Conference annotation system

• US 8,289,366 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2009
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Greenwood, Thomas, Strickland, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US12/543,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20110043597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/14.02, 348 1408- 1415, 370/259, 370/260, 709/204
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system and method for annotating a media stream from a live voice conversation, such as a conference call.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

recording, by a processor, a media stream, the media stream being part of a live voice call between at least first and second participants;

during the recording step, receiving, by the processor and from the first participant, an annotation, the annotation being associated with a timestamp, the timestamp being indexed to a particular location in the recorded media stream;

recording, by the processor, the annotation in association with the timestamp; and

playing back the annotation associated with the timestamp at the particular location, when the recording is automatically paused.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media stream is at least one of audio and video, wherein the annotation is at least one of text, audio, and video, wherein the processor is a part of a conference application server, the conference application server mixing media streams from different participants, and wherein the annotation is a bookmark.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotation is an audio or video annotation and the receiving step comprises:

receiving, by an input and from the first participant, a selection of an annotation logic; and

in response, muting, automatically by a processor, at least part of the media stream originating with the first participant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the media stream is part of a live call, wherein the recording and receiving steps are performed while the live call is in progress, and wherein the annotation is at least one of a slide transition in a slide presentation and text and wherein the annotation comprises an attached document.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording the annotation in association with the time stamp step comprises:

terminating the recording function after a preselected time period.

6. A non-transient computer readable medium encoded with processor executable instructions to perform the steps of claim 1.

7. A device, comprising:

a processor operable to;

record a media stream, the media stream being part of a live voice call between at least first and second participants;

during the recording operation, receive, from the first participant, an annotation, the annotation being associated with a timestamp, the timestamp being indexed to a particular location in the recorded media stream;

record the annotation in association with the timestamp; and

playback the annotation associated with the timestamp at the particular location when the recording is automatically paused.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the media stream is at least one of audio and video, wherein the annotation is at least one of text, audio and video, wherein the processor is a part of a conference application server, the conference application server mixing media streams from different participants, wherein the at least first and second participants comprises a third participant, and wherein the annotation is a bookmark.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the annotation is an audio or video annotation and the receiving operation comprises:

receive, by an input and from the first participant, a selection of an annotation logic; and

in response, mute, automatically, at least part of the media stream originating with the first participant.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the annotation is at least one of a slide transition in a slide presentation and text and wherein the annotation comprises an attached document.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the media stream is part of a live call, wherein the recording and receiving steps are performed while the live call is in progress, and wherein recording the annotation in association with the time stamp comprises:

terminate the recording function after a preselected time period.

12. A method, comprising:

providing, by a non-transient computer readable medium, an annotated media stream, the annotated media stream comprising media from a live voice call and a plurality of timestamps indexed to a plurality of locations in the media stream, wherein the plurality of timestamps comprise a selected timestamp, wherein an annotation is associated with the selected timestamp; and

performing, by a computer, the following steps;

in response to receiving, by an input and from a first user, a selection of the annotation, providing, to the first user, selectively a portion of the media stream associated with the selected timestamp; and

during playback, to the first user, of the annotated media stream, pausing automatically playback of the annotated media stream and providing to the first user, while playback is paused, the selected annotation.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the annotation is a bookmark.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the media stream is at least one of audio and video, wherein the live voice call is a conference call, wherein the annotation is at least one of text, audio and video, and wherein the computer is a part of a conference application server, the conference application server mixing media streams from different participants.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the annotation is at least one of a slide transition in a slide presentation and text and wherein the annotation comprises an attached document.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the media stream comprises a slide presentation, wherein the annotation marks a transition between slides in the slide presentation, and wherein, during playback, the selected annotation causes the computer to transition, automatically, to a new slide.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein a plurality of annotations correspond to the plurality of timestamps and further comprising:

presenting, by the computer and to the first user, the annotated media stream, wherein the presentation is done by a listing of the plurality of annotations and a respective timestamp of each annotation.

18. A non-transient computer readable medium encoded with processor executable instructions to perform the steps of claim 12.