Patent ID: 7783022

Claim:
A method for performing participant identification in a conference of a plurality of participants, comprising the steps of: performing a simple speech algorithm to detect a change in an active participant among a set of the plurality of participants using an endpoint telecommunication unit by the endpoint telecommunication unit whereby the speech algorithm only determines the change in the active participant and not the identity of the active participant; signaling the detected change to a system controller that is providing overall control of a telecommunication switching system which comprises the endpoint telecommunication unit and a conference unit by the endpoint telecommunication unit by transmission of a message whereby the conference unit is combining the audio information from the plurality of participants; transmitting another message by the system controller to the conference unit by the system controller to inform the conference unit of the detected change; and determining in response to the other message the identity of a new active participant of the set of the plurality of participants by the conference unit performing voice recognition to identify the new active participant in response to the signaled change whereby the conference unit processes speech information from only the endpoint telecommunication unit.