Techniques for audio transducer switching under programmatic and off hook interrupt control

• US 7,039,205 B1
• Filed: 05/19/1999
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Communications Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Carter, George E., Chiang, Katrina
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US09/314,615
• Time in Patent Office: 2,540 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.23, 379/93.09, 379/93.11, 379/100.12, 379/100.15, 379/88.18, 379/67.1, 379/68, 379/93.05, 379/388.01, 379/388.02, 379/93.07, 381/123, 381/357, 381/182
• US Class Current: 381/123
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08

Abstract

Techniques for configuring multiple audio transducers, including telephony devices, are provided. Audio configurations for the multiple audio input and output transducers can be selected by the user. When it is determined that a telephony device has gone off hook, the audio configuration is changed to utilize the off hook telephony device. When the telephony device goes on hook, the audio configuration can be returned to its original state. The present invention allows multiple audio input and output transducers to be used, for example, in a computer telephony client by efficiently switching between these transducers via configuration changes. According to specific embodiments, the present invention may be provided in an audio transducer switch between the multiple audio transducers and a sound card of a computer, or within a sound card itself.

Claims

1. A method of managing audio transducers, comprising:

receiving a configuration for a plurality of audio transducers, said configuration specifying that audio signals are to be sent to a first audio transducer and received from a second audio transducer;

detecting if a third audio transducer has been turned on;

storing the configuration for the plurality of transducers if it is detected that the third audio transducer has been turned on, said stored configuration specifying that audio signals are to be sent to a first audio transducer and received from a second audio transducer;

changing the configuration such that audio signals are sent to the third audio transducer instead of the first audio transducer if it is detected that the third audio transducer has been turned on;

changing the configuration such that audio signals are received from the third audio transducer instead of the second audio transducer if it is detected that the third audio transducer has been turned on; and

determining whether a new configuration is received if it is not detected that the third audio transducer has been turned on.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting if the third audio transducer has been turned off; and

restoring the configuration to said stored configuration such that audio signals are sent to the first audio transducer instead of the third audio transducer if it is detected that the third audio transducer has been turned off.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting the configuration in an audio device between the plurality of audio transducers and a computer system, wherein said configuration is received from the computer system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the configuration is input by a user utilizing a graphical user interface (GUI).

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

allowing a user to select one of an input or output audio transducer; and

automatically selecting a default corresponding input or output audio transducer according to the user'"'"'s selection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the third audio transducer is a telephony device and is turned on by going off hook.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting the configuration in an audio device coupled to the plurality of audio transducers, said audio device being a sound card.