UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20170026509A1
• Filed: 10/03/2016
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James S. Rand
• Original Assignee: James S. Rand
• Inventors: Rand, James S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,723,130 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/78 Detection of presence or absence of voice signals switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/85 which are mobile communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/656 for recording conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/009 Signal processing in [PA] systems to enhance the speech intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers for hearing aids H04R25/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 : Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 : Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 : for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 : Maintenance of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A unified communications system enables a user to simultaneously manage real time voice communication with background audio streams such as a music. In one embodiment, the system comprises a plurality of devices connected through a persistent voice over IP channel, where each device is playing background audio independently, and each device is operatively coupled to a microphone. When a connected user speaks, Voice Activity Detection results in the automatic adjustment of background audio on other connected devices, the adjustments based upon user-input settings on each device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first device and a second device,

each device being operatively coupled to a microphone,

each device having access to a set of instructions in code,

the code containing instructions for executing voice communication between the devices over a network,

the code containing instructions wherein the audio signals admitted through the microphones are continuously monitored wherein the signals are, on a continuous basis, identified as either human voice, or not,

the code containing instructions for playing background audio from a source other than the device'"'"'s microphone,

the code containing instructions for communicating to a second device, the ongoing presence of voice, or lack thereof, on the first device, and

the code containing instructions to automatically adjust background audio on the second device when human voice on the first device is detected, wherein the code is further configured to blend voice audio and other audio in accordance with user preferences.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the human voice detection code is executed on a centralized server.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the human voice detection code is executed on the second device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the code is further configured to auto-regulate acoustic properties of the audio signals transmitted from each device'"'"'s microphone.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein filters are applied to an audio signal in order to make the voice audio more audible.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the code is further configured to recognize human speech in one language and to translate it to another language.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device contains a touch-activated display screen.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device is a mobile device with positioning sensors.

9. The system of claim 8, the code containing instructions wherein audio channels connected to one of the microphones are subject to Spatial Audio adjustments based on a relative positioning of the devices.

10. The system of claim 8, the code containing instructions for determining proximity to the second device, the code containing instructions wherein audio channels connected to one of the microphones are subject to Distance Attenuation based on the proximity of the devices.

11. ) The system of claim 1, wherein the first device is a headset with physical controls that can be programmed to interact with the code.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device contains code containing instructions for accepting input instructions through voice commands.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device contains code containing a silence suppression mechanism in which the voice channel'"'"'s bit rate is reduced by more than 75% in the absence of human voice detection.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device is a motorcycle helmet.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device is a virtual reality headset.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device is a mobile phone.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device is a smart watch.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the code is further configured to execute Media Cancellation.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the code is further configured to execute an Adjustable Speech Recognition Setting.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the background audio is implemented through live streaming.

21. The system of claim 7, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object comprising a Planner.

22. The system of claim 7, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object comprising a Media Mode.

23. The system of claim 7, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object comprising a Virtual Room.

24. The system of claim 7, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object comprising a Suggestions feature.

25. The system of claim 7, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object comprising a Public Rooms feature.

26. The system of claim 7, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object comprising an Audio Store feature.

27. The system of claim 7, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object comprising a Flexible Channel Interface.

28. The system of claim 7, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object comprising Individual Volume Control elements to independently control voice audio signals from other devices connected to the network.

29. The system of claim 7, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object for executing a Voice Over Clip.

30. The system of claim 7, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object for setting up Voice Navigation.

31. The system of claim 7, wherein the code is further configured to display the following set of user interface objects on a single screen:

a friends list; and

a Status Light.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein the code is further configured to execute a Duplex Mode.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the code is further configured to execute a Monitor Mode.

34. The system of claim 17, wherein the code is further configured to display a user interface object comprising a music library.