Systems and methods for managing the gating of microphones in a multi-pod conference system

• US 20050286696A1
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clearone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ClearOne Communications Inc. (Clearone Incorporated)
• Inventors: Owen, Carrie, Bathurst, Tracy A., Lambert, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,916,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/082 using echo cancellers echo cancellers per se H04B3/23

Abstract

Disclosed herein are electronic conferencing systems that support audio conversations between local and remote participants. Further disclosed herein are methods for selecting microphones to gate on and multi-pod systems that utilize those methods. Detailed information on various example embodiments of the inventions are provided in the Detailed Description below, and the inventions are defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A full-duplex electronic conferencing system, comprising:

a network of pods, said network comprising a plurality of pods, each pod including at least one loudspeaker and one microphone, said network further interconnecting said pods and providing for data transfer between pods;

a connection facility for connecting to a carrier medium;

an echo canceller, said canceller operable to reduce the sound produced by the speakers of said plurality of pods from the outgoing audio stream;

wherein during a conference said pods are operable to contribute sound input from pod microphones to an outgoing audio stream, wherein said pods are operable to produce sound by said loudspeakers that may be heard at an appreciable distance from said pods;

wherein each of said pods periodically computes an internal loudness measurement;

wherein each of said pods sends and receives loudness information to and from other pods of said network; and

wherein each of said pod operates to gate on and off using the internal loudness measurement and received loudness information from other pods.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said network is configured in a daisy-chain topology.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein each pod compares the loudness received from adjoining pods to the internal loudness measurement, and propagates the larger of the two.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein each pod is permitted to gate on only if the internal loudness measurement exceeds a noise floor value by a selected amount.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein each pod is permitted to gate on only if the internal loudness measurement exceeds the noise floor value by a selected amount for a selected period of time.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the noise floor value is computed dynamically.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein each pod is permitted to gate off if the received loudness exceeds the internal loudness by a selected amount for a selected period of time.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein each pod includes a plurality of microphones, and further wherein each pod continually considers the best microphone to gate using a periodic computation when in operation.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein each of said pods is further operable to communicate keypress information to said network whereby an action associated with a keypress may be taken by the entire system, and further wherein a input at said input device of any of said pods initiates an action at all of said pods.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein a input at said input device of any of said pods indicating a volume change causes a volume change at all of said pods.

11. A pod intended for use in a conference system, said pod comprising:

a transceiver operable to communicate data to and from another pod over a communication medium;

a loudspeaker;

at least one microphone;

at least one processor;

an incoming audio sampler;

for said microphones, at least one microphone sampler;

at least one loudspeaker driver for driving audio from said loudspeaker such that the driven audio may be heard at an appreciable distance from said loudspeaker;

a driver for injecting an audio signal into an outgoing audio stream carrier;

wherein said pod computes an internal loudness measurement;

wherein said pod sends and receives loudness information to and from another pod by way of said transceiver; and

wherein said pod operates to gate on and off using the internal loudness measurement and received loudness information.

12. A pod according to claim 11, further comprising a second transceiver, whereby said pod may communicate with and transfer loudness information between two other pods.

13. A pod according to claim 12, wherein said pod compares the loudness received from adjoining pods to the internal loudness measurement, and propagates the larger of the two.

14. A pod according to claim 11, wherein said pod is permitted to gate on only if the internal loudness measurement exceeds a noise floor value by a selected amount.

15. A pod according to claim 14, wherein each pod is permitted to gate on only if the internal loudness measurement exceeds the noise floor value by a selected amount for a selected period of time.

16. A pod according to claim 15, wherein the noise floor value is computed dynamically.

17. A pod according to claim 11, wherein said pod is permitted to gate off if the received loudness exceeds the internal loudness by a selected amount for a selected period of time.

18. A pod according to claim 11, wherein said pod includes a plurality of microphones, and further wherein said pod continually considers the best microphone to gate using a periodic computation when in operation.

19. A pod intended for use in a conference system, said pod comprising:

a transceiver operable to communicate data to and from another pod over a communication medium;

a loudspeaker;

a plurality of microphones;

at least one processor;

an incoming audio sampler;

for said microphones, at least one microphone sampler;

at least one loudspeaker driver for driving audio from said loudspeaker such that the driven audio may be heard at an appreciable distance from said loudspeaker;

a driver for injecting an audio signal into an outgoing audio stream carrier;

a second transceiver, whereby said pod may communicate with and transfer loudness information between two other pods;

wherein said pod computes an internal loudness measurement;

wherein said pod sends and receives loudness information to and from another pod by way of said transceiver;

wherein said pod compares the loudness received from adjoining pods to the internal loudness measurement, and propagates the larger of the two; and

wherein said pod operates to gate on and off using the internal loudness measurement and received loudness information;

wherein said pod is permitted to gate on only if the internal loudness measurement exceeds a noise floor value by a selected amount for a selected period of time;

wherein the noise floor value is computed dynamically;

wherein said pod is permitted to gate off if the received loudness exceeds the internal loudness by a selected amount for a selected period of time; and

wherein said pod continually considers the best microphone to gate using a periodic computation when in operation.

20. A method of gating an electronic conferencing system, the system comprising a network of pods, each pod including at least one microphone and a processor, the system further comprising a connection facility for connecting to a carrier medium on which audio signals may be carried, comprising the steps of:

connecting to the carrier medium, whereby incoming audio signals may be delivered to each pod in the network, and further whereby outgoing audio signals produced by the network of pods may be delivered to the carrier medium;

for each pod, sampling the microphone;

determining loudness values at each of the pods;

distributing loudness information through the network of pods, the loudness information including loudness values determined at the pods;

comparing at each of the pods the external loudness of the network and the internal loudness of the pod;

for each pod, maintaining a state of gating on or off;

at various times for each pod gated off, performing a first computation to determine whether to remain off or to gate on;

at various times for each pod gated on, performing a second computation to determine whether to remain on or gate off; and

disconnecting to the carrier medium.

21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

receiving loudness information from adjoining pods of the network;

comparing the loudness information against the internal loudness; and

propagating the greater of the internal loudness and the loudness of the loudness information to at least a part of the network.

22. A method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of computing a noise floor value.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein in the first computation a decision to gate on only occurs if the internal loudness exceeds the noise floor value by a selected amount.

24. A method according to claim 22, wherein each pod is permitted to gate off if the received loudness exceeds the internal loudness by a selected amount for a selected period of time.

25. A method according to claim 20, wherein each pod includes a plurality of microphones, and wherein the method further comprises the step of selecting a microphone from the plurality of microphones to output to the system.