Group communication system and method

• US 8,886,719 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skype S.Ã R.L. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Skype S.Ã R.L. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Houghton, Dan, Varanda, Antonio, Loureiro, Tiago, Bartlett, Mike, Suvi, Mikael
• Primary Examiner(s): GREENE, JOSEPH L
• Application Number:
  US11/799,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20080010347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,751 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5054 Meet-me conference, i.e. participants dial-in
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/367 Traffic or load control
• 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 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A method is described for providing voice conferencing between a plurality of users over a communications network, the plurality of users comprising a host user and a plurality of participant users. The method comprises the host user initiating a voice conference using a host user terminal connected to the communications network. The plurality of users join the voice conference. Each of the plurality of users joins the conference by using a client executed at their respective user terminals, wherein on joining the voice conference the user terminal of each of the plurality of participant users displays a participant user interface and the user terminal of the host displays a host user interface. At least one of the plurality of participant users activates a request control on the participant user interface. The client transmits via the communication network a request to the host user to speak in the voice conference in response to the activation of the request control. The host user receives an indication on the host user interface of the request from the at least one of the plurality of participant users, and activates a selection control on the host interface to select from among the at least one of the plurality of users who transmitted the request, the speech of the at least one selected user being transmitted to all of the plurality of users over the communications network.

Claims

1. A method of providing voice conferencing between a plurality of users over a communications network, the plurality of users comprising a host user and a plurality of participant users, the method comprising:

initiating a voice conference using a host user terminal configured to be connected to said communications network;

enabling the plurality of users to join the voice conference, wherein the user terminal of the host is configured to display a host user interface;

receiving, via said communication network, at least one request from at least one of the plurality of participant users joined on the voice conference to speak in the voice conference;

displaying, on the host user interface, an indication of the at least one request from the at least one of the plurality of participant users;

activating a selection control on the host interface effective to enable selection of at least one user from said plurality of participant users associated with the at least one request to speak in the voice conference wherein selection of said at least one requesting user of said plurality of participant users enables transmission of speech associated with said at least one selected user to all of the plurality of users over the communications network;

displaying a single common list of the plurality of users in the voice conference via the host user interface; and

enabling display of the single common list via at least one participant user interface, wherein displaying the single common list via the host user interface and enabling display of the single common list via the at least one participant user interface comprises;

moving said at least one selected user and said at least one requesting user of said plurality of participant users from respective locations within the single common list to one or more top positions of the single common list displayed via the host user interface; and

notifying the at least one participant user interface of said at least one selected user and said at least one requesting user of the plurality of users effective to move each selected user and each requesting user from respective locations within the single common list displayed via the at least one participant user interface to one or more top positions of the single common list displayed via the at least one participant user interface.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising blocking the speech from other users that have not been selected.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the list of the plurality of users in the voice conference indicates which of the plurality of users has been selected to speak in the voice conference.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising activating a muting control associated with a participant user displayed on the host user interface, wherein activating the muting control associated with the participant user blocks the speech of the associated participant user.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising activating a muting control associated with the plurality of participant users displayed on the host user interface, wherein activating the muting control associated with the plurality of participant users blocks speech of each of the plurality of participant users from being transmitted.

6. A method according to claim 4, further comprising enabling blocking the speech from the participant user associated with the muting control at a server in the communications network.

7. A method according to claim 4, further comprising enabling blocking the speech from the participant user associated with the muting control at client software associated with said blocked participant user.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising activating a removal control associated with a participant user displayed on the host user interface, wherein activating the removal control button associated with the participant user removes said participant user associated with the removal control button from the voice conference.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein initiating a voice conference further comprises enabling display of details associated with the voice conference to the plurality of users.

10. A user terminal device having one or more processors configured to provide voice conferencing over a communications network, comprising:

a client executed at the user terminal device for joining a user associated with the user terminal device to a voice conference, the client further configured to;

display a user interface on the user terminal device, the user interface comprising a request control for requesting to speak in the voice conference;

transmit a request message to a user terminal device associated with a host user while joined on the voice conference in response to the activation of the request control, wherein the request control is not present on the user interface when the user terminal has permission to speak in the voice conference;

display a single common list of users in the voice conference;

receive from the user terminal device associated with the host user one or more notifications indicating which one or more users in the voice conference are selected to speak and which one or more users in the voice conference are requesting to speak;

responsive to receiving the one or more notifications, moving the one or more users selected to speak in the voice conference and the one or more users requesting to speak in the voice conference from their respective locations in the single common list to top locations in the single common list; and

responsive to determining the user associated with the user terminal device is blocked from speaking in the voice conference, block transmission of speech associated with the user at the user terminal device.

11. A user terminal device having one or more computer processors configured to provide voice conferencing over a communications network, comprising:

a client executed at the user terminal device for joining a user of the user terminal device to a voice conference, the client further configured to;

display a user interface on the user terminal device comprising an indication that at least one user in the voice conference is requesting to speak in the voice conference while joined on the voice conference, the user interface further comprising a plurality of selection controls, each selection control singularly corresponding to a user of the plurality of users, the plurality of selection controls configured to enable selecting multiple users requesting to speak in the voice conference, the speech of said multiple selected users being transmitted to all of the users in the voice conference over the communications network in response to the activation of said selection controls;

display a single common list of users in the voice conference;

move said multiple selected users that have been selected via the user terminal device to speak in the voice conference and users requesting to speak in the voice conference from their respective locations in the single common list to top locations of the single common list;

enable display of the single common list of users in the voice conference at each user terminal device associated with the voice conference; and

notify each user terminal device of said multiple selected users and said requesting users effective to move said multiple selected users and said requesting users to at least one top location of each respective single common list at each user terminal device.

15. A user terminal device according to claim 11, wherein the user terminal device is further configured to block transmission of speech associated with users that have not been selected to speak to all of the users in the voice conference over the communications network.

16. A user terminal according to claim 11, wherein the single common list of users in the voice conference indicates which of the plurality of users has been selected via the user terminal device to speak in the voice conference.

17. A user terminal according to claim 11, wherein the user interface further comprises a muting control associated with a user in the voice conference, and wherein the user terminal device is further configured to enable blocking the speech of the associated user in response to activation of said muting control.

18. A user terminal device according to claim 17, wherein the user terminal device is further configured to enable blocking the speech of said blocked user at a server in the communications network.

19. A user terminal device according to claim 17, wherein the user terminal device is further configured to enable blocking the speech of said blocked user via a client associated with said blocked user.

20. A user terminal device according to claim 11, wherein the user interface further comprises a removal control associated with a user in the voice conference, and wherein the user terminal device is further configured to enable removal of the associated user from the voice conference in response to activation of the removal control.

21. A user terminal device according to claim 11, wherein the user interface further comprises a muting control associated with multiple users in the voice conference, and wherein the user terminal device is further configured to enable blocking transmission speech associated with each of the multiple users in response to the activation of said muting control.

12. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage device having computer readable code embodied therewith which when executed by one or more computer processors causes the one or more processors to provide voice conferencing between a plurality of users over a communications network, the plurality of users comprising a host user and a plurality of participant users by:

initiating, using a host terminal device configured to connect to said communications network and associated with the host user, a voice conference;

enabling, using the host terminal device, the plurality of users to join the voice conference via client software configured to execute at each respective user terminal device, and further enabling display of a participant user interface at each of the plurality of participant users'"'"' associated display responsive to joining the voice conference and display of a host user interface at the host user terminal device;

displaying, using the host terminal device, an indication on the host user interface of at least one request message from at least one of the plurality of participant users, each request message being associated with a participant user of the plurality of participant users and configured to indicate a request from the participant user to speak in the voice conference;

activating, using the host terminal device, at least one selection control from a plurality of selection controls displayed on the host interface, each selection control associated with a different participant user from the plurality of participant users, wherein activation of each selection control enables transmission of speech associated with said selected participant user to all of the plurality of users over the communications network;

enabling, using the host terminal device, display of a single common list of the plurality of users in the voice conference at each participant user interface and the host user interface;

moving each said selected participant user and each said requesting participant user from their respective locations in the single common list on the host user interface to at least one top location of the single common list on the host user interface; and

notifying each participant user interface of each said selected participant user and each said requesting participant user effective to move each said selected participant user and each said requesting participant from their respective locations in the single common list at each participant user interface to at least one top location of the single common list at each participant user interface.

13. A method of providing voice conferencing between a plurality of users over a communications network, the plurality of users comprising a host user and a plurality of participant users, the method comprising:

joining, using a user terminal device associated with a participant user of the plurality of participant users and configured to connect to the communications network, a voice conference, wherein on joining the voice conference, the user terminal device displays a participant user interface;

activating, using the user terminal device, a request control on the participant user interface while joined on the voice conference;

responsive to activation of the request control, transmitting, using the user terminal device associated with the participant user, a request message via said communication network to a user terminal device associated with the host user, the request message configure to indicate a request to speak in the voice conference;

responsive to receiving control to speak in the voice conference, removing the request control from the participant user interface;

displaying at the participant user interface, using the user terminal device associated with the participant user, a single common list of the plurality of users in the voice conference;

receiving, from the user terminal device associated with the host user, at least one notification of each participant user of the plurality of participant users that have been selected to speak in the voice conference and each participant user of the plurality of participant users who have requested to speak in the voice conference;

responsive to receiving the at least one notification, moving each participant user that has been selected to speak in the voice conference and each participant user who has requested to speak in the voice conference to at least one top location of the single common list; and

blocking, using the user terminal device associated with the participant user, speech associated with the participant user responsive to the participant user being blocked from speaking in the voice conference.

14. A system for providing voice conferencing between a plurality of user terminals over a communications network, the plurality of user terminals comprising a host user terminal and a plurality of participant user terminals, the system comprising:

means to enable a participant user terminal of the plurality of user terminals to join to a voice conference;

means to enable display of a participant user interface on the participant user terminal, the participant user interface comprising a request control for requesting to speak in the voice conference;

means to transmit a request message to the host user terminal while joined on the voice conference in response to the activation of the request control;

means to enable display of a single common list of the users of the plurality of user terminals in the voice conference on the participant user interface and a host user interface associated with the host user terminal;

means to receive at least one notification from the host user terminal indicating which users of the plurality of users terminals have been selected to speak in the voice conference and which users of the plurality of user terminals have requested to speak;

means to move said users selected to speak in the voice conference and said requesting users to at least one top location of the single common list; and

means to display, for each said requesting user, an icon configured to indicate a transmitted request to speak.