Active Speaker Identification

• US 20080312923A1
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Crinon, Regis J., Kukoleca, Dalibor, Khan, Humayun M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,385,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/246
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5072 Multiple active speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/569 using the instant speaker's algorithm speech detection per se G10L25/78
• 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

Abstract

Procedures for identifying clients in an audio event are described. In an example, a media server may order clients providing audio based on the input level. An identifier may be associated with the client for identifying the client providing input within the event. The ordered clients may be included in a list which may be inserted into a packet header carrying the audio content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

ordering one or more audio input clients in accordance with the input provided by an individual audio input client included in the one or more audio input clients;

associating an identifier with the individual audio input client; and

inserting a list of ordered one or more audio input clients identifiers into a packet header.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the list is inserted into a real-time transport protocol (RTP) contributing source list (CSRC) in the packet header.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein ordering is determined by a host mixing audio streams such that the list descends from a current active audio input client.

4. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising sending a canonical name (CNAME) and a synchronization source (SSRC) identification mapped to the CNAME for the individual client.

5. The method as described in claim 4, wherein the CNAME and associated SSRC are obtained from a real-time control protocol (RTCP) record for the individual client.

6. The method as described in claim 5, wherein the CNAME and associated SSRC are sent in a RTCP packet to a listening client.

7. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising storing the CNAME and SSRC in a listening client local memory.

8. The method as described in claim 1, wherein a dominant client is determined based on at least one of energy level, duration of the silence periods, duration or packet size.

9. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising updating the synchronization source (SSRC) identification with a client canonical name (CNAME) if the client changes source transport address within a session.

10. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to,

order a list of one or more active audio clients in a conference based on an individual active audio client participation within the conference, the individual active audio client being associated with a canonical name (CNAME) and a synchronization source (SSRC) identification;

insert the ordered list into a real-time protocol (RTP) contributing source list field in one or more audio streams.

11. The one or more computer-readable media as described in claim 10, wherein the ordered list commences with a dominant active client.

12. The one or more computer-readable media as described in claim 11, further comprising determine the dominant client based on at least one of energy level, duration of the silence periods, duration or packet size.

13. The one or more computer-readable media as described in claim 10, wherein the SSRC identification is mapped to the CNAME obtained from a control packet for one or more received audio streams.

14. The one or more computer-readable media as described in claim 13, wherein the control packet is real-time control protocol (RTCP) compliant.

15. The one or more computer-readable media as described in claim 13, wherein the SSRC and the CNAME are included in a real-time control protocol (RTCP) packet.

16. The one or more computer-readable media as described in claim 10, further comprising provide a dominant active audio client, included in the one or more active clients, an indication that no other audio client is active.

17. A system comprising:

a media server for generating one or more send media streams from received active clients, the media server inserting into the one or more media streams an ordered list of one or more active clients.

18. The system as described in claim 17, wherein the media server inserts the ordered list into a real-time transport protocol (RTP) contributing source list (CSRC) in the packet header.

19. The system as described in claim 17, wherein the ordered list indicates a dominant client based on at least one of an energy level, duration of the silence periods, a duration, or a packet size associated with a media stream received from the dominant client.

20. The system as described in claim 17, wherein the media server sends to clients receiving send media streams active client identifiers including the canonical name (CNAME) and the synchronization source (SSRC) identification mapped to the CNAME for the active client in a real-time control protocol (RTCP) packet.