Audio processor

• US 5,983,192 A
• Filed: 01/22/1999
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Picturetel Corporation (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Botzko, Stephen C., Franklin, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAX, ROBERT L
• Application Number:
  US09/234,856
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 704/500, 370/260, 370/270, 395/200.34
• US Class Current: 704/500
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/00 Speech or audio signals analysis-synthesis techniques for redundancy reduction, e.g. in vocoders; Coding or decoding of speech or audio signals, using source filter models or psychoacoustic analysis in musical instruments G10H
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2025/783 based on threshold decision
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/207 with an audio or audio/video bus for signal distribution H04B1/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30

Abstract

A method and apparatus for distributing audio signals from one of a plurality of audio sources to an output connect compressed audio signals from each one of the plurality of audio sources to an audio processor. Uncompressed audio signals are derived from the compressed audio signals. The compressed audio signal from one of the plurality of audio sources is selectively coupled to the output based upon the uncompressed audio signals. In a preferred embodiment, the compressed audio signal from one of the plurality of audio sources is coupled to the output selectively in accordance with speech information detected in the uncompressed audio signals from the plurality of audio sources. The method and apparatus include mixing, selectively, the uncompressed audio signals from the plurality of audio sources into a composite uncompressed audio signal; compressing the uncompressed composite signal into a corresponding compressed composite signal; and connecting the compressed composite signal or the selected one of the compressed audio signals to the output selectively in accordance with the uncompressed audio signals. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the compressed composite signal is fed to the output when speech audio signals are detected from more than one source and the selected one of the compressed audio signals is coupled to the output when speech is detected from only one of the sources.

Claims

1. A method for distributing audio signals from one of a plurality of audio sources to an output, comprising the steps of

unicasting an audio signal from each of a plurality of audio sources to a plurality of first level audio bridge-servers;

unicasting, from each said first level bridge-server, at least one audio signal to at least one second level audio signal bridge-server; and

unicasting from each said second level audio signal bridge-server, to said first level bridge-servers, and then to said audio sources, output audio signals.

2. A method for distributing audio signals from one of a plurality of audio sources to an output, comprising the steps of

unicasting an audio signal from each of a plurality of audio sources to a plurality of first level audio bridge-servers;

unicasting, from each said first level bridge-server, at least one audio signal to at least one second level bridge-server; and

multicasting from said second level bridge-server, to at least one of said first level bridge-servers and said audio sources, a selected audio signal as the output.

3. A system for distributing audio signals from one of a plurality of audio sources to an output, comprising

first transmitters unicasting an audio signal from each of a plurality of audio sources to a plurality of first level audio bridge-servers;

second transmitters unicasting, from each said first level bridge-server, at least one audio signal to at least one second level audio bridge-server;

third transmitters unicasting from said second level bridge-server, to said first level bridge-servers, and fourth transmitters unicasting the output signal from said first level bridge-servers to said audio sources.

4. A system for distributing audio signals from one of a plurality of audio sources to an output, comprising

first transmitters unicasting an audio signal from each of a plurality of audio sources to a plurality of first level audio bridge-servers;

second transmitters unicasting, from each said first level bridge-server, at least one audio signal to at least one second level audio bridge-server; and

third transmitters multicasting a selected audio signal as the output from a said second level bridge-server, to at least one of said first level bridge-servers and said audio sources.