Telecommunications and conference calling device, system and method

• US 7,742,587 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Emblaze-VCON Ltd. (Clearone Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cohen, Alon
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US10/303,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20030112947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,766 Days
• Field of Search: 379/202.01, 379/158, 379/164, 379/203.01, 379/204.01, 709/204, 704/270, 704/275, 370/260, 710/305, 700/94
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• 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: 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: H04M 3/569 using the instant speaker's algorithm speech detection per se G10L25/78

Abstract

A communications system and method, which may be used, for example, within a conferencing communication system, is provided. A plurality of communicators may transmit, via a network, audio streams bound from any other communicator. A server receives from the plurality of communicators a plurality of incoming streams and for each communicator transmits any mixed combination of the incoming streams. The system also may control any of the mixers to independently control a volume level of any of the incoming streams being mixed at any of the mixers to create the required mixed combination of the incoming streams. Various conference call features may be effected using such mix capacities.

Claims

1. A conference call server to allow a plurality of communications devices to communicate, the server comprising:

a plurality of mixers configured to receive correspondingly a plurality of incoming audio streams from the plurality of communications devices, and to process the incoming audio streams to output a plurality of combinations of the incoming audio streams, each combination being output to a corresponding one of the plurality of the communications devices; and

a controller coupled to the mixers and configured to receive one or more control signals correspondingly associated with one or more of the plurality of communications devices and in response, for one or more of the plurality of combinations, control one or more of the mixers to set one or more mix levels for one or more audio streams within the one or more combinations, including receipt of a first control signal from a first of the communications devices indicating allowance of a first and a second audio stream associated with the first and a second communications device respectively to be included in a first and a second combination for the first and second communications devices respectively but withheld from all other combinations for all other communications devices, and in response, control mix levels of the audio streams in the combinations accordingly.

2. The server according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control a subset of the mixers to set a mix level of a subset of said incoming audio streams for a subset of the combinations, in response to said subset of the incoming audio streams.

3. The server according to claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to, in response to a second control signal associated with the first communications device, control a first mixer to set a first subset of the incoming audio streams which are output to said first communications device to a first volume level and set a second subset of the incoming audio streams which are output to said first communications device to a second volume level.

4. The server according to claim 3 wherein said second control signal associated with the first communications device is received from the first communications device.

5. The server according to claim 3 wherein said second control signal associated with the first communications device is received from a terminal associated with the first communications device.

6. The server according to claim 1 wherein said controller is further configured to receive a control signal from a moderator, and, in response, control a subset of the mixers to alter, for at least a subset of the communications devices, a volume level of a subset of said incoming audio streams which are correspondingly output to said subset of the communications devices.

7. The server according to claim 1, wherein said controller is further configured to control a subset of the mixers to prevent a subset of said communications devices from receiving an in-band audio signaling tone sent by one of said communications devices.

8. The server of claim 1, wherein the server is part of a telecommunications system.

9. The server according to claim 1, wherein said controller is further configured to control one of the mixers to prevent any of said incoming audio streams from being received by one of said communications devices.

10. The server of claim 1, wherein said controller is further configured to selectively control one of the mixers to set a mix level for one of the audio streams for one of the combinations to zero volume.

11. The server according to claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to receive a control signal and, in response, control at least a subset of the mixers to alter, for at least a subset of the combinations for a corresponding subset of the communications devices, a volume level of a subset of said incoming audio streams.

36. The server of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to control the mixers to receive an auxiliary audio stream and to add the auxiliary audio stream to one or more of the combinations for one or more of the communications devices.

37. The server of claim 36, wherein each mixer includes at least an auxiliary audio input coupled to the controller.

38. The server of claim 36, wherein the auxiliary audio stream is received from another device other than the communications devices.

39. The server of claim 36, wherein the auxiliary audio stream is a pre-recorded audio stream.

40. The server of claim 36 wherein said auxiliary audio stream includes a continuous stream input received from a device external to the server.

41. The server according to claim 36 wherein the controller is further configured to pause a transmission of the auxiliary audio stream.

42. The server of claim 36, wherein the controller is further configured to receive a control signal, and, in response, control one or more of the mixers to alter a play speed of the auxiliary audio stream.

12. A method for allowing a plurality of communications devices to communicate, the method comprising:

receiving by each of a plurality of mixers, a corresponding plurality of incoming audio streams from the plurality of communications devices, and processing by each of the mixers the incoming audio streams to output a combination of selected ones of said incoming audio streams for a corresponding one of the communications device, wherein each audio stream has a variable mix level within each combination;

receiving by a controller associated with the mixers a control signal, and in response, controlling one or more of the mixers to set one or more mix levels for one or more audio streams within one or more combinations, including receiving a control signal indicating allowance of a first and a second audio stream associated with a first and a second communications device respectively to be included in a first and a second combination for the first and second communications devices respectively and withhold the first and second audio streams from all other combinations for all other communications devices, and in response, control mix levels of the audio streams in the combinations accordingly.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising receiving by the controller a control signal associated with a first communications device, and in response, controlling a first subset of the mixers to set a first subset of the incoming audio streams which are output to said first communications device to a first volume level and set a second subset of the incoming audio streams which are output to said first communications device to a second volume level.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising receiving by the controller said control signal associated with the first communications device from the first communications device.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising receiving by the controller said control signal associated with the first communications device from a terminal associated with the first communications device.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising receiving by the controller a moderator signal and, in response, controlling at least a subset of the mixers to alter, for at least a subset of the communications devices, a volume level of a subset of said incoming audio streams which are output to said subset of the communications devices.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising controlling a subset of the mixers, by the controller, to prevent a subset of said communications devices from receiving an in-band audio signaling tone sent by one of said communications devices.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising accepting by the controller a control signal from a user and, in response, controlling a mixer to adjust a volume level of one incoming audio stream sent to the communications device associated with that user.

19. The method according to claim 12, further comprising controlling a first of the mixers, by the controller, to prevent any of said incoming audio streams from being received by the first communications devices.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein each audio stream has a variable mix level across the plurality of combinations.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising controlling a mixer, by the controller, to set a mix level for an audio stream for a combination at zero volume.

22. A conference call server for allowing a plurality of communications devices to communicate, the server comprising:

a plurality of mixers; and

a controller coupled to the mixers, and configured to;

control connecting a first communications device with a first set of communications devices via a conference call; and

control the mixers to facilitate the conference calls, and enable the first communications device to engage in an associated telecommunications session, during the conference call, with a second communications device not among the first set of communications devices, wherein the controller is configured to control the mixers to selectively mix and combine input audio streams from the first and second communications devices and the first set of communications devices to generate output audio streams for the first and second communications devices and the first set of communications devices, including control of a mixer to allow only the input audio streams from the first communications device be included in the output audio stream for the second communications device, and control the other mixers to allow an input audio stream from the second communications device to be mixed and included in the output audio streams for the first set of communications devices and the first communications device.

23. The server of claim 22, wherein the controller is further configured to control the mixers corresponding to the first set of communications devices to withhold the input audio stream from the first or the second communications device from the output audio streams for the first set of communications devices.

24. The server of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to control the mixer corresponding to the second communications device to withhold the input audio streams from the first set of communications devices from the output audio stream for the second communications device.

25. The server according to claim 22 wherein the controller is configured to receive a signal associated with a communications device, and in response, set a first set of incoming audio streams which are output to said communications device to a first volume level and set a second set of incoming audio streams which are output to said communications device to a second volume level.

26. The server according to claim 22 wherein the controller is configured to receive a telecommunications session request with the first communications device from the second communications device, and in response to cause the first communications device to be engaged in the associated telecommunications session with the second communications device.

27. The server according to claim 26 wherein the request is a received telephone call.

28. The server according to claim 22 wherein the request includes a code identifying the first communications device.

29. A method of managing a conference call among a plurality of communications devices, the method comprising:

connecting a first communications device, by a controller, with a first set of communications devices via a conference call, using a plurality of mixers; and

causing the first communications device by the controller, using another mixer, to engage in an associated telecommunications session, during the conference call, with a second communications device not among the first set of communications devices, wherein the controlling and causing includes controlling the mixers to selectively mix input audio streams from the first and second communications devices and the first plurality of communications devices to generate output streams for the first and second communications devices and the first plurality of communications devices, including controlling a mixer to include only the input audio stream of the first communications device in the output audio stream for the second communications device, and controlling the other mixers to include the input audio stream from the second communications device in the output streams of the first communications device and the first set of communications devices.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising controlling the mixers corresponding to the first set of communications devices, by the controller, to withhold the input audio stream of the first or second communications devices from the output audio streams of the first set of communications devices.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising controlling a mixer corresponding to the second communications device, by the controller, to include audio streams of the first set of communications devices and the first communications device in the output audio stream for the second communications device.

32. The method according to claim 29, further comprising receiving by the controller, a control signal, and in response, controlling one or more mixers to set a first subset of incoming audio streams which are output to said first communications device to a first volume level and setting a second subset of incoming audio streams which are output to said first communications device to a second volume level.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising receiving a telecommunications session request from the second communications device to engage in the associated telecommunications session with the first communications device.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the request is a received telephone call.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein the request includes a code identifying the first communications device.