Audio system for conferencing/presentation room
First Claim
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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Accused Products
Abstract
A multiport bridge controlled by the intelligence of a programmed microcontroller selectively channels audio from a plurality of input ports to a plurality of output ports including a room program output. Coupled to one of the bridge input ports is at least one gated microphone mixer, including multiple microphone channels and an acoustical echo canceller. Expandability is provided by a second, third or up to n microphone mixers each having a separate echo canceller for the associated group of microphone inputs.
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Citations
16 Claims
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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:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. 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:
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a base unit including a controlled multiport audio bridge having a plurality of input and output port means including a first input port means for connection of mixed microphone sources, a second input port means for connection of a far-end telecommunication signal source, a first output port means for producing a program audio signal to be applied to a room loudspeaker and for producing an echo reference signal output, and a second output port means for outputting an audio program signal for transmission to a far end; at least first and second microphone mixer expansion modules each having an output, the first mixer expansion module having a first set of microphone input channel means for receiving and detecting sound including speech at a first plurality of room microphones, and having means for selectively gating on each of said first set of microphone input channel means in response to controlled channel thresholds, and having signal summing means for combining gated microphone signals from said first set of input channel means into the mixer output of said first mixer expansion module; a first echo canceller means at said output of said first mixer expansion module for cancelling echo signals caused by microphone pick up of far-end audio from a room loudspeaker, said first echo canceller means having a reference signal input connected to said reference signal output of said base unit; the second mixer expansion module having a second set of microphone input channel means for receiving and detecting sound including speech at a second plurality of room microphones, and having means for selectively gating on each of said second set of microphone input channel means in response to controlled channel thresholds, and having a signal summing means for combining gated microphone signals from said second set of input channel means into the mixer output of said second mixer expansion module; a second echo canceller means at said output of said second mixer expansion module for cancelling echo signals caused by microphone pick up by the second plurality of room microphones of far-end audio from a room loudspeaker, said second echo canceller means having a reference signal input connected to said reference signal output of said base unit; and microprocessor control means in said base unit and in each of said mixer expansion modules for controlling said multiport audio bridge and said mixer expansion modules and having programmable and preprogrammed functions including mixer channel threshold controls for gating said microphone input channel means and audio bridge port selection controls for selectively bridging said input port means to said output port means, and having communication means for sending and receiving control and status signals for said mixer input channel means and for said audio bridge input and output port means.
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15. A method of full-duplex communication of multiple audio signal sources between near-end and far-end, using room microphones for producing near-end audio signal sources and telecommunication equipment transmitting near-end audio signal sources to far-end and receiving far-end audio signal sources for conversion to sound by room loudspeakers, comprising the steps of:
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mixing of a plurality of microphone input channels that receive and detect sound including speech at near-end microphones, and selectively gating on each of said microphone input channels when signals at said input channels are above controlled channel thresholds, and summing signals from the gated microphone input channels to produce a mixer output; cancelling echo signals at said mixer output due to near-end microphone pick up of far-end audio signal source from a room loudspeaker; controlling a multiport audio bridge having a plurality of input and output ports that include a first input port connecting the output of said mixing step after said echo cancelling step, a second input port receiving a far-end audio signal source, a first output port applying a far-end audio signal to a loudspeaker and providing an echo reference signal for use by said echo cancelling step, and having a second output port outputting a near-end audio program signal and transmitting same to a far-end location; and controlling said microphone mixer and said multiport audio bridge by programmable and preprogrammed processes including mixer channel threshold controls and audio bridge port selection controls for selectively bridging said input ports to said output ports, and communicating control and status signals for use in said step of mixing and in controlling said bridge input and output ports. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification