Conference-call participant-information processing
View Patent ↗In one embodiment, a telecommunication device for Internet-based conference calling with one or more similar telecommunication devices. The telecommunication device is used by a plurality of co-located participants, each participant having an individually identifiable microphone. The telecommunication device accesses a database correlating each individually identifiable microphone to participant ID and information. During the conference-call setup, the similar telecommunication devices exchange participant IDs and corresponding information. The conference-call audio content is then exchanged using RTP packets, where the telecommunication devices generate RTP packets containing the participant IDs of participants contributing to the content of each RTP packet. Receiving telecommunication devices then display corresponding participant information when playing the audio content of received RTP packets to identify current speakers. Individual, identifiable microphones improve the audio quality received by remote participants and permit the automatic exchange and display of the current participants and the current speakers.
1. A telecommunication device comprising:
a networking port adapted to connect the telecommunication device with one or more other telecommunication devices to establish a conference call including the telecommunication device and the one or more other telecommunication devices;
two or more microphone ports adapted to connect the telecommunication device with two or more microphones, wherein each microphone:
is co-located with the telecommunication device;
is individually identifiable by the telecommunication device;
is associated with participant identifiable by a participant ID and co-located with the microphone; and
is adapted to transmit audio content generated by the associated participant to the telecommunication device; and
a processor adapted to:
generate data packets encoding the audio content generated by the participants associated with the two or more microphones, wherein each data packet:
identifies at least one participant contributing to the audio content encoded in the data packet; and
comprises the participant IDs of one or more participants in order to enable identification of the one or more participants; and
transmit the data packets via the networking port for the conference call.
2. The telecommunication device of claim 1 , wherein, prior to generating data packets that identify the one or more participants contributing to the audio content, the processor transmits at least one message to the one or more other telecommunication devices, the at least one message comprising the participant IDs for the one or more participants.
3. The telecommunication device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one message further comprises identifying information for the one or more participants.
4. The telecommunication device of claim 3 , wherein the identifying information for the one or more participants includes names of the one or more participants.
5. The telecommunication device of claim 1 , wherein the data packets encoding the audio content generated by the participants are compatible with Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP).
6. The telecommunication device of claim 5 , wherein each RTP-compatible data packet encoding the audio content generated by a participant further comprises identifying information, including a name, for the participant.
7. The telecommunication device of claim 5 , wherein:
each RTP-compatible data packet comprises a contributing source (CSRC) field; and
each data packet comprises the participant IDs of the one or more participants in the CSRC field of the data packet.
8. The telecommunication device of claim 1 , wherein:
the networking port connects the telecommunication device to a second and a third telecommunication device to establish the conference call; and
the processor transmits the data packets to both the second and third telecommunication devices.
9. The telecommunication device of claim 1 , wherein:
the networking port connects the telecommunication device to a second and a third telecommunication device to establish the conference call; and
the processor transmits the data packets to a conference-call control (CCC) system for processing and transmission of processed data packets to the second and the third telecommunication devices.
10. The telecommunication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further adapted to:
determine that an identifiable participant has left or joined an ongoing conference call; and
transmit at least one message to the one or more other telecommunication devices, the at least one message indicating that the identifiable participant has left or joined the ongoing conference.
11. The telecommunication device of claim 10 , wherein:
the two or more microphone ports are connected wirelessly to the two or more microphones; and
the processor is adapted to automatically determine that the identifiable participant has joined or left the ongoing conference call based on proximity to the telecommunication device of the microphone corresponding to the identifiable participant.
12. The telecommunication device of claim 1 , wherein the two or more microphone ports are connected wirelessly to the two or more microphones.
13. The telecommunication device of claim 12 , wherein:
each of the two or more microphone ports is adapted to dynamically connect to and disconnect from a corresponding microphone based on proximity of the corresponding microphone to the telecommunication device.
14. The telecommunication device of claim 12 , wherein:
the telecommunication device and the two or more microphones are compatible with BLUETOOTH® technology; and
each microphone has a unique BLUETOOTH® ID that is associated with the associated participant at least for the duration of the participant's participation in the conference call.
15. The telecommunication device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two or more microphones ports is connected via a conductive wire to at least one of the two or more microphones.
16. A telecommunication device comprising:
a networking port adapted to connect the telecommunication device with one or more other telecommunication devices to establish a conference call including the telecommunication device and the one or more other telecommunication devices;
two or more microphone ports adapted to connect the telecommunication device with two or more microphones, wherein each microphone:
is co-located with the telecommunication device;
is individually identifiable by the telecommunication device;
is associated with an identifiable participant co-located with the microphone; and
is adapted to transmit audio content generated by the associated participant to the telecommunication device; and
a processor adapted to:
generate data packets encoding the audio content generated by the participants associated with the two or more microphones; and
transmit the data packets via the networking port for the conference call, wherein:
each data packet identifies at least one participant contributing to the audio content encoded in the data packet;
the processor is adapted to process data packets from the one or more other telecommunication devices; and
at least one data packet from one of the one or more other telecommunication devices comprises:
audio content generated by one or more identifiable participants, each identifiable participant associated with a corresponding microphone connected to the one of the one or more other telecommunication devices; and
identification of each of the one or more identifiable participants.
17. A telecommunication device comprising:
a networking port adapted to connect the telecommunication device with one or more other telecommunication devices to establish a conference call including the telecommunication device and the one or more other telecommunication devices;
two or more microphone ports adapted to connect the telecommunication device with two or more microphones, wherein each microphone:
is co-located with the telecommunication device;
is individually identifiable by the telecommunication device;
is associated with an identifiable participant co-located with the microphone; and
is adapted to transmit audio content generated by the associated participant to the telecommunication device; and
a processor adapted to:
generate data packets encoding the audio content generated by the participants associated with the two or more microphones; and
transmit the data packets via the networking port for the conference call, wherein:
each data packet identifies at least one participant contributing to the audio content encoded in the data packet;
the two or more microphone ports are connected wirelessly to the two or more microphones;
the telecommunication device and the two or more microphones are compatible with BLUETOOTH® technology; and
each microphone has a unique BLUETOOTH® ID that is associated with the associated participant at least for the duration of the participant's participation in the conference call.
18. A telecommunication device comprising:
a networking port adapted to connect the telecommunication device with one or more other telecommunication devices to establish a conference call including the telecommunication device and the one or more other telecommunication devices;
two or more microphone ports adapted to connect the telecommunication device with two or more microphones, wherein each microphone:
is co-located with the telecommunication device;
is individually identifiable by the telecommunication device;
is associated with an identifiable participant co-located with the microphone; and
is adapted to transmit audio content generated by the associated participant to the telecommunication device; and
a processor adapted to:
generate data packets encoding the audio content generated by the participants associated with the two or more microphones; and
transmit the data packets via the networking port for the conference call, wherein:
each data packet identifies at least one participant contributing to the audio content encoded in the data packet; and
the telecommunication device further comprises a radio-frequency ID (RFID) reader adapted to read information off a proximately presented RFID tag of an identifiable participant in order to associate one of the two or more microphones with the identifiable participant.
19. The telecommunication device of claim 18 , wherein the telecommunication device is further adapted to:
cradle at least one of the two or more microphones; and
in response to the proximate presentation of an RFID tag of an identifiable participant, release the cradled one of the two or more microphones to the identifiable participant.
20. A method for a telecommunication device, the method comprising:
connecting the telecommunication device with one or more other telecommunication devices to establish a conference call including the telecommunication device and the one or more other telecommunication devices;
connecting the telecommunication device with two or more microphones, wherein each microphone:
is co-located with the telecommunication device;
is individually identifiable by the telecommunication device;
is associated with a participant identifiable by a participant ID; and
is adapted to transmit audio content generated by the associated participant to the telecommunication device;
generating data packets encoding the audio content generated by the participants associated with the two or more microphones, wherein:
each data packet identifies at least one participant contributing to the audio content encoded in the data packet; and
each data packet comprises the participant IDs of one or more participants in order to enable identification of the one or more participants; and
transmitting the data packets for the conference call.