferencing location that there is an active talker at the first videoconferencing location;

providing, by the first and second videoconferencing units of the first and second endpoints at the first videoconferencing location, signals to respective first and second videoconferencing units of corresponding the first and second endpoints at the second and third videoconferencing locations which indicate that videoconferencing signals from the first videoconferencing location should be displayed, in response to there being an active talker at the first videoconferencing location;

switching, at the second and third videoconferencing locations, to display videoconferencing signals from the first videoconferencing location based on the signals which indicate that videoconferencing signals from the first videoconferencing location should be displayed, wherein said switching configures the first videoconferencing units of the first endpoints at the second and third videoconferencing locations to display the videoconferencing signals from the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location, and configures the second videoconferencing units of the second endpoints at the second and third videoconferencing locations to display the videoconferencing signals from the second videoconferencing unit of the second endpoint at the first videoconferencing location.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein each of the respective videoconferencing units at each of the at least three locations does not comprise dedicated multipoint control unit hardware.

3. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the indication provided to the second videoconferencing unit of the second endpoint at the first videoconferencing location that there is an active talker at the first videoconferencing location is provided by the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location in response to receiving the audio input from the first participant.

4. The method of claim 3 ,

wherein the indication provided by the videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location to the videoconferencing unit of the second endpoint at the first videoconferencing location is an interrupt signal.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the second videoconferencing unit of the second endpoint at the first videoconferencing location, the audio input from the first participant, wherein receiving the audio input from the first participant provides the indication to the second videoconferencing unit of the second endpoint at the first videoconferencing location that there is an active talker at the first videoconferencing location.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each videoconferencing location further comprises a plurality of audio inputs coupled to a mixer, the method further comprising:

receiving, by a first audio input of the plurality of audio inputs, the audio input signal from the first participant;

providing, by the first audio input, the audio input signal from the first participant to the mixer;

wherein the audio input signal from the first participant is received by the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location via the mixer.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

the first and second videoconferencing units of the first and second endpoints at the first videoconferencing location selectively displaying, on their respective displays, videoconferencing information from respective ones of the first and second videoconferencing units of corresponding first and second endpoints at other respective locations, based on audio output from the other respective locations.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing the videoconference comprises:

the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location acting as a first videoconference host for first videoconferencing units of the corresponding first endpoints at the second and third videoconferencing locations;

the second videoconferencing unit of the second endpoint at the first videoconferencing location acting as a second videoconference host for second videoconferencing units of the corresponding second endpoints at the second and third videoconferencing locations.

9. The method of claim 1 ,

providing an indication to a third videoconferencing unit of a third endpoint at the first videoconferencing location that there is an active talker at the first videoconferencing location;

providing, by the third videoconferencing unit of the third endpoint at the first videoconferencing location, signals to respective third videoconferencing units of corresponding third endpoints at the second and third videoconferencing locations which indicate that videoconferencing signals from the first videoconferencing location should be displayed, in response to there being an active talker at the first videoconferencing location.

10. A videoconferencing system for use at a first videoconferencing location, the videoconferencing system comprising:

a plurality of endpoints, each endpoint comprising:

a respective videoconferencing unit;

a respective at least one display coupled to the respective videoconferencing unit;

a respective at least one video input coupled to the respective videoconferencing unit; and

one or more audio inputs coupled to one or more of the respective videoconferencing units of the plurality of endpoints;

wherein the videoconferencing system is configured to couple to a plurality of remote videoconferencing locations to perform a videoconference between the first videoconferencing location and the plurality of remote videoconferencing locations, wherein the respective videoconferencing unit of each endpoint is configured to communicate only with respective videoconferencing units of corresponding endpoints at each of the other videoconferencing locations, comprising a first videoconferencing unit of a first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location communicating only with first videoconferencing units of corresponding first endpoints at each of the remote videoconferencing locations, and a second videoconferencing unit of a second endpoint at the first videoconferencing location communicating only with second videoconferencing units of corresponding second endpoints at each of the remote videoconferencing locations;

wherein the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint of the plurality of videoconferencing endpoints is configured to receive audio input from a first participant via a first audio input of the one or more audio inputs, wherein receiving the audio input from the first participant provides an indication to the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint that there is an active talker at the first videoconferencing location;

wherein the videoconferencing system is configured to provide an indication to the second videoconferencing unit of the second endpoint of the plurality of endpoints that there is an active talker at the first videoconferencing location in the event that audio input from the first participant is received;

wherein the first and second videoconferencing units of the first and second endpoints are configured to provide signals to first and second videoconferencing units of the corresponding first and second endpoints at the remote videoconferencing locations which indicate that videoconferencing signals from the first videoconferencing location should be displayed, in response to there being an active talker at the first videoconferencing location.

11. The videoconferencing system of claim 10 ,

wherein the videoconferencing system does not comprise dedicated multipoint control unit hardware.

12. The videoconferencing system of claim 10 ,

wherein the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint is configured to provide the indication to the second videoconferencing unit of the second endpoint that there is an active talker at the first videoconferencing location in response to receiving the audio input from the first participant.

13. The videoconferencing system of claim 12 ,

wherein the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint is configured to provide an interrupt signal as the indication that there is an active talker at the first videoconferencing location to the second videoconferencing unit of the second endpoint at the first videoconferencing location.

14. The videoconferencing system of claim 10 ,

wherein the second videoconferencing unit of the second endpoint is also configured to receive the audio input from the first participant, wherein receiving the audio input from the first participant provides the indication to the second videoconferencing unit of the second endpoint at the first videoconferencing location that there is an active talker at the first videoconferencing location.

15. The videoconferencing system of claim 10 , further comprising:

a mixer coupled one or more of the respective videoconferencing units;

wherein the one or more audio inputs comprise a plurality of audio inputs coupled to the mixer, wherein the mixer is configured to provide a mixed audio signal to at least the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint.

16. The videoconferencing system of claim 10 , wherein the videoconferencing system is configured to perform the videoconference by:

the first and second videoconferencing units of the first and second endpoints at the first videoconferencing location selectively displaying, on their respective displays, videoconferencing information from respective ones of the first and second videoconferencing units of corresponding first and second endpoints at the remote videoconferencing locations, based on audio output from the other respective locations.

17. The videoconferencing system of claim 10 ,

wherein the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint is configured to act as a first videoconference host for respective first videoconferencing units of the corresponding first endpoints at the second and third videoconferencing locations;

wherein the second videoconferencing unit of the second endpoint is configured to act as a second videoconference host for second videoconferencing units of the corresponding second endpoints at the second and third videoconferencing locations.

18. The videoconferencing system of claim 10 ,

wherein the videoconferencing system is configured to provide an indication to a third videoconferencing unit of a third endpoint of the plurality of videoconferencing endpoints that there is an active talker at the first videoconferencing location in the event that audio input from the first participant is received;

wherein the third videoconferencing unit of the third endpoint is configured to provide signals to third videoconferencing units of corresponding third endpoints at the remote videoconferencing locations which indicate that videoconferencing signals from the first videoconferencing location should be displayed, in response to there being an active talker at the first videoconferencing location.

19. A method for performing a videoconference, the method comprising:

establishing, at a first videoconferencing location, a videoconference between at least three videoconferencing locations, where the at least three videoconferencing locations comprise the first videoconferencing location, a second videoconferencing location, and a third videoconferencing location, wherein each videoconferencing location maintains a respective corresponding plurality of endpoints, each endpoint comprising a respective at least one display, a respective at least one video input, a respective at least one audio input, and a respective-videoconferencing unit, wherein the respective videoconferencing unit of each endpoint is configured to communicate only with the respective videoconferencing unit of the corresponding endpoint at each of the other videoconferencing locations, comprising a first videoconferencing unit of a first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location communicating only with first videoconferencing units of corresponding first endpoints at the second and third videoconferencing locations, and a second videoconferencing unit of a second endpoint at the first videoconferencing location communicating only with second videoconferencing units of corresponding second endpoints at the second and third videoconferencing locations;

receiving, at the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location, an audio input signal from a first participant;

providing, by the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location, signals to respective videoconferencing units of corresponding first endpoints at the second and third videoconferencing locations which indicate that videoconferencing signals from the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location should be displayed, in response receiving the audio input signal from the first participant;

wherein the first videoconferencing units of corresponding first endpoints at the second and third videoconferencing locations switch their respective displays to display videoconferencing signals from the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location based on the signals which indicate that videoconferencing signals from the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location should be displayed;

wherein respective videoconferencing units of endpoints at the second and third videoconferencing locations which do not correspond to the first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location do not receive signals indicating that videoconferencing signals from the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location should be displayed from the first videoconferencing location in response to the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint receiving the audio input signal from the first participant.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

receiving, at a mixer, an audio input signal from each of the audio inputs, wherein the received audio input signals include the audio input signal from the first participant;

mixing, by the mixer, the received audio input signals to produce a mixed audio signal, wherein the mixed audio signal retains information indicating that respective portions of the mixed audio signal are received from respective ones of the audio inputs;

providing the mixed audio signal to each of the respective videoconferencing units;

determining, by each respective videoconferencing unit, whether a respective portion of the mixed audio signal from a corresponding respective audio input comprises an audio input signal from a conference participant;

wherein the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint providing the signals which indicate that videoconferencing signals from the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint at the first videoconferencing location should be displayed to respective videoconferencing units of corresponding endpoints at the second and third videoconferencing locations is performed in response to the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint determining that the portion of the mixed audio signal received from an audio input corresponding to the first videoconferencing unit of the first endpoint comprises the audio input signal from the first participant.