Conferencing System Including a Remote Microphone and Method of Using the Same

• US 20150201082A1
• Filed: 01/14/2014
• Published: 07/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Anjie, Zhao, Zibo
• Granted Patent: US 10,469,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/561 by multiplexing

Abstract

A conferencing system and method are disclosed. An exemplary system includes a conference device and one or more user devices. The conference device is configured to receive audio information from one or more user devices. The audio information received by the conference device can be mixed with audio information received by conference device microphones.

Claims

1. A conferencing system comprising:

a conference device comprising a processor, one or more conference device microphones, and a speaker; and

a user device comprising a user device processor, a user client, and a user device microphone, wherein the user device processor encodes audio information for transmission to the conference device, and

wherein the user device is directly coupled to the conference device using a virtual connection.

2. The conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the conference device processor cancels an echo from audio information received from the user device.

3. The conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the user device transmits audio information to the conference device.

4. The conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the virtual connection is an internet protocol connection.

5. The conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the user device encodes the information into VoIP packets.

6. The conferencing system of claim 5, wherein the user device encodes the information into RTP packets.

7. The conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the user device processor comprises an adjustable gain device.

8. The conferencing system of claim 1, further comprising a server coupled to the conference device.

9. The conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the conference device decodes audio information received from the user device and mixes decoded audio information with audio information received from the conference device microphone.

10. The conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the conference device mixes audio information from a plurality of user devices.

11. The conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the user client initiates an authentication process between the conference device and the user device.

12. A conferencing method comprising the steps of:

providing a user device;

providing a conference device;

establishing a direct connection between the user device and the conference device; and

streaming encoded audio information using a virtual connection between the user device and the conference device.

13. The conferencing method of claim 12, wherein the step of establishing a connection comprises the user device initiating an authentication process with the conference device.

14. The conferencing method of claim 12, wherein the authentication process comprises NFC authentication.

15. The conferencing method of claim 12, wherein the step of establishing a connection comprises verifying authentication of the user device.

16. The conferencing method of claim 12, wherein the step of establishing a connection comprises opening up a receive port on the conference device.

17. The conferencing method of claim 12, wherein the step of establishing a connection comprises transmitting a network address associated with the conference device to the user device.

18. The conferencing method of claim 12, wherein the step of establishing a connection comprises using a user client to connect a user device microphone to a transmit port of a user device.

19. The conferencing method of claim 12, wherein the step of establishing a connection comprises connecting the transmit port of a user device to a receive port on the conference device.

20. A conferencing system comprising:

a conference device comprising a conference bridge, a processor, a conference device microphone, and a speaker; and

a user device comprising a user device processor, a user client, and a user device microphone,

wherein the user device processor encodes audio information for transmission to the conference device, and

wherein the conference device receives and decodes the audio information.