Multi-line telephone with input/output mixing and audio control

• US 6,453,022 B1
• Filed: 03/15/1999
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weinman, Joseph B. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/268,538
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/93.09, 379/93.21, 379/93.35, 379/142.08, 379/157, 379/158, 379/201.01, 379/202.01, 379/205.01, 379/207.01, 379/215.01, 379/900, 379/901, 379/908, 379/265.09
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• 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 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/908 Multimedia

Abstract

The present invention is a method and apparatus for selectively controlling the interconnectivity of two or more active telephone lines and/or one or more audio characteristics of each of the active telephone liens during a multi-line call. A bridge or a call connection control may be implemented to provide selective call connection for each active telephone call. The user may thereby control the interconnectivity of each party to the user and to the other parties to the conference or multi-line call. An audio controller may also be implemented within a multi-line telephone or at a telephony switch. The call connection control or the volume control may be implemented within the telephone network such as a switch or locally at the telephone unit. The user may provide the desired interconnectivity or volume parameters for the multi party call using a user interface. Optionally, the audio controller may process the audio signals of the conferenced telephone lines and intelligently adjust the audio characteristics of the audio signals.

Claims

1. A communications system coupled to a telephony network comprising:

(a) means for coupling at least two telephone calls to a telephone system;

each of the telephone calls transmitting signals to the telephone system, the signals from each of the telephone calls having a corresponding audio characteristic;

(b) means for receiving call connection information from the telephone system for each telephone call, wherein the call connection information for each telephone call is selected from the group consisting of input audio control, output audio control, connection control from the first active telephone call to the second active telephone call, and connection control from the second active telephone call to the first active telephone call; and

(c) at least one controller associated with each of the telephone calls capable of selectively adjusting a call connection parameter of at least two of the telephone calls in response to the control information.

2. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the multi-line telephone system is part of a multimedia system and at least one telephone call transmits video signals.

3. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the multi-line telephone system is part of a multimedia system and at least one telephone call transmits video and data signals.

4. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the telephone system has a user interface to allow a user to selectively control the call connection information for at least two of the telephone call.

5. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the input and output audio controls provide control of audio characteristics selected from the group consisting of peak volume, average volume, noise level, bass and treble.

6. A communications system coupled to a telephony network comprising:

(a) means for coupling at least two telephone calls to a telephone system, each of the telephone calls transmitting signals to the telephone system, the signals from each of the telephone calls having a corresponding audio characteristic, wherein the audio characteristic is selected from the group consisting of peak volume, average volume, noise level, bass and treble;

(b) means for receiving audio characteristic control information from the telephone system; and

(c) at least one audio controller coupled to at least one of the telephone calls capable of selectively adjusting the audio characteristic of the signal associated with at least one of the telephone calls in response to the audio characteristic control information.

7. The communications system of claim 6, wherein the audio controller is an intelligent audio controller.

8. The communications system of claim 7, wherein the intelligent audio controller includes a microprocessor coupled to receive and process the signals and wherein the intelligent audio controller may responsively adjust the audio characteristic of the signal associated with at least one of the telephone calls.

9. The communications system of claim 6, wherein the telephone system has a user interface to allow a user to selectively control the audio characteristic of the signal from each of the telephone calls.

10. A communications system coupled to a telephony network comprising:

(a) a coupler that connects at least two telephone calls to a telephone system;

each of the telephone calls transmitting signals to the telephone system, the signals from each of the telephone calls having a corresponding audio characteristic;

(b) a receiver that detects call connection information from the telephone system for each telephone call, wherein the call connection information for each telephone call is selected from the group consisting of input audio control, output audio control, connection control from a first active telephone call to a second active telephone call, and connection control from the second active telephone call to the first active telephone call; and

(c) at least one controller associated with each of the telephone calls capable of selectively adjusting at least one call connection parameter of at least one of the telephone calls in response to the control information.

11. The communications system of claim 10, wherein the telephone system is part of a multimedia system and the at least one telephone call transmits video signals.

12. The communications system of claim 10, wherein the telephone system is part of a multimedia system and the at least one telephone call transmits video and data signals.

13. The communications system of claim 10, wherein the telephone system has a user interface to allow a user to selectively control the call connection information for the at least one of the telephone calls.

14. The communications system of claim 10, wherein the input and output audio controls provide control of audio characteristics selected from the group consisting of peak volume, average volume, noise level, bass and treble.

15. A communications system coupled to a telephony network comprising:

(a) a coupler that connects at least two telephone calls to a telephone system, each of the telephone calls transmitting signals to the telephone system, the signals from each of the telephone calls having a corresponding audio characteristic, wherein the audio characteristic is selected from the group consisting of peak volume, average volume, noise level, bass and treble;

(b) a receiver that detects audio characteristic control information from the telephone system; and

(c) at least one audio controller coupled to at least one of the telephone calls capable of selectively adjusting the audio characteristic of the signal associated with at least one of the telephone calls in response to the audio characteristic control information.

16. The communications system of claim 15, wherein the audio controller is an intelligent audio controller.

17. The communications system of claim 16, wherein the intelligent audio controller includes a microprocessor coupled to receive and process the signals and wherein the intelligent audio controller may responsively adjust the audio characteristic of the signal associated with the at least one of the telephone calls.

18. The communications system of claim 15, wherein the telephone system has a user interface to allow a user to selectively control the audio characteristic of the signal from each of the telephone calls.

19. A method for selectively controlling a telephone call, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) coupling at least two telephone calls to a telephone system;

each of the telephone calls transmitting signals to the telephone system, the signals from each of the telephone calls having a corresponding audio characteristic;

(b) receiving call connect ion information from the telephone system for each telephone call, wherein the call connection information for each telephone call is selected from the group consisting of input audio control, output audio control, connection control from a first active telephone call to a second active telephone call, and connection control from the second active telephone call to the first active telephone call; and

(c) selectively adjusting at least one call connection parameter of at least one of the telephone calls in response to the control information.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

receiving information from a user interface to allow a user to selectively control the call information for the at least one of the telephone calls.

21. The method claim 19, wherein the input and output audio controls provide control of audio characteristics selected from the group consisting of peak volume, average volume, noise level, bass and treble.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein step (a) comprises the steps of:

connecting to a first call, wherein the first call is associated with a video signal; and

joining the first call to a second call.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein step (a) comprises the steps of:

connecting to a first call, wherein the first call is associated with a video signal and a data signal; and

joining the first call to a second call.

24. A method for selectively controlling a telephone call, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) coupling at least two telephone calls to a telephone system, each of the telephone calls transmitting signals to the telephone system, the signals from each of the telephone calls having a corresponding audio characteristic, wherein the audio characteristic is selected from the group consisting of peak volume, average volume, noise level, bass and treble;

(b) receiving audio characteristic control information from the telephone system; and

(c) selectively adjusting the audio characteristic of the signal associated with at least one telephone call in response to the audio characteristic control information.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

selectively adjusting the audio characteristic of a received signal associated with the at least one telephone call; and

selectively adjusting the audio characteristic of a transmitted signal associated with the at least one telephone call.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of:

receiving information from a user interface to allow a user to selectively control the audio characteristic of the signal from each of the telephone calls.