Facilitation of a conference call

• US 8,498,389 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2009
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Services Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Ortel, William Charles Gormley
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwah, Olisa
• Application Number:
  US12/470,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20110069140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.21, 379/158, 379/201.01, 379/203.01, 379/202.01, 379/88.02, 348/14.08, 348/14.01, 348/14.03, 348/14.1, 348/14.07
• US Class Current: 379/93.21
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/41 using speaker recognition speaker recognition per se G10L17/00
• 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 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

There is provided a system for facilitating a conference call. The system includes a module to generate a real-time voiceprint from a voice input of a participant in the conference call, and a module to provide information indicative of the participant based on the real-time voiceprint.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a video teleconferencing system having a first link including a video channel and an audio channel,

said video channel containing video signals sent from multiple locations that are merged in a manner to be presented in separate areas of a video display of the video teleconferencing system if none of said locations are active or that are individually presented in the video display based on an active location determined by a conference visualizer, and

said audio channel merging audio signals from all conference participants located at said locations;

the conference visualizer providing information via a second link to said video teleconferencing system indicating the active location, thereby enabling said video teleconferencing system to determine which of said video signals to individually present;

a first keyboard connected to the conference visualizer to provide input to the conference visualizer; and

a second keyboard connected to the video teleconferencing system to provide input to said video teleconferencing system;

wherein the inputs of either keyboard select an operating mode for the conference visualizer.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

said video teleconferencing system obtaining descriptive information stored in a table in said conference visualizer for presentation on said video display.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said descriptive information is presented as labels in appropriate video picture areas on said video display.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said descriptive information is presented as labels in a separate area of said video display dedicated to a schematic presentation.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said second link is omitted and where said video teleconferencing system and said conference visualizer remain connected only by way of an additional audio channel coupled to the first link,

wherein an active conference participant is identified on a display of the conference visualizer.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said information includes placement of perimeter lines around various of said conference participants for purposes of visually associating together those of said conference participants within a same one of said perimeter lines.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said conference visualizer comprises:

a voiceprint generator configured to receive voice input from each of a plurality of conference participants and generate a distinguishable voiceprint from said input for each participant; and

an organizer receiving said voiceprint and operating according to the operating mode selected by the input of either keyboard,

wherein said operating mode is selected from a list of modes, including;

a training mode for receiving and storing a first said voiceprint in a participant table as a reference voiceprint; and

an analysis mode for receiving a second said voiceprint and determining if said second said voiceprint matches said reference voiceprint.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said organizer further comprises:

said table containing a different said first said voiceprint for said each participant; and

a matching module, operative during said analysis mode, for comparing said second said voiceprint against each said different said first said voiceprint to determine a best match.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said organizer further comprises:

a reporting module for providing said information, based on said best match, indicative of which one of said participants is speaking.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein said operating mode is selected from a list of modes, including:

a standby mode in which both a training mode and an analysis mode are disabled upon either keyboard input selecting the standby mode.

7. A conference visualizer, comprising:

a voiceprint generator configured to receive voice input from each of a plurality of conference participants and generate a distinguishable voiceprint from said input for each participant, wherein said participants are located at different locations; and

an organizer receiving said voiceprint and configured to operate in a plurality of modes including;

a training mode for receiving and storing a first said voiceprint in a participant table as a reference voiceprint;

an analysis mode for receiving a second said voiceprint and determining if said second said voiceprint matches said reference voiceprint; and

a standby mode in which both the training mode and the analysis mode are disabled upon direction of a local one of said participants co-located with said conference visualizer.

8. The conference visualizer of claim 7 wherein said organizer further comprises:

said table containing a different said first said voiceprint for said each participant; and

a matching module, operative during said analysis mode, for comparing said second said voiceprint against each said different said first said voiceprint to determine a best match.

9. The conference visualizer of claim 8 wherein said organizer further comprises:

a reporting module for providing information, based on said best match, indicative of which one of said participants is speaking.

10. The conference visualizer of claim 8 further comprising:

a keyboard enabling said local participant to provide, define and edit descriptive information about other of said participants and to store in said table said descriptive information corresponding, respectively, to said other of said participants.

11. The conference visualizer of claim 10 wherein said descriptive information is selected from the group of information consisting of a participant'"'"'s name, a participant'"'"'s organizational affiliation, a participant'"'"'s job title and a participant'"'"'s geographic location.

12. The conference visualizer of claim 10 wherein said local participant manually controls said organizer to be in said training mode to populate said table or in said analysis mode, said local participant basing its mode-choice on observation of which particular said other of said participants is speaking.

13. The conference visualizer of claim 12 wherein said standby mode accommodates conditions when more than one of said participants is speaking concurrently or when a background sound is detected during a period of non-speech.

14. The conference visualizer of claim 9 further comprising:

a display receiving said information from said reporting module, said display showing a representation of said plurality of conference participants including a highlighting of said speaking participant.

15. The conference visualizer of claim 14 wherein said display either highlights said representation corresponding to said speaking participant or shows only said representation of said speaking participant, whereby said local one of said participants recognizes when any of said other of said plurality of conference participants start or stop talking.

19. A system, comprising:

a video teleconferencing system having both a video channel and an audio channel,

said video channel containing either video signals sent from multiple locations and merged in a manner to be presented in separate areas of a video display if none of said locations are active or a video signal sent from an active location at which there is a conference participant, and

said audio channel merging audio signals from all conference participants located at said locations;

a conference visualizer providing information to said video teleconferencing system to indicate which of said participants is active, thereby enabling said video teleconferencing system to determine which of said video signals to present on said video display;

a first keyboard for permitting a first conference participant co-located with said conference visualizer to provide input to a display reflecting audio information;

a second keyboard for permitting said first conference participant to provide input to said video display, wherein said second keyboard may be used to perform functions performed by said first keyboard;

a voiceprint generator configured to receive voice input from each of a plurality of conference participants and generate a distinguishable voiceprint from said input for each participant; and

an organizer receiving said voiceprint and configured to operate in;

a training mode for receiving and storing a first said voiceprint in a participant table as a reference voiceprint,

an analysis mode for receiving a second said voiceprint and determining if said second said voiceprint matches said reference voiceprint, or

a standby mode in which both the training mode and the analysis mode are disabled upon direction of a local one of said participants co-located with said conference visualizer.