A dual-backup conferencing system with fast switching between dual virtual links and its voting method

Abstract

This invention discloses a dual-backup conference system with fast switching via dual virtual links and its voting method, belonging to the technical field of conference systems. The dual-backup conference system includes a host machine and at least one backup machine, as well as a power supply hub module and N microphone devices. The N microphone devices are electrically connected to the power supply hub module, along with the host and backup machines. The backup machine establishes a TCP link with the host machine; each microphone device establishes a TCP link with the host machine and also establishes a TCP link with the backup machine, forming dual virtual links. Compared to existing dual physical link solutions, the dual virtual link of this invention is less expensive; moreover, even if either the host or the backup machine fails, the microcontroller MCU of each microphone device can communicate using the previously established TCP link with the backup machine, and each microphone device does not need to re-establish a TCP link with the backup machine, achieving a switchover and recovery time of less than 1 second.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of conference system technology, specifically relating to a dual-backup conference system with fast switching between dual virtual links and its voting method. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional conference voting systems typically employ a single server host to support the system's operation. For example, Chinese Patent Publication No. CN1811827A discloses a voting system with a power detection device. This system includes several voting devices and a host. Each voting device comprises a keyboard circuit, a power supply circuit, a microcontroller, and a wireless communication module. The voting devices communicate wirelessly with the host via the wireless communication module. This system can detect the power levels of the voting devices at both near and far distances, allowing conference organizers to promptly understand the status of each voting device and take appropriate measures, thus ensuring the smooth progress of the voting process. However, a major drawback of the above system is the lack of a backup host. If the host fails, the entire voting system will be paralyzed.

[0003] Therefore, a dual-backup voting system has emerged on the market. However, in these systems, the backup device typically communicates with the primary device via heartbeat. When the backup device detects a failure in the primary device, it actively switches to the primary device's IP address and broadcasts an ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) message to refresh the microphone's ARP table, requesting the microphone to reconnect to the backup device. However, the time required for this microphone reconnection process is affected by various factors, including the primary device's underlying IP switching, the microphone's ARP table refresh, and the number of microphones. For example, the more microphones there are, the longer it takes to switch from individual microphones to the entire conference system returning to normal.

[0004] Furthermore, in a dual-backup voting system, the microphones are typically unaware of the backup system's existence. The backup system only takes over after the primary system fails, switching to the primary system's IP address, and then the microphones reconnect to the backup. For the entire system to function normally, this switching process is also affected by the concurrency level of each microphone. Higher concurrency levels result in longer system recovery times and a greater impact on the overall conference process.

[0005] In addition, there is a solution that uses two physical links to connect the main machine and the backup machine respectively, but the cost of this solution is generally twice that of a single physical link. Due to the disadvantages of high energy consumption and high cost, this solution is not suitable for most meeting venues, and the size of the meeting will also be limited.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a dual-backup conferencing system with fast switching between dual virtual links to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the problems in related technologies, this invention proposes a dual-backup conference system and its voting method with fast switching via dual virtual links, thereby overcoming the aforementioned technical problems in existing related technologies. The dual virtual links used in this invention have lower costs, and each microphone device has established a TCP connection with both the host and the backup device. Even if either the host or the backup device fails, the dual-backup conference system in this invention can switch to the undisturbed host or backup device in a short time.

[0008] The technical solution of the present invention is implemented as follows: a dual-backup conference system with fast switching of dual virtual links, including a host and at least one backup host, and also including a power supply HUB module for power supply and N microphone devices, where N is a positive integer greater than 1;

[0009] The N microphone devices, the host, and the backup device are electrically connected to the power HUB module; the backup device establishes a TCP link with the host; each microphone device establishes a TCP link with the host, and each microphone device also establishes a TCP link with the backup device, forming a dual virtual link.

[0010] Furthermore, after the host is powered on, it broadcasts a host heartbeat to N microphone devices and backup devices. The host heartbeat includes the host's ID and IP address. The host includes a database synchronization module, which is used to store the host's database and status. The backup devices are pre-set to send a backup heartbeat to the host every X seconds. The backup heartbeat includes the backup device's ID and IP address.

[0011] Furthermore, each of the microphone devices is equipped with a button, and each of the microphone devices is equipped with a microcontroller (MCU). The MCU has a storage unit and a judgment unit. The user presses the button to vote, and the voting result is stored in the storage unit. The judgment unit is used to determine the current status of the microphone device, which includes the host status and the offline status.

[0012] A voting method for fast switching between dual virtual links, applied to the aforementioned dual-backup conferencing system with fast switching between dual virtual links, the voting method comprising the following steps:

[0013] Step S1: After the main unit is powered on, it continuously broadcasts to the N microphone devices and the backup unit; the backup unit broadcasts its heartbeat and presence information to the N microphone devices and the main unit, a total of two commands; simultaneously, the backup unit establishes a TCP connection with the main unit, backs up the main unit's database and status, and sends its heartbeat to the main unit every X seconds. The main unit replies to the backup unit after receiving the heartbeat; the main unit also copies the commands received from each microphone device to the backup unit for storage.

[0014] Step S2: After each microphone device is powered on, it establishes a TCP connection with the host and sends registration information to the host; each microphone device also establishes a TCP connection with the backup device and sends registration information to the backup device. At this time, each microphone device simultaneously establishes TCP connections with both the host and the backup device, forming a dual virtual link; each microphone device sends a microphone heartbeat to the host and the backup device within 3-5 seconds using a random number to reduce the computing power required for concurrent processing by the host / backup device; the microphone heartbeat includes the current microphone device's ID and IP address;

[0015] Step S3: When the master unit fails, if the standby unit does not receive a master heartbeat response from the master unit within 1 second, it is determined that the master unit has failed. At this time, the standby unit broadcasts a switch to master message to each microphone device. After receiving the switch message, each microphone device switches to the standby unit for communication.

[0016] Step S4: During the voting process, the user has already pressed the button to vote on each of the microphone devices. The voting result is stored in the microcontroller MCU. Each microphone device will determine the current state of the microphone and then select the link to send the voting option based on the determination result. The voting option includes the voting result.

[0017] Furthermore, in step S1, the value of X ranges from 0.08 to 0.12, and in this invention, 0.1 is preferred, that is, the standby machine sends a standby heartbeat to the master machine every 0.1 seconds.

[0018] Furthermore, in step S2, the value of Y ranges from 4 to 6, and in this invention, 5 is preferred. That is, if each microphone device does not receive the host heartbeat broadcast by the host within 5 seconds, the current status of the microphone device is recorded as offline.

[0019] Further, in step S2, after each microphone device receives the host heartbeat broadcast by the host, it records the current microphone device status as the host status; if each microphone device does not receive the host heartbeat broadcast by the host within Y seconds, the judgment unit determines that the current microphone device is disconnected from the host, that is, the current microphone device status is recorded as disconnected, and a reconnection to the server needs to be initiated; if each microphone device receives the existence information of the backup device, it determines that the backup device is online, that is, the current microphone device status is recorded as disconnected, and the backup device is switched only after the current microphone device receives the switching information.

[0020] Furthermore, in step S3, after each microphone device receives the switching information, the microcontroller MCU inside each microphone device will use the TCP connection previously established with the backup device to communicate, and each microphone device does not need to re-establish the TCP connection with the backup device.

[0021] Furthermore, in step S4, if the current state is the host state, each microphone device preferentially selects the host's TCP link to send the voting option; if the current state is offline, and the host switches to the standby state during the offline period, each microphone device switches the TCP link connected to the standby machine and uploads the voting option to the standby machine.

[0022] Furthermore, in step S4, if the current state is offline and none of the microphone devices have received the backup switch information, the device will reconnect to the server, query the current voting topic, and check whether the current topics of each microphone device are consistent. If they are consistent, the voting option will be uploaded; otherwise, it will be considered an invalid option and will not be uploaded.

[0023] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0024] (1) In this invention, compared with the existing dual physical link scheme, the dual virtual link adopted by this invention has a lower cost, and each microphone device has established a TCP link with the host and the backup device. Even if either the host or the backup device fails, the dual backup conference system in this invention can switch to the host or the backup device that is not faulty to ensure that the conference proceeds normally.

[0025] (2) Whether it is a conference system with dozens of microphone devices or a conference system with more than 1,000 microphone devices, when the host fails, the backup machine can automatically take over the host's business operations. The time from the backup machine switching to the entire system completing normal operation is consistent and is not affected by the number of microphone devices. Moreover, the recovery time is short. The time required for the switchover and recovery of the present invention is within 1 second, which greatly shortens the recovery time and ensures the efficient and stable operation of the conference voting. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a dual-backup conferencing system with fast switching between dual virtual links is provided as a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating the execution of a dual-backup conferencing system with fast switching between dual virtual links, provided as a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 An execution flowchart of the host provided for a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 The execution flowcharts of various microphone devices provided for specific embodiments of the present invention are shown below. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0032] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a dual-backup conferencing system with fast switching between dual virtual links, including a host and at least one backup host, as well as a power supply HUB module for power supply and N microphone devices, where N is a positive integer greater than 1;

[0033] The N microphone devices, the host, and the backup device are electrically connected to the power HUB module. The backup device establishes a TCP link with the host to ensure data synchronization between the backup device and the host, and the two monitor each other to facilitate subsequent switching between them. Each microphone device establishes a TCP link with the host, and each microphone device also establishes a TCP link with the backup device, forming a dual virtual link.

[0034] In this embodiment, compared with the existing dual physical link scheme, the dual virtual link scheme adopted in this embodiment has a lower cost, and each microphone device has established a TCP connection with the host and the backup device. Even if either the host or the backup device fails, the dual backup conference system in this embodiment can switch to the non-faulty host or backup device in a short time, thereby ensuring the efficient and stable operation of the conference voting.

[0035] Specifically, after the host is powered on, it broadcasts a host heartbeat to N microphone devices and backup devices. The host heartbeat includes the host's ID and IP address. The host includes a database synchronization module, which is used to store the host's database and status. The backup devices are pre-set to send a backup heartbeat to the host every X seconds. The backup heartbeat includes the backup device's ID and IP address.

[0036] Specifically, each of the microphone devices is equipped with a button, and each of the microphone devices is equipped with a microcontroller (MCU). The MCU has a storage unit and a judgment unit. The user presses the button to vote, and the voting result is stored in the storage unit. The judgment unit is used to determine the current status of the microphone device, which includes the host status and the offline status.

[0037] like Figure 2-4 As shown, this embodiment also provides a voting method for fast switching between dual virtual links, applied to the aforementioned dual-backup conferencing system with fast switching between dual virtual links. The voting method includes the following steps:

[0038] Step S1: After the main unit is powered on, it continuously broadcasts to the N microphone devices and the backup unit; the backup unit broadcasts its heartbeat and presence information to the N microphone devices and the main unit, a total of two commands; simultaneously, the backup unit establishes a TCP connection with the main unit, backs up the main unit's database and status, and sends its heartbeat to the main unit every X seconds. The main unit replies to the backup unit after receiving the heartbeat; the main unit also copies the commands received from each microphone device to the backup unit for storage.

[0039] Step S2: After each microphone device is powered on, it establishes a TCP connection with the host and sends registration information to the host; each microphone device also establishes a TCP connection with the backup device and sends registration information to the backup device. At this time, each microphone device simultaneously establishes TCP connections with both the host and the backup device, forming a dual virtual link; each microphone device sends a microphone heartbeat to the host and the backup device within 3-5 seconds using a random number to reduce the computing power required for concurrent processing by the host / backup device; the microphone heartbeat includes the current microphone device's ID and IP address;

[0040] Step S3: When the master unit fails, if the standby unit does not receive a master heartbeat response from the master unit within 1 second, it is determined that the master unit has failed. At this time, the standby unit broadcasts a switch to master message to each microphone device. After receiving the switch message, each microphone device switches to the standby unit for communication.

[0041] Step S4: During the voting process, the user has already pressed the button to vote on each of the microphone devices. The voting result is stored in the microcontroller MCU. Each microphone device will determine the current state of the microphone and then select the link to send the voting option based on the determination result. The voting option includes the voting result.

[0042] Specifically, in step S1, the value of X ranges from 0.08 to 0.12. In this embodiment, 0.1 is preferred, meaning that the standby machine sends a standby heartbeat to the master machine every 0.1 seconds.

[0043] Specifically, in step S2, the value of Y ranges from 4 to 6. In this embodiment, 5 is preferred, meaning that if each microphone device does not receive the host heartbeat broadcast by the host within 5 seconds, the current status of the microphone device is recorded as offline.

[0044] Specifically, in step S2, after each microphone device receives the host heartbeat broadcast by the host, it records the current microphone device status as the host status. If each microphone device does not receive the host heartbeat broadcast by the host within Y seconds, the judgment unit determines that the current microphone device is disconnected from the host, that is, the current microphone device status is recorded as disconnected, and a reconnection to the server needs to be initiated. If each microphone device receives the existence information of the backup device, it determines that the backup device is online, that is, the current microphone device status is recorded as disconnected, and the backup device is switched only after the current microphone device receives the switching information.

[0045] Specifically, in step S3, after each microphone device receives the switching information, the microcontroller MCU inside each microphone device will use the TCP connection previously established with the backup device to communicate, and each microphone device does not need to re-establish the TCP connection with the backup device.

[0046] In this embodiment, if each microphone device establishes a TCP connection and sends registration information only after receiving the switching information, the backup device will receive a large number of concurrent TCP connections. When the number of received connections reaches more than 1000, the backup device, limited by its CPU performance, needs to process 1000 concurrent TCP connections and registration information simultaneously, significantly increasing processing time and impacting work efficiency. The voting method described in this embodiment can process 1000 TCP connections and registration information simultaneously. Assuming a conference system with dozens or even more microphone devices, when the main conference device fails, the backup device automatically takes over the main device's operations. The time from backup device switching to the entire system returning to normal operation is consistent, unaffected by the number of microphone devices, and the recovery time is short; in this embodiment, the switching and recovery time is within 1 second.

[0047] Specifically, in step S4, if the current state is the host state, each microphone device preferentially selects the host's TCP link to send the voting option; if the current state is offline and the host switches to the standby state during the offline period, each microphone device switches the TCP link connected to the standby machine and uploads the voting option to the standby machine.

[0048] More specifically, in step S4, if the current state is offline and each of the microphone devices has not received the switchover information from the backup device, the device will reconnect to the server, query the current voting topic, and check whether the current topics of each microphone device are consistent. If they are consistent, the voting options will be uploaded; otherwise, the options will be considered invalid and will not be uploaded.

[0049] Without significantly increasing costs, the voting method described in this embodiment can shorten the switching and recovery time of the conference system, ensuring that the on-site agenda is not affected. Assuming that it takes 0.01 seconds for one microphone device to establish a connection and register with the server, then when the number N reaches thousands, the switching and recovery time would be T = 0.01 * N, meaning at least ten seconds. However, this embodiment does not require such a long time, recovering in approximately one second, greatly shortening the recovery time to ensure the efficient and stable operation of the conference voting.

[0050] Based on the disclosure and teachings of the foregoing specification, those skilled in the art can make changes and modifications to the above embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and described above, and some modifications and changes to the present invention should also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention. Furthermore, although some specific terms are used in this specification, these terms are only for convenience of explanation and do not constitute any limitation on the present invention.

Claims

1. A voting method for fast switching between dual virtual links, characterized in that, The voting method includes the following steps: Step S1: After the main unit is powered on, it continuously broadcasts to N microphone devices and the backup unit; the backup unit broadcasts its heartbeat and presence information to the N microphone devices and the main unit, a total of two commands; simultaneously, the backup unit establishes a TCP connection with the main unit, backs up the main unit's database and status, and sends its heartbeat to the main unit every X seconds. The main unit replies to the backup unit after receiving the heartbeat; the main unit also copies the commands received from each microphone device to the backup unit for storage. Step S2: After each microphone device is powered on, it establishes a TCP connection with the host and sends registration information to the host; each microphone device also establishes a TCP connection with the backup device and sends registration information to the backup device. At this time, each microphone device simultaneously establishes TCP connections with both the host and the backup device, forming a dual virtual link; each microphone device sends a microphone heartbeat to the host and the backup device within 3-5 seconds using a random number to reduce the computing power required for concurrent processing by the host / backup device; the microphone heartbeat includes the current microphone device's ID and IP address; In step S2, after each microphone device receives the host heartbeat broadcast by the host, it records the current microphone device status as the host status. If each microphone device does not receive the host heartbeat broadcast by the host within Y seconds, the judgment unit determines that the current microphone device is disconnected from the host, that is, the current microphone device status is recorded as disconnected, and a reconnection to the server needs to be initiated. If each microphone device receives the existence information of the backup device, it determines that the backup device is online, that is, the current microphone device status is recorded as disconnected, and the backup device is switched only after the current microphone device receives the switching information. Step S3: When the master unit fails, if the standby unit does not receive a master heartbeat response from the master unit within 1 second, it is determined that the master unit has failed. At this time, the standby unit broadcasts a switch to master message to each microphone device. After receiving the switch message, each microphone device switches to the standby unit for communication. Step S4: During the voting process, the user has already pressed the button to vote on each of the microphone devices. The voting result is stored in the microcontroller MCU. Each microphone device will determine the current state of the microphone and then select the link to send the voting option based on the determination result. The voting option includes the voting result.

2. The voting method for fast switching between dual virtual links according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, the value of X ranges from 0.08 to 0.

12.

3. The voting method for fast switching between dual virtual links according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S2, the value of Y ranges from 4 to 6.

4. The voting method for fast switching between dual virtual links according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, after each microphone device receives the switching information, the microcontroller (MCU) inside each microphone device will use the TCP connection previously established with the backup device to communicate, and each microphone device does not need to re-establish the TCP connection with the backup device.

5. The voting method for fast switching between dual virtual links according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, if the current state is host, each microphone device preferentially selects the host's TCP link to send the voting option; If the current state is offline, and the host switches to standby during the offline period, each microphone device switches the TCP link connected to the standby and uploads the voting options to the standby.

6. The voting method for fast switching between dual virtual links according to claim 5, characterized in that, In step S4, if the current state is offline and none of the microphone devices have received the switchover information from the backup device, the device will reconnect to the server, query the current voting topic, and check whether the current topics of each microphone device are consistent. If they are consistent, the voting options will be uploaded; otherwise, the options will be considered invalid and will not be uploaded.

7. A dual-backup conferencing system with fast switching between dual virtual links, characterized in that, A voting method for implementing a fast switching of dual virtual links as described in any one of claims 1 to 6; The dual-backup conferencing system includes a main unit and at least one backup unit; The dual-backup conference system also includes a power supply hub module for power supply and N microphone devices, where N is a positive integer greater than 1; The N microphone devices, the host, and the backup device are electrically connected to the power HUB module; the backup device establishes a TCP link with the host; each microphone device establishes a TCP link with the host, and each microphone device also establishes a TCP link with the backup device, forming a dual virtual link.

8. A dual-backup conferencing system with fast switching between dual virtual links according to claim 7, characterized in that, After the host is powered on, it broadcasts its heartbeat to N microphone devices and backup devices. The host heartbeat includes the host's ID and IP address. The host includes a database synchronization module for storing the host's database and status. The backup devices are pre-set to send a backup heartbeat to the host every X seconds. The backup heartbeat includes the backup device's ID and IP address.

9. A dual-backup conferencing system with fast switching between dual virtual links according to claim 7, characterized in that, Each of the microphone devices is equipped with the button, and each of the microphone devices is equipped with a microcontroller (MCU). The MCU has a storage unit and a judgment unit. The user presses the button to vote, and the voting result is stored in the storage unit. The judgment unit is used to determine the current status of the microphone device, which includes the host status and the offline status.

Images