System and method for comfort noise production

1. A method of triggering production of comfort noise during a telephone call over an IP network, the IP network including a transmitting computer for transmitting a voice signal generated by a telephone and a receiving computer for receiving the voice signal, the method comprising:

detecting a silent period in a voice signal at the transmitting computer wherein detecting a silent period in the voice signal at the transmitting computer includes detecting a drop in the voice signal amplitude below a predetermined threshold;

sending a triggering packet from the transmitting computer to the receiving computer;

receiving the triggering packet at the receiving computer; and

generating comfort noise at the receiving computer in response to receiving the triggering packet.

2. A method of triggering production of comfort noise during a telephone call over an IP network, the IP network including a transmitting computer for transmitting a voice signal generated by a telephone and a receiving computer for receiving the voice signal, the method comprising:

detecting a silent period in a voice signal at the transmitting computer;

sending a triggering packet from the transmitting computer to the receiving computer;

receiving the triggering packet at the receiving computer;

generating comfort noise at the receiving computer in response to receiving the triggering packet; and

waiting a first predetermined period of time after detecting a silent period before sending the triggering packet.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the triggering packet is withheld if a voice signal is detected during the first predetermined period of time.

4. A method of triggering production of comfort noise during a telephone call over an IP network, the IP network including a transmitting computer for transmitting a voice signal generated by a telephone and a receiving computer for receiving the voice signal, the method comprising:

detecting a silent period in a voice signal at the transmitting computer; sending a triggering packet from the transmitting computer to the receiving computer;

receiving the triggering packet at the receiving computer;

generating comfort noise at the receiving computer in response to receiving the triggering packet; and

wherein sending a triggering packet includes periodically sending a triggering packet until a voice signal is detected.

5. A method of triggering production of comfort noise during a telephone call over an IP network, the IP network including a transmitting computer for transmitting a voice signal generated by a telephone and a receiving computer for receiving the voice signal, the method comprising:

detecting a silent period in a voice signal at the transmitting computer;

sending a triggering packet from the transmitting computer to the receiving computer;

receiving the triggering packet at the receiving computer;

generating comfort noise at the receiving computer in response to receiving the triggering packet; and

wherein the comfort noise is generated for a second predetermined amount of time.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the generation of comfort noise is discontinued after the predetermined amount of time has passed unless another triggering packet is received during the predetermined amount of time.

7. A method of triggering production of comfort noise during a telephone call over an IP network, the IP network including a transmitting computer for transmitting a voice signal generated by a telephone and a receiving computer for receiving the voice signal, the method comprising:

detecting a silent period in a voice signal at the transmitting computer;

sending a triggering packet from the transmitting computer to the receiving computer;

receiving the triggering packet at the receiving computer;

generating comfort noise at the receiving computer in response to receiving the triggering packet; and

wherein comfort noise is generated continuously after receiving a triggering packet until a stop packet is received from the transmitting computer.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the stop packet is a packet containing voice data.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the stop packet is a token packet that precedes a voice signal packet.

10. A method of producing comfort noise during conversational pauses in the course of a telephone call over an IP network, the IP network including a transmitting computer for transmitting a voice signal generated by a telephone and a receiving computer for receiving the voice signal, the method comprising:

detecting a conversational pause at the transmitting computer;

stopping the transmission of voice data packets during the pause;

directing the receiving computer to produce comfort noise for a user of a telephone connected to the receiving computer; and

periodically sending a data packet to the receiving computer.

11. A method of causing the production of comfort noise during a telephone call over an IP network, the IP network including a transmitting computer that transmits voice data and a receiving computer that receives voice data, the method comprising:

detecting silence in the voice signal at the transmitting computer;

sending a triggering packet from the transmitting computer to the receiving computer to trigger the receiving computer to generate comfort noise for a first predetermined period of time;

waiting a second predetermined period of time; and

if no voice signal is detected by the transmitting computer during the second predetermined period of time, repeating the sending and waiting steps.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second predetermined period of time is longer than the first predetermined period of time.

13. An IP telephone system configured to transmit a voice signal produced at a telephone over an IP network, the IP telephone system comprising:

a transmitting computer configured to be connected to a first telephone and to the IP network; and

a receiving computer configured to be connected to a second telephone and to the IP network;

wherein the transmitting computer is configured to detect a pause in a voice signal from the first telephone and to transmit a triggering packet to the receiving computer upon detection of the pause; and

wherein the receiving computer is configured to receive the triggering packet and, upon receipt of the triggering packet, to generate a comfort noise for a listener on the second telephone.

14. The IP telephone system of claim 13 , wherein the transmitting computer is configured to periodically send a triggering packet to the receiving computer until a voice signal is detected.

15. The IP telephone system of claim 13 , wherein the receiving computer is configured to generate comfort noise for a predetermined generating period upon receipt of the triggering packet.

16. The IP telephone system of claim 13 , wherein the transmitting computer is configured to send a single triggering packet to the receiving computer upon detection of the pause.

17. The IP telephone system of claim 16 , wherein the receiving computer is configured to generate the comfort noise for the listener continuously until a stop packet is received by the receiving computer from the transmitting computer.

18. The IP telephone system of claim 17 , wherein the stop packet is a voice data packet.

19. The IP telephone system of claim 17 , wherein the stop packet is a token packet sent by the transmitting computer upon detecting a voice signal.