System and method for indicating a speaker during a conference
Embodiments provide a system, method, apparatus, means, and computer program code for identifying a speaker participating in a conference. During the conference or collaboration event, users may participate in the conference via user or client devices (e.g., computers) that are connected to or in communication with a server or collaboration system. A person participating in and/or moderating a conference may want to know which of the other participants is speaking at any give time, both for those participants that have a unique channel to the conference (e.g., a single participant participating in the conference via a single telephone or other connection) as well as participants that are aggregated behind a single channel to the conference (e.g., three participants in a conference room with a single telephone line or other connection to the conference).
1 . A method for indicating a speaker during a conference, comprising:
determining a list of participants in a conference;
determining a sample from said conference;
determining a participant from said list that is speaking during said sample;
providing data indicative of said sample; and
providing data indicative of said participant.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining a participant from said list that is speaking during said sample includes determining an active channel in said sample and determining a speaker associated with said active channel.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing a display of an indication that said participant is speaking.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining at least one active channel in said conference.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein said determining at least one active channel includes determining significance of a plurality of channels in said conference and selecting said at least one active channel from said plurality of channels.
6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein said determining a sample from said conference includes determining a sample from said at least one active channel.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said providing data indicative of said sample includes providing a sample of voice data associated with said conference.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said providing data indicative of said participant includes providing said data via a first channel and wherein said providing a sample of voice data associated with said conference includes providing said sample of voice data via a second channel.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said providing data indicative of said participant includes providing said data to a first client device and wherein said providing a sample of voice data associated with said conference includes providing said sample of voice data to a second client device.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a significance of at least one active channel in said conference.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein said determining a participant from said list that is speaking during said sample includes identifying a participant speaking on said at least one active channel during said sample.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said data indicative of said participant includes data indicative of a device associated with said participant.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said data indicative of said participant includes data indicative of a channel associated with said participant.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said sample includes data from multiple active channels associated with said conference.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining a participant from said list that is speaking during said sample includes determining a participant from a plurality of participants that are aggregated on a channel.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said data indicative of said sample has a different sample size than said data indicative of said participant.
17 . A system for indicating a speaker during a conference, comprising:
a network;
at least one client device operably coupled to said network; and
a server operably coupled to said network, said server adapted to determine a list of participants in a conference; determine a sample from said conference; determine a participant from said list that is speaking during said sample; provide data indicative of said sample; and provide data indicative of said participant.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein said server is adapted to determine an active channel associated with said conference.
19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein said server is adapted to cause a display on said client device of an indication that said participant is speaking.
20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein said client device is adapted to display an indication of said participant.
21 . The system of claim 17 , wherein said client device is adapted to display a level of activity of said participant in said sample.
22 . A system for indicating a speaker during a conference, comprising:
a processor;
a communication port coupled to said processor and adapted to communicate with at least one device; and
a storage device coupled to said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to:
determine a list of participants in a conference;
determine a sample from said conference;
determine a participant from said list that is speaking during said sample;
provide data indicative of said sample; and
provide data indicative of said participant.
23 . An article of manufacture comprising:
a computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to:
determine a list of participants in a conference;
determine a sample from said conference;
determine a participant from said list that is speaking during said sample;
provide data indicative of said sample; and
provide data indicative of said participant.