Hierarchal control of teleconferences

A method of controlling teleconferences conducted between two or more participants, comprising:

• assigning a selected one of at least two participation states to each participant in a corresponding teleconference, wherein:
• a first one of the participation states designates a muted state wherein communication from a corresponding participant in the muted state is prevented from reaching the remainder of the teleconference participants over a corresponding teleconference system;
• and
• a second one of the participation states comprises an active state wherein communication from a corresponding participant in the active state is transmitted to the remainder of the teleconference participants over the corresponding teleconference system;
• monitoring at least one teleconference parameter associated with the corresponding teleconference, each teleconference parameter related to determining whether control of the teleconference should change;
• and
• automatically performing a teleconference update without manual intervention if a triggering event is detected based upon monitoring the at least one teleconference parameter by:
• determining a hierarchal order of the participants of the teleconference;
• modifying a participation state of at least one participant based at least in part upon the determined hierarchal order of the participants;
• and
• conveying at least the modified participation state information to the corresponding teleconference system so as to implement the participation state of each participant on the teleconference system.