US 8,798,277 B1Granted

Mute indicator

AssigneeSprint Communications Company L.P.

InventorsWoojae Lee, Trevor Daniel Shipley

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Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and computer-readable media for presenting a mute indicator to a caller when the caller is attempting to provide input to a call that has been muted. In particular, a determination is made that a mute function is engaged during a call. An area surrounding a calling system, such as a phone, is then monitored by a monitoring system to determine whether a caller is attempting to provide input to the call. A determination is then made that a caller is attempting to provide input to the call. The determination may be based on a caller providing a threshold volume of voice input within a threshold area of proximity near the calling system. A mute indicator is then presented to the caller to notify the caller that the call has a mute function engaged.

Claims20

Dependent claims

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, cause an auditory communications device to perform a method of indicating that a speaker's voice will not be communicated, the method comprising:

determining that the auditory communications device is in a mute status, which prevents a user of the auditory communications device from being heard when attempting to speak through the auditory communications device;
presenting a first indication of the mute status in response to the determining that the auditory communications device is in the mute status;
determining that the user is attempting to provide input to the auditory communications device by determining that the user is within a first threshold proximity of a designated component of the auditory communications device;
presenting a second indication of the mute status in response to the determining that the user is attempting to provide input to the auditory communications device by determining that the user is within the first threshold proximity of the designated component of the auditory communications device;
determining that the user meets a threshold volume of voice input and is within a second threshold proximity that is less than the first threshold proximity of the designated component of the auditory communications device;
and
presenting a third indication of the mute status in response to the determining that the user meets the threshold volume of voice input and is within the second threshold proximity of the designated component.

4 more elements

determining that the auditory communications device is in a mute status, which prevents a user of the auditory communications device from being heard when attempting to speak through the auditory communications device;
presenting a first indication of the mute status in response to the determining that the auditory communications device is in the mute status;
determining that the user is attempting to provide input to the auditory communications device by determining that the user is within a first threshold proximity of a designated component of the auditory communications device;
presenting a second indication of the mute status in response to the determining that the user is attempting to provide input to the auditory communications device by determining that the user is within the first threshold proximity of the designated component of the auditory communications device;
determining that a user is within a second threshold proximity that is less than the first threshold proximity of a designated component of the auditory communications device;
and
presenting a third indication of the mute status in response to the determining that the user is within the second threshold proximity of the designated component, the third indication being different from the first indication and the second indication.

4 more elements

determining that the auditory communications device is in a mute status, which prevents a user of the auditory communications device from being heard when attempting to speak through the auditory communications device;
presenting a first indication of the mute status in response to the determining that the auditory communications device is in the mute status;
determining that the user is attempting to provide input to the auditory communications device by determining that the user is within a first threshold proximity of a designated component of the auditory communications device;
presenting a second indication of the mute status in response to the determining that the user is attempting to provide input to the auditory communications device by determining that the user is within the first threshold proximity of the designated component of the auditory communications device, the second indication being different from the first indication;
determining that the user meets a threshold volume of voice input and is within a second threshold proximity that is less than the first threshold proximity of the designated component of the auditory communications device;
and
presenting a third indication of the mute status in response to the determining that the user meets the threshold volume of voice input and is within the second threshold proximity of the designated component, the third indication being different from the first indication and the second indication.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.