EFFICIENT BUFFER ALLOCATION FOR CURRENT AND PREDICTED ACTIVE SPEAKERS IN VOICE CONFERENCING SYSTEMS

摘要

A method and computer program product allows for the efficient allocation of buffers for current and predicted active speakers in voice conferencing systems (200). The method and computer program product, implemented by a server hosting an audio conference for a plurality of speakers, minimizes the loss of audio data for speakers as they switch from 'non-active' to 'active' status (208). This is accomplished by employing a set of active speaker buffers (210) and a set of predicted active speakers buffers (220). The predicted active speaker buffers (220) maintain a collection of the most recent x packets or milliseconds of 'non-active' speaker audio data, and transfer a portion of the data from the predicted active speaker buffers to the active speaker buffers as speakers become 'active' speakers. The x packets or m milliseconds of stored 'non-active' speaker audio data can be used only up to a pre-determined jitter buffer fill-level in order to avoid introducing additional audio packet delivery delay to participants of the conference.