Duplicating digital streams for digital conferencing using switching technologies

Abstract

Using switching technologies to duplicate packets of a digital stream (e.g., digital video stream) sent from one workstation to multiple recipient workstations, where the switching technologies enable the multiple streams sent from the switch to the recipient workstations to be generated from a single digital stream sent from the sending workstation to the switch. Data units, such as video data units, may be transmitted by using a switch to enable receipt of a stream of data units including a payload portion and an attribute portion from at least two conferencing participants. The switch is used to duplicate at least a subportion of the payload portion of a data unit within the stream of data units, and to enable access to the duplicated subportion of the data unit by two or more conferencing participants.

1 . A method of transmitting data units, the method comprising:
 using a switch to receive a stream of data units including a payload portion and an attribute portion from at least two conferencing participants;   using the switch to duplicate at least a subportion of the payload portion of a data unit within the stream of data units; and   using the switch to enable access to the duplicated subportion of the data unit by two or more conferencing participants.   
     
     
         2 - 27 . (canceled)