CONFERENCE LINK BETWEEN A SPEAKERPHONE AND A VIDEO CONFERENCE UNIT

• US 20080143819A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: VANDER KAM, RICK A., DRELL, DAVID, SEXTON, MARTIN G., BINFORD, DON, KILDAY, CAROLYN, RATCLIFF, JEFF, HESS, MICHAEL J., NIMRI, ALAIN, RODMAN, JEFFREY
• Granted Patent: US 8,004,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• 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 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A conference link between devices in teleconference system at one site is disclosed. The linked devices include video conference units, speakerphones or stand-alone loudspeakers. Audio data can be transmitted through the conference link between devices. Audio data processing can be performed in either a video conference unit or a speakerphone. The microphones and loudspeakers in the video conference unit may be eliminated. The microphones and loudspeakers in the speakerphone are used. Other data, for example directories of dialing information, may also be transmitted through the conference link and the data processing may be allocated among processors in devices connected by conference links. The conference link may be wired or wireless, analog or digital. The devices may be linked by conference link in parallel or series. A dialing program can adapt the dialing stream with the locations of the near end site and the dialed far end site. The dialing program can automatically select a mutually supported network or protocol to establish a connection between two sites.

Claims

1. A method for combining a near end video conference unit and a near end speakerphone at a near end for a teleconference with at least one far end, the method comprising:

connecting the near end video conference unit and the near end speakerphone with a conference link;

picking up audio signals at the near end with microphones of the near end speakerphone;

deriving near end audio signals for transmission to a first far end; and

exchanging audio signals between the near end speakerphone and the near end video conference unit through the conference link.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting the near end video conference unit to the first far end;

the near end video conference unit receiving first far end audio signals;

the near end video conference unit transmitting the first far end audio signals to the near end speakerphone through the conference link; and

reproducing the first far end audio signals through loudspeakers of the near end speakerphone.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disabling microphones and loudspeakers of the near end video conference unit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting the near end speakerphone to the first far end;

receiving first far end audio signals by the near end speakerphone;

transmitting the first far end audio signals to the near end video conference unit through the conference link; and

reproducing the first far end audio signals through loudspeakers of the near end speakerphone.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

the near end video conference unit generating a bass audio signal from the first far end audio signals;

connecting a subwoofer to the near end video conference unit; and

reproducing the bass audio signal through the subwoofer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting the near end video conference unit to the first far end;

the near end video conference unit receiving first far end audio signals;

connecting the near end speakerphone to a second far end;

the near end speakerphone receiving second far end audio signals;

transmitting the first far end audio signals and the second far end audio signals through the conference link;

mixing the first far end audio signals and the second far end audio signals to form a mixed far end signal; and

reproducing the mixed far end audio signals through loudspeakers of the near end speakerphone.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

mixing the second far end audio signals with the near end audio signals to form a second-far-near audio signal;

the near end video conference unit transmitting the second-far-near audio signal to the first far end;

mixing the first far end audio signals with the near end audio signals to form a first-far-near audio signal; and

the near end speakerphone transmitting the first-far-near audio signal to the second far end.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the conference link is a wired link.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the wired link is a three-wire link, with one wire for microphone signal, one wire for loudspeaker signal and one wire for common ground.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the wired link is an Ethernet link.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the wired link is a USB link.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is a wireless link.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless link is a 2.4 GHz radio link.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless link is a Bluetooth link.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless link is an IEEE 802.11 compatible link.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is an analog link.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is a digital link.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting the near end video conference unit to one or more second near end speakerphones with second conference links in parallel; and

exchanging audio signals between one of the second near end speakerphones and the near end video conference unit through the second conference links.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

connecting the near end video conference unit to a subwoofer with a third conference link;

the near end video conference unit generating a bass sound signal;

the near end video conference unit transmitting the bass sound signal to the subwoofer through the third conference link; and

reproducing the bass sound signal in the subwoofer.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting the near end speakerphone unit to one or more third near end speakerphones with fourth conference links in series; and

exchanging audio signals between one of the third near end speakerphones and the near end video conference unit through the near end speakerphone, the fourth conference links, and the first conference link.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting all audio signals via the conference link to the near end video conference unit; and

processing the audio signals by a processor in the near end video conference unit.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting all audio signals via the conference link to the near end speakerphone; and

processing the audio signals by a processor in the near end speakerphone.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting data via the conference link to the near end video conference unit; and

processing the transmitted data by a processor in the near end video conference unit.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting data via the conference link to the near end speakerphone; and

processing the transmitted data by a processor in the near end speakerphone.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting a second speakerphone via a second conference link to the near end speakerphone or the near end video conference unit;

transmitting audio signals via the second conference link to a second processor in the second speakerphone; and

processing the audio signals by the processor in the second speakerphone.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting video signals via the conference link to the near end speakerphone; and

processing the video signals by a processor in the near end speakerphone.