Wide area voice environment multi-channel communications system and method

Abstract

A system and method is described for establishing a homogenized communications infrastructure that enables a variety of disparate communication devices to communicate transparently with each other over a computer data network. The system and method allow for such communications to take place by converting all communications from all participants in the form of audio, video, textual, and binary data messages into discrete data units that are carried over a computer data network. These communications are propagated to other participants by relay to their particular devices in such a way that individual participants are insulated from the type and implementation of all other participants' devices.

1 . A method to enable disparate communication devices to communicate with each other, the method comprising:
 converting, if needed, information communicated from any one of the communication devices into packets;   adding identification data to the packets to identify an IP session with which to associate the packets;   placing the packets having the identification data on a communication network; and   selecting, by at least one communication device belonging to the IP session, packets from the communication network that have the identification data associated with the IP session.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said adding identification data to the packets to identify an IP session with which to associate the packets includes adding identification data to the packets to identify an IP multicast session with which to associate the packets. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said adding identification data to the packets to identify an IP session with which to associate the packets includes adding identification data to the packets to identify an IP unicast session with which to associate the packets. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising converting the selected packets to a format compatible with the at least one communication device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said placing the packets having the identification data on the communication network includes mixing packets from different communication devices that belong to a same IP session. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 aggregating discrete audio data frames in a single time envelope from a multiplicity of sources, including at least some of the communication devices, into a single N frame; and   subtracting at least one discrete source frame from the N frame to produce an N minus X frame that represents audio from all sources except those subtracted.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said aggregating discrete audio data frames into the single N frame includes summing pulse code modulation (PCM) sample values from single time envelopes from the multiplicity of sources, and wherein said subtracting at least one discrete source frame from the N frame includes subtracting at least one PCM sample value from the summed PCM sample values in the N frame. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said aggregating and subtracting includes performing the aggregating and subtracting at one of the communication devices. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said aggregating and subtracting includes performing the aggregating and subtracting at a proxy device in communication with at least some of the communication devices. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether the information communicated from any one of the communication devices is valid   if validated, transforming to encrypt or decrypt the information communicated from any one of the communication devices;   distributing the transformed information to at least one queue;   performing the converting of the information from the queue as a first conversion into an intermediate format;   operating on the information that is in the intermediate format;   mixing the operated information with other information associated with other communication devices;   operating on the mixed information;   distributing the operated mixed information to at least one queue;   performing the converting of the mixed information from the queue as a second conversion from the intermediate format into packets to be placed on the communication network; and   transforming the packets to be placed on the communication network.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said operating on the information in the intermediate format or on the mixed information includes at least one of media modification filtering, real-time media tone insertion, real-time media tone removal, real-time video picture insertion, or real-time video picture removal. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus, comprising:
 an endpoint communication device, which is an end-user computing device that includes:
 an output device; 
 a communication interface coupleable to a communication network; and 
 a processing module coupled to the communication interface to convert information from a first format to a second format to be communicated on a virtual communication channel supported by the communication network, the communication interface being coupled to multicast the converted information having the second format on the virtual communication channel to enable at least one other endpoint communication device to receive the converted information from the virtual communication channel, the processing module being coupled to convert information multicasted on the virtual communication channel and received by the communication interface from the second format to the first format and to send the converted information having the first format to be presented by the output device, 
   wherein to convert the information from the first format to the second format, the processing module is configured to convert the information into packets to be communicated on the virtual communication channel, the packets including identification information that identifies the virtual communication channel, and   wherein the processing module of said endpoint communication device is configured to mix information, from all of the other endpoint communication devices, that is to be communicated on the virtual communication channel, wherein said endpoint communication device is configured to said mix the information instead of a centralized server to mix said information.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the processing module includes:
 a first element to said mix by aggregating discrete audio data frames in a single time envelope from a multiplicity of sources, including at least some other endpoint communication device adapted to communicate on the communication network, into a single N frame; and 
 a second element coupled to the first element to subtract at least one discrete source frame X from the N frame to produce an N−X frame that represents audio from all sources except those subtracted. 
 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the first element is adapted to sequentially order and sum pulse code modulation (PCM) sample values from single time envelopes from the multiplicity of sources, and wherein the second element is adapted to subtract at least one PCM sample value from the summed PCM sample values in the N frame to obtain the N−X frame. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the second format includes a packet format having further identification information that identifies an IP multicast session associated with packets sent from the communication interface. 
     
     
         16 . A system for establishing a homogenized communications infrastructure that enables a variety of disparate communication devices to communicate transparently with each other over a communication network, the system comprising:
 means for converting, if needed, information communicated from any one of the communication devices into packets;   means for adding identification data to the packets to identify an IP session with which to associate the packets;   means for placing the packets having the identification data on the communication network; and   means for enabling at least one communication device belonging to the IP session to select packets, from the communication network, that have the identification data associated with the IP session and without having to perform handshakes with other communication devices belonging to the IP session.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 means for aggregating discrete audio data frames in a single time envelope from a multiplicity of sources, including at least some of the communication devices, into a single N frame; and   means for subtracting at least one discrete source frame from the N frame to produce an N minus X frame that represents audio from all sources except those subtracted.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 means for determining whether the information communicated from any one of the communication devices is valid   means for transforming to encrypt or decrypt validated information communicated from any one of the communication devices;   means for distributing the transformed information to at least one queue;   means for performing the converting of the information from the queue as a first conversion into an intermediate format;   means for operating on the information that is in the intermediate format;   means for mixing the operated information with other information associated with other communication devices;   means for operating on the mixed information;   means for distributing the operated mixed information to at least one queue;   means for performing the converting of the mixed information from the queue as a second conversion from the intermediate format into packets to be placed on the communication network; and   means for transforming the packets to be placed on the communication network.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising additional means for enabling the communication devices to communicate transparently with each other over the communication network. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising at least one or more of:
 means for bridging communications between a first virtual channel that can be directly accessed by a communication device and a second virtual channel that cannot be directly accessed by that communication device;   means for bridging communications between a communication device and a virtual channel that cannot be directly accessed by that communication device;   means for bridging communications between a communication device that can communicate with a gateway device and a virtual communication channel that cannot be directly accessed by that communication device via the gateway device;   means for bridging communications between an audio input/output device and at least one of the communication devices, via the virtual communication channel;   means for bridging communication between radio devices and the virtual channel;   means for bridging communication between a communication device and a data file via the virtual communication channel;   means for bridging communication between different virtual channels;   means for performing distributed conferencing using at least one virtual channel;   means for bridging communications, using at least one virtual channel, between networks having different topologies that include functionality that are not otherwise supported by each other's networks; and   means for providing a cascaded group call using at least one virtual channel.   
     
     
         21 . A system for a plurality of disparate devices to communicate with one another over a communication network, the system comprising:
 a first proxy device communicatively coupleable to a first end device;   at least a second proxy device communicatively coupleable to a second end device, the first and second proxy devices being coupleable to the communication network to enable communication between the first and second end devices via at least one virtual channel supported by the communication network, the first and second proxy devices being further coupleable to the communication network to place information communicated from their respective first and second end devices as packets on the virtual network, the packets being selectable by the first and second proxy devices for their respective first and second end devices without the first and second proxy devices having awareness of each other.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the information communicated from the first and second end devices include audio data, and wherein the first and second proxy devices each include:
 a first module to aggregate discrete audio data frames in a single time envelope from a multiplicity of sources, including at least their respective end device, into a single N frame; and 
 a second module coupled to the first module to subtract at least one discrete source frame from the N frame to produce an N minus X frame that represents audio from all sources except those subtracted. 
 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the first module can sum pulse code modulation (PCM) sample values from single time envelopes from the multiplicity of sources, and wherein the second element can subtract at least one PCM sample value from the summed PCM sample values in the N frame to obtain the N minus X frame. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the virtual channel comprises packets that include data indicative of an IP multicast group associated with the first and second proxy devices. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the virtual channel comprises a backbone channel for a distributed group call involving the first and second end devices. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21  wherein:
 the first end device is part of a first network and can communicate with the first proxy device via a first virtual channel, wherein 
 the second end device is part of a second network and can communicate with the second proxy device via a second virtual channel, wherein 
 the first and second proxy devices enable the first and second networks, having topologies that are incompatible for communication with one another, to communicate with each other via a third virtual channel accessible by the first and second proxy devices. 
 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the first proxy device can communicatively link the first end device to a first virtual channel, wherein the second proxy device can communicatively link the second end device to the first virtual channel to enable the first and second devices to communicate with one another via the first virtual channel;
 wherein the second proxy device can communicatively link the second end device to second and third virtual channels, the system further comprising a third proxy device that can communicatively link a third end device to the second virtual channel to enable the second and third end devices to communicate with each another via the second virtual channel and to further enable the first and third end devices to communicate with each another via the first and second virtual channels; 
 the system further comprising a fourth proxy device that can communicatively link a fourth end device to the third virtual channel to enable the second and forth end devices to communicate with each another via the third virtual channel and to further enable the first and fourth end devices to communicate with each another via the first and third virtual channels; and 
 wherein the third and fourth end devices can communicate with each other via the second and third virtual channels.