Portable communication device

• US 6,937,852 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Pehrsson, Göran
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/988,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20020061103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 455/95, 455/426.1, 455/463, 455/550.1, 455/553.1, 455/557, 455/569.1, 455/570, 455/575.1, 379/202.01, 379/204.01, 379/205.01, 379/206.01, 379/387.01, 379/399.02
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• 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 portable communication device for conference calls, comprising at least first and second speech encoder paths with first and second inputs for connection to first and second recording devices, respectively, and at least one output connected to signal processor means for receiving and processing first and second electronic signals from said recording devices via said first and second speech encoder paths for transmission to a transmitter/receiver operatively connected to said signal processor means, wherein said apparatus is adpated to receive said first and second electronic signals simultaneously even if the signals are different, and said apparatus comprises a summator adapted to sum said first and second electronic signals into a sum signal for transmission to said transmitter/receiver.

Claims

1. A portable communication device for conference calls, comprising:

at least first and second speech encoder paths with first and second inputs for connection to first and second recording devices, respectively; and

at least one output connected to signal processor means for receiving and processing first and second electronic signals from said recording devices via said first and second speech encoder paths for transmission to a transmitter/receiver operatively connected to said signal processor means;

wherein said at least first and second speech encoder paths are integrated in said portable communication device and said portable communication device is adapted to receive said first and second electronic signals simultaneously even if the signals are different; and

wherein said portable communication device comprises a summator integrated in said portable communication device adapted to sum said first and second electronic signals into a sum signal for transmission to said transmitter/receiver.

2. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein said summator is adapted to sum said first and second electronic signals into a sum signal for transmission to at least two outputs, and operatively connected to said signal processor means, for connection to a plurality of devices.

3. The portable communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said signal processor means is a digital signal processor.

4. The portable communication device according to claim 3, further comprising at least an analogue-to-digital converter for converting said first and second electronic signals into digital signals before input to said digital signal processor.

5. The portable communication device according to claim 4, wherein said summator is a part of said digital signal processor.

6. The portable communication device according to claim 4, wherein said summator is an analogue summator, which is a part of said first and second speech encoder paths for summing said first and second electronic signal into an analogue sum signal before A/D conversion into a digital sum signal.

7. The portable communication device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a sidetone generator for generating a first sidetone of said first electronic signal for transmission to said plurality of output devices, and a second sidetone of the second electronic signal for transmission to said plurality of devices simultaneously via a speech decoder path of said portable communication device.

8. The portable communication device according to claim 7, wherein said sidetone generator is a part of said digital signal processor.

9. The portable communication device according to claim 7, wherein said sidetone generator is an analogue sidetone generator connected between said first and second speech encoder paths and said speech decoder path of said portable communication device for transmission of said first and second electronic signals to first and second earphone outputs of said speech decoder path.

10. The portable communication device according to claim 2, wherein said first recording device is a conventional fixed microphone or a microphone in a first portable handsfree device, and said second recording device is a microphone in a second portable handsfree device, and a first output device of said plurality of devices is an earphone in said first portable handsfree device, and a second output device of said plurality of devices is an earphone in said second portable handsfree device.

11. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second inputs are adapted for wireless connections to said first and second recording devices.

12. The portable communication device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said at least two outputs is adapted for wireless connections to at least two recording devices.

13. The portable communication device according to claim 12, wherein said wireless connections are short-range radio communication links.

14. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the portable communication device is a mobile telephone apparatus.

15. A CODEC block for use as an integrated part of a portable communication device for conference calls, comprising:

first and second speech encoder paths, with first and second inputs for connection to first and second recording devices, respectively; and

a common output for connection to signal processor means of said portable communication device;

wherein said CODEC block is adapted to receive first and second electronic signals simultaneously from said first and second recording devices even if the signals are different; and

wherein said CODEC block comprises a summator for summing said first and second electronic signals into a sum signal for transmission to a transmitter/receiver of said portable communication device.

16. The CODEC block according to claim 15, wherein said summator is adapted to sum said first and second electronic signals into a sum signal for transmission to at least two outputs, and operatively connected to said signal processor means for connection to a plurality of devices.

17. The CODEC block according to claim 15, further comprising at least an analogue-to-digital converter for converting said first and second electronic signals into digital signals before input to said digital signal processor.

18. The CODEC block according to claim 17, wherein said summator is an analogue summator, which is a part of said first and second speech encoder paths for summing said first and second electronic signal into an analogue sum signal before A/D conversion into a digital sum signal.

19. The CODEC block according to claim 15, further comprising a sidetone generator connected between said first and second speech encoder paths and a speech decoder path for transmission of said first and second electronic signals to first and second earphone outputs of said speech decoder path.

20. The CODEC block according to claim 19, wherein said sidetone generator is an analogue sidetone generator.

21. A method of conference calls in a portable communication device having separate inputs to at least first and second speech encoder paths integrated in said portable communication device and operatively connected to a summator integrated in said portable communication device, wherein first and second electronic signals are received from recording devices operatively connected to said separate inputs of said portable communication device comprising the steps of:

receiving in said portable communication device via said inputs said first and second electronic signals simultaneously even if the signals are different; and

generating by said summator a sum signal of said first and second electronic signals for transmission to a transmitter/receiver of said portable communication device.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of generating a sum signal of said first and second electronic signals for transmission to at least two outputs of said portable communication device for connection to a plurality of devices.

23.The method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of generating a first sidetone of said first electronic signal for transmission to said at least two outputs, and a second sidetone of the second electronic signal for transmission to said at least two outputs, wherein said at least two outputs comprise earphone outputs.