System and method for digital audio conference workflow management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016134668-A1
Application number	US-201414904088-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2014
Priority date	Jul 11, 2013
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one embodiment, a computer-program product embodied in a non-transitory computer read-able medium that is programmed to manage a digital audio conference including a plurality of conference units and each conference unit including a microphone is provided. The computer-program product includes instructions to receive first information corresponding to a layout of a venue that facilitates an audio conference for users of the plurality of conference units. The computer-program product further includes instructions to store second information corresponding to an arrangement of a plurality of seats in the venue and to associate a first conference unit of the plurality of conference units to a first seat of the plurality of seats.

First claim

1 . A computer-program product embodied in a non-transitory computer read-able medium that is programmed to manage a digital audio conference including a plurality of conference units and each conference unit including a microphone, the computer-program product comprising instructions to:
receive first information corresponding to a layout of a venue that facilitates an audio conference for users of the plurality of conference units; store second information corresponding to an arrangement of a plurality of seats in the venue, and associate a first conference unit of the plurality of conference units to a first seat of the plurality of seats.

2 . The computer-program product of claim 1 further comprising instructions to transmit third information corresponding to a topic for discussion in the audio conference to the plurality of conference units and further corresponding to a duration of the topic in the audio conference.

3 . The computer-program product of claim 1 further comprising instructions to create a listing of the users and to pre-assign each user to a corresponding conference unit.

4 . The computer-program product of claim 3 further comprising instructions to assign at least one of a voting option for one or more of the users and a speaking privilege for the one or more of the users, wherein the voting option enables a first user to vote on a topic at the audio conference at first conference unit and prevents a second user from voting on the topic at the audio conference at a second conference unit.

5 . The computer-program product of claim 3 further comprising instructions to assign microphone allocation priorities for each of the users, wherein the microphone allocation enables a first user the ability to speak at the microphone of a first conference unit and prevents a second user the ability to speak at the microphone of a second conference unit if the second user is attempting to speak at the microphone at a same time the first user is attempting to speak at the microphone.

6 . The computer-program product of claim 1 further comprising instructions to test the microphone for the plurality of conference units in the audio conference.

7 . The computer-program product of claim 6 further comprising instructions to transmit a command to each of the plurality of conference units to disable the microphone for each of the plurality of conference units.

8 . The computer-program product of claim 7 further comprising instructions to control one or more first speakers within the venue to transmit a first audio signal after transmitting the command to each of the plurality of conference units to disable the microphone.

9 . The computer-program product of claim 8 further comprising instructions to control a corresponding conference unit of the plurality of conference units to activate the microphone after controlling the one or more first speakers to transmit the first audio signal.

10 . The computer-program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions to receive a sampled audio signal of the first audio signal from the corresponding conference unit after controlling the corresponding conference unit to activate the microphone.

11 . The computer-program product of claim 10 further comprising instructions to compare a tone on the sampled audio signal to a portion of the first audio signal to determine if the microphone for the corresponding conference unit is operating properly.

12 . The computer-program product of claim 11 further comprising instructions to determine that the microphone for the corresponding conference unit is not properly working if the tone of the sampled audio signal is not the same as the portion of the first audio signal.

13 . The computer-program product of claim 12 further comprising instructions to determine that the microphone for the corresponding conference unit is properly working if the tone of the sampled audio signal is similar to the portion of the first audio signal.

14 . A method for managing a digital audio conference including a plurality of conference units and each conference unit including a microphone, the method comprising:
electronically receiving first information corresponding to a layout of a venue that facilitates an audio conference for users of the plurality of conference units; electronically storing second information corresponding to an arrangement of a plurality of seats in the venue, and electronically associating a first conference unit of the plurality of conference units to a first seat of the plurality of seats.

15 . The method of claim 14 further comprising transmitting third information corresponding to a topic for discussion in the audio conference to the plurality of conference units and further corresponding to a duration of the topic in the audio conference.

16 . The method of claim 14 further comprising creating a listing of the users and to pre-assign each user to a corresponding conference unit.

17 . The method of claim 16 further comprising assigning at least one of a voting option for one or more of the users and a speaking privilege for the one or more of the users, wherein the voting option enables a first user to vote on a topic at the audio conference at first conference unit and prevents a second user from voting on the topic at the audio conference at a second conference unit.

18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising assigning microphone allocation priorities for each of the users, wherein the microphone allocation enables a first user the ability to speak at the microphone of a first conference unit and prevents a second user the ability to speak at the microphone of a second conference unit if the second user is attempting to speak at the microphone at a same time the first user is attempting to speak at the microphone.

19 . The method of claim 14 further comprising testing the microphone for the plurality of conference units in the audio conference.

20 . An apparatus for use in a digital audio conference, the apparatus comprising:
a conference unit including a microphone that is operably coupled to a conference controller that manages the audio conference; the conference unit being programmed to:
receive a first command from the conference controller to enable the microphone to receive a first audio signal from at least one first speaker in a venue for the audio conference;
transmit a sampled audio signal of the first audio signal to the conference controller to determine if the microphone for the conference unit is operating properly; and
receive a second command from the conference controller to disable the microphone if the sampled audio signal is not similar to the first audio signal.

Assignees

• Harman Int Ind

Inventors

• Shetty Rudresha T
• Ghagarvale Raghunandan

Classifications

• H04M3/568

  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 title

• H04M3/42144

  by service provider · CPC title

• H04M3/56 Primary

  Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities (video conference systems H04N7/15) · CPC title

• H04L65/403 Primary

  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 title

• H04M3/566

  relating to a participants right to speak (arrangements for multi-party communication with floor control, e.g. for conferences, H04L65/4038, H04L65/4046, H04L65/4053) · CPC title