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US 7,606,181 B1Granted
Apparatus, method, and computer program for processing audio information of a communication session
AssigneeNortel Networks Limited
InventorsStephen R. Whynot, Paul D. DeFrain
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus, method, and computer program process audio information in a communication system. The apparatus, method, and computer program identify one or more silent channels of a communication session. The apparatus, method, and computer program also mix audio information from two or more non-silent channels. The mixed audio information is provided to one or more of the channels of the communication session.
Claims19
A method for processing audio information of a communication session, comprising:
- receiving through at least one port a plurality of channels having audio information of a communication session;
- identifying one or more of the plurality of channels as silent channels, wherein the remaining channels of the plurality of channels are non-silent channels;
- mixing the audio information of the non-silent channels when there are at least two non-silent channels of the plurality of channels;
- delivering through the at least one port to the plurality of channels of the communication session the mixed audio information;
- and wherein identifying one or more silent channels comprises:
- identifying any channel of the plurality of channels with audio information having a signal energy level below a threshold as being a silent channel,
- for each channel of the plurality of channels having audio information with a signal energy level above the threshold, determining a noise floor, and
- identifying any channel of the plurality of channels having a determined noise floor and having audio information with a signal energy level below the determined noise floor as being a silent channel.
5 more elements
A method for processing audio information of a communication session, comprising:
- receiving through at least one port a plurality of channels having audio information of a communication session;
- identifying one or more of the plurality of channels as silent channels, wherein the remaining channels of the plurality of channels are non-silent channels;
- mixing the audio information of the non-silent channels when there are at least two non-silent channels of the plurality of channels;
- delivering through the at least one port to the plurality of channels of the communication session the mixed audio information;
- compressing at least one of an announcement and a prompt using one or more CODECs;
- storing the at least one compressed announcement and prompt;
- retrieving and streaming the at least one compressed announcement and prompt to one or more of the channels during the communication session;
- and wherein identifying one or more silent channels comprises:
- identifying any channel of the plurality of channels with audio information having a signal energy level below a threshold as being a silent channel,
- for each channel of the plurality of channels having audio information with a signal energy level above the threshold, determining a noise floor, and
- identifying any channel of the plurality of channels having a determined noise floor and having audio information with a signal energy level below the determined noise floor as being a silent channel.
8 more elements
An apparatus for processing audio information of a communication session, comprising:
- a plurality of ports operable to facilitate communication with a plurality of communication devices;
- and
- a processor operable to:
- receive through at least one of the ports a plurality of channels having audio information of a communication session;
- identify one or more of the plurality of channels as silent channels, wherein the remaining channels of the plurality of channels are non-silent channels;
- mix the audio information of the non-silent channels when there are at least two non-silent channels of the plurality of channels;
- deliver through the at least one port to the plurality of channels of the communication session the mixed audio information;
- and wherein the processor is operable to identify one or more silent channels by:
- identifying any channel of the plurality of channels with audio information having a signal energy level below a threshold as being a silent channel,
- for each channel of the plurality of channels having audio information with a signal energy level above the threshold, determining a noise floor, and
- identifying any channel of the plurality of channels having a determined noise floor and having audio information with a signal energy level below the determined noise floor as being a silent channel.
8 more elements
An apparatus for processing audio information of a communication session, comprising:
- a plurality of ports operable to facilitate communication with a plurality of communication devices;
- and
- a processor operable to:
- receive through at least one of the ports a plurality of channels having audio information of a communication session;
- identify one or more of the plurality of channels as silent channels, wherein the remaining channels of the plurality of channels are non-silent channels;
- mix the audio information of the non-silent channels when there are at least two non-silent channels of the plurality of channels;
- deliver through the at least one port to the plurality of channels of the communication session the mixed audio information;
- compress at least one of an announcement and a prompt using one or more CODECs;
- store the at least one compressed announcement and prompt;
- retrieve and streaming the at least one compressed announcement and prompt to one or more of the channels during the communication session;
- and wherein identify one or more silent channels comprises:
- identify any channel of the plurality of channels with audio information having a signal energy level below a threshold as being a silent channel,
- for each channel of the plurality of channels having audio information with a signal energy level above the threshold, determine a noise floor, and
- identify any channel of the plurality of channels having a determined noise floor and having audio information with a signal energy level below the determined noise floor as being a silent channel.
11 more elements
A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium and operable to be executed by a processor, the computer program comprising computer readable program code for:
- receiving through at least one port a plurality of channels having audio information of a communication session;
- identifying one or more of the plurality of channels as silent channels, wherein the remaining channels of the plurality of channels are non-silent channels;
- mixing the audio information of the non-silent channels when there are at least two non-silent channels of the plurality of channels;
- delivering through the at least one port to the plurality of channels of the communication session the mixed audio information;
- and wherein identifying one or more silent channels comprises:
- identifying any channel of the plurality of channels with audio information having a signal energy level below a threshold as being a silent channel,
- for each channel of the plurality of channels having audio information with a signal energy level above the threshold, determining a noise floor, and
- identifying any channel of the plurality of channels having a determined noise floor and having audio information with a signal energy level below the determined noise floor as being a silent channel.
5 more elements
A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium and operable to be executed by a processor, the computer program comprising computer readable program code for:
- receiving through at least one port a plurality of channels having audio information of a communication session;
- identifying one or more of the plurality of channels as silent channels, wherein the remaining channels of the plurality of channels are non-silent channels;
- mixing the audio information of the non-silent channels when there are at least two non-silent channels of the plurality of channels;
- delivering through the at least one port to the plurality of channels of the communication session the mixed audio information;
- compressing at least one of an announcement and a prompt using one or more CODECs;
- storing the at least one compressed announcement and prompt;
- retrieving and streaming the at least one compressed announcement and prompt to one or more of the channels during the communication session;
- and wherein identifying one or more silent channels comprises:
- identifying any channel of the plurality of channels with audio information having a signal energy level below a threshold as being a silent channel,
- for each channel of the plurality of channels having audio information with a signal energy level above the threshold, determining a noise floor, and
- identifying any channel of the plurality of channels having a determined noise floor and having audio information with a signal energy level below the determined noise floor as being a silent channel.
8 more elements
An apparatus for processing audio information of a communication session, comprising:
- a plurality of ports operable to facilitate communication with a plurality of communication devices;
- and
- a processor operable to:
- receive through at least one of the ports a plurality of channels having audio information of a communication session;
- identify one or more of the plurality of channels as silent channels, wherein the remaining channels of the plurality of channels are non-silent channels, by
- identifying any channel of the plurality of channels with audio information having a signal energy level below a threshold as being a silent channel,
- for each channel of the plurality of channels having audio information with a signal energy level above the threshold, determining a noise floor, wherein the noise floor is above the threshold, and
- identifying any channel of the plurality of channels having a determined noise floor and having audio information with a signal energy level below the determined noise floor as being a silent channel;
- mix the audio information of the non-silent channels when there are at least two non-silent channels of the plurality of channels;
- and
- deliver through the at least one port to the plurality of channels of the communication session the mixed audio information.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.