Spatial sound conference system and apparatus

• US 7,012,630 B2
• Filed: 02/08/1996
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Services Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hatton, Patricia V., Curry, James E., McAllister, Alexander I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Briney, III, Walter F
• Application Number:
  US08/598,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20030081115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,687 Days
• Field of Search: 381/26, 381/74, 381/17, 381/1, 381/310, 348 14- 15, 348/17, 348/20, 379202- 5, 379/202.01
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

The spatial sound conference system enables participants in a teleconference to distinguish between speakers even during periods of interruption and overtalk, identify speakers based on spatial location cues, understand low volume speech, and block out background noise using spatial sound information. Spatial sound information may be captured using microphones positioned at the ear locations of a dummy head at a conference table, or spatial sound information may be added to a participant'"'"'s monaural audio signal using head-related transfer functions. Head-related transfer functions simulate the frequency response of audio signals across the head from one ear to the other ear to create a spatial location for a sound. Spatial sound is transmitted across a communication channel, such as ISDN, and reproduced using spatially disposed loudspeakers positioned at the ears of a participant. By inserting a spatial sound component in a teleconference, a speaker other than the loudest speaker may be heard during periods of interruption and overtalk. Additionally, speakers may be more readily identified when they have a spatial sound position, and the perception of background noise is reduced.

Claims

1. A spatial sound conference system comprising:

a conference station comprising;

right and left spatially disposed microphones positioned on a dummy head and connected to a communications channel for receiving right and left audio signals, wherein the differences between the right and left audio signals represent a head-related transfer function,

a loudspeaker positioned proximal to the dummy head and connected through the communications channel to the microphone, and

a position simulator attached to the dummy; and

a remote station comprising;

right and left spatially disposed loudspeakers connected to the communications channel,

a microphone positioned in the remote station and connected to the communications channel for receiving a audio signal, and

a head-tracking sensor in the remote station connected through the communications channel to the position simulator.

2. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 1, further comprising:

right and left spatially disposed loudspeakers positioned in the conference station and connected through the communications channel to the microphone positioned in the remote station.

3. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 1,

said conference station further comprising:

a compression unit for compressing the right and left audio signals; and

said remote station further comprising;

a decompression unit for decompressing the compressed right and left audio signals.

4. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 3, wherein:

said compression unit is connected to the right and left spatially disposed microphones for compressing the right and left audio signals; and

said decompression unit is connected to the head-related transfer function unit for decompressing the compressed right and left audio signals.

5. A spatial sound conference system comprising:

a conference station including;

right and left spatially disposed microphones positioned on a dummy head and connected to a communications channel for receiving right and left audio signals, wherein the differences between the right and left audio signals represent a head-related transfer function, and

a position simulator attached to the dummy head; and

a remote station including;

right and left spatially disposed loudspeakers connected to the communications channel, and

a head-tracking sensor in the remote station connected to the communications channels

said position simulator attached to the dummy head and connected through the communications channel to the head tracking sensor.

6. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a compression unit connected to right and left spatially disposed microphones for compressing the right and left audio signals; and

a decompression unit connected to the right and left spatially disposed loudspeakers for decompressing the compressed right and left audio signals.

7. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a microphone positioned in the remote station and connected to the communications channel for receiving an audio signal; and

a loudspeaker positioned in the conference station and connected through the communications channel to the microphone.

8. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a compression unit connected to the microphone positioned in the remote station for compressing the audio signal; and

a decompression unit connected to the loudspeaker positioned in the conference station for decompressing the compressed audio signal.

9. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a video camera positioned in the conference station and connected to the communications channel for receiving a video image; and

a display positioned in the remote station and connected through the communications channel to the video camera.

10. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 9, wherein the video camera is positioned near the location of eyes on a dummy head.

11. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 9, wherein the display is a head-mounted display.

12. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 5, wherein the right and left spatially disposed loudspeakers are a headset.

13. A method for conducting a spatial sound conference comprising the steps of:

detecting movements of a conference participant at a remote station to provide movement information;

transmitting said movement information to a conference station;

controlling a dummy head at said conference station in response to said movement information;

converting audio information into right and left audio signals at said conference station, wherein the conversion imparts a differential characteristic to the right and left audio signals, and the differential characteristic is represented by a head-related transfer function, and the right and left audio signals comprise spatialized audio;

transmitting audio information representative of said spatialized audio from the conference station across a communications channel to a remote station; and

playing the spatialized audio in the remote station.

14. A method for conducting a spatial sound conference according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

compressing the right and left audio signals after the step of converting; and

decompressing the compressed right and left audio signals after the step of transmitting.