Patent ID: 8885804
Filing Date: 2014-11-11
Classification: G10L,H04L,H04M

Abstract:
1. A method for carrying out an audio conference, comprising: an audio conference device receiving a plurality of audio data flows from communication devices of conference participants; the audio conference device evaluating classification information for a first time segment provided in the audio data flows; the audio conference device determining a number of groups to which the audio data flows are to be assigned based on the received audio data flows, the groups comprising at least a first group of the audio data flows received from the communication devices, a second group of the audio data flows received from the communication devices, and a third group of the audio data flows received from the communication devices; for each of the audio data flows, the audio conference device determining which of the groups that the audio data flow is to be assigned for the first time segment such that the audio data flows assigned to the first group have a homogenous result from the evaluation of the classification information of the first time segment of the audio data flows and the audio data flows assigned to the second group have a homogenous result from the evaluation of the classification information of the first time segment of the audio data flows and the audio data flows assigned to the third group have a homogenous result from the evaluation of the classification information of the first time segment of the audio data flows; the audio conference device processing the first time segment of the received audio data flows with group specific attenuation such that the audio data flows assigned to the first group are attenuated differently than the audio data flows assigned to the second group for the first time segment and the audio data flows assigned to the second group are attenuated differently than the audio data flows assigned to the third group for the first time segment and the audio data flows assigned to the third group are attenuated differently than the audio data flows assigned to the first group for the first time segment; the audio conference device mixing or superimposing the processed received audio data flows to form audio conference data flows; the audio conference device sending the formed audio conference data flows to the communication terminals; and wherein the processing of the audio data flows assigned to the first group, second group, and third group occurs such that a volume of the audio data flows of the first group is higher than a volume of the audio data flows assigned to the second group and the volume of the audio data flows assigned to the second group is higher than a volume of the audio data flows assigned to the third group; and wherein the determining of the number of groups and the determining of which of the groups that the audio data flows are to be assigned for the first time segment is performed by a classification device of the audio conference device and wherein the processing of the first time segment of the received audio data flows is performed by an amplification device of the audio conference device; and for each group, the amplification device attenuating the audio data flows with group specific attenuation based on a number of total audio data flows within the group.