Method and apparatus for determining and utilizing local phone topography

摘要

A method, apparatus and computer program product for determining and utilizing local phone topography is presented. A first signal level for each of a plurality of telephone lines is determined, each of the telephone lines having a telephone of a plurality of telephones associated therewith. A new signal is initiated on another telephone line with an additional telephone. Next, a change in signal level is determined for each of the plurality of telephone lines and, based on the change in signal level for each of the plurality of telephone lines, a determination made regarding which telephones of the plurality of telephones are within a listening distance (also referred to herein as earshot) of the additional telephone. A topography is defined for the telephones and the additional telephone based on the determining which telephones are within a listening distance of the additional telephone.

主权项

1. A computer implemented method of enhancing call quality of a conference call comprising:
determining which telephones of a plurality of telephones are within a listening distance to each other; grouping said telephones based on said determining which telephones of a plurality of telephones are within a listening distance to each other to form a group; identifying participants that should group together in order to reduce load on a bridge used for said conference call, notifying said participants they are to be put into a subgroup, placing said participants in said subgroup; applying a predetermined setting to at least one telephone of said group, wherein said applying a predetermined setting to at least one telephone of said group comprises providing different local mixes to phones that are within a same group, wherein said providing different local mixes comprises moving telephones from a current subgroup to different subgroups; directing a user of said at least one telephone of said group to disconnect from the conference call and share a telephone line with at least one other telephone of said group is selected from the group consisting of: a) placing said user of said at least one telephone of said group in a subgroup with at least one other user of said at least one telephone of said group and reducing a number of said users in said subgroup until a single user remains in said subgroup; b) directing a user of said at least one telephone of said group to disconnect from the conference call, to use a phone line being used by another user in said group, and disconnecting said user of said at least one telephone of said group; c) for a user entering a moderated conference call presenting a moderator with the option of leaving the call as is, ejecting said user, and playing a message to the user then ejecting said user; and d) identifying participants that should group together in order to reduce load on a bridge used for said conference call, notifying said participants they are to be put into a subgroup, placing said participants in said subgroup and requesting that said participants share a phone line.