Apparatus and System for Representation of Voices of Participants to a Conference Call

Abstract

A system for facilitating to an end-user the recognition of other participants attending a conference call, comprising means attached to the end-user's telephone for receiving signals from the telephone line, means for analyzing the telephone line signals and associating a unique caller identification to each new participant joining the conference call, means for associating with each such caller identification, a unique position in a representation of the conference call, and means for representing to the end-user such unique position for all participants in the conference call.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel and inventive features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative detailed embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a general representation of the system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the main functions inside the system according to the invention;

FIG. 3 depicts the spatial representation of the call and its participants;

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the tasks performed for speaker identification;

FIG. 5 is a complete view of the tables used for the management of participant's in a telephone conference;

FIG. 6 depicts an example of a planar representation of a conference call; and

FIG. 7 depicts the types of errors made by biometric verification systems.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating to an end-user (105), the recognition of participants attending a conference call comprising: means attached to said end-user's telephone (107) for receiving signals (210) from a telephone line;means for analyzing (201) said telephone line signals and associating a unique caller identification (212) to each participant joining the conference call; characterized in that it also comprises:means for associating (202) with each said caller identification, a unique spatial position in a representation of the conference call; andmeans for representing (203) to said end-user said unique position for all participants in the conference call.

2. The system of claim 1 characterized in that said means for analyzing (201) include means for a biometric analysis (211) of said participants' voices.

3. The system of claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said representation of the conference call has a predetermined number of positions.

4. The system of claim 3 characterized in that said end-user determines said number of positions.

5. The system of claim 3, characterized in that said means for associating include means for, when there is more of said participants than said predetermined number of positions, allocating in said representation to a new participant a same position as another participant having the most different voice characteristic after said biometric analysis.

6. The system of claim 1 characterized in that said means for representing include means for applying filters (203) to said signals (210) so as to render said representation by a stereo audio signal (216) amplified for said end-user.

7. The system of claim 6 characterized in that said representation is planar (2D).

8. The system of claim 6 characterized in that said representation is spatial (3D).

9. A method for facilitating to an end-user (105), the recognition of participants attending a conference call comprising: receiving signals (210) from a telephone line;analyzing (201) said telephone line signals and associating a unique caller identification (212) to each participant joining the conference call; characterized by:associating (202) with each said caller identification, a unique spatial position in a representation of the conference call; andrepresenting (203) to said end-user said unique position for all participants in the conference call.

10. The method of claim 9 characterized in that analyzing (201) further include performing a biometric analysis (211) of said participants' voices.

11. The method of claim 9 further characterized in that said representation of the conference call has a predetermined number of positions.

12. The method of claim 11 further characterized in that said end-user determines said number of positions.

13. The method of claim 11, in which the step of associating includes, when there is more of said participants than said predetermined number of positions, allocating in said representation to a new participant a same position as another participant having the most different voice characteristic after said biometric analysis.

14. The method of claim 9 in which the step of representing includes applying filters (203) to said signals (210) so as to render said representation by a stereo audio signal (216) amplified for said end-user.

15. The method of claim 14, in which said representation is planar (2D).

16. The method of claim 14, in which said representation is spatial (3D).

17. A storage medium containing computer program instructions, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for facilitating to an end-user (105), the recognition of participants attending a conference call, the storage medium containing: program instructions for receiving signals (210) from a telephone line;program instructions for analyzing (201) said telephone line signals and associating a unique caller identification (212) to each participant joining the conference call; characterized by:program instructions for associating (202) with each said caller identification, a unique spatial position in a representation of the conference call; andprogram instructions for representing (203) to said end-user said unique position for all participants in the conference call.

18. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the program instructions for associating further perform a biometric analysis (211) of said participants' voices.

19. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the program instructions for associating can allocate a predetermined number of positions in the representation.

20. The storage medium of claim 19, wherein the program instructions for associating allows the end-user to determine said number of positions.

21. The storage medium of claim 19, in which the instructions for associating includes, when there is more of said participants than said predetermined number of positions, instructions for allocating in said representation to a new participant a same position as another participant having the most different voice characteristic after said biometric analysis.

22. The storage medium of claim 17 in which the instructions for representing includes instructions for applying filters (203) to said signals (210) so as to render said representation by a stereo audio signal (216) amplified for said end-user.

23. The storage medium of claim 22, in which said instructions render a planar (2D) representation.

24. The storage medium of claim 22, in which said instructions render a spatial (3D) representation.