Patent ID: 8862993

Claim:
A method of controlling an audio output device at a user terminal configured to connect to a communication network and execute a communication client, comprising: establishing a connection between a user of the user terminal and a further user over the communication network, wherein the establishing the connection comprises one of: initiating a call by the user of the user terminal to the further user; or receiving an indication of a call initiated by the further user; determining whether the call initiated by the user of the user terminal or the call initiated by the further user is established, wherein determining whether the call initiated by the user of the user terminal or the call initiated by the further user is established comprises at least receiving a positive indication that the call has been answered by either the user of the user terminal or the further user; and responsive to determining the call initiated by the user of the user terminal or the call initiated by the further user is established: analyzing the status of the audio output device with the communication client thereby determining that the audio output device is in a muted state; and responsive to said determining that the audio output device is in a muted state, controlling the audio output device to deactivate the muted state such that audio information transmitted from the further user via the connection can be heard by the user of the user terminal, wherein the controlling the audio output device further comprises the communication client accessing data stored at the user terminal to determine whether the communication client is permitted to control the audio output device; responsive to determining that the communication client is not permitted to control the audio output device, displaying a notification message in a user interface associated with the communication client effective to indicate that the audio output device is in a muted state; and removing the notification message after a predetermined time period, wherein the notification message comprises a user-operable control configured to deactivate the muted state upon actuation by the user.