Conference endpoint instructing conference bridge to mute participants

• US 20050213731A1
• Filed: 03/15/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rodman, Jeffrey, Drell, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,978,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5036 using conference for collection of feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1309 Apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1324 Conference call

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and devices for improved audio, video, and data conferencing. The present invention provides a conferencing system comprising a plurality of endpoints communicating data including audio data and control data according to a communication protocol. A local conference endpoint may control or be controlled by a remote conference endpoint. Data comprising control signals may be exchanged between the local endpoint and remote endpoint via various communication protocols. In other embodiments, the present invention provides for improved bridge architecture for controlling functions of conference endpoints including controlling functions of the bridge.

Claims

1. A conference endpoint for managing participation in a conference call via a conference bridge, the conference endpoint comprising:

an audio processing unit;

a control module communicably coupled to the audio processing unit; and

a network interface communicably coupled to the control module;

wherein the control module is operable to transmit control data in combination with audio data to the bridge; and

wherein the control data comprises an instruction from the conference endpoint that the conference bridge mute one or more other endpoints participating in a conference call.

2. The conference endpoint of claim 1, wherein the control data comprises an instruction from the conference endpoint that the multipoint conference bridge mute all other endpoints participating in a conference call.

3. The conference endpoint of claim 1, wherein the network interface sends and receives data according to a protocol selected from the group consisting of IP, modem data, ISDN, and analog.

4. The conference endpoint of claim 3, wherein the control data is embedded in the audio data and wherein the control data is substantially humanly inaudible.

5. The conference endpoint of claim 1, wherein the conference endpoint is selected from the group consisting of a computer with a microphone and speaker, an audio communication device without the control module combined with a separate control module, a speakerphone, an IP phone, and a video conferencing unit.

6. The conference endpoint of claim 1, further comprising:

a video processing unit communicably coupled to the network interface.

7. A multipoint conferencing system comprising:

a plurality of conference endpoints;

a multipoint conference bridge; and

a communication channel having a communication protocol coupling the plurality of conference endpoints;

wherein the multipoint conference bridge connects the plurality of conference endpoints during a conference;

wherein each of the plurality of conference endpoints comprises a control module operable to exchange control data combined with audio data with the bridge;

wherein the control data is operable to mute one or more of the plurality of conference endpoints; and

wherein the bridge mutes the one or more of the plurality of conference endpoints.

8. The conferencing system of claim 7, wherein the control data is operable to mute all conference endpoints except the conference endpoint which sent the control data, and wherein the bridge mutes all but the sending conference endpoint.

9. The conferencing system of claim 7, wherein the communication protocol is a protocol selected from the group consisting of IP, modem data, ISDN, and analog.

10. The conferencing system of claim 9, wherein the control data is embedded in the audio data and wherein the control data is substantially humanly inaudible.

11. The conferencing system of claim 7, wherein the each of the plurality of conference endpoints is selected from the group consisting of a computer with a microphone and speaker, an audio communication device combined with a separate control module, a speakerphone, an IP phone, and a video conferencing unit.

12. A method for muting one or more remote endpoints during a conference, the method comprising the steps of:

combining an audio signal and a control signal;

sending the combined audio and control signal to the one or more remote endpoints; and

muting one or more remote endpoints based on the control signal;

wherein the control signal is substantially humanly inaudible.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the combined audio and control signal is sent according to a communication protocol selected from the group consisting of IP, modem data, ISDN, and analog.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the control signal is embedded in the audio signal and wherein the control signal is substantially humanly inaudible.

15. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for muting one or more remote endpoints during a conference by performing the steps of:

combining an audio signal and a control signal;

sending the combined audio and control signal to the one or more remote endpoints; and

muting the one or more remote endpoints based on the control signal;

wherein the control signal is substantially humanly inaudible.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the combined audio and control signal is sent according to a communication protocol selected from the group consisting of IP, modem data, ISDN, and analog.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the control signal is embedded in the audio signal and wherein the control signal is substantially humanly inaudible.