Method and system for conducting a conference call

• US 7,236,580 B1
• Filed: 02/20/2002
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Labhesh, Sarkar, Shantanu, Shaffer, Shmuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui; Bing Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US10/081,608
• Time in Patent Office: 1,952 Days
• Field of Search: 379/202.01, 379/93.23, 370/260, 709/206, 704/235, 704/270
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/609 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for conducting a conference call between two or more participants is provided. The method includes receiving an indication of a request for text from a participant. The method also includes converting, in response to the indication, any speech of the other participants of the conference call into text. The method also includes sending the text to a device associated with the participant who requested test. The device is operable to display the text.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a conference call between two or more participants, comprising:

receiving an indication of a request for text from a participant of the conference call who has previously received speech from another participant of the conference call;

in response to the indication from the participant, converting any speech of the other participants of the conference call into text;

sending the text to a device associated with the participant from which the indication of a request for text was received, the device operable to display the text; and

wherein the indication of a request for text is received in response to a participant muting the call.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising encrypting the text.

3. The method of claim 1, and further comprising sending to the device the speech corresponding to the text.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the text comprises a timestamp, the timestamp associating the text with the speech corresponding to the text.

5. The method of claim 1, and further comprising recording the text at the device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of a request for text comprises an indication that a button is depressed on a telephone associated with the participant requesting text.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of a request for text comprises an indication that a soft key associated with the participant requesting text is depressed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of a request for text comprises an indication that the participant requesting text is suppressing transmission of voice media packets to the participant requesting text.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of a request for text comprises an indication that the participant requesting text is suppressing transmission of voice media packets from the participant requesting text.

10. The method of claim 1, and further comprising converting any speech of the participant requesting text into text.

11. The method of claim 1, and further comprising alerting the participant requesting text that a specific one of the other participants is speaking.

12. A method for conducting a conference call with a plurality of participants, comprising:

determining the identity of each participant providing input to the conference call;

receiving an indication of a request for text from a participant of the conference call;

in response to receiving the indication of a request for text from the participant, sending the identity of each other participant of the conference call, when the respective other participant is speaking, to a device associated with the participant from which the indication of a request for text was received, the device operable to display the identity of each participant; and

wherein the indication of a request for text is received in response to a participant muting the call.

13. The method of claim 12, and further comprising converting, in response to the indication of a request for text, any speech of each other participant of the conference call into text and sending the text to the device, the text associated with the identity of each participant.

14. The method of claim 13, and further comprising encrypting the text.

15. The method of claim 13, and further comprising sending to the device the speech associated with the text.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the text comprises a timestamp, the timestamp associating the text with the speech corresponding to the text.

17. The method of claim 16, and further comprising recording the text and the speech corresponding to the text at the device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein recording the text and speech comprises recording the speech and text at the device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein recording the text and speech comprises recording the speech and text within a central storage unit attached to the network.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the indication of a request for text comprises an indication that a button is depressed on a telephone associated with the participant requesting text.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the indication of a request for text comprises an indication that a soft key associated with the participant requesting text is depressed.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the indication of a request for text comprises an indication that the participant requesting text is suppressing transmission of voice media packets to the participant requesting text.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein the indication of a request for text comprises an indication that the participant requesting text is suppressing transmission of voice media packets from the participant requesting text.

24. The method of claim 12, and further comprising sending the identity of the participant requesting text, when the participant requesting test is speaking, to the device.

25. A system for conducting a conference call with a plurality of participants, comprising:

a conference bridge operable to receive an indication of a request for text from at least one of the participants who has previously received speech from another one of the plurality of participants during the conference call, and in response to the indication, send text that represents speech of one or more of the participants to the participant who requested text;

a speech-to-text engine coupled to the conference bridge, the engine operable to convert the speech of the one or more participants into the text and send the text to the conference bridge; and

wherein the indication of a request for text is received in response to a participant muting the call.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the conference bridge is operable to determine an identity of each participant of the conference call and send the identity to the participant making the request for text, each identity associated with the corresponding text that represents the speech of each participant.

27. The system of claim 25, and further comprising an encryption engine coupled to the conference bridge.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the conference bridge is operable to send the speech of each participant, with the text, to the participant who requested text.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the conference bridge is operable to couple a timestamp with the text, then send the text to the participant who requested text, the timestamp associating the text with the speech corresponding to the text.

30. The system of claim 25, and further comprising a device associated with the participant, the device comprising a storage media.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the device is a text display screen coupled to an Internet Protocol phone.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the device is a computer.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein the indication of a request for text from at least one of the participants further indicates that the participant is suppressing transmission of voice media packets to the participant.

34. The system of claim 25, wherein the conference bridge and the speech-to-text engine are each operable to be responsive to a concurrent reservation request.

36. The system of claim 33, and further comprising a means for associating an identity of each participant of the conference call with each participant'"'"'s input to the conference call, and coupling the identity to the corresponding text, the means coupled to the conference management means.

37. The system of claim 33, and further comprising a communication means for listening to the speech, the communication means coupled to the display means.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the conference management means is also for transmitting the speech to the communication means.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the conference management means is also for coupling a timestamp with the text, then transmitting the text to the display means, the timestamp associating the text with the speech corresponding to the text.

40. The system of claim 37, and further comprising a storage means for recording the text and the speech, the storage means coupled to the communication means.

41. The system of claim 33, wherein the indication of a request for text from at least one of the participants further indicates that the participant is suppressing transmission of voice media packets to the participant.

35. A system for conducting a conference call, comprising:

a conference management means for receiving an indication of a request for text from at least one participant who has previously received speech from another one of the plurality of participants during the conference call, and in response to the indication, sending text that represents speech of each participant to the participant who requested text;

a speech-to-text conversion means coupled to the conference bridge, the speech-to-text conversion means for converting the speech of each participant into the text and sending the text to the conference management means; and

wherein the indication of a request for text is received in response to a participant muting the call.

42. A method for conducting a conference call between two or more participants, comprising:

receiving, at a telephone, an indication of a request for text from a participant of the conference call using the telephone who has previously received speech from one of the other two or more participants of the conference call during the conference call;

in response to the indication, automatically transmitting from the telephone to a speech-to-text engine any speech received at the phone;

receiving at the telephone from the speech-to-text engine text indicative of the received speech; and

wherein the indication of a request for text is received in response to a participant muting the call.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the indication of a request for text comprises an indication that a button is depressed on a telephone associated with the participant requesting text.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the indication of a request for text comprises an indication that a soft key associated with the participant requesting text is depressed.

45. A method for conducting a conference call between two or more participants, comprising:

receiving an indication of a request for text from a participant of the conference call;

in response to the indication from the participant, converting any speech of the other participants of the conference call into text;

sending the text to a device associated with the participant from which the indication of a request for text was received, the device operable to display the text; and

wherein the indication of a request for text is received in response to an action selected from the group consisting of a participant placing the conference call on hold and a participant muting the call.

46. A method for conducting a conference call between two or more participants, comprising:

receiving, at a telephone, an indication of a request for text from a participant of the conference call using the telephone;

in response to the indication, automatically transmitting from the telephone to a speech-to-text engine any speech received at the phone;

receiving at the telephone from the speech-to-text engine text indicative of the received speech; and

wherein the indication of a request for text is received in response to an action selected from the group consisting of a participant placing the conference call on hold and a participant muting the call.

47. A method for conducting a conference call between two or more participants, comprising:

receiving an indication of a request for text from a participant of the conference call who has previously received speech from another participant of the conference call;

in response to the indication from the participant, converting any speech of the other participants of the conference call into text;

sending the text to a device associated with the participant from which the indication of a request for text was received, the device operable to display the text; and

wherein the indication of a request for text is received in response to a participant placing the conference call on hold.

48. A method for conducting a conference call with a plurality of participants, comprising:

determining the identity of each participant providing input to the conference call;

receiving an indication of a request for text from a participant of the conference call;

in response to receiving the indication of a request for text from the participant, sending the identity of each other participant of the conference call, when the respective other participant is speaking, to a device associated with the participant from which the indication of a request for text was received, the device operable to display the identity of each participant; and

wherein the indication of a request for text is received in response to a participant placing the conference call on hold.

49. A method for conducting a conference call between two or more participants, comprising:

receiving, at a telephone, an indication of a request for text from a participant of the conference call using the telephone who has previously received speech from one of the other two or more participants of the conference call during the conference call;

in response to the indication, automatically transmitting from the telephone to a speech-to-text engine any speech received at the phone;

receiving at the telephone from the speech-to-text engine text indicative of the received speech; and

wherein the indication of a request for text is received in response to a participant placing the conference call on hold.