Electronic device and generating conference call participants identifications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11178359-B2
Application number	US-201716651292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2017
Priority date	Sep 26, 2017
Publication date	Nov 16, 2021
Grant date	Nov 16, 2021

Abstract

An example electronic device for conducting conference calls includes a memory to store a user profile including first identifying information of a first participant in a conference call. A receiver receives second identifying information of the first participant from a transmitting device associated with the first participant. The first identifying information and the second identifying information form an identifier for the first participant. An audio encoder receives an audio signal. A processor, in response to determining which transmitting device is nearest to a source of the audio signal relative to other transmitting devices, identifies the first participant as a source of the audio signal, and combines the identifier for the first participant with the audio signal generated by the first participant. A router forwards the combined identifier and audio of the first participant to a receiving device of a second participant in the conference call.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a memory to store a user profile comprising first identifying information of a first participant in a conference call;
a receiver to receive second identifying information of the first participant from a transmitting device associated with the first participant, wherein the first identifying information and the second identifying information each comprise non-audio data and without containing audio or voice data, and wherein the receiver is to receive the second identifying information automatically when the transmitting device is within signal reception range of the receiver;
an audio encoder to receive an audio signal generated by the first participant during the conference call;
a processor to:
in response to determining which transmitting device is nearest in proximity to a source of the audio signal relative to other transmitting devices, identify the first participant as a source of the audio signal;
link the first identifying information and the second identifying information to form an identifier for the first participant; and
combine the identifier for the first participant with the audio signal generated by the first participant;

a router to forward the combined identifier and audio signal of the first participant to a receiving device of a second participant in the conference call, wherein the combined identifier and audio signal provide an identification of the first participant.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is to authenticate the first participant in the conference call upon matching the first identifying information with the second identifying information.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the identifier comprises an avatar.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the audio encoder is to receive the audio signal from at least one directional microphone capturing audio from the first participant.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second identifying information comprises location information about the first participant.

6. An electronic device comprising:
an audio module to receive an audio signal generated by the first participant during a conference call and identified by a host device as originating from a participant of the conference call, wherein identification of the audio signal being originated from the participant comprises matching a pre-programmed user profile that contains non audio data of the participant with identifying information transmitted by a transmitting device that is nearest in proximity to the participant, wherein the data of the participant and the identifying information comprise non-audio data and without containing audio or voice data, wherein the audio module is to receive the identifying information automatically when the transmitting device is within signal reception range of the audio module, and wherein the identifying information is linked to the user profile to create a participant identifier that provides an identification of the participant;
a screen to display the participant identifier; and
a speaker to output the audio signal contemporaneous with the participant identifier being displayed on the screen.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , comprising a processor to link to a computerized calendar system, wherein the participant is authenticated based on a preset selection of the participant by the computerized calendar system.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the participant identifier comprises an avatar.

9. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the screen is to display an avatar associated with the host device.

10. A machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed cause a processor of an electronic device to:
generate an identifier corresponding to a user profile comprising a first identification code and data comprising non-audio data and without containing audio or voice data;
receive a second identification code from a transmitting device at a local conference call location, wherein the second identification code comprises location information of the transmitting device, wherein the location information comprises non-audio data and without containing audio or voice data, and wherein the second identifying code is automatically received from the transmitting device when the transmitting device is within signal reception range of the electronic device;
authenticate a first participant in a conference call setting upon matching the first identification code with the second identification code;
receive audio signals from the first participant and generated by the first participant during the conference call setting;
link the audio signals to the identifier; and
transmit the identifier and linked audio signals through a communications network to a remote conference call location,
wherein identification of the first participant is transmitted by the electronic device to remotely-located participants through the identifier.

11. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the processor is to:
receive multiple audio signals from multiple participants located locally to the first participant;
decipher among audio signals emanating from the multiple participants; and
link the deciphered audio signals to a corresponding identifier.

12. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the processor is to link the audio signals to the identifier by attributing audio signals to the first participant based on a proximity of the transmitting device to a source of the audio signals.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the processor is to utilize voice recognition software instructions to link the audio signals to the identifier.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the identifier comprises an avatar.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the processor is to generate an avatar associated with the electronic device.

16. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first identifying information comprises a name, title, work location, work group, contact details, identification number, picture of the first participant, or a combination thereof.

17. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second identifying information comprises a name, title, work location, work group, contact details, identification number, picture of the first participant, or a combination thereof.

18. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the identifying information comprises a name, title, work location, work group, contact details, identification number, picture of the participant, or a combination thereof.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the first identification code comprises a name, title, work location, work group, contact details, identification number, picture of the first participant, or a combination thereof.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the second identification code comprises a name, title, work location, work group, contact details, identification number, picture of the first participant, or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Graham Christoph
• So Chi

Classifications

• H04M2203/5081

  Inform conference party of participants, e.g. of change of participants · CPC title

• H04L67/306

  User profiles · CPC title

• H04M2203/1025

  of avatars · CPC title

• H04M2201/41

  using speaker recognition · CPC title

• H04L12/1831

  Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status · CPC title