Mixed mode conferencing

A conferencing system comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable memory device comprising:
• first endpoint data for a first conference type received from a first endpoint;
• second endpoint data for a second conference type received from at least one second endpoint;
• a first endpoint identifier for the first endpoint;
• a second endpoint identifier for the at least one second endpoint;
• a second conference type identifier specifying the second conference type for the at least one second endpoint;
• and
• a conversion program;
• a processor;
• wherein the processor determines whether the at least one second endpoint is participating in a conference with the first endpoint;
• and
• wherein the processor determines the second conference type for transmitting the received first endpoint data to the at least one second endpoint;
• and
• wherein the processor determines the second conference type by reading the second conference type identifier from the memory;
• and
• wherein the processor determines whether the second conference type is different than the first conference type;
• and
• wherein the processor selects the conversion program based on whether the second conference type is different than the first conference type;
• and
• wherein the conversion program converts the received first endpoint data to second endpoint data that is compatible with the second conference type;
• and
• wherein the processor reads the first endpoint identifier for the first endpoint;
• and
• wherein the processor transmits the converted received first endpoint data to the at least one second endpoint, the transmitted data comprising the first endpoint identifier for the first endpoint;
• and
• wherein the conversion program converts the received second endpoint data to first endpoint data that is compatible with the first conference type;
• and
• wherein the processor reads the second endpoint identifier for the at least one second endpoint;
• and
• wherein the processor transmits the converted received second endpoint data to the first endpoint, the transmitted first endpoint data comprising the second endpoint identifier for the at least one second endpoint;
• and
• wherein the conversion program utilizes a conversion parameter if the first conference type is a voice conference and the second conference type is a text messaging conference, wherein the conversion parameter comprises predetermined voice attributes based on the second endpoint identifier of the at least one second endpoint that are independent of a voice of a user of the at least one second endpoint;
• and
• wherein the conversion program utilizes aiding data if the second conference type is a text messaging conference and the first conference type is a voice conference, wherein the aiding data comprises a model of stored voice data for a user of the first endpoint.

A conferencing method comprising:

• receiving coded first endpoint data for a first conference type from a first endpoint;
• determining a second conference type for transmitting the received coded first endpoint data to at least one second endpoint that is participating in a conference with the first endpoint, the determining the second conference type comprising reading a second conference type identifier from a memory, the second conference type identifier specifying the second conference type for the at least one second endpoint;
• determining whether the second conference type is different than the first conference type;
• decoding the received coded first endpoint data by applying a coder-decoder (CODEC) that is selected based on the at least one endpoint, the CODEC being selected when the at least one second endpoint joins the conference with the first endpoint;
• selecting a conversion program based on whether the second conference type is different than the first conference type, the conversion program converting the decoded first endpoint data to second endpoint data that is compatible with the second conference type;
• reading a first endpoint identifier for the first endpoint;
• transmitting the converted decoded first endpoint data to the at least one second endpoint, the transmitted data comprising the first endpoint identifier for the first endpoint;
• receiving second endpoint data from the at least one second endpoint;
• the conversion program converting the received second endpoint data to first endpoint data that is compatible with the first conference type;
• reading a second endpoint identifier for the at least one second endpoint;
• and
• transmitting the converted received second endpoint data to the first endpoint, the transmitted second endpoint data comprising the second endpoint identifier for the at least one second endpoint;
• and
• wherein the conversion program converting the received second endpoint data to the first endpoint data that is compatible with the first conference type comprises the conversion program utilizing a conversion parameter if the first conference type is a voice conference and the second conference type is a text messaging conference;
• and
• wherein the conversion parameter comprises predetermined voice attributes based on the second endpoint identifier of the at least one second endpoint that are independent of a voice of a user of the at least one second endpoint;
• and
• wherein the conversion program converting the received first endpoint data to the second endpoint data that is compatible with the second conference type comprises the conversion program utilizing aiding data if the second conference type is a text messaging conference and the first conference type is a voice conference;
• and
• wherein the aiding data comprises a model of stored voice data for a user of the first endpoint.