Communication system

• US 20080159508A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Wu, Ping-Hsun, Lee, Johnsee, Lee, Sheng-Feng, Feng, Wen-Shen
• Granted Patent: US 7,689,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5054 Meet-me conference, i.e. participants dial-in
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• 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 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network

Abstract

A communication system comprises a bridge device being configured to manage multi-channel communications, a host terminal coupled to the bridge device through a first network, a participant terminal coupled to the bridge device through a second network, and a broadcasting device coupled to at least one of the host terminal and the bridge device for broadcasting at least one of the participant signals from the participant terminal and the host signals from the host terminal. The host terminal is configured to receive host signals and to transmit the host signals to the bridge device. The participant terminal is configured to receive participant signals and to transmit the participant signals to the bridge device. The bridge device is configured to receive the participant signals from the participant terminal and the host signals from the host terminal and transmit the participant signals from the participant terminal and the host signals from the host terminal only to the host terminal but not another participant terminal.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a bridge device being configured to manage multi-channel communications;

a host terminal coupled to the bridge device through a first network, the host terminal being configured to receive host signals and to transmit the host signals to the bridge device;

a participant terminal coupled to the bridge device through a second network, the participant terminal being configured to receive participant signals and to transmit the participant signals to the bridge device, the bridge device being configured to receive the participant signals from the participant terminal and the host signals from the host terminal and transmit the participant signals from the participant terminal and the host signals from the host terminal only to the host terminal but not another participant terminal; and

a broadcasting device coupled to at least one of the host terminal and the bridge device for broadcasting at least one of the participant signals from the participant terminal and the host signals from the host terminal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the bridge device includes a receiving interface being configured for receiving the host and participant signals from the host and participant terminals, a transmitting interface being configured for transmitting output signals to the host terminal, and a signal processing unit being configured to process signals received by the bridge device and generate the output signals.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the signal processing unit of the bridge device is configured for performing an echo cancellation.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the host terminal includes a transmitting interface for transmitting the host signals to the bridge device and a receiving interface for receiving output signals from the bridge device, and a signal processing unit being configured to process the output signals from the bridge device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the participant terminal includes a transmitting interface for transmitting the participant signals to the bridge device using at least a wireless interface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first network and the second network include at least one of a cellular network, an Internet-protocol-based network, a wireless area network, Internet, an intranet, a local area network, and a public services telephone network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the broadcasting device includes an audio amplifier and a loudspeaker.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the bridge device is configured for identifying a terminal status based on information associated with at least one of the host and participant terminals.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the bridge device is configured for providing the host and participant terminals administrative functions to manage the system in accordance with information associated with the host and participant terminals.

10. A method of operating a communication system, comprising the steps of:

receiving host signals from a host terminal to a bridge device via a first network;

receiving participant signals from a participant terminal to the bridge device via a second network;

processing the host signals and the participant signals received by the bridge device;

transmitting processed signals from the bridge device only to the host terminal; and

outputting output signals to a broadcasting device.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising processing information associated with at least one of the host terminal and the participant terminal to verify an identity associated with at least one of the host terminal and the participant terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein processing information associated with at least one of the host terminal and the participant terminal includes:

receiving a first access code from the host terminal;

receiving a second access code from the participant terminal; and

identifying terminal statuses based on the first and the second access codes.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising coupling at least one of the host terminal and the bridge device to the broadcasting device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein processing the host signals and the participant signals includes performing an echo cancellation.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first network and the second network include at least one of a cellular network, an Internet-protocol-based network, a wireless area network, Internet, an intranet, a local area network, and a public services telephone network.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising providing the host terminal and the participant terminal with administrative functions in accordance with information associated with the host terminal and the participant terminal.

17. A bridge device for multi-channel communications, the bridge device comprising:

a receiving interface being configured for receiving signals via a first network from a number of terminals;

a transmitting interface being configured for transmitting signals via a second network only to a terminal being identified as host; and

a signal processing unit being configured for processing the signals received through the receiving interface.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the signal processing unit is configured for performing an echo cancellation.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the first network and the second network include at least one of a cellular network, an Internet-protocol-based network, a wireless area network, Internet, an intranet, a local area network, and a public services telephone network.

20. The device of claim 17 further comprising a second signal processing unit being configured for identifying terminal statuses in accordance with information associated with the terminals.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the second processing unit being configured for providing administrative function to the terminals in accordance with the terminal statuses that are identified.