Common control of an electronic multi-pod conferencing system

• US 20050286697A1
• 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: Bathurst, Tracy, Lambert, David, Whiteley, Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 7,864,937 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 providing common control of a multi-pod electronic conferencing system. 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

8. A pod intended for use in a multi-pod 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;

a connection facility for connecting to a incoming audio channel and an outgoing audio channel;

an incoming audio sampler configured to sample the incoming audio channel;

for said microphones, at least one microphone sampler;

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

a driver for injecting an audio signal into the outgoing audio stream channel, said injection adding to and preserving the sound on the outgoing channel, and

wherein said pod is operable to communicate keypress information to said network whereby an action associated with a keypress may be taken by the entire system.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein said pod is operable to propagate a command to other connected pods based on a keypress action.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein said pod is operable to receive a command to change volume and accordingly change the volume at said loudspeaker of said pod.

11. A system according to claim 8, wherein said pod is operable to receive a command to mute and accordingly mute the outgoing audio stream produced at said pod.

12. A system according to claim 8, wherein said pod is operable to receive a command to enable operation, and further operable to enable operation of the pod.

13. A system according to claim 8, wherein said pod is operable to receive a command to disable operation, and further operable to disable operation of the pod.

14. A method of operating a multi-pod conferencing system, the system comprising a network of pods, each pod including at least one microphone, a speaker and an input device;

each pod further including facilities for communication of input indications and commands with the pod, the system further comprising a connection facility for connecting to a carrier medium on which audio signals may be carried, the method comprising the steps of;

receiving inputs from local participants at a pod;

sending keypress information to the system by the input receiving pod corresponding to the received input;

interpreting the keypress information, said interpreting producing a command;

propagating the command to each of the pods of the network;

at each pod of the network, executing the propagated command.

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

a network of pods, said network comprising a plurality of pods, each of said pods including at least one loudspeaker and one microphone, each of said pods further including an input device operable to receive commands from users, 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;

an incoming audio channel;

an outgoing audio channel;

wherein during a conference said pods are operable to contribute sound input from pod microphones to said outgoing audio channel, and wherein said pods are operable to produce an audio signal transferred through said incoming audio channel at said loudspeakers that may be heard at an appreciable distance from said pods; and

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.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein a input at said input device of any of said pods initiates an action at all of said pods.

3. A system according to claim 2, 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.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein an input at said input device of any of said pods indicating mute causes all of said pods to mute.

5. A system according to claim 2, wherein an input at said input device of any of said pods indicating a change of on/off hook status causes all of said pods to become enabled or disabled, and further causes said connection facility to go on or off hook.

6. A system according to claim 5, further comprising a base unit containing said connection facility and further connected to said incoming audio channel and said outgoing audio channel, and wherein an input at said input device of any of said pods indicating a change of on/off hook status causes said connection facility to go on or off hook.

7. A system according to claim 1, comprising:

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.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the input is a indication to go on-hook;

the command is a command to enable operation of the pods for a conference; and

execution of the propagated command enables all pods of the network.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the input is a indication to go off-hook;

the command is a command to disable operation of the pods for a conference; and

the execution of the command disables all pods of the network.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the input is a indication to mute or unmute;

the command is a command to set mute operation; and

the execution of the command sets the the mute operation of all the pods of the network to the same setting.

16-1. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the input is a indication to increase or decrease volume;

the command is a command to set volume; and

the execution of the command sets the volume all pods of the network to the same setting.