Apparatus and methods for notification of a party in a telephone conference

A call management system comprising:

• a first computer telephony device coupled to a first telephone device;
• a second computer telephony device configured to provide a conference resource;
• an audio bus device coupled to the first and second computer telephony devices and one or more third computer telephony devices to provide a patching framework;
• at least one audio buffer coupled to the first computer telephony device;
• an announcement generator configured to generate an announcement;
• and
• a mixer coupled to the at least one audio buffer and to the announcement generator to combine announcements generated by the announcement generator and audio signals received from the at least one audio buffer;
• wherein:
• the conference resource is configured to combine audio generated at the first telephone device and one or more third telephone devices coupled to the one or more third computer telephony devices, thereby resulting in a conference audio stream;
• the first computer telephony device is configured to
• receive the conference audio stream;
• provide the conference audio stream to the first telephone device in the absence of an announcement generated by the announcement generator;
• provide the conference audio stream to the mixer via the at least one audio buffer when the announcement generator generates the announcement;
• and
• receive from the mixer conference audio stream combined with the announcement and provide the audio stream received from the mixer to the first telephone device.

A method of providing information to a first conferee participating in a telephone conference with at least one second conferee, the method comprising:

• severing a first connection that provides audio data generated by the at least one second conferee to the first conferee;
• receiving the audio data generated by the at least one second conferee;
• mixing the audio data generated by the at least one second conferee with a first announcement to obtain first mixed audio data;
• providing the first mixed audio data to the first conferee in real time after severing the first connection;
• and
• providing audio data generated by the first conferee to the at least one second conferee in real time after severing the first connection.

A method of providing information to a first conferee participating in a telephone conference with a second conferee, the method comprising:

• severing a first connection that provides to the first conferee audio data generated by the second conferee;
• receiving the audio data generated by the second conferee via a first alternative connection;
• mixing the audio data received via the first alternative connection with a first announcement to obtain first mixed audio data;
• providing the first mixed audio data to the first conferee in real time after severing the first connection;
• and
• providing audio data generated by the first conferee to the second conferee in real time after severing the first connection.

A method of providing information to a first conferee participating in a telephone conference with at least one second conferee, the method comprising:

• p1 receiving audio data generated by the at least one second conferee;
• mixing the audio data generated by the at least one second conferee with a first announcement to obtain first mixed audio data;
• providing the first mixed audio data to the first conferee in real time during the telephone conference;
• and
• preventing the at least one second conferee from hearing the first announcement in real time during the conference.