Bifurcated conferencing functions

Abstract

A source conference function is provided for each source device, and a destination conference function is provided for each destination device. Any given user terminal may act as both a destination device when receiving media content and a source device when sending media content to facilitate bidirectional conferencing. The source device generates media content, which is sent to the associated source conference function. In general, the source conference function identifies destination conference functions to which the media content should be delivered, and delivers the media content to the identified destination conference functions. Any given destination conference function receives the media content from this and other source conference functions. The media content received from all or select of the source conference functions may be processed by the destination conference function as desired, and then mixed together to form destination media content, which is delivered to the destination device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 at least one communication interface for coupling to a communication network;   at least one processor coupled to the communication interface; and   at least one storage element, storing instructions for execution by the at least one processor, the instructions comprising:
 instructions executable to receive media content from a plurality of media sources; 
 instructions executable to obtain control information associated with the received media content; and 
 instructions executable to select media content from the received media content for presentation to at least one media destination in association with at least one media conference based on the control information. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions executable to mix the selected media content for presentation to the at least one media destination in association with the at least one media conference based on the control information. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one communication interface, the at least one processor and the at least one storage element are incorporated in a conference system network element. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the instructions executable to select media content from the received media content comprise instructions executable to select respective media content for each of a plurality of media destinations in association with the at least one media conference. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the instructions executable to select media content from the received media content comprise instructions executable to select respective media content for each of a plurality of media destinations in association with the at least one media conference; and   the instructions executable to mix the selected media content comprise instructions executable to mix respective selected media content for presentation to each of the plurality of media destinations in association with the at least one media conference.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one communication interface, the at least one processor and the at least one storage element are incorporated in a destination communication device. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the at least one processor comprises a destination conference function processor and a mixing function processor;   the at least one storage element comprises a destination conference function storage element storing the instructions executable to select the media content and a mixing function storage element storing the instructions executable to mix the selected media content; and   the at least one communication interface comprises at least one communication interface coupled to the destination conference function processor and at least one communication interface coupled to the mixing function processor such that the destination conference function processor can communicate with the mixing function processor via the communication network.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the mixing function processor, the mixing function storage element and the at least one communication interface coupled to the mixing function processor are incorporated in a destination communication device. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the instructions comprise:
 instructions executable to receive media content from at least one media source; and   instructions executable to generate the control information for association with the received media content.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one communication interface, the at least one processor and the at least one storage element are incorporated in a conference system network element. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the at least one processor comprises a plurality of source conference function processors, each source conference function processor incorporated in a respective source communication device;   the at least one storage element comprises a plurality of source conference function storage elements, each source conference function storage element incorporated in a respective source communication device and storing respective instructions executable to generate respective media content and respective instructions executable to generate respective control information for association with the respective received media content; and   the at least one communication interface comprises at least one respective communication interface coupled to each source conference function processor such that each source conference function processor can communicate via the communication network with at least one other processor configured to execute the instructions executable to select media content for presentation to the at least one media destination in association with at least one media conference.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the each source conference function processor sends respective control information for association with its respective received media content to each processor of the at least one other processor for use of the respective control information in selection of media content for presentation to the at least one media destination. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , comprising a control node, wherein source conference function processors send control information to the at least one other processor via the control node. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the destination communication device is configured to perform source conference functions for media content generated at the destination communication device such that the destination communication is operable as both a source communication device and a destination communication device. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 2 , comprising at least one additional media source, each additional media source configured to provide respective additional media content wherein the instructions executable to mix the selected media content for presentation to the at least one media destination in association with the at least one media, conference comprise instructions to mix the addition media content with selected media content for presentation to the at least one media destination. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions executable to select media content from the received media content for presentation to at least one media destination in association with at least one media conference comprise instructions executable to select media content for presentation to at least one media destination in association with multiple simultaneous media conferences. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions executable to mix the selected media content for presentation to the at least one media destination in association with the multiple simultaneous media conferences. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one media conference presents a virtual conference environment at the at least one media destination. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions executable to mix the selected media content for presentation to the at least one media destination in association with the at least one media conference comprise instructions to process media content to simulate relative locations of conference participants. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one media conference presents a virtual conference environment for at least one electronic game. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the media content comprises audio content. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the media content comprises video content. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the media content comprises text content. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the media content comprises graphics content. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the media content comprises at least two of audio content, video content, text content and graphics content. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions executable to integrate selected media content from a plurality of sources into a common media stream for presentation to the at least one media destination. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions comprise instructions executable to provide selected media content from a plurality of sources in parallel media streams for presentation to the at least one media destination. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control information is received in-band with the media content. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control information is received out-of-band separately from the media content. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions executable to generate the control information for association with the received media content comprise:
 instructions executable to obtain participant information for each media conference of the at least one media conference; and   instructions executable to identify at least one media destination for the received media content based on the participant information.   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the instructions executable to generate the control information for association with the received media comprise instructions executable to associate media content received from one media source with multiple simultaneous media conferences. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions executable to generate the control information for association with the received media content comprise:
 instructions executable to obtain priority information for each media conference of the at least one media conference; and   instructions executable to generate control information comprising source mixing information based on at least the priority information for each media conference of the at least one media conference.   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the priority information bears on at least one relative priority for presentation of the received media content to at least one media destination participating in the at least one media conference. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions executable to generate the control information for association with the received media content comprise:
 instructions executable to obtain orientation information for each media conference of the at least one media conference; and   instructions executable to generate control information comprising source mixing information based on at least the orientation information for each media conference of the at least one media conference.   
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the orientation information identifies a location to be associated with the received media content. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein, the orientation information identifies the location relative to other media content sources associated with the at least one media conference. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the orientation information identifies a direction to be associated with the received media content. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the orientation information identifies the direction relative to other media content sources associated with the at least one media conference. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions executable to generate the control information for association with the received media content comprise:
 instructions executable to obtain supplemental information for each media conference of the at least one media conference; and   instructions executable to generate control information comprising source mixing information based on at least the supplemental information for each media conference of the at least one media conference.   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the supplemental information relates to additional media content to be provided to at least one media destination associated with the at least one media conference. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 40 , wherein the supplemental information relates to at least one of background sounds, music, graphics and video clips. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions executable to generate the control information for association with the received media content comprise instructions to generate the control information once per media conference. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions executable to generate the control information for association with the received media content comprise instructions executable to generate initial control information for a media conference for use when the media conference begins. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the instructions executable to generate the control information for association with the received media content comprise instructions to generate updated control information for the media conference for use during the media conference. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the updated control information is a subset of the initial control information. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the instructions executable to select media content from the received media content for presentation to at least one media destination in association with at least one media conference comprise instructions executable to process the received media content to determine respective acoustic properties for media content received from each respective media source. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 46 , wherein the respective acoustic properties indicate respective audio levels. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the instructions executable to select media content from the received media content for presentation to at least one media destination in association with at least one media conference comprise:
 instructions executable to obtain priority information for each media conference of the at least one media conference; and   instructions executable to select the media content for presentation to the at least one media destination based at least in part or the priority information.   
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the instructions executable to obtain control information associated with the received media content comprise instructions executable to obtain priority information for each media conference of the at least one media conference; and   the instructions executable to mix the selected media content comprise instructions executable to mix respective selected media content for presentation to each of the plurality of media destinations based at least in part on the priority information.   
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the instructions executable to obtain control information associated with the received media content comprise instructions executable to obtain orientation information for each media conference of the at least one media conference; and   the instructions executable to mix the selected media content comprise instructions executable to mix respective selected media content for presentation to each of the plurality of media destinations based at least in part on the orientation information.   
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the orientation information identifies a location to be associated with the received media content. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the orientation information identifies the location relative to other media content sources associated with the at least one media conference. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the orientation information identifies a direction to be associated with the received media content. 
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the orientation information identifies the direction relative to other media content sources associated with the at least one media conference. 
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the instructions executable to obtain control information for association with the received media content comprise instructions executable to obtain supplemental information for each media conference of the at least one media conference; and   the instructions executable to mix the selected media content comprise instructions executable to mix respective selected media content for presentation to each of the plurality of media destinations based at least in part on the supplemental information.   
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 55 , wherein the supplemental information relates to additional media content to be provided to at least one media destination associated with the at least one media conference. 
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the supplemental information relates to at least one of background sounds, music, graphics and video clips.