Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing active speaker selection in teleconferencing applications illustratively comprises a microphone array module, a speaker recognition system, a user interface, and a speech signal selection module. The microphone array module separates the speech signal from each active speaker from those of other active speakers, providing a plurality of individual speaker's speech signals. The speaker recognition system identifies each currently active speaker using conventional speaker recognition/identification techniques. These identities are then transmitted to a remote teleconferencing location for display to remote participants via a user interface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing active speaker selection in teleconferencing applications illustratively comprises a microphone array module, a speaker recognition system, a user interface, and a speech signal selection module. The microphone array module separates the speech signal from each active speaker from those of other active speakers, providing a plurality of individual speaker's speech signals. The speaker recognition system identifies each currently active speaker using conventional speaker recognition/identification techniques. These identities are then transmitted to a remote teleconferencing location for display to remote participants via a user interface.

Abstract: A multimedia multiparty communication system and method which includes one or more “agents” and one or more “brokers”. Each communication session is managed by a broker which creates and maintains the session. An agent may cause a broker to alter a communication session by entering into “negotiations” with the broker. It is also possible for an agent, through the broker, to enter into negotiations with one or more other agents. Negotiations, between agents and between agents and brokers may consist of any number of exchanged messages (or “offers”), thereby allowing for the dynamic negotiations necessary for effective multimedia multiparty communications.

Abstract: A circuit configuration in a multimedia network representing a controllably persistent virtual meeting room simulates an actual meeting room where conferences between two or more people may be held. This facilitates the creation in the network of flexible, long-term multimedia conferences between conferees who are separated from one another. Any number of conferees may communicate with one another via one or more of audio, video, and data. Virtual meeting rooms may persist in the network for predetermined periods of time controlled by the users of the meeting room. The room may remain in the network independent of whether or not a user is connected to the room. The meeting room is a vehicle whereby the activity of various media servers is coordinated to effectuate conferences between multiple participants in more than one medium. The servers are associated with storage devices which may record or store certain aspects of multimedia conferences using the virtual meeting room.

Abstract: For a world that has a portion of the world distant from the point of view of the user represented in only two dimensions as a video on a video screen, when an object on the video screen undergoes a trajectory that takes at least a portion of it to a location in the world that is not represented by the video but instead is a location in the world that is represented by computer graphics, in addition to being able to continue to see such an object when it is rendered as computer graphics in the computer graphics part of the world, i.e., popped out from the video, one is able to interact with such an object. Thus, an object which pops out from a video into the computer graphics part of the world may be “investigated” by a viewer of the world. For example, the user could enter a store which popped out of the video, and engage in virtual shopping therein. The particular store which is actually entered may be customized on a per user basis, e.g., as a function of geography.

Abstract: Enhanced Internet service is provided over an ISDN line by eliminating from the D-channel any packets that will introduce unacceptable delay in packets transmitted over the B-channel. The enhancement is achieved by segregating the packets between the B-channels and the D-channel based on the stream to which the packets belong. Furthermore, instead of bonding together both B-channels and the D-channel, only the B-channels may be bonded to each other, while the D-channel is kept independent. To do so, instead of using MLPPP over the combination of both B-channels and the D-channel, as in the prior art, MLPPP is used over only both B-channels, while data that is separately directed to the D-channel employs another protocol, e.g., PPP. Advantageously, the number of protocols used to transmit the information over the D-channel may be reduced, resulting in a higher bandwidth for applications.

Abstract: A client request directed to a web site or other service hosted by a distributed pool of servers is processed by a client agent associated with the client. The client agent intercepts the client request and routes it to a particular one of the servers in the pool. The client agent bases its routing decision on address information regarding the individual servers of the pool and performance data regarding processing of previous client requests directed to the service. The address information may be retrieved by the client agent from a response to an initial client request directed to the service. The performance data may include response times for servicing previous client requests directed to the service, and the client agent may route the client request such that an average response time of multiple requests to the service is minimized.

Abstract: Enhanced Internet service is provided over an ISDN line by eliminating from the D-channel any packets that will introduce unacceptable delay in packets transmitted over the B-channel. The enhancement is achieved by segregating the packets between the B-channels and the D-channel based on the stream to which the packets belong. Furthermore, instead of bonding together both B-channels and the D-channel, only the B-channels may be bonded to each other, while the D-channel is kept independent. To do so, instead of using MLPPP over the combination of both B-channels and the D-channel, as in the prior art, MLPPP is used over only both B-channels, while data that is separately directed to the D-channel employs another protocol, e.g., PPP. Advantageously, the number of protocols used to transmit the information over the D-channel may be reduced, resulting in a higher bandwidth for applications. The bandwidth of the D-channel can be dynamically throttled by an access server.

Abstract: A communications system is designed to monitor voice communications signals for an initial end-to-end communications link which is comprised of a) a wireless segment which connects a wireless network to a wireless end-user apparatus, and b) a second segment which connects a communications end-user device to the wireless network. When the system detects that the wireless segment is inoperative, it inhibits the release of the second segment. Thereafter, the system sets up a subsequent wireless segment which extends from the wireless network to the wireless end-user apparatus. The subsequent wireless segment is then bridged to the second segment to form a new end-to-end communications link to restore connectivity between the wireless end-user apparatus and the communications end-user device.

Abstract: A multimedia telecommunications network provides telephone service which may involve one or more of audio, video, and data communications. In one example of the invention, the multimedia telecommunications network contains a virtual meeting services complex which provides multimedia telecommunications service to subscribers of the network. Multimedia telephone calls can be completed automatically by the virtual meeting services complex in a manner similar to that now used to complete conventional audio telephone calls. The multimedia telecommunications network containing this virtual meeting services complex is able to connect together users having diverse equipment and is able to handle integrated and nonintegrated network access mechanisms.