Speakerphone and conference bridge which receive and provide participant monitoring information

• US 20050213733A1
• Filed: 03/15/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Rodman, Jeffrey, Drell, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,102,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5036 using conference for collection of feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/00 Selecting arrangements for multiplex systems multiplex systems H04J
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1309 Apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1324 Conference call
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/24 Conference circuit

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and devices for improved audio, video, and data conferencing. The present invention provides a conferencing system comprising a plurality of endpoints communicating data including audio data and control data according to a communication protocol. A local conference endpoint may control or be controlled by a remote conference endpoint. Data comprising control signals may be exchanged between the local endpoint and remote endpoint via various communication protocols. In other embodiments, the present invention provides for improved bridge architecture for controlling functions of conference endpoints including controlling functions of the bridge.

Claims

1. A speakerphone for communicating with one or more endpoints in a conference call via a conference bridge, the speakerphone comprising:

an audio processing unit;

a control module communicably coupled to the audio processing unit; and

a network interface communicably coupled to the control module;

wherein the control module is operable to receive control data in combination with audio data from the conference bridge; and

wherein the control data comprises information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call.

2. The speakerphone of claim 1, wherein the control module is operable to send control data in combination with audio data to the conference bridge.

3. The speakerphone of claim 1, wherein the control data is sent to the speakerphone in response to a request from the speakerphone.

4. The speakerphone of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call comprises the current total number of endpoints participating in the conference call.

5. The speakerphone of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call comprises information for identifying each of the endpoints currently participating in the conference call.

6. The speakerphone of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call comprises information for identifying a geographic location of each of the endpoints currently participating in the conference call.

7. The speakerphone of claim 1, wherein the control data comprising the information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call is periodically sent to the speakerphone.

8. The speakerphone of claim 1, wherein the control data comprising the information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call is sent to the speakerphone upon each endpoint'"'"'s joining the conference call.

9. The speakerphone of claim 1, wherein the control data comprising the information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call is sent to the speakerphone upon each endpoint'"'"'s leaving the conference call.

10. The speakerphone of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call comprises information for identifying a joining endpoint that has recently joined the conference call.

11. The speakerphone of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call comprises information for identifying a leaving endpoint that has recently left the conference call.

12. The speakerphone of claim 1, wherein the network interface sends and receives data according to a protocol selected from the group consisting of IP, modem data, ISDN, and analog.

13. The speakerphone of claim 12, wherein the control data is embedded in the audio data and wherein the control data is substantially humanly inaudible.

14. The speakerphone of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more endpoints is selected from the group consisting of a computer with a microphone and speaker, an audio communication device combined with a separate control module, a second speakerphone, an IP phone, and a video conferencing unit.

15. A multipoint conferencing system comprising:

a speakerphone; and

a multipoint conference bridge;

a plurality of remote conference endpoints; and

a communication channel having a communication protocol coupling the plurality of remote conference endpoints and the speakerphone;

wherein the speakerphone comprises a control module operable to receive control data in combination with audio data from the bridge; and

wherein the control data comprises information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call.

16. The conferencing system of claim 15, wherein the communication protocol is selected from the group consisting of IP, modem data, ISDN, and analog.

17. The conferencing system of claim 16, wherein the control data is embedded in the audio data and wherein the control data is substantially humanly inaudible.

18. The conferencing system of claim 15, wherein each of the remote conference endpoints is selected from the group consisting of a computer with a microphone and speaker, an audio communication device combined with a separate control module, a second speakerphone, an IP phone, and a video conferencing unit.

19. A conference bridge for multipoint conferencing among a plurality of endpoints via one or more networks, the bridge comprising:

a network interface for sending and receiving audio data to and from the plurality of endpoints;

an audio unit coupled to the network interface for mixing audio data and transmitting the mixed audio data; and

a control unit coupled to the network interface for combining control data with audio data;

wherein the control data comprises information regarding the endpoints currently participating in a conference call; and

wherein the bridge sends the control data in combination with the audio data to one or more of the plurality of endpoints.

20. The bridge of claim 19, wherein the information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call is sent to the one or more of the plurality of endpoints in response to a request.

21. The bridge of claim 19, wherein the information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call comprises information for identifying each of the endpoints currently participating in the conference call.

22. The bridge of claim 19, wherein the information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call comprises information for identifying a geographic location of each of the endpoints currently participating in the conference call.

23. The bridge of claim 19, wherein the control data comprising information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call is periodically sent to the one or more of the plurality of endpoints.

24. The bridge of claim 19, wherein the control data comprising information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call is sent to the speakerphone upon each endpoint'"'"'s joining the conference call.

25. The bridge of claim 19, wherein the control data comprising information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call is sent to the speakerphone upon each endpoint'"'"'s leaving the conference call.

26. The bridge of claim 19, wherein the information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call comprises information for identifying a joining endpoint that has recently joined the conference call.

27. The bridge of claim 19, wherein the information regarding the endpoints currently participating in the conference call comprises information for identifying a leaving endpoint that has recently left the conference call.

28. The bridge of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of endpoints is selected from the group consisting of a computer with a microphone and speaker, an audio communication device combined with a separate control module, a speakerphone, an IP phone, and a video conferencing unit.

29. A method for monitoring a plurality of endpoints participating in a conference call, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a control signal in combination with an audio signal, wherein the control signal comprises information regarding the endpoints currently participating in a conference call; and

extracting the control signal from the audio signal.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the control signal is received according to a communication protocol selected from the group consisting of IP, modem data, ISDN, and analog.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the control signal is embedded in the audio signal and wherein the control signal is substantially humanly inaudible.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of receiving a control signal is provided periodically.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of receiving a control signal is provided in response to a request from the speakerphone.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of receiving a control signal is provided upon a joining endpoint'"'"'s joining the conference call.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of receiving a control signal is provided upon a leaving endpoint'"'"'s leaving the conference call.

36. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for monitoring a plurality of endpoints participating in a conference call by performing the steps of:

receiving a control signal in combination with an audio signal, wherein the control signal comprises a current total number of endpoints participating in a conference call; and

extracting the control signal from the audio signal.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the control signal is received according to a communication protocol selected from the group consisting of IP, modem data, ISDN, and analog.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the control signal is embedded in the audio signal and wherein the control signal is substantially humanly inaudible.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the step of receiving a control signal is provided periodically.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the step of receiving a control signal is provided in response to a request from the speakerphone.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the step of receiving a control signal is provided upon a joining endpoint'"'"'s joining the conference call.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the step of receiving a control signal is provided upon a leaving endpoint'"'"'s leaving the conference call.