Distributed audio conferencing system
A conference call system with a plurality of endpoints, a switch and a media mixer is disclosed. One or more entities in the conference call system comprise part or whole of a feature module. The feature module executes various telephony features like adjusting the volume of a selected participant in a conference call, initiating a sidebar with a participant wherein other participants cannot hear the conversation of the participants in the sidebar, putting a selected call participant on hold from an endpoint other than the selected participant's endpoint, disconnecting a selected participant from an endpoint other than the selected participant's endpoint and transferring a call with two or more participants to a new participant's endpoint.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
during a conference call between a first participant on a first endpoint, a second participant on a second endpoint and a third participant on a third endpoint, receiving a third party disconnect (TPD) request for disconnecting the third endpoint from the conference call from a requesting participant, wherein the TPD request comprises an identification of the third endpoint, the requesting participant is the first participant or the second participant; and
determining permissions associated with the requesting participant based on a query of a database that includes permissions associated with participants in the conference call, and based on the permissions associated with the requesting participant:
denying the TPD request if the permissions do not authorize the requesting participant to make the TPD request; and
if the permissions authorize the requesting participant to make the TPD request:
determining an identification of a media mixer for the conference call;
sending a request to the media mixer to disconnect a media connection between the media mixer and the third endpoint; and
disconnecting the third endpoint from the conference call.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a volume adjustment amount from the second endpoint; and
transmitting the volume adjustment amount to the media mixer, wherein the media mixer adjusts the volume of the media from the first participant based on the volume adjustment amount.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a sidebar request from the second endpoint for a sidebar between the second endpoint and a supervisor endpoint; and
muting voice transmission from the second endpoint and the supervisor endpoint to the third endpoint.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining an appropriate supervisor endpoint for the sidebar with the second endpoint by querying a supervisor database.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a third party hold (TPH) request for putting the third endpoint on hold, the TPH request originating from an endpoint other than the third endpoint; and
muting voice transmission to and from the third endpoint.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
receiving a resume request to remove the third endpoint from hold, the resume request originating from an endpoint other than the third endpoint; and
resuming the voice transmission to and from the third endpoint.
7. A computer-implemented method comprising:
during a conference call between a first participant on a first endpoint, a second participant on a second endpoint and a third participant on a third endpoint, receiving a third party hold (TPH) request from a requesting participant for putting the third endpoint on hold, wherein the TPH request comprises an identification of the third endpoint, and wherein the requesting participant comprises the first participant or the second participant;
determining permissions associated with the requesting participant based on a query of a database that includes permissions associated with participants in the conference call;
based on the permissions associated with the requesting participant:
denying the TPH request if the permissions do not authorize the requesting participant to make the TPH request; and
if the permissions authorize the requesting participant to make the TPH request:
determining an identification of a given media mixer for the conference call;
sending a request to the given media mixer to mute transmission between the first endpoint and the second endpoint to the third endpoint;
establishing a new media mixer for the third endpoint while the transmission between the first endpoint and the second endpoint to the third endpoint is muted; and
sending a resume request to the given media mixer in response to an indication from the requesting party; and
in response to the resume request, moving the third endpoint from the new media mixer to the given media mixer for the conference call.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first endpoint is the given media mixer and the first endpoint transmits a request to a fourth endpoint to function as the new media mixer.
9. The method of claim 7 further comprising transmitting a volume adjustment signal to the given media mixer, the volume adjustment signal comprising a request to adjust volume of media from the first participant; and adjusting the volume of the media from the first participant based on the volume adjustment amount.
10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving a third party disconnect (TPD) request for disconnecting the third endpoint from the conference call, the TPD request originating from an endpoint other than the third endpoint; and
deleting media connections to and from the third participant, the media connection comprises the first media connection or the third media connection.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining whether the requesting participant requesting the third party disconnect (TPD) request is authorized to make the TPD request; and
denying the TPD request if the requesting participant is not authorized to make the TPD request.
12. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving a request for a supervisor associated with an agent engaged in a call with a client, wherein the request for the supervisor includes a search criterion and an identification of the agent;
querying a supervisor database based on the search criterion, the supervisor database storing information about various supervisors;
identifying at least two supervisors satisfying the search criterion;
selecting a supervisor from the at least two supervisors based on the received identification of the agent and based on one or more of a seniority of the supervisor, an expertise of the supervisor, or other characteristic stored in the supervisor database;
establishing a conference call between the agent at a first endpoint, the supervisor at a second endpoint, and the client at a third endpoint;
during the conference call, receiving a third party request from a requesting participant, wherein the requesting participant is one of the agent, the supervisor, and the client;
determining permissions associated with the requesting participant based on a query of a database that includes permissions associated with participants of the conference call;
based on the permissions associated with the requesting participant:
denying the third party request if the permissions do not authorize the requesting participant to make the third party request; and
if the permissions authorize the requesting participant the third party request to make the third party request, employing a media mixer associated with the conference call to perform the third party request.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving a volume adjustment amount from the agent or the supervisor; and
transmitting the volume adjustment amount to the media mixer, wherein the media mixer adjusts the volume of the media from the client based on the volume adjustment amount.
14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving a sidebar request from the agent for a sidebar between the agent and the supervisor; and
muting voice transmission from the agent and the supervisor to the client.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining an appropriate supervisor endpoint for the sidebar between the agent and the supervisor.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the third party request is a third party hold (TPH) request for putting the third endpoint on hold, the TPH request originating from the agent or the supervisor; and, based on the permissions, muting voice transmission to and from the client.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving a resume request to remove the client from hold, the resume request originating from the agent or the supervisor; and
resuming the voice transmission to and from the client.
18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the third party request is at least one of: a third party hold (TPH) request, and a third party disconnect (TPD) request.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising interrupting media transmission to and from the client, wherein the requesting participant is one of the agent and the supervisor.