Conference call systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9307089-B2
Application number	US-201414470739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2014
Priority date	Aug 27, 2014
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A conference call may be implemented between multiple user devices via a conference call server. A user may use a graphical interface of the user device to communicate with the conference call server and control the conference call in various ways. For instance, the user may add a user device to the conference call, drop a user device from the conference call, organize the user devices into conference call groups, record one or more user devices within the conference call, prevent a user device from hearing the audio input of another user device, filter out background noise from the conference call, and receive a call from outside the conference call without having to leave the conference call.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
creating, by a conference call server, a conference call comprising at least three user devices, the at least three user devices being capable of participating in the conference call by providing audio inputs to the conference call server;
creating, by the conference call server, a first conference call group and a second conference call group within the conference call, the first conference call group and the second conference call group each comprising a logical grouping of users that can participate in the conference call, the first conference call group comprising at least two of the at least three user devices and the second conference call group comprising at least one of the at least three user devices;
implementing, by the conference call server, privacy control within the conference call by preventing at least one audio input corresponding to the first conference call group from being accessible to the second conference call group; and
providing, by the conference call server, the at least three user devices graphical information comprising the first conference call group comprising the at least two of the at least three user devices, the second conference call group comprising the at least one of the at least three user devices, and the implemented privacy control within the conference call;
receiving a filter noise command from one of the at least three user devices, the filter noise command comprising identification information corresponding to a user device of the at least three user devices and an instruction to filter out background noise for the user device of the at least three user devices;
identifying the user device of the at least three user devices based on the identification information of the filter noise command; and
filtering out background noise from an audio input of the identified user device within the conference call.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein filtering out background noise from the audio input of the identified user device comprises:
identifying a voice of a user of the identified user device based on the audio input of the identified user device; and
removing audio information from the audio input that does not correspond to the voice of the user of the identified user device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein creating the conference call comprises:
receiving a create conference command from one of the at least three user devices;
designating the one of the at least three user devices as a host for the conference call; and
granting the one of the at least three user devices at least one authorization regarding the conference call, the at least one authorization comprising at least one of an authorization to add user devices to the conference call, an authorization to drop user devices from the conference call, an ability to implement at least one privacy control for the conference call, an authorization to filter out background noise from the conference call, an authorization to record user devices within the conference call, and an authorization to receive an outside call without leaving the conference call.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an add command to add a user device from one of the at least three user devices to the conference call;
adding the user device to the conference call in accordance with the add command; and
granting the user device at least one authorization regarding the conference call, the at least one authorization comprising at least one of an authorization to add user devices to the conference call, an authorization to drop user devices from the conference call, an ability to implement at least one privacy control for the conference call, an authorization to filter out background noise from the conference call, an authorization to record user devices within the conference call, and an authorization to receive an outside call without leaving the conference call.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a drop command to drop a user device from one of the at least three user devices from the conference call; and
removing the user device from the conference call in accordance with the drop command.

6. A method, comprising:
creating, by a conference call server, a conference call comprising at least three user devices, the at least three user devices being capable of participating in the conference call by providing audio inputs to the conference call server;
creating, by the conference call server, a first conference call group and a second conference call group within the conference call, the first conference call group and the second conference call group each comprising a logical grouping of users that can participate in the conference call, the first conference call group comprising at least two of the at least three user devices and the second conference call group comprising at least one of the at least three user devices;
implementing, by the conference call server, privacy control within the conference call by preventing at least one audio input corresponding to the first conference call group from being accessible to the second conference call group;
providing, by the conference call server, the at least three user devices graphical information comprising the first conference call group comprising the at least two of the at least three user devices, the second conference call group comprising the at least one of the at least three user devices, and the implemented privacy control within the conference call;
receiving a record command from a user device of the at least three user devices, the record command comprising identification information corresponding to the user device of the at least three user devices and an instruction to record an audio input of the user device of the at least three user devices;
identifying a user device within the conference call based on the identification information of the record command; and
recording the audio input of the identified user device.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the creating of the conference call comprises:
receiving a create conference command from one of the at least three user devices;
designating the one of the at least three user devices as a host for the conference call; and
granting the one of the at least three user devices at least one authorization regarding the conference call, the at least one authorization comprising at least one of an authorization to add user devices to the conference call, an authorization to drop user devices from the conference call, an ability to implement at least one privacy control for the conference call, an authorization to filter out background noise from the conference call, an authorization to record user devices within the conference call, and an authorization to receive an outside call without leaving the conference call.

8. A method, comprising:
creating, by a conference call server, a conference call comprising at least three user devices, the at least three user devices being capable of participating in the conference call by providing audio inputs to the conference call server;
creating, by the conference call server, a first conference call group and a second conference call group within the conference call, the first conference call group and the second conference call group each comprising a logical grouping of users that can participate in the conference call, the first conference call group comprising at least two of the at least three user devices and the second conference call group comprising at least one of the at least three user devices;
implementing, by the conference call server, privacy control within the conference call by preven

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Nasir Azim
• Turner Andre R
• Wang Dongchen
• Xiao Hong

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

• H04M3/56 Primary

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

• H04M3/563 Primary

  User guidance or feature selection · CPC title

• H04M2201/42

  Graphical user interfaces · CPC title

• H04M2203/254

  where the visual mode comprises menus · CPC title