Abstract: An I/O unit includes a plurality of ports, a mixer includes processing channels, and the mixer and the I/O unit are interconnected via a network. The mixer stores channel data per processing channel. The channel data includes virtual port data for indirectly controlling signal processing of a port to which the channel is patched. The I/O unit stores real port data for controlling a signal processing in a corresponding port per port. In response to a connection instruction, one port and processing channels are interconnected, and real port data of the one port connected with the processing channels is set to a value of virtual port data being maintained for the processing channels.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for presenting content to a caller and/or a called party in association with a telephone call or other communication connection. Content may be presented pre-ring (before the called party's telephone rings), in-call, and/or post-call. Content presented to a party may be related to another party participating in the call or may be related to a third party. Presented content may be actuable, and allow a caller to change the destination of a call, take advantage of an offer presented to him, redeem a coupon, schedule or queue a subsequent call, etc. To find a desired destination party, a caller may initiate a manual or automatic search of his local contacts (on his telephone) and/or a central or global directory or contact list. Presentation of specified content may include assisted sharing, wherein both parties view the same content and one guides or assists the other.

Abstract: A group-aware, current limited amplifier system including a group brownout control bus and a number of current-limited amplification channels coupled to the group brownout control bus. In an example embodiment, each current-limited amplification channel includes an amplifier, an amplifier power supply developing a current level signal that represents the amount of current being drawn by the amplifier, a brownout controller responsive to a digital audio input, the group brownout control bus, and the current level signal, and operative to develop a control signal; and an audio digital-to-analog (D/A) converter responsive to the digital audio input and to the control signal and operative to develop an analog audio output that is coupled to an input of the amplifier.

Abstract: A multi-membrane microphone including an audio processing circuit is disclosed. The membranes are configured to output to a plurality of amplifiers a plurality of sensing signals in response to sound. The amplifiers in turn create amplified signals by amplifying the sensing signals and introduce a plurality of offsets into the amplified signals, respectively. The audio processing circuit includes a controller that sequentially measures the offset for each amplifier a corresponding membrane is inactive and stores the offset. The controller also compensates each amplified signal by the corresponding offset during operation of the multi-membrane microphone.

Abstract: Users are provided control of their communications. Should a call be processed for a user, a text message may be automatically sent as a response to the call. The user may pre-compose different text messages. The user may also compose a custom text message. Regardless, the user's text message is automatically sent as a response to the call.

Abstract: A process and apparatus to facilitate communication between callers and callees in a system comprising a plurality of nodes with which callers and callees are associated is disclosed. In response to initiation of a call by a calling subscriber, a caller identifier and a callee identifier are received. Call classification criteria associated with the caller identifier are used to classify the call as a public network call or a private network call. A routing message identifying an address, on the private network, associated with the callee is produced when the call is classified as a private network call and a routing message identifying a gateway to the public network is produced when the call is classified as a public network call.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of applying user profile information to a customized application are disclosed. One example method of operation may include receiving an inquiry message or call from a user device, identifying and authorizing the user from inquiry message information received from the inquiry message, retrieving a user profile comprising at least one user preference, applying the at least one user preference to a user call processing application, and transmitting menu options to the user device based on the applied at least user preference.

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, methods, and software for bodily function sound anonymization.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for customizing audio signal processing for a user by a mobile device is provided. The method includes identifying hearing characteristics of the user by testing hearing abilities of the user, by the mobile device, at a plurality of frequencies; adjusting a dynamic range of each of the plurality of frequencies based on the hearing characteristics; processing a decoded audio signal based on the adjusted dynamic range of each of the plurality of frequencies; and outputting the processed audio signal.

Abstract: Methods and systems for processing messages and providing notifications regarding the same are described. An optional embodiment includes a telecommunications interface, a data network interface, and an answering system coupled to the telecommunications interface and the data network interface, the call processing system configured to receive a first call from a caller via the telecommunications interface, store a message from the caller, transmit a message notification using the data network to the intended recipient of the call via which the intended recipient can access the message, and transmit information related to the intended recipient's receipt of the message.

Abstract: A method of noise suppression in a hearing aid system by providing an improved noise estimate derived from the difference of a first digital audio signal provided by a first input transducer and an adaptively filtered second digital audio signal provided by a second input transducer. The invention further provides a hearing aid (100, 200) and a hearing aid system (300 and 400) adapted for improving noise suppression in accordance with this method.

Abstract: A conferencing system includes a near-eye display device that displays video received from a remote communication device of a communication partner. An audio stream is transmitted to the remote communication device. The audio stream includes real-world sounds produced by one or more real-world audio sources captured by a spatially-diverse microphone array and virtual sounds produced by one or more virtual audio sources. A relative volume of background sounds in the audio stream is selectively reduced based, at least in part, on real-world positioning of corresponding audio sources, including real-world and/or virtualized audio sources.

Abstract: A conference device receives and transmits at least one of images and voice via a communication network. The conference device includes a housing having an upper wall; and an operating unit installed on the upper wall. The operating unit includes a first operating member group made up of a plurality of operating members, and at least one different operating member that has a lower frequency of usage as compared to each of the plurality of operating members of the first operating member group. The plurality of operating members of the first operating member group are arranged in a first direction along a top face of the upper wall. The at least one different operating member is disposed, along with one of the plurality of operating members of the first operating member group, in a second direction that runs along the top face and that intersects with the first direction.

Abstract: A loudspeaker assembly linked to a amplifier includes a loudspeaker assembly having a housing having a top wall, a bottom wall, and four side walls in which a high frequency driver and a midrange driver are mounted. The loudspeaker assembly further includes a transceiver and associated microprocessor. The amplifier is linked to the loudspeaker assembly. The amplifier includes a transceiver and associated microprocessor. The transceiver of the loudspeaker assembly is paired with the transceiver of the amplifier for the exchange of information with the amplifier.

Abstract: Environmental sound is captured and mapped. Application of a large number of mobile communication terminals embodied as a data supplier leads to extensive, automatic and continual mapping of environmental sound. For sites that are visited relatively frequently and by a plurality of subscribers, a relatively large quantity of remotely transmitted data records for the environmental sound is obtained informally, which permits a more precise depiction of the environmental noise. Commercially available mobile communication terminals may be augmented using simple measures in order to communicate with a central or local mapping system or mapping service directly or indirectly.

Abstract: Methods, systems, computer readable media, and apparatuses for voice data transcription are provided. Packets that include voice data may be received and for each time that a threshold amount of voice data is received, a segment of voice data may be created and transcribed to text. A message that includes the transcribed text may then be transmitted to an intended recipient of the voice data, to allow the intended recipient to view the message prior to transcription of the remaining segments of the voice data. Additionally, subsequent to transmission of the message, another message may be transmitted that includes text transcribed from a different segment of the voice data.

Abstract: An approach is described for providing shared trunking between a telephony gateway and an end office switch. The telephony gateway processes a packetized voice call, and interfaces a shared trunk to an end office switch (e.g., Class 5 switch) configured to switch calls over a circuit-switched telephone network. The trunk utilizes out-of-band signaling (e.g., Primary Rate Interface (PRI) signaling) in support of call establishment or teardown of the packetized voice call.

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, methods, and software for bodily function sound anonymization.

Abstract: A noise reducing sound reproduction system and method may be operable with an input signal supplied to a loudspeaker by which it is acoustically radiated. The signal radiated by the loudspeaker may be received by a microphone that is acoustically coupled to the loudspeaker via a secondary path and that provides a microphone output signal. From the microphone output signal a useful-signal can be subtracted to generate a filter input signal. The filter input signal is filtered in an active noise reduction filter to generate an error signal, and the useful-signal is subtracted from the error signal to generate the loudspeaker input signal. In addition, the useful-signal is filtered by one or more spectrum shaping filters prior to subtraction from the microphone output signal or the loudspeaker input signal or both.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a call signal associated with an incoming communication at a first device. The method includes sending a request to a second device to store a voice message at a network storage device. The second device is configured to store the voice message associated with the incoming communication based on the incoming communication being unanswered by the first device.