METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCING SPEAKER SELECTION

• US 20070263821A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Labhesh, Sarkar, Shantanu, Shaffer, Shmuel
• Granted Patent: US 8,971,511 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: H04M 2203/5072 Multiple active speakers conducting a computer conference, e.g. Admission detection H04L12/1822
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/06 Lines and connections with preferential service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42187 Lines and connections with preferential service
• 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 3/566 relating to a participants right to speak arrangements for multi-party communication with floor control, e.g. for conferences, H04L65/4038, H04L65/4046, H04L65/4053

Abstract

A method and apparatus to provide speaker selection in a multi-party conference call is described. The method may comprise processing a speaker queue for at least one new speaker and monitoring when a number of active speakers is less than a predetermined number of active speakers. When less than the predetermined number, the method automatically, without human intervention, adds a new speaker from the speaker queue. A request for a new speaker may be received via a communication channel independent of a voice communication channel of the multi-party conference call. The request may be received from the conference endpoint via a voice communication channel of the multi-party conference call. In an example embodiment, new speakers in the speaker queue may be prioritized based a class of service associated with each new speaker. Priority may be given to a new speaker with a higher associated class of service.

Claims

1. A method of providing speaker selection in a multi-party conference call, the method comprising:

processing a speaker queue for at least one new speaker;

monitoring when a number of active speakers is less than a predetermined number of active speakers; and

automatically, without human intervention, adding a new speaker from the speaker queue as an active speaker when the number of active speakers is less than the predetermined number of active speakers.

2. The method of claim 1, which comprises receiving a request from a conference endpoint associated with the new speaker.

3. The method of claim 2, in which receiving the request comprises receiving at least one of an Instant Message, an email message, and an HTTP communication, the request being via a communication channel independent of a voice communication channel of the multi-party conference call.

4. The method of claim 2, in which receiving the request comprises receiving audio from the conference endpoint via a voice communication channel of the multi-party conference call.

5. The method of claim 2, which comprises:

monitoring if the new speaker speaks during a window period after the speaker has been added as an active speaker; and

removing the new speaker as an active speaker when the new speaker does not speak during the window period.

6. The method of claim 1, which comprises:

identifying a class of service associated with the new speaker; and

ejecting an active speaking with a lower associated class of service; and

adding the new speaker as an active speaker.

7. The method of claim 1, which comprises prioritizing new speakers in the speaker queue based on a class of service associated with each new speaker, wherein a new speaker with a higher associated class of service is added as an active speaker before adding a new speaker with a lower associated class of service.

8. The method of claim 7, which comprises assigning a class of service based on a corporate directory.

9. The method of claim 1, which comprises:

receiving a speech input from a new speaker;

performing speech recognition on the audio input to obtain a text input;

processing the text input; and

adding the new speaker to the speaker queue based on the text input.

10. The method of claim 9, in which processing the text input comprises:

interrogating a database using the text input, the database including a plurality of words and associated priorities; and

adding the new speaker to the speaker queue based on a priority associated with the text input.

11. The method of claim 1, which comprises:

receiving a speech input from a new speaker; and

processing the speech input in the audio domain, and in response to the processing selectively adding the new speaker to the speaker queue.

12. The method of claim 1, which comprises communicating an indication to an endpoint associated with the new speaker that the new speaker has been added to the speaker queue.

13. The method of claim 1, which comprises communicating an indication to an endpoint associated with the new speaker to advise the new speaker of an opportunity to speak.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the predetermined number of active speakers utilizes one of a predetermined number of active slots, the method comprising reserving a active slot for the new speaker.

15. The method of claim 1, which comprises:

monitoring a moderator input; and

selectively adding the new speaker to the speaker queue or as an active speaker based on moderator input.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-party conference call is a video conference call.

17. Conference call apparatus to provide speaker selection in a multi-party conference call, the apparatus comprising:

an endpoint interface to interface the apparatus to a plurality of conference call endpoints; and

active speaker processing module configured to;

generate a speaker queue for at least one new speaker;

monitor when a number of active speakers is less than a predetermined number of active speakers; and

automatically, without human intervention, add a new speaker from the speaker queue as an active speaker when the number of active speakers is less than the predetermined number of active speakers.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a request is received from a conference endpoint associated with the new speaker.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the request received is at least one of an Instant Message, an email message, and an HTTP communication, the request being via a communication channel independent of a voice communication channel of the multi-party conference call.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the request comprises receiving audio from the conference endpoint via a voice communication channel of the multi-party conference call.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processing module is configured to monitor if the new speaker speaks during a window period after the speaker has been added as an active speaker, and remove the new speaker as an active speaker when the new speaker does not speak during the window period.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, which comprises a class of service module configured to:

identify a class of service associated with the new speaker;

eject an active speaking with a lower associated class of service; and

add the new speaker as an active speaker.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein new speakers in the speaker queue are prioritized based on a class of service associated with each new speaker, and wherein a new speaker with a higher associated class of service is added as an active speaker before adding a new speaker with a lower associated class of service.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein a class of service is assigned based on a corporate directory.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, which comprises a speech recognition module to perform speech recognition on audio received from a new speaker to obtain a text input, the new speaker being added to the speaker queue based on the text input.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, which comprises a database including a plurality of words and associated priorities, the database being interrogated using the text input and the new speaker being added to the speaker queue based on a priority associated with the text input.

27. The apparatus of claim 17, which is configured to receive a speech input from a new speaker and process the speech input in the audio domain, wherein a new speaker is selectively added to the speaker queue in response to the audio processing.

28. A machine-readable medium including instructions which, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to:

process a speaker queue for at least one new speaker in a multi-party conference call;

monitor when a number of active speakers is less than a predetermined number of active speakers; and

automatically, without human intervention, add a new speaker from the speaker queue when the number of active speakers is less than the predetermined number of active speakers.

29. A multi-party conference call apparatus, which comprises:

means for processing a speaker queue for at least one new speaker;

means for monitoring when a number of active speakers is less than a predetermined number of active speakers; and

means for automatically, without human intervention, adding a new speaker from the speaker queue as an active speaker when the number of active speakers is less than the predetermined number of active speakers.