Hierarchical control of teleconferences
First Claim
1. A method of controlling a teleconference conducted between two or more participants, comprising:
- assigning, by a server of a corresponding teleconference system, a selected one of at least two participation states to each participant in the teleconference, wherein the corresponding teleconference system communicates with a communication device of each participant, wherein;
a first one of the participation states designates a muted state wherein communication from a corresponding participant in the muted state is prevented from reaching the remainder of the teleconference participants over the corresponding teleconference system; and
a second one of the participation states designates an active state wherein communication from a corresponding participant in the active state is transmitted to the remainder of the teleconference participants over the corresponding teleconference system;
monitoring, by the server of the corresponding teleconference system, at least one teleconference parameter associated with the teleconference, each teleconference parameter related to determining whether control of the teleconference should change; and
automatically updating the teleconference without manual intervention when a triggering event is detected based upon monitoring the at least one teleconference parameter by;
determining a hierarchical order of the participants of the teleconference;
modifying a participation state of at least one participant based at least in part upon the determined hierarchical order of the participants; and
conveying at least the modified participation state to the corresponding teleconference system so as to implement the modified participation state of the at least one participant of the corresponding teleconference system.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A teleconference between at least two participants is evaluated by monitoring the teleconference and detecting a triggering event if more than one participant desires to speak at the same time. Upon detecting a triggering event, e.g., detecting an attempt of one or more participants to interrupt another participant, or detecting a request initiated by one or more participants to interrupt another participant, a dominant source is selected from among the ones of the participants attempting/requesting to speak based at least in part upon a determined hierarchical order of those participants attempting/requesting to speak. A participant is then selected from among the participants to have the role of the dominant participant based upon the selected dominant source and only the speech of the dominant participant is conveyed to each participant through the teleconference system.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a teleconference conducted between two or more participants, comprising:
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assigning, by a server of a corresponding teleconference system, a selected one of at least two participation states to each participant in the teleconference, wherein the corresponding teleconference system communicates with a communication device of each participant, wherein; a first one of the participation states designates a muted state wherein communication from a corresponding participant in the muted state is prevented from reaching the remainder of the teleconference participants over the corresponding teleconference system; and a second one of the participation states designates an active state wherein communication from a corresponding participant in the active state is transmitted to the remainder of the teleconference participants over the corresponding teleconference system; monitoring, by the server of the corresponding teleconference system, at least one teleconference parameter associated with the teleconference, each teleconference parameter related to determining whether control of the teleconference should change; and automatically updating the teleconference without manual intervention when a triggering event is detected based upon monitoring the at least one teleconference parameter by; determining a hierarchical order of the participants of the teleconference; modifying a participation state of at least one participant based at least in part upon the determined hierarchical order of the participants; and conveying at least the modified participation state to the corresponding teleconference system so as to implement the modified participation state of the at least one participant of the corresponding teleconference system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of controlling a teleconference between at least two participants comprising:
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monitoring the teleconference, by a server of a corresponding teleconference system, to determine whether more than one participant connected to the corresponding teleconference system by a communication device desires to speak at the same time; detecting a triggering event based upon monitoring the teleconference; determining a hierarchical order of participants of the teleconference; automatically selecting a dominant source without manual intervention based upon the participants desiring to speak and the hierarchical order of the participants; determining a selected one participant from the at least two participants to have a role of a dominant participant based upon the selected dominant source; and conveying only the speech of the dominant participant in the teleconference to each participant. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification