Replay of conference audio

A conference replay module comprising:

• an interface operable to connect to a voice communication session interconnecting three or more participants;
• a memory operable to store a real-time audio stream from the voice communication session into a buffered audio stream;
• and
• a controller operable to detect a call on-hold indication from a requesting one of the participants, to detect a replay return indication from the requesting participant, to provide an accelerated playback of the buffered audio stream to the requesting participant in response to the replay return indication, to receive a skip-to-next-speaker indication while providing the accelerated playback, and, in response to the skip-to-next-speaker indication, to determine a next speaker change location in the buffered audio stream and to skip the accelerated playback to the next speaker change location in the buffered audio stream, the controller further operable to enable output of the real-time audio stream from the voice communication session to the requesting participant upon finishing playback of the buffered audio stream.

Logic for providing conference audio replay, the logic encoded in media and operable when executed to perform the steps of:

• connecting to a voice communication session operable to interconnect three or more participants;
• receiving a call on-hold indication;
• disabling output of a real-time audio stream from the voice communication session;
• storing the real-time audio stream from the voice communication session into a buffered audio stream;
• receiving a replay return indication;
• providing an accelerated playback of the buffered audio stream;
• receiving a skip-to-next-speaker indication while providing the accelerated playback;
• in response to the skip-to-next-speaker indication, determining a next speaker change location in the buffered audio stream and skipping the accelerated playback to the next speaker change location in the buffered audio stream;
• and
• enabling output of the real-time audio stream from the voice communication session upon finishing playback of the buffered audio stream.

A conference replay module comprising:

• means for connecting to a voice communication session operable to interconnect three or more participants;
• means for receiving a call on-hold indication;
• means for disabling output of a real-time audio stream from the voice communication session;
• means for storing the real-time audio stream from the voice communication session into a buffered audio stream;
• means for receiving a replay return indication;
• means for providing an accelerated playback of the buffered audio stream;
• receiving a skip-to-next-speaker indication while providing the accelerated playback;
• in response to the skip-to-next-speaker indication, determining a next speaker change location in the buffered audio stream and skipping the accelerated playback to the next speaker change location in the buffered audio stream;
• and
• means for enabling output of the real-time audio stream from the voice communication session upon finishing playback of the buffered audio stream.

A conference replay module comprising:

• an interface operable to connect to a voice communication session interconnecting three or more participants;
• a memory operable to store a real-time audio stream from the voice communication session into a buffered audio stream;
• and
• a controller operable to detect a call on-hold indication from a requesting one of the participants, to detect a replay return indication from the requesting participant, to provide an accelerated playback of the buffered audio stream to the requesting participant in response to the replay return indication, and to enable output of the real-time audio stream from the voice communication session to the requesting participant upon finishing playback of the buffered audio stream, wherein the controller is further operable to provide the accelerated playback using a pitch-invariant time-scale-modified playback scheme that accelerates playback of the buffered audio stream by at least 1.5 times regular speed without significantly affecting pitch of the buffered audio stream during playback.

A method for providing conference audio replay comprising:

• connecting to a voice communication session operable to interconnect three or more participants, the voice communication session generating a real-time audio stream;
• storing a portion of the real-time audio stream into a buffered audio stream;
• receiving a replay audio indication;
• combining the buffered audio stream with the real-time audio stream to generate a layered audio stream;
• and
• providing the layered audio stream as output for at least one of the participants.