Method and apparatus for controlling signal level in a digital conference arrangement
First Claim
1. In a digital conference arrangement having a plurality of ports for receiving information samples each representing the level of a signal, a method for controlling the signal level represented by an information sample to be included in an output sample for distribution to the ports;
- comprising the steps of;
forming a composite level from the signal levels represented by information samples received on a port,generating a coefficient in accordance with said composite level,adjusting in accordance with said coefficient the signal level represented by an information sample from the port to be included in an output sample.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
For use in multiport digital conference arrangements wherein speech samples of selected speakers are summed for distribution to the conferees, the disclosed method and apparatus controls the level of speech represented by information samples to be included in an output sample for distribution to the ports and equalizes the speech level between speakers to reduce speech level contrast heard by the conferees. In addition, a speech detector for each port and microprocessor-controlled switching hardware also adjust the signal level represented by samples received on the ports to effect speaker selection. Furthermore, gain coefficients for a port may be incrementally adjusted during a predetermined period of time to avoid noticeble signal level changes when implementing speaker selection.
-
Citations
32 Claims
-
1. In a digital conference arrangement having a plurality of ports for receiving information samples each representing the level of a signal, a method for controlling the signal level represented by an information sample to be included in an output sample for distribution to the ports;
- comprising the steps of;
forming a composite level from the signal levels represented by information samples received on a port, generating a coefficient in accordance with said composite level, adjusting in accordance with said coefficient the signal level represented by an information sample from the port to be included in an output sample. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
- comprising the steps of;
-
5. In a digital conference arrangement adapted to include in an output sample an information sample from each selected port of a plurality of ports, each sample representing the level of a signal, a method for selecting ports, comprising the steps of:
-
forming a composite level for each port from the signal levels represented by information samples received on the port; detecting the state of each port in a plurality of states; assigning a priority level to each port based on the composite level for the port and on the detected state of the port; and controlling the signal level represented by an information sample from each port to include in an output sample an information sample from a port having any of a plurality of predetermined priority levels. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. In a digital conference arrangement having a plurality of ports for receiving information samples each representing the level of a signal, apparatus for controlling the signal level represented by an information sample to be included in an output sample for distribution to the ports;
- comprising;
means for forming a composite level from the signal levels represented by information samples received on a port, means for generating a coefficient in response to said composite level, and means responsive to said coefficient for adjusting the signal level represented by an information sample from the port to be included in an output sample. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
- comprising;
-
16. In a digital conference arrangement adapted to include in an output sample an information sample from each selected port of a plurality of ports, each sample representing the level of a signal, apparatus for selecting ports;
- comprising;
means for forming a composite level for each port from the signal levels represented by information samples received on the port; means for detecting the state of each port in a plurality of states; means for assigning a priority level to each port based on the composite level for the port and on the detected state of the port; and means for controlling the signal level represented by an information sample from each port to include in an output sample on information sample from a port having any of a plurality of predetermined priority levels. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
- comprising;
-
24. In a digital conference arrangement having a plurality of ports for receiving information samples each representing the level of a signal, a method for equalizing among the ports the signal level represented by an information sample on each port to be included in an output sample for distribution to the ports;
- comprising the steps of;
forming a composite level for each port from the signal levels represented by information samples received on the port, generating for each port a coefficient having a magnitude which varies inversely with the magnitude of the composite level, and adjusting the signal level represented by an information sample from each port to be included in an output sample in accordance with the coefficient for the port. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
- comprising the steps of;
-
29. In a digital conference arrangement having a plurality of ports for receiving information samples each representing the level of a signal, apparatus for equalizing among the ports the signal level represented by an information sample on each port to be included in an output sample for distribution to the ports;
- comprising;
means for forming a composite level for each port from the signal levels represented by information samples received on the port, means for generating for each port a coefficient having a magnitude which varies inversely with the magnitude of the composite level, and means for adjusting the signal level represented by an information sample from each port to be included in an output sample in response to the coefficient for the port. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
- comprising;
Specification