Loudspeaking teleconferencing circuit
First Claim
1. A conferencing system for a plurality of remote conference locations comprising a plurality of loudspeaking telephone sets at each conference room location, an incoming terminal and an outgoing terminal at each conference room location, and a communication path between the incoming and outgoing terminals of said locations;
- each loudspeaking telephone set comprising a microphone, a loudspeaking device, a transmit channel having an input connected to said microphone and an output, a receive channel having an input coupled to said incoming terminal and an output connected to said loudspeaking device, and control means jointly responsive to speech energy on said set transmit channel and speech energy on said set receive channel for selectively activating one of said set transmit and receive channels and concurrently deactivating the other of said set transmit and receive channels, the control means of each loudspeaking telephone set being operative independently of the control means of the other loudspeaking telephone set, and means connected between the output of each transmit channel and said conference room location outgoing terminal for combining the outputs of said active transmit channels and for applying said combined output to said conference room location outgoing terminal, said communication path comprising means for coupling the combined output from the outgoing terminal of one conference room location to only the incoming terminals of the other remote locations.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A loudspeaking teleconferencing circuit serving a plurality of remote conference room locations includes a plurality of speakerphone sets at each conference room location and a communication network connected to an incoming and an outgoing terminal at each location. The transmit channel of each set couples a microphone to the outgoing terminal; the receive channel of each set couples the incoming terminal to a loudspeaking device; and a control circuit selectively activates one of the set transmit and receive channels at a time responsive to speech energy present on the transmit and receive channels. Each set control circuit is operative independently of the control circuits of the other sets; and the outputs of all active transmit channels are combined and applied through the location outgoing terminal to the communication network. The communication path is adapted to transmit the conference room combined output from the conference room location outgoing terminal to only the other remote location incoming terminals.
77 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A conferencing system for a plurality of remote conference locations comprising a plurality of loudspeaking telephone sets at each conference room location, an incoming terminal and an outgoing terminal at each conference room location, and a communication path between the incoming and outgoing terminals of said locations;
- each loudspeaking telephone set comprising a microphone, a loudspeaking device, a transmit channel having an input connected to said microphone and an output, a receive channel having an input coupled to said incoming terminal and an output connected to said loudspeaking device, and control means jointly responsive to speech energy on said set transmit channel and speech energy on said set receive channel for selectively activating one of said set transmit and receive channels and concurrently deactivating the other of said set transmit and receive channels, the control means of each loudspeaking telephone set being operative independently of the control means of the other loudspeaking telephone set, and means connected between the output of each transmit channel and said conference room location outgoing terminal for combining the outputs of said active transmit channels and for applying said combined output to said conference room location outgoing terminal, said communication path comprising means for coupling the combined output from the outgoing terminal of one conference room location to only the incoming terminals of the other remote locations.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A loudspeaking teleconferencing system comprising a communication network, and at least one conference location including a plurality of loudspeaking telephone sets in a conference room, a conference room incoming terminal, a conference room outgoing terminal, and means for connecting said conference room incoming and outgoing terminals to said communication network;
- each loudspeaking telephone set comprising a microphone, at least one loudspeaking device, a transmit channel having an input connected to said microphone and an output, a receive channel having an input coupled to said incoming terminal and an output coupled to said loudspeaking device, and a control circuit jointly responsive to speech energy on said set transmit channel and speech energy on said set receive channel for selectively holding on one of said transmit and receive channels and for holding off the other of said set transmit and receive channels, each set control circuit being operative independently of the control circuits of the other sets, and means for combining the outputs of said conference room set transmit channels and for applying said combined outputs to said conference room outgoing terminal, said communication network being adapted to transmit said combined outputs from said conference room outgoing terminal to only the incoming terminals of the other locations.
- View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A speakerphone conferencing system serving first and second remote conference room locations, each location comprising a plurality of speakerphone sets in a room, and an incoming terminal and an outgoing terminal, a communication network for coupling the outgoing terminal of said first conference room location to only the incoming terminal of said second conference room location and for coupling the outgoing terminal of said second conference room location to only the incoming terminal of said first conference room location;
- each speakerphone set comprising a microphone, a loudspeaking device, a transmit channel having an input connected to said microphone and an output, a receive channel having an input coupled to said incoming terminal and an output coupled to said loudspeaking device, and a control circuit comprising means responsive to speech energy on said transmit channel for generating a first signal, means responsive to speech energy on said receive channel for generating a second signal, means for comparing said first and second signals, said comparing means being responsive to said first signal being greater than said second signal for turning on said transmit channel and turning off said receive channel and responsive to said first signal being equal to or less than said second signal for turning on said receive channel and turning off said transmit channel, each set control circuit being operative independently of the control circuits of the other sets; and
means for summing the outputs of said transmit channels and for applying said summed output to said conference room location outgoing terminal. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
- each speakerphone set comprising a microphone, a loudspeaking device, a transmit channel having an input connected to said microphone and an output, a receive channel having an input coupled to said incoming terminal and an output coupled to said loudspeaking device, and a control circuit comprising means responsive to speech energy on said transmit channel for generating a first signal, means responsive to speech energy on said receive channel for generating a second signal, means for comparing said first and second signals, said comparing means being responsive to said first signal being greater than said second signal for turning on said transmit channel and turning off said receive channel and responsive to said first signal being equal to or less than said second signal for turning on said receive channel and turning off said transmit channel, each set control circuit being operative independently of the control circuits of the other sets; and
Specification