US 7,590,231 B2
Supporting enhanced media communications in communications conferences
James R. Tighe, Frisco, Tex. (US); Paul S. Hahn, Prosper, Tex. (US); Richard B. Platt, Prosper, Tex. (US); and Rowan L. McFarland, Carrollton, Tex. (US)
Assigned to Cisco Technology, Inc., San Jose, Calif. (US)
Filed on Mar. 26, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/810,516.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/496032, filed on Aug. 18, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2005/0041604 A1, Feb. 24, 2005
Int. Cl. H04M 3/42 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 379—202.01  [370/260; 370/261; 370/352; 370/473; 386/96; 709/204; 709/227] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for supporting communications comprising:
establishing, using a controller, a communications conference, the communications conference including a plurality of conference participants, each conference participant providing an audio stream;
identifying, using a controller, audio data packets in the audio streams;
mixing, using a controller, audio information from selected ones of the audio data packets to generate a conference audio stream;
communicating, using an interface, the conference audio stream to the conference participants;
identifying, using a controller, enhanced media packets embedded in at least one of the audio streams; and
communicating, using an interface, the enhanced media packets to selected ones of the conference participants;
wherein communicating the enhanced media packets to selected ones of the conference participants comprises identifying conference participants capable of using the enhanced media packets and communicating the enhanced media packets to the identified conference participants.