Method and system for participant control of privacy during multiparty communication sessions

• US 7,200,214 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaffer, Shmuel, Knappe, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu; Benny Quoc
• Application Number:
  US11/279,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20060181608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 37920201-20601, 370260-262, 370/265, 370/266, 709/204
• US Class Current: 379/204.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• 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 3/564 whereby the feature is a sub-conference
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0025 Provisions for signalling

Abstract

A method and system for participant control of privacy during a multiparty communication session includes receiving a request from a first participant to a multiparty communication connection for a sidebar between the first participant and a second participant to the multiparty communication connection. The sidebar is provided by at least substantially eliminating voice streams generated by the first participant and the second participant from conference output streams generated for a set of remaining participants to the multiparty communication connection.

Claims

1. A method for participant control of privacy during a multiparty communication connection, comprising:

receiving a request from a first participant to the multiparty communication connection for a sidebar between the first participant and a second participant to the multiparty communication connection; and

providing the sidebar by altering the spatial positioning of voice streams generated by a set of remaining participants to the multiparty communication connection relative to a voice stream of the other participant to the sidebar in conference output streams generated for the first and second participants.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the sidebar by eliminating a voice stream generated by the first participant and a voice stream generated by the second participant from conference output streams generated for the set of remaining participants.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

requesting permission from the second participant for the sidebar; and

in response to at least approval by the second participant, providing the sidebar by at least substantially eliminating the voice stream generated by the first participant and the voice stream generated by the second participant from conference output streams generated for the set of remaining participants.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the sidebar by substantially eliminating voice streams generated by the set of remaining participants from conference output streams generated for the first and second participants.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising eliminating voice streams generated by the set of remaining participants from conference output streams generated for the first and second participants.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiparty connection comprises a conference call.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating conference output streams for each participant to the multiparty communication connection at a conference bridge.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the sidebar by spatially positioning the voice stream generated by the other participant to the sidebar forward of voice streams generated by the set of remaining participants in the conference output stream generated for the first and second participants.

9. A system for participant control of privacy during a multiparty communication connection, comprising:

logic encoded on media; and

the logic operable to receive a request from a first participant for a sidebar between the first participant and a second participant and to provide the sidebar by altering the spatial positioning of voice streams generated by a set of remaining participants to the multiparty communication connection relative to a voice stream of the other participant to the sidebar in conference output streams generated for the first and second participants.

10. The system of claim 9, the logic further operable to provide the sidebar by eliminating a voice stream generated by the first participant and a voice stream generated by the second participant from conference output streams generated for the set of remaining participants.

11. The system of claim 10, the logic further operable to request permission from the second participant for the sidebar and in response to at least approval by the second participant to provide the sidebar by at least substantially eliminating the voice stream generated by the first participant and the voice stream generated by the second participant from conference output streams generated for the set of remaining participants.

12. The system of claim 9, the logic further operable to provide the sidebar by substantially eliminating voice streams generated by the set of remaining participants from conference output streams generated for the first and second participants.

13. The system of claim 9, the logic further operable to eliminate voice streams generated by the set of remaining participants from conference output streams generated for the first and second participants.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the multiparty connection comprises a conference call.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising a conference bridge including the logic encoded on media.

16. The system of claim 9, the logic further operable to provide the sidebar by spatially positioning the voice stream generated by the other participant to the sidebar forward of voice streams generated by the set of remaining participants in the conference output stream generated for the first and second participants.

17. A system for participant control of privacy during a multiparty communication connection, comprising:

means for receiving a request from a first participant to the multiparty communication connection for a sidebar between the first participant and a second participant to the multiparty communication connection; and

means for providing the sidebar by altering the spatial positioning of voice streams generated by a set of remaining participants to the multiparty communication connection relative to a voice stream of the other participant to the sidebar in conference output streams generated for the first and second participants.

18. A method for participant control of privacy during a multiparty communication connection, comprising:

receiving a request from a first participant to the multiparty communication connection for a sidebar between the first participant and a second participant to the multiparty communication connection; and

providing the sidebar by;

substantially eliminating voice streams generated by the first participant and the second participant from conference output streams generated for a set of remaining participants to the multiparty communication connection; and

at least substantially eliminating voice streams generated by the set of remaining participants from conference output streams generated for the first and second participants.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising eliminating voice streams generated by the set of remaining participants from conference output streams generated for the first and second participants.

20. A system for participant control of privacy during a multiparty communication connection, comprising:

logic encoded on media; and

the logic operable to receive a request from a first participant to the multiparty communication connection for a sidebar between the first participant and a second participant to the multiparty communication connection and to provide the sidebar by;

substantially eliminating voice streams generated by the first participant and the second participant from conference output streams generated for a set of remaining participants to the multiparty communication connection; and

at least substantially eliminating voice streams generated by the set of remaining participants from conference output streams generated for the first and second participants.

21. The system of claim 20, the logic further operable to eliminate voice streams generated by the set of remaining participants from conference output streams generated for the first and second participants.