Patent ID: 7061521

Claim:
A conference system, comprising: a communications link coupling a first location to a second location; a first input-output device disposed at the first location, generating a signal from an attorney; a second input-output device disposed at the second location, generating a signal from the attorney's client, the attorney and the client having a relationship protected by the attorney-client privilege; a third input-output device disposed at the first location, generating a signal from a third party; a signal processor disposed in the communications link between the first and second locations, the signal processor routing the signals between the input-output devices at the first and second locations; and a control panel operatively coupled to the signal processor, providing control over the signals routed thereby; wherein the communications link communicatively couples the first, second and third input-output devices to one another, such that each of the input-output devices is configured to receive and play signals from the others of the input-output devices, and wherein the control panel also controls the input-output devices so that a private communication may be established between the first and second input-output devices, at the exclusion of the third input-output device, such that the signals generated by the first and second input-output devices are maintained in confidence and such that the attorney and the attorney's client are permitted to engage in a private communication without vitiating the attorney-client privilege.