Muting audio in turret switching systems

A turret switching method for broadcasting data streams to a plurality of telephony devices via a plurality of talk paths, the method comprising:

• determining, for each telephony device in a turret switching system comprising at least one media server and a plurality of telephony devices, whether to mute a respective output audio data stream, based on connection states of each of a plurality of talk paths that communicatively couple each of the plurality of telephony devices to the at least one media server;
• responsive to a determination that the respective output audio data stream for a telephony device is to be muted, muting the respective output audio data stream, such that at least one speaker of the telephony device does not output an audible signal corresponding to the output audio data stream,
• wherein each telephony device is communicatively coupled to the at least one media server via a talk path, each telephony device is constructed to receive the respective output audio data stream from the at least one media server via the respective talk path, and each telephony device is constructed to send an input audio data stream to the at least one media server via the respective talk path, and
• wherein the at least one media server comprises at least one mixer that combines input audio data streams received from the plurality of telephony devices to generate output audio data streams for sending to the plurality of telephony devices.

A turret device comprising:

• a computer-readable memory constructed to store computer-executable process steps;
• and
• a processor constructed to execute the computer-executable process steps stored in the memory;
• wherein the telephony device is communicatively coupled to at least one media server via a talk path,
• wherein the process steps stored in the memory cause the processor to broadcast data streams to a plurality of other telephony devices via a plurality of other talk paths, wherein the process steps include computer-executable process steps to:
• receive a respective output audio data stream from the at least one media server via the respective talk path;
• and
• send an input audio data stream to the at least one media server via the respective talk path,
• wherein the at least one media server determines whether to mute the respective output audio data stream for the telephony device, based on a connection state of each of the plurality of talk paths that communicatively couple each of the plurality of telephony devices to the at least one media server,
• wherein, responsive to a determination that the respective output audio data stream for the telephony device is to be muted, the at least one media server mutes the respective output audio data stream, such that at least one speaker of the telephony device does not output an audible signal corresponding to the output audio data stream, and
• wherein the at least one media server comprises at least one mixer that combines input audio data streams received from the plurality of telephony devices to generate output audio data streams for sending to the plurality of telephony devices.

A computer-readable memory medium on which is stored computer-executable process steps for causing a telephony device, which is communicatively coupled to at least one media server via a talk path, to broadcast data streams to a plurality of other telephony devices via a plurality of other talk paths, wherein the process steps comprise:

• receiving a respective output audio data stream from the at least one media server via the respective talk path;
• and
• sending an input audio data stream to the at least one media server via the respective talk path,
• wherein the at least one media server determines whether to mute the respective output audio data stream for the telephony device, based on a connection state of each of the plurality of talk paths that communicatively couple each of the plurality of telephony devices to the at least one media server,
• wherein, responsive to a determination that the respective output audio data stream for the telephony device is to be muted, the at least one media server mutes the respective output audio data stream, such that at least one speaker of the telephony device does not output an audible signal corresponding to the output audio data stream, and
• wherein the at least one media server comprises at least one mixer that combines input audio data streams received from the plurality of telephony devices to generate output audio data streams for sending to the plurality of telephony devices.

A media server comprising:

• a computer-readable memory constructed to store computer-executable process steps;
• a processor constructed to execute the computer-executable process steps stored in the memory;
• at least one mixer;
• wherein the process steps stored in the memory cause the processor to broadcast data streams to a plurality of telephony devices via a plurality of talk paths, wherein the process steps include computer-executable process steps to:
• determine, for each of the plurality of telephony devices, whether to mute a respective output audio data stream, based on connection states of each of a plurality of talk paths that communicatively couple each of the plurality of telephony devices to the media server;
• responsive to a determination that the respective output audio data stream for a telephony device is to be muted, mute the respective output audio data stream, such that at least one speaker of the telephony device does not output an audible signal corresponding to the output audio data stream,
• wherein each telephony device is communicatively coupled to the media server via a talk path, each telephony device is constructed to receive the respective output audio data stream from the media server via the respective talk path, and each telephony device is constructed to send an input audio data stream to the media server via the respective talk path, and
• wherein the at least one mixer combines input audio data streams received from the plurality of telephony devices to generate output audio data streams for sending to the plurality of telephony devices.

A computer-readable memory medium on which is stored computer-executable process steps for causing a media server to broadcast data streams to a plurality of telephony devices via a plurality of talk paths, wherein the process steps comprise:

• determining, for each of the plurality of telephony devices, whether to mute a respective output audio data stream, based on connection states of each of a plurality of talk paths that communicatively couple each of the plurality of telephony devices to the media server;
• responsive to a determination that the respective output audio data stream for a telephony device is to be muted, muting the respective output audio data stream, such that at least one speaker of the telephony device does not output an audible signal corresponding to the output audio data stream,
• wherein each telephony device is communicatively coupled to the media server via a talk path, each telephony device is constructed to receive the respective output audio data stream from the media server via the respective talk path, and each telephony device is constructed to send an input audio data stream to the media server via the respective talk path, and
• wherein the media server comprises at least one mixer that combines input audio data streams received from the plurality of telephony devices to generate output audio data streams for sending to the plurality of telephony devices.