METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COMPUTER BASED COMMUNICATION CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- two or more computers with multimedia audio support coupled to a network;
a software program in each computer having instructions to manage two or more network connections between said computer and two or more dedicated audio communication terminals on said network;
at least two audio communication terminals, each coupled to said network and containing a network address, an audio transducer, an audio codec and processor connected to said transducer to exchange audio communications data and command control signals between the computer and the audio communication terminals over the network and,wherein said audio communication terminals provide real time audio connectivity and contain program instructions to establish a first network connection between said terminal and a first computer at said network address, to monitor connection status of said first network connection, and to establish a network connection to a second computer at a second network address if said first network connection fails;
wherein the computers receive network connection requests from said dedicated audio communication terminals and upon establishment of a connection a computer and an audio communication terminal can exchange data and digitized audio; and
wherein the computer software contains instruction to control the network connection state and the audio modes of the audio communication terminal.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An audio communication system including a communication server with an operator interface coupled to a network and one or more audio communication terminal clients coupled to the network. The communication server is advantageously implemented in a PC based system connected to a network. The network may include the internet. In operation the server may monitor the network for a client connection request issued by one of the audio communication terminal clients. A TCP/IP network connection is established between the communication server and a client after said communication server receives a client connection request. Once the connection is established the server displays an indication of client connection request through operator interface. Alternatively an indication of the client connection request may be presented to the operator. The operator then controls the server based on inputs to the user/operator interface. The operator may respond to the remote client either by speaking, by playing a pre-recorded message or by transferring the connection and/or connection request to another communication server. The system may be have a fault tolerant feature whereby the audio communication terminal clients attempt to connect with and alternate communication server if the initial server is not available.
-
Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A system comprising:
-
two or more computers with multimedia audio support coupled to a network; a software program in each computer having instructions to manage two or more network connections between said computer and two or more dedicated audio communication terminals on said network; at least two audio communication terminals, each coupled to said network and containing a network address, an audio transducer, an audio codec and processor connected to said transducer to exchange audio communications data and command control signals between the computer and the audio communication terminals over the network and, wherein said audio communication terminals provide real time audio connectivity and contain program instructions to establish a first network connection between said terminal and a first computer at said network address, to monitor connection status of said first network connection, and to establish a network connection to a second computer at a second network address if said first network connection fails; wherein the computers receive network connection requests from said dedicated audio communication terminals and upon establishment of a connection a computer and an audio communication terminal can exchange data and digitized audio; and wherein the computer software contains instruction to control the network connection state and the audio modes of the audio communication terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. In an audio communication system having a first communication server with an operator interface coupled to a network, a second communication server coupled to said network and one or more audio communication terminal clients coupled to said network, a communication method comprising the steps of:
-
monitoring the network for a client connection request at said first communication server; establishing a network connection between said communication server and a client providing for real time audio connectivity and command control signals after said communication server receives a client connection request; presenting indication of client through operator interface upon establishing said network connection; monitoring user interface for operator instruction; and processing operator instruction and transmitting to said client an address representing an alternate server address for said second communications server to be stored in said client and to be used by said client in the absence of an operator response upon expiration of a time period. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. In an audio communication system having two or more communications servers, each coupled to a network and one or more communication devices, a method comprising the steps of:
-
an audio communication device for real time audio connectivity and command control issuing a network connection request to a first address associated with a first communications server stored in said audio communication device in response to a trigger at said audio communication device; monitoring a connection status to said first communications server at said first address; and issuing a further network connection request to an alternate address associated with a second communications server stored in said audio communication device based upon an alternate connection trigger. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
-
Specification