US-12627760-B2 - Semi-global muting

US12627760B2US 12627760 B2US12627760 B2US 12627760B2US-12627760-B2

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed towards a semi-global mute system and method. In one example, a method for muting communication devices includes receiving a message indicating the semi-global mute switch has been activated. The method further includes upon receiving the message: preventing a co-located communication device from receiving the audio signals transmitted from the first audio communication device, permitting the first audio communication device to transmit signals to the remote communication device, and permitting the first audio communication device and the co-located communication device to receive audio signals transmitted from the remote communication device.

Inventors

Elias Koutikas
Rajeshkumar Govindaraj

Assignees

IPC SYSTEMS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240202

Claims (14)

1 . A method for muting communication devices, comprising: receiving, from a first audio communication device having a semi-global mute switch, a message indicating the semi-global mute switch has been activated, the first audio communication device being in communication with a co-located communication device and a remote communication device, wherein a receive port of the co-located communication device for receiving audio signals and a receive port of the first audio communication device for receiving the audio signals are (i) disconnected from a speaker bridge and (ii) connected to a trunk bridge; and upon receiving the message: receiving, by the speaker bridge, the audio signals from the first audio communication device; forwarding, through the speaker bridge, the audio signals to the remote communication device, receiving, by the trunk bridge, second audio signals from the remote communication device, and forwarding, through the trunk bridge, the second audio signals to the receive port of the first audio communication device and the receive port of the co-located communication device; wherein the audio signals are received through a first talk path corresponding to the first audio communication device, the audio signals are forwarded to the remote communication device through a network bridge, and the second audio signals are received through a first receive path connected to the network bridge.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the co-located communication device and the first audio communication device are in acoustic proximity.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first audio communication device and the co-located communication device are in a media management zone.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the remote communication device is external to the media management zone, and the remote communication device is in communication with the media management zone using the network bridge.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the message indicating the semi-global mute switch has been activated further indicates the co-located communication device outputs received audio through one or more speakers.
6 . A system for selectively muting communication devices, the system comprising: a first audio communication device including a semi-global mute switch and a receive port; a co-located communication device including a receive port, wherein the co-located communication device is located within the same audible area as the first audio communication device; a remote communication device; one or more media managers including: a speaker bridge disconnected from the receive port of the co-located communication device and the first receive port of the first audio communication device; a trunk bridge connected to the receive port of the co-located communication device and the first receive port of the first audio communication device; one or more processors; and one or more memory devices coupled to the one or more processors and storing data instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: receive, from the first audio communication device, a message indicating the semi-global mute switch has been activated, the first audio communication device being in communication with the co-located communication device and the remote communication device; upon reception of the message: receive, by the speaker bridge of the one or more media managers, audio signals from the first audio communication device; forward, through the speaker bridge, the audio signals to the remote communication device, receive, by the trunk bridge, second audio signals from the remote communication device, and forward, through the trunk bridge, the second audio signals from the remote communication device to the receive port of the first audio communication device and the receive port of the co-located communication device; wherein the audio signals are received through a first talk path corresponding to the first audio communication device, the audio signals are forwarded to the remote communication device through a network bridge, and the second audio signals are received through a first receive path connected to the network bridge.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the co-located communication device and the first audio communication device are in acoustic proximity.
8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the first audio communication device and the co-located communication device are in a media management zone.
9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the remote communication device is external to the media management zone, and the remote communication device is in communication with the media management zone using the network bridge.
10 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the message indicating the semi-global mute switch has been activated further indicates the co-located communication device outputs received audio through one or more speakers.
11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon one or more sequences of instructions for causing one or more processors to perform: receiving, from a first audio communication device having a semi-global mute switch, a message indicating the semi-global mute switch has been activated, the first audio communication device being in communication with a co-located communication device and a remote communication device, wherein a receive port of the co-located communication device for receiving audio signals and a receive port of the first audio communication device for receiving the audio signals are (i) disconnected from a speaker bridge and (ii) connected to a trunk bridge; and upon receiving the message: receiving, by the speaker bridge, the audio signals from the first audio communication device; forwarding, through the speaker bridge, the audio signals to the remote communication device, receiving, by the trunk bridge, second audio signals from the remote communication device, and forwarding, through the trunk bridge, the second audio signals to the receive port of the first audio communication device and the receive port of the co-located communication device; wherein the audio signals are received through a first talk path corresponding to the first audio communication device, the audio signals are forwarded to the remote communication device through a network bridge, and the second audio signals are received through a first receive path connected to the network bridge.
12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the co-located communication device and the first audio communication device are in acoustic proximity.
13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the first audio communication device and the co-located communication device are in a media management zone.
14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the remote communication device is external to the media management zone, and the remote communication device is in communication with the media management zone using the network bridge.

Description

BACKGROUND A trading communications system represents a specialized switching infrastructure tailored to grant a relatively small number of users access to a vast array of external lines. This system offers an array of advanced communication functionalities, including hoot-n-holler, push-to-talk, intercom, video capabilities, and large-scale conferencing. A turret device, also referred to simply as a “turret,” serves as the component allowing a user to manage multiple dedicated and active communication lines, facilitating simultaneous communications with multiple parties. Turret devices may incorporate dual handsets, multichannel speaker modules, and support several communication lines. A trading turret device can be implemented either in dedicated hardware, termed a “hard” turret, or in software, known as a “soft” turret. A hard turret typically manifests as a phone-like desktop device equipped with multiple handsets, speakers, and buttons. Conversely, a soft turret exists as a software application that operates on a trader's desktop personal computer (PC) or mobile devices like smartphones. Control of a soft-turret application occurs through the native control interface provided by the computer, including touch screens, styluses, click wheels, or mouse and keyboard inputs. In addition to displaying a graphical representation of the turret on the PC screen, the soft-turret application may also offer voice and presence features. A soft turret can also be implemented by a combination of a PC or mobile device and connected hardware components such as one or more handsets, speakers, and buttons, providing flexibility in its configuration and usage. Trading turret devices include many different audio input and output devices. For example, a trading turret may include a handset, speakers, and/or a headset for either capturing audio or outputting audio received from a separate device. Each of these devices are configured to connect to a communication system or turret to enable voice communication with a remote device. Two basic types of turret calls are known as “handset calls” and “speaker calls”. Handset calls behave similarly to standard telephone calls and can be used to speak to someone else or a group of people in a conference call. An audio data stream comprises both a talk path (also referred to as a transmit channel), which corresponds to an input audio data stream, and a receive path (also referred to as a receive channel), which corresponds to an output audio data stream. This arrangement essentially involves the transmission and reception of audio data, with the transmit channel serving as the pathway for input data and the receive channel handling the output data stream. Speaker calls in a communication device have the receive channel communicatively coupled to a speaker. Speaker Calls involve a push-to-talk (PTT) button which communicatively couples a microphone in a communication device to the transmit channel of a speaker call. In the case where a communication device is connected to multiple speaker calls, there are multiple push-to-talk buttons that can be selected at the same time to connect the microphone of the communication device to the transmit channels of multiple speaker calls. Within trading environments, there are multiple users utilizing communication devices in close physical proximity to each other. These users are referred to herein as internal users because they operate within the same organizational or institutional context, sharing a spatial proximity facilitated by the use of turret devices. The communication devices used by internal users are referred to herein as internal communication devices. An external user is someone who engages in communication with internal users but is situated in a different physical location, preventing direct audible communication without the use of the specified communication devices. The communication devices used by external users are referred to herein as remote communication devices. Internal users of communication devices and systems communicate with external users (e.g., colleagues, clients, reporters, etc.) of other communication devices that are located offsite and physically remote from the trading environment such that the internal users and the one or more external users cannot hear one another speaking without the communications devices. A problem arises if, for example, the internal users want to be able to hear the one or more external users on their speaker device(s) while one of the internal users is talking to the one or more external users, but the internal users do not want their speaker device(s) to broadcast the voice of the talking internal user. For example, one of the internal users activates a talk button on their communications device allowing them to talk to the external user while, at the same time, the external user is talking back to the internal user as part of a conversation between the talking internal user and the