UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20160036962A1
• Filed: 04/04/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James S. Rand
• Original Assignee: James S. Rand
• Inventors: Rand, James S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,462,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/78 Detection of presence or absence of voice signals switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/85 which are mobile communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/656 for recording conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/009 Signal processing in [PA] systems to enhance the speech intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers for hearing aids H04R25/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 : Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 : Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 : for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 : Maintenance of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A unified communications system enables a user to simultaneously manage real time voice communication with background audio streams such as a music. In one embodiment, the system comprises a plurality of devices connected through a persistent voice over IP channel, where each device is playing background audio independently, and each device is operatively coupled to a microphone. When a connected user speaks, Voice Activity Detection results in the automatic adjustment of background audio on other connected devices, the adjustments based upon user-input settings on each device.

Claims

1-52. -52. (canceled)

53. A system comprising:

a first device and a second device,

each device being operatively coupled to a microphone,

each device having access to a set of instructions in code,

the code containing instructions for executing voice communication between the devices over a network,

the code containing instructions wherein the audio signals admitted through the microphones are continuously monitored wherein the signals are, on a continuous basis, identified as either human voice, or not,

the code containing instructions for playing background audio from a source other than the device'"'"'s microphone,

the code containing instructions for communicating to a second device, the ongoing presence of voice, or lack thereof, on the first device, and

the code containing instructions to automatically adjust background audio on the second device when human voice on the first device is detected.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the automatic background audio adjustment is related to ducking the volume of background audio.

55. The system of claim 53, wherein the basis for detecting the presence of human voice is a threshold-based Voice Activity Detection.

56. The system of claim 53, wherein the basis for detecting the presence of human voice is Speech Recognition.

57. The system of claim 53, wherein the human voice detection code is executed on the first device.

58. The system of claim 53, wherein the network is a peer to peer based network.

59. The system of claim 53, wherein the code is further configured to selectively duck background audio signals within a specific frequency band.

60. The system of claim 53, wherein the first device contains a display screen.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object that controls the ducked volume of background audio when voice is detected on the second device during duplex communication.

62. The system of claim 60, wherein the code is further configured to display the following set of user interface objects on a single screen:

a friends list;

a Push-To-Talk (PTT) button; and

a Two-Way (Duplex) Voice Calling Button.

63. The system of claim 60, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object having a single volume slider capable of controlling a proportionate volume relationship between a voice audio signal and one other audio signal.

64. The system of claim 60, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object comprising a set of volume sliders wherein at least one slider controls voice, and a second volume slider controls another audio input, and wherein the user interface object includes a control, on a volume slider, or otherwise, for setting a ducked level of music, the ducked level related to the detection of human voice activity on the other device.

67. The system of claim 60, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object comprising a Media Player.

68. The system of claim 67, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object comprising a Connect Screen.

69. The system of claim 68, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object comprising buttons capable of toggling back and forth between the Media Player and the Connect Screen.

70. The system of claim 60, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface element to mute and unmute a persistent connection with another communication device.

71. The system of claim 60, wherein the code is further configured to display the following set of user interface objects:

a friends list;

a button allowing users to share music with friends.

72. The system of claim 60, wherein the code is further configured to display the following set of user interface objects:

a friends list;

a button allowing users to share media with friends.

73. The system of claim 53, wherein the code is further configured to execute an Offline Mode.

74. The system of claim 53, wherein the background audio is delivered via FM transmission.

65. A method comprising:

at a first device with a display,

displaying a user interface object having a control for controlling a ducked level of background audio;

detecting a first input;

recording the input as a setting that controls the ducked level of background audio;

ducking the background audio to the ducked level in response to receiving a positive voice signal from a second device;

at the second device with a display,

detecting the presence of human voice on the second device by means of a threshold-based Voice Activity Detection;

recording the input as a positive voice signal;

transmitting the positive voice signal from the second device to the first device.

66. A method comprising:

at a first device with a display,

displaying a user interface object having a control for controlling a ducked level of background audio;

detecting a first input;

recording the input as a setting that controls the ducked level of background audio; and

ducking the background audio to the ducked level in response to receiving a positive voice signal from a second device;

at the second device with a display,

detecting the presence of human voice on the second device by means of Speech Recognition;

recording the input as a positive voice signal; and

transmitting the positive voice signal from the second device to the first device.