Methods and systems for controlling communications in an ad hoc communication network
First Claim
1. A method for controlling a group voice conversation on a communication network, comprising:
- allowing a plurality of users to join the group voice conversation via user interfaces;
potentially receiving at the communication network voice data from the joined users; and
broadcasting to all joined users mixed voice data selected from only a subset of the joined users.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved system and procedure for controlling the audio broadcast to users participating in a group conversation. In one embodiment, a communications server employs arbitration logic to decide which of the user has priority to speak, and accordingly mixes only the audio data steams for those users for broadcast to all users. The server can send notification to the user interfaces to inform the users of their current priority status and to allow the users to request that their priority be increased, decreased, eliminated, or passed on for the benefit of another user. A user may also attempt at his user interface to affect the priority of identified other users by informing the arbitration logic of a rating for that user. Additionally, a systems administrator may also arbitrate user priorities, either at his discretion or in conjunction with suggestions provided by the arbitration logic. Finally, and regardless of system-assessed priorities, a user may at his user interface tailor the group conversation broadcast to him by either blocking reception of audio from certain users or by reducing their volume, or may tailor his outgoing audio transmission so they are blocked from being received by selected group conversation participants.
59 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for controlling a group voice conversation on a communication network, comprising:
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allowing a plurality of users to join the group voice conversation via user interfaces;
potentially receiving at the communication network voice data from the joined users; and
broadcasting to all joined users mixed voice data selected from only a subset of the joined users. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17)
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12. A method for allowing a first user to control a group voice conversation on a communication network from a first user interface, comprising:
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allowing a plurality of other users to join the group voice conversation via user interfaces;
receiving at the communication network voice data and user ID from the other users and broadcasting the same to the other users'"'"' user interfaces; and
permitting the first user to select at least one of the other user'"'"'s user ID on the first user interface to impair the first user'"'"'s ability to hear that other user'"'"'s voice data through his user interface. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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18. A method for allowing a first user to control a group voice conversation on a communication network from a first user interface, comprising:
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allowing a plurality of other users to join the group voice conversation via user interfaces;
receiving at the communication network voice data and user ID from the other users and broadcasting the same to the other users'"'"' user interfaces; and
permitting the first user to select at least one of the other user'"'"'s user ID on the first user interface to impair the other user'"'"'s ability to hear the first user'"'"'s voice data through his user interface. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for allowing a first user to control a group voice conversation on a communication network from a first user interface, comprising:
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allowing a plurality of other users to join the group voice conversation via user interfaces;
receiving at the communication network voice data and user ID from the other users and broadcasting the same to the other users'"'"' user interfaces; and
permitting the first user to select at least one of the other user'"'"'s user ID on the first user interface to rate the other'"'"'s user'"'"'s participation in the group conversation. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification