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Audio system for conferencing/presentation room

  • US 5,848,146 A
  • Filed: 05/10/1996
  • Issued: 12/08/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An audio conferencing control system for full-duplex communication of multiple audio signal sources between near-end and far-end, for use with room microphones that produce near-end audio sources and telecommunication equipment that transmits near-end audio sources to a far-end and receives far-end audio sources for conversion to sound by room loudspeakers, comprising:

  • a controlled microphone mixer having a mixer output and a plurality of microphone input channel means for receiving and detecting audio signals produced by sound including speech at near-end microphones, and means for selectively gating on each of said microphone input channel means in response to the audio signals and controlled channel thresholds, and signal summing means for combining gated microphone input channel signals from said input channel means into said mixer output;

    an echo canceller means at said mixer output for cancelling echo signals due to near-end microphone pick up of far-end audio signal source from a room loudspeaker, said echo canceller means having a reference signal input;

    a controlled multiport audio bridge having a plurality of input and output port means including a first input port means connected to the mixer output after said echo canceller means, a second input port means for receiving a far-end audio signal source, a first output port means for applying a far-end audio signal to a room loudspeaker and providing an echo reference signal that is applied to said reference signal input of said echo canceller means, and having a second output port means for outputting a near-end audio program signal for transmission to a far-end location; and

    control means for controlling said microphone mixer and said multiport audio bridge and having programmable and preprogrammed functions including mixer channel threshold controls and audio bridge port selection controls for selectively bridging said audio bridge input ports to said audio bridge output ports, and having communication means for sending and receiving control and status signals for said mixer and bridge.

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