Mute indicator

• US 8,467,524 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Lee, Woojae, Shipley, Trevor Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Paul, Disler
• Application Number:
  US12/687,529
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 379/421, 379/433.03, 379/388.03, 379/388.02, 455/174.1, 381/107
• US Class Current: 379/421
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2471 Configurable and interactive telephone terminals with subscriber controlled features modifications, e.g. with ADSI capability [Analog Display Services Interface] systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers H04M3/42; administration or customization of services H04M3/42136; by downloading data to substation equipment H04M3/42178
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6008 in the transmitter circuit

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and computer-readable media for presenting a mute indicator to a caller when the caller is attempting to provide input to a call that has been muted. In particular, a determination is made that a mute function is engaged during a call. An area surrounding a calling system, such as a phone, is then monitored by a monitoring system to determine whether a caller is attempting to provide input to the call. A determination is then made that a caller is attempting to provide input to the call. The determination may be based on a caller providing a threshold volume of voice input within a threshold area of proximity near the calling system. A mute indicator is then presented to the caller to notify the caller that the call has a mute function engaged.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, cause a calling system to perform a method of indicating that a speaker'"'"'s voice will not be communicated, the method comprising:

determining that said calling system is in a mute status, which prevents a user of said auditory communications device from being heard when attempting to speak through the auditory communications device;

presenting a first indication of said mute status in response to the determination that said calling system is in said mute status, wherein said first mute status is characterized by a first set of characteristics;

determining that a first user is in a first physical position related to a first designated component of a first communications device that is coupled to said calling system; and

continuing to present said first indication until said user moves to a second physical position that varies by a threshold amount with respect to said first physical position, and then doing one or more of the following,

(1) presenting a second indication of said mute status, wherein said second indication includes a second set of characteristics;

or

(2) varying at least one characteristic of said first set of characteristics.

2. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the first designated component comprises at least one of a speaker and a microphone.

3. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein a set of characteristics comprises at least two of a volume, a brightness, a display notification, a video notification, an audio notification, a notification associated with a first display device, and a notification associated with a second display device.

4. The computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the physical position of the user is monitored through the use of at least one of a camera and a proximity sensor.

5. The computer-readable media of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a physical position of the first user; and

determining a physical position of the first designated component of the first communications device.

6. The computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein determining that a first user is in a first physical position related to a first designated component of a first communications device comprises comparing the first physical position of the user to the physical position of the first designated component of the first communications device.

7. The computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein continuing to present said first indication until said user moves to a second physical position that varies by a threshold amount with respect to said first physical position comprises:

determining a distance between the first physical position and the second physical position; and

comparing the distance between the first physical position and the second physical position to the threshold amount.

8. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, cause an auditory communications device to perform a method of indicating that a speaker'"'"'s voice will not be communicated, the method comprising:

determining that said auditory communications device is in a mute status, which prevents a user of said auditory communications device from being heard when attempting to speak through the auditory communications device;

presenting a first indication of said mute status in response to the determining that said auditory communications device is in said mute status;

determining that a user is touching a designated component of the auditory communications device; and

presenting a supplemental indication of said mute status in response to the determining that said user is touching the designated component.

9. The computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the designated component comprises at least one of a speaker and a microphone.

10. The computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the first indication of said mute status comprises a first characteristic, wherein a characteristic comprises at least one of a display notification, a video notification, an audio notification, a notification associated with a first display device, and a notification associated with a second display device.

11. The computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the supplemental indication of said mute status comprises a second characteristic, wherein a characteristic comprises at least one of a display notification, a video notification, an audio notification, a notification associated with a first display device, and a notification associated with a second display device.

12. The computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein determining that a user is touching a designated component of the auditory communications device comprises:

receiving an input from the user at a touch-sensitive device.

13. The computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the touch-sensitive device comprises at least one of a resistive touch screen device and a capacitive touch screen device.