Mute control in audio endpoints

A computer-implemented communications device status system, comprising:

• an IP communications network having a near-end endpoint and a far-end endpoint;
• an energy detection component for detecting far-end voice signals from the far-end endpoint based on received signal energy at the near-end endpoint;
• a notification component for sending a notification signal based on a level of the signal energy at the near-end endpoint and when a near-end audio output device of the near-end endpoint is muted or at a reduced volume setting;
• a computing system of the IP communications network to which the near-end endpoint is communicating, including the energy detection component and the notification component, wherein the near-end endpoint sends data to the far-end endpoint through the computing system when muted and the computing system responds to mute the near-end endpoint based on the data;
• and
• a processor that executes computer-executable instructions in a memory.

A computer-implemented communications device status method, comprising acts of:

• receiving near-end speech input signals at a near-end communications endpoint associated with an IP communications network;
• communicating with the near-end communications endpoint from a far-end endpoint using a computing system of the IP communications network;
• detecting at the computing system that a microphone of the near-end communications endpoint is in a mute state;
• sending a notification signal from the near-end communications endpoint to the far-end endpoint using the computing system to indicate that the microphone is in the mute state;
• muting the endpoint by the computing system based on the notification signal;
• presenting a graphical representation of the notification signal to indicate that the microphone is muted;
• and
• utilizing a processor that executes instructions stored in a memory.