Real-time media control for audio and multimedia conferencing services

• US 9,838,443 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2017
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bond, Gregory William, Cheung, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Asanbayev, Oleg
• Application Number:
  US15/439,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20170163697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 286 Days
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/08 specially adapted for optional reception of entertainment or informative matter
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/305 Recording playback features, e.g. increased speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• 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

A method for controlling media presentation during a teleconference. The method generally includes the steps of coupling a buffer operatively to a host device and a participant device, storing media information associated with the teleconference in the buffer and directing playback of the media information from the buffer to the participant device. The host device is associated with a host of the teleconference and the host thereby enables playback of the stored media information to a participant other than the host.

Claims

1. A method of providing media information during a communication conference comprising:

originating, by a host device the communication conference between a plurality of participant devices;

storing media information associated with the communication confrence in a buffer, the buffer operativly coupled to the host device and the plurality of participant devices, wherein the media information comprises audio information;

directing playback of the audio information by the host device originating the conference from the buffer to a first participant device, the host device controlling the playback without interaction and without a command from the first participant device, the directing comprising accessing an interactive display associated with the host device to direct the playback of the audio information, wherein the playback starts at a playback point selected by the host device;

selecting at least one of the plurality of participant devices from the interactive display;

controlling the playback of the audio information in the stored media information to the selected participant device;

mixing contemporaneous audio comments made by a second participant during playback of the audio information with the playback of the audio information forming a continuous stream of media information associated with the communication conference;

transmitting the continuous stream of media information to the first participant device;

providing the first participant device with an indication of whether the audio information in the stored media information is transmitted to the first participant device; and

excluding contemporaneous audio information originating from the first participant device during transmission of the continuous stream of media information from inclusion in the continuous stream of media information transmitted to the first participant device.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media information comprises at least one of, video information, whiteboard information.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first participant device is a telephone.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first participant device is a computer.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the host device is a computer.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

selecting at least one of the plurality of participant devices from the interactive display; and

controlling the playback of the audio information in the stored media information to the selected participant device.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising suppressing media originating from the first participant device to which the stored audio information is played.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising providing markers by the host device in the stored media information that reference a portion of the stored media information.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processing device perform operations comprising:

origninating, by a host device a communication confrence between a plurality of participant devices;

storing media information associated with the communication conference in a buffer, the buffer operatively coupled to the host device and the plurality of participant devices, wherein the media information comprises audio information;

directing playback of the audio information by the host device originating the conference from the buffer to a first participant device, the host device controlling the playback without interaction and without a command from the first participant device, the directing comprising accessing an interactive display associated with the host device to direct the playback of the audio information, wherein the playback starts at a playback point selected by the host device;

selecting at least one of the plurality of participant devices from the interactive display;

controlling the playback of the audio information in the stored media information to the selected participant device;

mixing contemporaneous audio comments made by a second participant during playback of the audio information with the playback of the audio information forming a continuous stream of media information associated with the communication conference;

transmitting the continuous stream of media information to the first participant device;

providing the first participant device with an indication of whether the audio information in the stored media information is transmitted to the first participant device; and

excluding contemporaneous audio information originating from the first participant device during transmission of the continuous stream of media information from inclusion in the continuous stream of media information transmitted to the first participant device.

10. A system that provides media information during a communication conference comprising:

a buffer storing media information received from the communication conference initiated by a host device between a plurality of participant devices, the buffer associated with the communication conference, wherein the media information comprises audio information;

the plurality of participant devices operatively coupled to the buffer;

an interactive display associated with the host device, the interactive display directing the playback of the audio information, the host device selecting a first participant device of the plurality of participant devices from the interactive display, the host device controlling the playback of the audio information to the first participant device;

the host device operatively coupled to the buffer, the host device initiating the communication conference and directing playback of audio information from the buffer to the first participant device, the host device controlling the playback of the audio information in the stored media information to the first participant without interaction and without a command from the first participant device, wherein the playback starts at a playback point selectid by the host device; and

a conference bridge mixing contemporaneous audio comments made by a second participant during playback of the audio information with playback of the audio information forming a continuous stream of media information associated with the conference, the continuous stream of media information transmitted contemporaneously to the first participant device, providing the first participant device with an indication of whether the audio information in the stored media information is transmitted to the first participant device, the conference bridge excluding contemporaneous audio information oriainating from the first participant device during transmission of the continuous stream of media information from inclusion in the continuous stream of media information transmitted to the first participant device.

11. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the conference bridge receives media information from the at least one of the plurality of participant devices and the host device, the conference bridge transferring the received media information to the buffer.

12. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the first participant device is a telephone.

13. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the host device is a computer.

14. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the media information comprises at least one of video information, whiteboard information.