Method and system for controlling audio in a collaboration environment

• US 8,144,633 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2009
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Costello, John, McCormack, Tony, Yoakum, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAMARA, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US12/564,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20110069643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.01, 381/92, 381/122, 381/369, 348/14.05, 348/14.03, 348/14.08, 370/261
• US Class Current: 370/261
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference

Abstract

A method and system for designating an aural position of an audio stream in a collaboration environment. A plurality of icons corresponding to participants are displayed in a user interface. A moderator may move the icons from a first position in the user interface to a second position in the user interface. Upon moving an icon from a first position to a second position, an aural position identifier corresponding to the second position is generated and sent to a conference processor. The conference processor uses the aural position identifier to generate an outgoing audio stream that aurally positions the audio stream generated by the participant corresponding to the icon at the aural position. The outgoing audio stream is provided to the moderator, who uses a multi-channel capable device to perceive the audio stream at the designated aural position.

Claims

1. A method for designating an aural position of an audio stream in a collaboration environment, comprising:

displaying in a first display area of a user interface on a display device a plurality of participant icons;

receiving a first outgoing audio stream corresponding to a first participant icon of the plurality of participant icons, wherein the first outgoing audio stream includes aural position characteristics that aurally position the first outgoing audio stream at a first aural position corresponding to a first position of the first participant icon in the first display area;

receiving first input indicating the first participant icon has been moved from the first position to a second position in the first display area;

in response to the first input, determining a second aural position of the first participant icon corresponding to the second position based on the second position and a reference position;

sending a control signal to a conference processor including an audio stream identifier identifying the first outgoing audio stream and an aural position identifier identifying the second aural position; and

receiving the first outgoing audio stream wherein the first outgoing audio stream includes aural position characteristics that aurally position the first outgoing audio stream at the second aural position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of participant icons comprises at least four participant icons, and wherein the first participant icon corresponds to a first participant communication session, a second participant icon corresponds to a second participant communication session;

a third participant icon corresponds to a third participant communication session, and a fourth participant icon corresponds to a fourth participant communication session, further comprising;

receiving second input requesting a subgroup comprising the first participant icon and the second participant icon; and

in response to the second input, sending a mixing control signal to the conference processor, wherein the mixing control signal directs the conference processor to;

provide an incoming audio stream associated with the first participant to the second participant communication session, and not to the third participant communication session or to the fourth participant communication session; and

provide an incoming audio stream associated with the second participant to the first participant communication session, and not to the third participant communication session or to the fourth participant communication session.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying the first participant icon and the second participant icon in a second display area of the user interface.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving third input indicating a selection of the subgroup; and

in response to the third input, sending a second mixing control signal to the conference processor, wherein the second mixing control signal directs the conference processor to provide an incoming audio stream associated with a moderator to the first participant communication session and the second participant communication session, and not to the third participant communication session or to the fourth participant communication session.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving fourth input indicating a selection of all the plurality of participant icons; and

in response to the fourth input, sending a third mixing control signal to the conference processor, wherein the third mixing control signal directs the conference processor to provide the incoming audio stream associated with the moderator to the first participant communication session, the second participant communication session, the third participant communication session, and the fourth participant communication session.

6. The method of claim 3 where within the plurality of participant icons, a first of the plurality of participant icons being displayed in the first display area, and a second of the plurality of participant icons being concurrently displayed in the second display area, the method further comprising:

receiving second input indicating the first participant icon in the second display area has been moved from a first position in the second display area to a second position in the second display area; and

in response to the second input, determining a new aural position of the first participant icon in the second display area corresponding to the second position based on the second position and a second reference position, wherein the new aural position is different from the second aural position.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving third input requesting a second subgroup comprising the third participant icon and the fourth participant icon; and

sending the mixing control signal to the conference processor, wherein the mixing control signal directs the conference processor to;

provide an incoming audio stream associated with the third participant to the fourth participant communication session, and not to the first participant communication session or to the second participant communication session; and

provide an incoming audio stream associated with the fourth participant to the third participant communication session, and not to the first participant communication session or to the second participant communication session.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving fourth input indicating authorization of the first subgroup to initiate communications with the second subgroup, and in response to the fourth input, sending an authorization indicator to a server, receiving data indicating the first subgroup has initiated communications with the second subgroup, and updating the user interface to indicate the first subgroup has initiated communications with the second subgroup.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the authorization indicator is sent to a media server comprising the conference processor.

10. A media server comprising:

a communication interface adapted to communicate with a moderator communication session, a first participant communication session, and a second participant communication session; and

a conference processor, wherein the conference processor is adapted to;

receive first aural position data associated with the first participant communication session and second aural position data associated with the second participant communication session from a moderator;

receive a first incoming audio stream from the first participant communication session and a second incoming audio stream from the second participant communication session;

generate a first outgoing audio stream based on the first incoming audio stream and the second incoming audio stream, wherein the first outgoing audio stream aurally positions the first incoming audio stream at an aural position indicated by the first aural position data and the second incoming audio stream at an aural position indicated by the second aural position data; and

provide the first outgoing audio stream to the moderator communication session.

11. The media server of claim 10 wherein the communication interface is further adapted to communicate with a third participant communication session and a fourth participant communication session, and wherein the conference processor is further adapted to:

receive a first mixing control signal, and based on the first mixing control signal provide a second outgoing audio stream based on the first incoming audio stream to the second participant communication session, and not to the third participant communication session or the fourth participant communication session, and a third outgoing audio stream based on the second incoming audio stream to the first participant communication session, and not to the third participant communication session or the fourth participant communication session.

12. The media server of claim 11 wherein the conference processor is further adapted to:

receive third aural position data associated with the first participant communication session from a second participant corresponding to the second communication session,

receive the first incoming audio stream from the first communication session,

generate a fourth outgoing audio stream aurally positioning the fourth outgoing audio stream at an aural position indicated by the third aural position data, and

provide the fourth outgoing audio stream to the second communication session.

13. The media server of claim 12 wherein the third aural position data is different from the first aural position data, and wherein the first outgoing audio stream and the fourth outgoing audio stream are generated substantially simultaneously, and wherein the first outgoing audio stream is provided to the moderator communication session concurrently with providing the fourth outgoing audio stream to the second communication session.

14. The media server of claim 11 wherein the conference processor is further adapted to:

receive a second mixing control signal, and based on the second mixing control signal provide a moderator outgoing audio stream to the first participant communication session and the second participant communication session, and not to the third participant communication session or the fourth participant communication session.

15. The media server of claim 14 wherein the conference processor is further adapted to:

receive a third mixing control signal, and based on the third mixing control signal provide the moderator outgoing audio stream to the first participant communication session, the second participant communication session, the third participant communication session and the fourth participant communication session.

16. The media server of claim 11 wherein the conference process is further adapted to:

receive third aural position data identifying an aural position associated with the third participant communication session and the fourth participant communication session;

provide a second outgoing audio stream at an aural position indicated by the third aural position data based on a third incoming audio stream from the third participant communication session and a fourth incoming audio stream from the fourth participant communication session.

17. The media server of claim 10, wherein the conference processor is further adapted to receive a first mixing control signal, and based on the first mixing control signal provide a moderator incoming audio stream from the moderator communication session to the first participant communication session and not to the second participant communication session, and the first incoming audio stream to the moderator communication session and not to the second participant communication session.

18. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for designating an aural position of an audio stream, said method comprising:

displaying, in a first display area of a user interface on a display device, a plurality of participant icons;

receiving a first outgoing audio stream corresponding to a first participant icon of the plurality of participant icons, wherein the first outgoing audio stream includes aural position characteristics that aurally position the first outgoing audio stream at a first aural position corresponding to a first position of the first participant icon in the first display area;

receiving first input indicating that the first participant icon has been moved from the first position to a second position in the first display area;

in response to the first input, determining a second aural position of the first participant icon corresponding to the second position based on the second position and a reference position;

sending a control signal to a conference processor including an audio stream identifier identifying the first outgoing audio stream and an aural position identifier identifying the second aural position; and

receiving the first outgoing audio stream wherein the first outgoing audio stream includes aural position characteristics that aurally position the first outgoing audio stream at the second aural position.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the plurality of participant icons comprises at least four participant icons, and wherein the first participant icon corresponds to a first participant communication session, a second participant icon corresponds to a second participant communication session;

a third participant icon corresponds to a third participant communication session, and a fourth participant icon corresponds to a fourth participant communication session, the method further comprising;

receiving second input requesting a subgroup comprising the first participant icon and the second participant icon; and

in response to the second input, sending a mixing control signal to the conference processor, wherein the mixing control signal directs a conference processor to;

provide an incoming audio stream associated with a first participant to the second participant communication session, and not to the third participant communication session or to the fourth participant communication session; and

provide an incoming audio stream associated with a second participant to the first participant communication session, and not to the third participant communication session or to the fourth participant communication session.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising displaying the first participant icon and the second participant icon in a second display area of the user interface.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving third input indicating a selection of the subgroup; and

in response to the third input, sending a second mixing control signal to the conference processor, wherein the second mixing control signal directs the conference processor to provide an incoming audio stream associated with the moderator to the first participant communication session and the second participant communication session, and not to the third participant communication session or to the fourth participant communication session.

22. A computer-implemented method of controlling a collaboration environment, comprising:

displaying in a first display area of a user interface on a computer, a first participant icon and a second participant icon, wherein the first participant icon is associated with a first communication session and the second participant icon is associated with a second communication session;

receiving a first outgoing audio stream corresponding to the first participant icon, wherein the first outgoing audio stream includes aural position characteristics that aurally position the first outgoing audio stream at a first aural position corresponding to a first position in the first display area;

detecting movement of the first participant icon from the first display area to a location in a second display area;

determining aural position data associated with the location with respect to a reference location;

providing the aural position data to a conference processor;

receiving an audio stream aurally positioning a first participant audio stream corresponding to the first communication session at an aural position identified by the aural position data; and

providing the audio stream to an output device.