# US 2014/0194059 A1 · Teleconferencing system, method of communication, computer program product and master communication device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0194059 A1 - Document ID: US20140194059A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/151,732 - Filed: 2014-01-09 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-10 - Assignees: NXP B.V. - Applicants: NXP B.V. - Inventors: Vlatko Milosevski; Edwin Zuidema; Ralf Funken - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194059A1 ## CPC - H04W 4/06: Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services - H04B 5/20: characterised by the transmission technique; characterised by the transmission medium - H04M 1/72412: using two-way short-range wireless interfaces - H04W 84/18: Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks - H04M 1/6066: {including a wireless connection} - H04M 3/56: Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities (video conference systems H04N7/15) - H04M 2250/02: including a Bluetooth® interface - H04M 2250/62: user interface aspects of conference calls - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract According to an aspect of the invention a teleconferencing system is conceived, which teleconferencing system comprises a master communication device and a plurality of satellite communication devices, wherein the master communication device is arranged to communicate with a far-end communication device through a global communication channel and to communicate with the plurality of satellite communication devices through a plurality of local communication channels, wherein the master communication device is further arranged to act as a portal between the far-end communication device and the satellite communication devices by forwarding voice communications received from the far-end communication device to the satellite communication devices through the local communication channels, and by mixing voice communications received from the satellite communication devices into a unified voice signal and sending said unified voice signal to the far-end communication device through the global communication channel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A teleconferencing system comprising a master communication device and a plurality of satellite communication devices, wherein the master communication device is arranged to communicate with a far-end communication device through a global communication channel and to communicate with the plurality of satellite communication devices through a plurality of local communication channels, wherein the master communication device is further arranged to act as a portal between the far-end communication device (102) and the satellite communication devices by: forwarding voice communications received from the far-end communication device to the satellite communication devices through the local communication channels, mixing voice communications received from the satellite communication devices into a unified voice signal and sending said unified voice signal to the far-end communication device through the global communication channel characterized in that the master communication device is arranged to establish the local communication channels by performing NFC-based pairing procedures with prospective satellite communication devices. ### Claim 2 (canceled) ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A teleconferencing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the master communication device and the prospective satellite communication devices comprise respective NFC interface devices for performing said NFC-based pairing procedures. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A teleconferencing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the local communication channels are Wi-Fi Direct communication channels or Bluetooth communication channels. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A teleconferencing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the voice communications exchanged between the master communication device and the satellite communication devices conform to a Voice over IP protocol. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A teleconferencing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the master communication device is further arranged to grant a particular satellite communication device the right to endorse the joining of a prospective satellite communication device into the local network formed by said local communication channels. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A teleconferencing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the master communication device is further arranged to perform signal control on the voice communications received from the satellite communication devices. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A teleconferencing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the master communication device is further arranged to exchange text messages with the satellite communication devices. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A teleconferencing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the master communication device is further arranged to reestablish a particular local communication channel when the speech quality of voice communications received through said local communication channel falls below a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A teleconferencing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the satellite communication devices are arranged to perform local signal control on the voice communications transmitted to the master communication device and to notify the master communication device about a performed local signal control. ### Claim 11 A method of communication between a master communication device and a plurality of satellite communication devices in a teleconferencing system, wherein the master communication device communicates with a far-end communication device through a global communication channel and communicates with the plurality of satellite communication devices through a plurality of local communication channels, wherein the master communication device acts as a portal between the far-end communication device and the satellite communication devices by: forwarding voice communications received from the far-end communication device to the satellite communication devices through the local communication channels, mixing voice communications received from the satellite communication devices into a unified voice signal and sending said unified voice signal to the far-end communication device through the global communication channel characterized in that the master communication device establishes the local communication channels by performing NFC based pairing procedures with prospective satellite communication device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A computer program product comprising program elements executable by a master communication device or a satellite communication device in a teleconferencing system, wherein each program element comprises program instructions which, when being executed by the master communication device or the satellite communication device, cause said master communication device and satellite communication device to carry out or control respective steps of a method as claimed in claim 11. ### Claim 13 (canceled)