Source selection for conference bridges
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 media source selection for a media conference, comprising:
receiving respective information characterizing audio content from each of a plurality of media sources for a conference call, the plurality of media sources comprising at least one media source selected for a current time interval and at least one media source not selected for the current time interval;
determining how long each of the at least one media source selected for the current time interval has been a selected media source;
when one or more of the at least one media source selected for the current time interval has been selected for longer than a predetermined duration, weighting the respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source that has been selected for longer than the predetermined duration to reduce an influence of respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source selected for more than the predetermined duration relative to respective information characterizing audio content from any media source not selected for more than the predetermined duration;
selecting for a next time interval at least one media source from the plurality of media sources based on the respective information characterizing the audio content from the plurality of media sources and the weighting of the respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source that has been selected for longer than the predetermined duration; and
providing, to at least one output for the conference call, a respective media signal for the at least one media source selected for the next time interval.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of selecting for the next time interval the at least one selected media source comprises selecting a plurality of media sources.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the respective information characterizing the audio content from each media source comprises information characterizing an audio signal from the media source.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the information characterizing each audio signal comprises a respective audio level measurement.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein weighting the respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source that has been selected for longer than the predetermined duration comprises decreasing the audio level measurement for that source by a weighting factor.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein weighting the respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source that has been selected for longer than the predetermined duration comprises increasing an audio level measurement for at least one audio signal of a media source not selected for longer than the predetermined duration by at least one weighting factor.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the influence of respective information characterizing the audio content from the at least one media source selected for the current time interval relative to respective information characterizing the audio content from the any media source not selected for longer than the predetermined duration is continually reduced after the predetermined duration.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the influence of the respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration relative to the respective information characterizing the audio content from the any media source not selected for longer than the predetermined duration is reduced after the current time interval as long as the at least one media source remains selected.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the influence of the respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration relative to the respective information characterizing the audio content from the any media source not selected for longer than the predetermined duration is continually reduced after the predetermined duration as long as the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration remains selected.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the influence of the respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration relative to the respective information characterizing the audio content from the any media source not selected for longer than the predetermined duration is continually reduced during a defined period after the current time interval.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the influence of the respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration relative to the respective information characterizing the audio content from the any media source not selected for longer than the predetermined duration is not further reduced after the predetermined duration.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the influence of the respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration relative to the respective information characterizing the audio content from the any media source not selected for longer than the predetermined duration remains reduced for a defined period after the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration becomes an unselected media source.
13. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
selecting at least one video source for the current time interval from a plurality of video sources associated with a plurality of audio sources based on respective information characterizing audio content from each audio source and a weighting of information characterizing audio content from at least one of the audio sources; and
providing at least one video signal from the at least one video source selected for the current time interval to at least one video output for the conference call.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the media conference is part of an online gaming session.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of selecting media sources and providing media signals are performed separately for each of a plurality of outputs so that different participants receive different selections of media signals.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein each participant receives a selection of media signals that does not include a media signal from a media source associated with that participant.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein when a plurality of media sources have been selected, the method comprises weighting information characterizing audio content from the selected media sources individually based on respective lengths of time for which each selected media source has been selected.
18. A system, comprising:
a plurality of input ports through which respective media signals from a plurality of respective media sources are received for a media conference, the plurality of respective media sources comprising at least one media source selected for a current time interval and at least one media source not selected for the current time interval;
a source characterization element configured to receive media signals from the plurality of input ports and to generate respective information characterizing audio content from each media source based on its respective media signal;
a source selection element configured to:
receive the respective information characterizing the audio content from each media source;
determine how long each media source selected for the current time interval has been selected;
when one or more of the at least one media source selected for the current time interval has been selected for longer than a predetermined duration, weight the respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration to reduce an influence of respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration relative to respective information characterizing audio content from any media source not selected for longer than the predetermined duration;
select at least one media source for a next time interval based on the respective information and the weighting of the respective information; and
effect delivery of a media signal from the at least one media source selected for the next time interval to at least one output port for the conference call.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the source selection element is configured to select a plurality of media sources.
20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the source characterization element is configured to make at least one audio level measurement characterizing audio content from at least one of the media sources.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the source selection element is configured to weight the audio level measurement for audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration by decreasing a weighting of the information by a weighting factor.
22. The system of claim 20 , wherein the source selection element is configured to weight the audio level measurement for audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration by increasing the audio level measurement for audio content from the any media source not selected for longer than the predetermined duration by a respective weighting factor.
23. The system of claim 18 , wherein the source selection element is configured to reduce the influence of the respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration relative to the respective information characterizing the audio content from the any media source not selected for longer than the predetermined duration continually after the predetermined duration.
24. The system of claim 18 , wherein the source selection element is configured to reduce the influence of the respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration relative to the respective information characterizing the audio content from the any media source not selected for longer than the predetermined duration after the predetermined duration as long as the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration remains selected.
25. The system of claim 18 , wherein the source selection element is configured to reduce the influence of the respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration relative to the respective information characterizing the audio content from the any media source not selected for longer than the predetermined duration continually after the predetermined duration as long as the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration remains selected.
26. The system of claim 18 , wherein the source selection element is configured to reduce the influence of the respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration relative to the respective information characterizing the audio content from the any media source not selected for longer than the predetermined duration continually during a defined period after the predetermined duration.
27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the source selection element is configured to not further reduce the influence of the respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration relative to the respective information characterizing the audio content from any media source not selected for longer than the predetermined duration after the defined period.
28. The system of claim 18 , wherein the source selection element is configured to reduce the influence of the respective information characterizing the audio content from the one or more of the at least one media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration relative to the respective information characterizing the audio content from the any media source not selected for longer than the predetermined duration for a defined period after the media source selected for longer than the predetermined duration becomes unselected.
29. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a video selection element configured to:
select at least one selected video source from a plurality of video sources associated with the plurality of input ports based on the respective information characterizing the audio content from each media source and a weighting of information characterizing the audio content from at least one of the media sources; and
provide at least one respective video signal from the at least one selected video source to at least one video output for the conference call.
30. The system of claim 18 , wherein the source selection element is configured to select media sources and provide media signals separately for each of a plurality of outputs so that different participants receive different selections of media signals.
31. The system of claim 30 , wherein the source selection element is configured such that each participant receives a selection of media signals that does not include a media signal from the media source associated with that participant.
32. The system of claim 18 , wherein the source selection element is configured, when a plurality of media sources have been selected, to weight information characterizing audio content from the selected media sources individually based on respective lengths of time for which each selected media source has been selected.