Muting conference call hold music

A switching system that provides conference call functionality can mute music played into the conference call by the muting of a conference call participant. The muting of conference call music can be accomplished by controlling the switch's connection to a music on hold source or by controlling the music on hold device.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates generally to telecommunications systems and more particularly to conference calling features.

BACKGROUND

“Conference calls” as they are known allow three or more parties to a single telephone call to talk to each other at the same time and are known to be highly effective in allowing a group of people to confer with each other simultaneously. Conference calls are usually set up by one party being a “host” who has access to a switching system having the ability to conference other callers together. A conference call is usually set up by the parties dialing a telephone number and entering an access code.

Often times, a participant to a conference call dials into such a call from a switching system that will allow the participant to the conference call to place his connection in a “hold” status, by which the caller temporarily disconnects himself or herself from the conference call. A relatively well-known feature of such a local switching system is the transmission of background music or audio to a connection when a person has placed his connection status on hold. In other words, when a party to a conference call places himself on hold, the switching system through which that party connected him to the conference call will sometimes place music or other background audio into the conference call to the detriment of the other call's participants.

When a participant to a multi-party conference call temporarily drops out of a call and into a “hold” status, the substitution of that party's connection with music or other background music can interfere with the remaining party's effective use of the conference call, Thus, a need exists for a method and apparatus by which music or other background audio that might be transmitted into a conference call by a switch or switching system when a participant goes on hold, can be shut off by one or more of the remaining participants.

SUMMARY

The invention in one implementation encompasses an apparatus for muting the music or other background audio transmitted into a conference call when a participant to the call goes on hold. (For purposes of brevity, as used hereinafter, the term “music” should be considered to mean all types and forms of audio transmitted into a conference call when a party goes on hold.)

The apparatus comprises a switching system that receives one or more commands or signal from a remaining conference call participant and thereafter sends a separate and different command or signal to the source of the conference call music to shut off the music. In another embodiment, the apparatus comprises a switching system that routes a command or signal from a remaining conference call participant to a conference call music-on-hold music source which causes the music-on-hold source to shut off the music.

Another implementation of the invention encompasses a method of recognizing a command or signal from a conference call participant, which causes a source of music to stop sending music into a conference call. In one embodiment, there is provided an apparatus comprising a teleconferencing switching system for conferencing together at the same time, three or more parties to a conference call. The teleconferencing switching system is comprised of a switch fabric that receives information-bearing signals from each of a plurality of callers and which re-transmits information-bearing signals it receives to each caller of said plurality of callers in order to allow the parties to the call to communication with each other.

A computer that is coupled to and which controls the telecommunications switch fabric is also coupled to a computer storage media that stores storing computer program instructions that cause the computer to receive and recognize a first control signal from one of a conference call participant. The first control signal is recognized by the computer as a command to shut off music transmitted into the switch fabric from another system. Accordingly, a second control signal is sent to the local switching system of a party to the conference call who went on hold and which thereby caused the transmission of music into the conference call. The second control signal causes the music-on-hold to be shut off.

In another embodiment, there is provided a method for managing background audio signals sent by a party's switching system when a party goes on hold. The method includes detecting a first audio signal provided to the conference call by a first party's temporary disconnection from the conference call. Thereafter, a control signal is transmitted to the first party's switching system that causes the first party's switching system to suspend transmission of the first audio signal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning toFIG. 1, an apparatus10in one embodiment comprises a switching network10having a terminating switch22that provides conference call capability to several different parties or callers12,14,16and18. As shown in this figure, a first a terminating switching system22couples each of the callers12,14,16and18to a switch fabric or switching network, not shown but well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The switch fabric, which is also sometimes referred to as a conference call bridge, is switching circuitry through which each of the callers12,14,16and18are able to communicate with each other. The terminating switch22also provides a signaling pathway between the callers12,14,16and18such that conference call control signals that a caller sends to the terminating switch22, are routed by the terminating switch22to either a caller or another device in the switching network10.

It is important to note that one caller12is considered to be and is referred to herein as the conference call “host.” As shown in the figure, the host12is coupled to the terminating switch22by an originating switch13and is the party to the conference call who set up the call, takes down or terminates the call and controls the call, which takes place through the terminating switch via commands that the host12sends to the terminating switch22through the originating switch13.

In the course of a conference call, when one of the callers, e.g., the caller identified by reference numeral14for example, sends a signal to the terminating switch22that he or she wishes his connection to the call to be placed into a “hold” status, that particular caller does so by sending a first control signal to the terminating switch22, which instructs the terminating switch22to temporarily suspend or mute that caller's (14) connection to the conference call that is currently being conducted through the terminating switch22. A control signal to the terminating switch22from the caller14that the terminating switch22should mute the caller14connection can take many different forms, including but not limited to, one or more dual-tone, multi-frequency (DTMF) signals generated by the keypad on the caller14telephone. The control signal can also be embodied in one or more TCP/IP data packets sent to the terminating switch via e-mail or even one or more spoken words uttered by the caller14and recognized by voice recognition software running on a computer26, which monitors the call's progress through the terminating switch22.

When this first control signal from the caller14to the terminating switch22is received at the terminating switch22, the switch fabric within the terminating switch22routes the signal to the aforementioned computer26, which is programmed to recognize the first control signal as one by which the terminating switch22will place the caller14on hold. In the network10shown inFIG. 1, a control signal to place a caller14on hold will cause a music-on-hold (MOH) source25to routed into the conference call in place of the caller14who instructed the switching network22to place his connection on hold.

When the computer26controlling the terminating switch22causes the MOH source25to be connected to the conference call, all of the other call's participants will hear the music that originates from the MOH source25. If the event that remaining call participants12,16and18wish to suspend or terminate the transmission of music from the MOH source25into the conference call, in one embodiment of the network10, one or more of the remaining participants12,16and18can send a second control signal to the terminating switch22, which the computer26is programmed to recognize as a control signal that will causing the terminating switch22to suspend transmission of an first audio signal into the conference call by either disconnecting the MOH source25from the switch fabric or which will cause the MOH source25to shut off.

The control signals to mute conference call music can be sent from the callers using in-band signals, i.e., audio tones. Signals between the switching system equipment can be sent in-band or out-of-band, such as by way of SS7signaling messages.

As can be seen inFIG. 1, the computer26is operatively coupled to and controls the terminating switch22as well as all of the switching circuitry within the terminating switch22including telecommunications switch fabric within the terminating switch22. As can also be seen inFIG. 1, the computer26is coupled to storage media28, which can be embodied as one or more magnetic or optical disk drives, magnetic tape or semiconductor memory.

As is well known in the computer art, instructions stored in memory imbue a processor or computer26with the ability to perform various functions. InFIG. 1, computer program instructions stored in the storage media28imbue the computer26with the ability to receive audio and other control signals that originate from the parties or callers12,14,16and18, each of which is directly or indirectly coupled to the terminating switch22. Switching circuitry within the terminating switch22enables the signals from the callers to be routed to the conference call participants.

Computer program instructions stored in the media28enable the computer to recognize audio or other data signals as being a signal to place a caller on hold. Yet other instructions in the storage media28enable the computer26to recognize a second signal as one by which the computer26should disconnect a MOH source from the conference call in progress between the callers.

Turning toFIG. 2, a second embodiment of an apparatus comprises a switching network10having a switch fabric22that provides or hosts a conference call to several different parties or callers12,14,16and18. As shown in this figure, the switch fabric22is operatively coupled to the aforementioned computer26, which controls the switch fabric22, but inFIG. 2, the source of music when a caller is placed on hold, is a music on hold device27that is part of the switching equipment23by which one of the callers14accesses the switch fabric22as well as other switching systems. Put another way, inFIG. 2, the MOH device27is part of the switching equipment23, including a private branch exchange (PBX) by which the caller14makes telephone calls.

Unlike the embodiment shown inFIG. 1, inFIG.2, the placement of a first caller on hold is accomplished by the first caller's PBX29. InFIG. 2, the PBX29informs the switch fabric22and its controlling computer26that the caller14is going on hold. The PBX29then routes music from the MOH device27into the conference call circuitry in the switch fabric22.

Similar to the embodiment shown inFIG. 1, when a first caller14goes on hold and his switching equipment23places music into the conference call, the computer26controlling the conference call can mute the music in two different ways.

When music is heard by the remaining participants12,16and18, or perhaps detected by the computer26, the computer26can mute the music by either suspending incoming audio signals from the first caller14, or, the computer26can send a signal to the PBX29or the MOH device27that instructs the PBX29to sever the connection to the MOH device27or which instructs the MOH device27to shut off the music. Yet another way to mute music on hold is for the remaining conference call participants to instruct the computer26to mute the music by sending the aforementioned commands to either the switch fabric22or the PBX29.

For purposes of clarity,FIG. 3briefly and simply illustrates the process of placing music on hold, into a conference call. InFIG. 3, a conference call participant30sends a control signal to the program or software running in a switching system (not shown inFIG. 3) that controls call processing. Such a control signal to the call control process32in a switching system triggers a signal34to a second program36that controls the transmission of music on hold. The music on hold software36sends a control signal38to switching system hardware, also known as a conference call bridge, which causes a physical connection to be made to a source of music or other background audio signals, which are then routed into the conference call.

With the foregoing in mind, reference is now made toFIG. 4, which displays the steps of a method40for managing background audio signals, such as music, which are sent into a switching system when a party to a conference call goes on hold.

FIG. 4includes a first step42of dialing into the conference call switching system, such as the terminating switch22ofFIG. 1or the switch fabric22ofFIG. 2. As shown in this figure, in step44, the switch22directs the call to a conference bridge, which is not shown inFIG. 1or2but which can be considered to be any sort of switching systems or network by which multiple parties are placed into conference call together. In step46, the conference bridge sends an answer signal to the switch22, which in turn makes a connection48for the caller14into the conference bridge.

In step50, the caller14sends a “hold” signal to the switch22, notifying the switch that the caller14wishes to place his connection to the bridge on hold. A signal52is sent by the switch22to the MOH source25, which acknowledges the MOH request and plays music or other audio in step54to the switch22and the other participants in step56.

In step60, a mute-music-on-hold signal is sent in step60. As set forth above, a mute-music-on-hold signal can be send by remaining participants12,16,18or autonomously by a computer26controlling the conference call. Note, however, that inFIG. 4, the caller14is shown as sending the mute-music-on-hold signal, which should be considered to be yet another embodiment of the invention disclosed and claimed here.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the signals by which music on hold is initiated and muted can be in-band DTMF signals mentioned above or still other in-band tones. The signals between the computer26and switching systems and signals between switching systems could also be signals that are transmitted over a common channel signaling system, such as the nearly ubiquitous “SS7” signaling channel identified by reference numeral24inFIGS. 1 and 2. The control signals could also be sent using TCP/IP data packets as well.

As for the switch equipment depicted inFIGS. 1 and 2, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognized that the teleconferencing switching systems could be either synchronous or asynchronous switch.

The steps or operations described herein are just examples. There may be many variations to these steps or operations without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, the steps may be performed in a differing order, or steps may be added, deleted, or modified.