Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for conferencing in an expandable telecommunications system

US5920546A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
7References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 28, 1997
Grant dateJul 6, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 28, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M7/006
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for conferencing two or mores calls in an expandable telecommunications system. The system may include a plurality of nodes connected by an inter-nodal network such that the nodes communicate with each other by exchanging variable-length packets of information. At least one node in the system contains digital signal processing circuitry capable of conferencing the voice information from three or more callers interfaced with the system. Packets containing voice information from each conference participant are preferably transmitted via the inter-nodal network to the node having the requisite digital signal processing circuitry. This node performs a conferencing function on that information, packets the resulting conferenced information and transmits those packets via the inter-nodal network to the nodes interfaced with the conference participants.

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