Voice processing interface for a teleconference system

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A teleconferencing system that uses voice processing to connect callers to teleconferences and guide callers through teleconferencing functions without operator intervention comprising:

a memory comprising teleconference information which identifies a teleconference to be held, and a name database comprising a spoken name of at least one caller to the teleconference, said spoken name indexed by a caller's identification;

a switching matrix for selectively connecting telephone trunk lines, to which callers to the teleconference are coupled, for receipt of incoming voice signals from the telephone trunk lines to which callers to the teleconference are coupled and output of voice signals to the telephone trunk lines to which callers to the teleconference are coupled;

a plurality of digital signal processors (DSPs) coupled to said switching matrix for mixing a plurality of audio signals received on said trunk lines to provide teleconferencing among a plurality of callers, wherein the plurality of callers teleconferenced become teleconference attendees;

a system controller coupled to the memory and the switching matrix, said controller generating audio prompts to the callers and to the attendees to guide the callers and attendees in the operation of the teleconferencing system, one of said audio prompts requesting a caller's identification to be entered prior to be admitted to a teleconference, and, in response to an entered caller's identification, said controller retrieving the spoken name from the memory indexed by the caller's identification and generating an announcement to the attendees of the teleconference using the retrieved spoken name, said announcement announcing that the caller is to join the conference, said switching matrix causing the announcement to be output on the trunk lines such that the attendees receive the announcement.

2. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said memory further comprises a teleconferencing list that identifies attendees to the teleconference, and said controller, responsive to a DTMF signal initiated by one of said attendees, reading the teleconferencing list to determine the caller identification of each of the attendees, retrieving the spoken name of each of the attendees from the name database based upon the caller identification, and announcing to the attendee a roll call playing the spoken name of each of the attendees of said teleconference.

3. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said memory further comprises a teleconferencing list that identifies attendees to the teleconference, said system controller, prior to said caller being connected to said teleconference to become an attendee, and responsive to a DTMF signal initiated by the caller, reads the teleconferencing list to determine the caller identification of each of the attendees, retrieves the spoken name of each of the attendees from the name database and generates an announcement to the caller comprising a roll call playing the spoken name of each of the attendees of said teleconference.

4. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said memory further comprises a teleconferencing list that identifies attendees to the teleconference, said system controller detecting when one of said attendees disconnects from said teleconference, reading the teleconferencing list to determine the caller identification of the disconnected attendee, retrieving the spoken name of the disconnected attendee, and announcing to attendees remaining in said teleconference the identity of said disconnected attendee.

5. The teleconferencing system of claim 4, wherein announcement of the disconnected attendee is selectively enabled.

6. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein announcement of callers connecting to the teleconference is selectively enabled.

7. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said system controller, responsive to a DTMF signal generated by an attendee, determines which of said attendees is currently speaking, retrieves the spoken name of the attendee from the name database and generates an announcement providing the spoken name of the attendee who is currently speaking.

8. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said system controller generates audio prompts to a teleconference organizer to prompt the teleconference organizer to enter teleconference information regarding a teleconference to be scheduled, said system controller causing the teleconference information entered to be stored in the memory.

9. The teleconferencing system of claim 8, wherein said system controller further prompts the teleconference organizer to specify if the teleconference is to be recorded.

10. The teleconferencing system of claim 8, wherein said system controller further prompts the teleconference organizer to speak a meeting name, said system storing the meeting name in memory, wherein the system can generate an announcement of the meeting name to a caller to confirm joining a teleconference.

11. The teleconferencing system of claim 8, wherein said system controller prompts the teleconference organizer to enter a password corresponding to said teleconference to be scheduled, said system controller connecting callers to the scheduled teleconference after the callers enter said password.

12. The teleconferencing system of claim 8, wherein said system controller prompts the teleconference organizer to provide a start time and end time of the teleconference to be scheduled.

13. The teleconferencing system of claim 8, wherein said system controller further prompts the teleconference organizer to specify which of said attendees are allowed to speak and be heard by the other attendees.

14. The teleconferencing system of claim 8, wherein said system prompts said teleconference organizer for an agenda of the teleconference, said system controller, responsive to a subsequent DTMF signal entered by a requesting caller or a requesting attendee, generates an announcement to the requesting caller or requesting attendee comprising the agenda.

15. The teleconferencing system of claim 1 wherein said system controller prompts a conference attendee to enter a DTMF signal to lock said teleconference, wherein subsequent callers are not connected to said teleconference once said teleconference is locked.

16. The teleconferencing system of claim 15, wherein if the teleconference is locked, and a subsequent caller wishes to join the teleconference, said system controller generates an audio prompt to the conference attendees that the subsequent caller wishes to join the teleconference and to enter a DTMF signal to indicate whether to permit the caller to join the teleconference, wherein the conference attendees can select whether to permit the subsequent caller to join the teleconference.

17. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises audio data of a spoken meeting name, said system in response to a caller entering in a meeting identification, generating an announcement using the spoken meeting name to confirm to a caller that a valid meeting identification has been entered.

18. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said system controller, responsive to a DTMF signal entered by a requesting attendee, disconnects a last conference attendee to join the teleconference.

19. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein if said caller's identification is not found in the name database said caller is identified as a guest, said system controller generating audio prompts to prompt the guest to speak his name; the system controller storing the spoken name of the guest temporarily in memory for retrieval during the teleconference.

20. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said system controller generates, a predetermined amount of time prior to an end time of the teleconference, an audio prompt to said attendees comprising a warning that the teleconference will end at the expiration of the predetermined amount of time.

21. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, said system controller, responsive to a DTMF signal generated by one of said attendees, initiating recording of said teleconference for storage in said memory.

22. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, said system controller, responsive to a DTMF signal generated by a requesting attendee, instructing said switching matrix and DSPs to temporarily disconnect the requesting attendee from the teleconference, and permitting said requesting attendee to call an outside party, said system controller, responsive to a second DTMF signal generated by the requesting attendee subsequent to being temporarily disconnected from the teleconference, rejoining said requesting attendee and said outside party to the teleconference.

23. The teleconferencing system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said DSPs further compresses voice data of the spoken name to be stored in the memory and decompresses the spoken name retrieved from the memory.

24. A teleconferencing system, comprising:

line cards connected to telephone trunk lines, signals representative of callers to a teleconference coming to said system over said telephone trunk lines;

a switching matrix coupled to the line cards for selectively connecting callers such that the connected callers are attendees of the teleconference and the attendees can audibly communicate with each other in real-time;

a plurality of digital signal processors (DSPs) coupled to said switching matrix for mixing voice signals of attendees such that the attendees hear the mixed signals, said DSPs further detecting DTMF signals on said trunk lines;

a memory for storing pre-recorded audio prompts;

a system controller coupled to the memory, line cards, switching matrix and DSPs, said system controller controlling the switching matrix, DSPs and line cards to establish a teleconference, said system controller responsive to predetermined DTMF signals detected by the DSPs to cause the switching matrix, line cards and DSPs to initiate a subconference between a subset of attendees of the teleconference, and said system controller retrieving pre-recorded prompts for playback to the attendees for prompting the attendees to move between said teleconference and said subconference.

25. The teleconferencing system of claim 24, wherein a plurality of subconferences are conducted during said teleconference, said DSPs mixing voice signals of subconference attendees of each subconference to provide subconferenced mixed signals to subconference attendees.

26. The teleconferencing system of claim 25, wherein said system controller assigns a subconference number and an attendee enters DTMF signals representative of said subconference number to join the subconference, said system controller responsive to the DTMF signals causing the attendee to join the subconference.

27. The teleconferencing system of claim 24, wherein said subconference attendees are rejoined with said teleconference when said subconference is terminated.

28. The teleconferencing system of claim 24, wherein said system controller prompts an attendee for a password before access to said subconference is granted.

29. The teleconferencing system of claim 24, wherein said voice subsystem responsive to a first DTMF signal announces a roll call identifying each attendee of said subconference.

30. The teleconferencing system of claim 24, wherein said system controller generates an announcement identifying each attendee who joins said subconference.

31. The teleconferencing system of claim 24, wherein said voice subsystem announces an identity of each attendee who leaves said subconference.

32. The teleconferencing system of claim 24 wherein said system controller further comprises a means for locking said subconference to deny access of subsequent attendees to said subconference.

33. The teleconferencing system of claim 32, wherein if the subconference is locked, and a subsequent attendee wishes to join the subconference, said system controller generates an audio prompt to the subconference attendees that the subsequent attendee wishes to join the subconference and to enter a DTMF signal to indicate whether to permit the subsequent attendee to join the subconference, wherein the conference attendees can select whether to permit the subsequent attendee to join the subconference.

34. The teleconferencing system of claim 24, wherein said system controller further comprising a means for detecting which of said attendees of said subconference is currently speaking and announcing the identity of that attendee.

35. The teleconferencing system of claim 24, wherein said system controller generates voice prompts to prompt a subconference organizer to identify certain subconference attendees that are prohibited from being heard by other subconference attendees.

36. The teleconferencing system of claim 24, said system controller further comprising a means responsive to a DTMF signal to initiate recording of said subconference, said recording stored in the memory.

37. The teleconferencing system of claim 24, said system controller, responsive to a DTMF signal indicating that a requesting