Enhanced spatial mixing to enable three-dimensional audio deployment

• US 7,068,792 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Knappe, Michael, Surazski, Lukasz K., Huart, Pascal Hubert
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T.
• Application Number:
  US10/086,841
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 381/17, 381/92, 379/202.01, 379/206.01
• US Class Current: 381/17
• 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: H04S 1/005 For headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/01 Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD]

Abstract

A network device and its mode of operation. The network device includes an input port through which audio streams may be received. A controller receives a user input indicating which type of mix the user wants applied to the audio stream and applies the mixing factor designated. The mixing factor may be a stereo mix, a panned mix, or a mono mix. The network device also includes an output port through which the mixed audio stream can be transmitted to the user.

Claims

1. A network device, comprising:

an input port to receive incoming audio streams;

a controller to;

receive a user input; and

apply a head-related transfer function mixing, a mono mixing and a panned mixing to the incoming audio streams;

using the user input to select between the head-related transfer function mixing, the mono mixing and the panned mixing to produce an output audio stream; and

an output port operable to transmit the output audio stream.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the network device further comprises a conference bridge.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein the user input further comprises a real-time user input.

4. The network device of claim 1, wherein the user input further comprises a previously existing user profile.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein the mixing selected comprises a head related transfer function mixing.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein the mixing selected comprises a pan mixing.

7. The network device of claim 6, wherein the pan factor is one of the group comprised of:

a positional factor and a weighted factor.

8. The network device of claim 1, wherein the mixing selected further comprises a mono-mixing factor.

9. A method of providing audio streams to a user, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming audio stream;

applying a head-related transfer function mixing, a mono-mixing and a panned mixing to the incoming audio stream;

using a user input to select between the head-related transfer function mixing, the mono-mixing and the panned mixing, to produce an output audio stream; and

transmitting the output audio stream to the user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein using a user input to select further comprises selecting the head related transfer function mixing.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein using a user input to select further comprises selecting the pan mixing.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein using a user input to select further comprises selecting the mono-mixing.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the user input is received in real-time.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the user input is received from a user profile during call set up.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the user input is received automatically from equipment at an endpoint of the user.

16. A network device, comprising:

a means for receiving incoming audio streams;

a means for receiving a user input;

a means for applying a head-related transfer function mixing, a mono mixing, and a panned mixing to the incoming audio streams;

a means for selecting between the head-related transfer function mixing, the mono mixing and the panned mixing to produce and output audio stream; and

a means for transmitting the output audio stream.

17. The network device of claim 16, wherein the network device further comprises a conference bridge.

18. The network device of claim 16, wherein the means for receiving the user input further comprises a user interface.

19. The network device of claim 16, wherein the means for applying a mixing factor further comprises a controller.

20. An article containing machine readable code that, when executed, causes the machine to:

receive an incoming audio stream;

apply a head-related transfer function mixing, a mono-mixing and a panned mixing to the incoming audio stream;

using a user input to select between the head-related transfer function mixing, the mono-mixing and the panned mixing, to produce an output audio stream; and

transmit the output audio stream to the user.

21. The article of claim 20, wherein the mixing selected further comprises the head related transfer function mixing.

22. The article of claim 20, wherein the mixing selected further comprises the pan mixing.

23. The article of claim 20, wherein the mixing selected further comprises the mono-mixing.

24. The article of claim 20, wherein article contains further code that, when executed, causes the user input to be received in real-time.

25. The article of claim 20, wherein article contains further code that, when executed, causes the user input to be received from a user profile during call set up.

26. The article of claim 20, wherein the article contains further code that, when executed, queries equipment at an endpoint of the user to determine the user input.