Patent · US Expired

Method, communication system and conference unit for carrying out conferences

US5898676A · kind A · utility

9Cited by

6References

6Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Alcatel N.V. · NL

Inventors

Jurgen Apfelbeck · Hagen, DE
Bernd Weis · Ditzingen, DE
William Bosiers · Ekeren, BE
Philip Stichelbaut · Zwevegem, BE

Key dates

Filing date	Jul 19, 1996
Grant date	Apr 27, 1999
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jul 19, 2016

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH04L2012/5642
WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

It is proposed to use several distributed conference units (KE1, KE2) in a conference system (KS) for carrying out conferences, particularly broadband conferences, and to mix the signals (S1 . . . S4). The signals (S1 . . . S4) from subscriber stations (T1 . . . T4) involved in the conference are not necessarily mixed in a single conference unit, rather the mixing is distributed to several conference units (KE1 . . . KE2). In this way it is possible to mix signals that have a partially common transmission path in the communication system into a component signal (12) by means of a first conference unit (KE1). This mixed component signal (S12) is then transmitted to a second conference unit (KE2) and is mixed in this second conference unit (KE2) with one or more other signals (S3, S4). Since the mixed component signal (S12) during the transmission occupies the same bandwidth as a single signal (S1 . . . S4), the transmission capacity of the communication system (KS) needed for the conference can be kept small.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.