Patent Application
20070282613
In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:
According to the invention, the IP phone 12 is capable of controlling the audio characteristics of signals transmitted or received based on characteristics of the call. Although the present specification uses a specific example of an IP phone 12, the present invention is applicable to any device capable of communicating via IP telephony. Examples of other devices include an analog telephone adaptor (ATA) and a computer. However, any other known or hereafter developed device capable of IP telephony communications may also be used. The audio characteristics to be controlled include speech bandwidth and the speech codec algorithm to be used for coding and decoding the signals. For this purpose, a second memory 26 connected to the processor 20 stores a plurality of codec algorithms, each generating signals having different audio characteristics. The second memory 26 may comprise any know or hereafter developed type of memory such as the above-mentioned ROM and RAM. A third memory 28 may store a list of contacts, i.e., a buddy list, including a list of people or devices with whom the user of the IP phone 12 communicates. The first, second, and third memories 24, 26, 28 may comprise separate components. Alternatively, the first, second, and third memories, or any pair thereof, may comprise sections of a single memory component.
The plurality of codec algorithm and the list of contacts may alternatively be stored in one or more external network elements such as a memories 26a, 28a connectable to the IP phone via the Internet. Such network elements may be accessible to the user by login procedures.
In one embodiment of the invention, the third memory 28 also stores the audio characteristic preferences for each of the contacts. According to this embodiment, the CPU 20 instructs the codec 22 to use a specific algorithm and/or a specific bandwidth for transmission and reception of communications based on which contact the user is communicating with by looking up such information in the third memory 28.
According to another embodiment, the third memory 28 stores characteristics of each of the contacts, such as whether the contact is personal or work related contact and the work function, gender, or age of the contact. According to this embodiment, the audio characteristics to be used for a call are determined based on the characteristics of the contact. For example, wideband communications may only be used for personal contacts. In another example, narrowband communications may only be used for contacts that are unknown, for example, when the user receives a sales call of unknown origin.
If the IP phone 12 or other communication device is capable of video communications, the video communication fidelity may be similarly controlled. The video fidelity characteristics to be controlled include video frame rate and quality or video fidelity. Additionally, the user may wish to automatically control, using the contacts list, the choreography or composition of an image transmitted to another user during a call. For example, a user may use a portrait for friends and a full-body or less detailed image for other contacts.
If it is determined in step S32 that information can not be found for the other party, then a default set of audio characteristics are used, step S36. The default set may be set by the user.
Once the characteristics are determined, the CPU retrieves the correct codec algorithm from the second memory 24 and commences communications using the retrieved codec.
Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
