System and method for multi-party communication

Abstract

A system and method provides for multi-party communication including engaging a network communication engine from a mobile communication interface and providing a user identification and a location indicator to the network communication engine. The method and system further includes receiving in the mobile communication interface a plurality of communication channels based on at least one of: the user identification and the location indicator and in response to a user selection of a selected communication channel, transmitting a channel engagement request to the network communication engine requesting connection of the user to the selected communication channel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for multi-party communication comprising:
 connecting to a network communication engine from a mobile communication interface operating on a mobile device;   providing a user identification to the network communication engine from the mobile device;   displaying in the mobile communication interface a plurality of communication channels based on the user identification and at least one user preference associated with the user identification, wherein the communication channels are facilitated by the network communication engine for active audio communication between the user identified by the user identification and additional users;   connecting the user to a selected communication channel, the selected communication channel having a channel moderator therein;   facilitating communication between the user and a plurality of the additional users across the selected communication channel, wherein the channel moderator designates the user communication mode including at least one of: open mode, a touch-to-talk mode, and a listen-only mode;   in response to a channel moderator instruction, establishing an original mode for the user entering the communication channel;   receiving another channel moderator instruction for changing the communication mode for the user; and   updating the user communication with the channel based on the change in the communication mode.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the touch-to-talk mode includes user-engagement of the communication interface for opening the channel and providing input communicating thereacross. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 providing a visual display on the mobile communication interface of the active engagement of the plurality of additional users actively engaging communication on to the network such that as each of the users are providing an audio input on to the network the visual display associated with the user illuminates. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 providing a visual display of the communication mode for the user, indicating if the user in the open channel mode, the touch-to-talk mode, or the listen-only mode. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user and the additional users are assigned a reputation score, the method further comprising:
 squelching one or more of the additional users based on the reputation scores assigned to the additional users.