Devices, software and methods for generating aggregate comfort noise in teleconferencing over VoIP networks

A device comprising:

• a transcoding component having a decoder for decoding streams of packets received concurrently from different users via a network;
• a summing component having a summer to combine the decoded packets;
• and
• a comfort noise generation component for generating an aggregate background noise for at least one of the users.

A device comprising:

• means for decoding streams of packets received concurrently from different users via a network;
• means for summing to combine the decoded packets;
• and
• means for generating an aggregate background noise for at least one of the users.

A device comprising:

• a network interface for coupling to a network;
• and
• a processor coupled with the network interface, wherein the processor is adapted to
• establish a plurality of concurrent VoIP connections with respective endpoints through the network;
• receive respective streams of packets from at least two of the endpoints;
• decode the received streams of packets;
• combine the decoded streams of packets in a summer;
• determine whether one of the streams encodes a silent voice;
• and
• if so, issue a signal to the summer.

An article comprising:

• a storage medium, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by at least one device, result in:
• establishing a plurality of concurrent VoIP connections with respective endpoints;
• receiving respective streams of packets from at least two of the endpoints via their respective VoIP connections;
• identifying at least one of the received packets as a silence identification packet;
• and
• generating constituent parameters of a balanced background noise in response to the identified packet.

A method comprising:

• establishing a plurality of concurrent VoIP connections with respective endpoints;
• receiving respective streams of packets from at least two of the endpoints via their respective VoIP connections;
• decoding the received streams of packets;
• combining the decoded streams of packets in a summer;
• determining whether one of the streams encodes a silent voice;
• and
• if so, signaling to the summer.

A method comprising:

• establishing a plurality of concurrent VoIP connections with respective endpoints;
• receiving respective streams of packets from at least two of the endpoints via their respective VoIP connections;
• identifying at least one of the received packets as a silence identification packet;
• and
• generating constituent parameters of a balanced background noise in response to the identified packet.