Remote microphone teleconferencing configurations

• US 7,283,788 B1
• Filed: 07/26/2000
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: SF IP Properties 50 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Posa, John G., Schwab, Barry H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad; Edan
• Application Number:
  US09/625,531
• Time in Patent Office: 2,638 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41, 455/575, 455/90, 455/403, 455/414, 455/416, 455/550, 455/90.2, 455/90.3, 455/575.1, 455/575.2, 455/550.1, 455/41.2, 455566-5691, 348/14.02, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 348/169
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• 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: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

Electronic teleconferencing configurations use one or more remote microphones for added functionality. A base unit includes an interface to a telecommunications network and at least one remote microphone in wireless communication with the base unit, enabling a carder of the microphone to speak to a listener through the base unit over the telecommunications network. The base unit may form part of a telephone, and would preferably further include a docking station to receive the remote microphone along with electrical contacts causing the telephone to enter into a speakerphone mode when the remote microphone is removed for use. A speaker may either be provided in the base unit, or may be disposed in the housing of the remote microphone, for example, in the form of a headset. With multiple wireless microphones audio processing circuitry may be added for level control or microphone/speaker discrimination.

Claims

1. Telecommunications apparatus, comprising:

a base unit including an interface to a telecommunications network;

at least one wireless remote microphone in wireless communication with the base unit, enabling a user of the microphone to speak to a listener through the base unit and telecommunications network,

the base unit forming part of a video teleconferencing system including a video camera for capturing images of the user for transmission to the listener through the telecommunications network;

a wireless locator signal transmitter located at the base unit;

the remote microphone being configured to receive and re-transmit the locator signal to the base unit, enabling the base unit to determine a positional aspect of the user of the microphone; and

a pan or tilt capability associated with the video camera which is controlled as a function of the positional aspect, enabling the video camera to visually track a moving user.

2. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 1, further including:

an auto-focusing capability for the video camera which is controlled as a function of the positional aspect.

3. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 1, further including:

a zoom lens associated with the video camera which is controlled as a function of the positional aspect.

4. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 1, further including:

a plurality of wireless remote microphones, each re-transmitting the locator signal to the base unit; and

circuitry for distinguishing the signals received by each microphone so that the camera tracks a particular user when that user is speaking.

5. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 4, further including:

a plurality of wireless locator signal transmitters; and

wherein each remote microphone re-transmits one of the locator signals to the base unit, enabling the base unit to determine a positional aspect of each user.

6. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 5, further including:

a pan, tilt, or zoom capability associated with the video camera which is controlled as function of the positional aspect of each user.

7. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 6, wherein the pan, tilt, or zoom capabilities are effectuated by selecting a subset of pixels from a larger number of pixels in an image gathered by the camera.

8. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 5, further including:

an auto-focusing capability for the video camera which is controlled as a function of the positional aspect of each user, enabling the camera to control depth-of-field associated with one or more users.

9. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal transmitter located at the base unit transmits an inaudible acoustic signal.

10. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 4, wherein the circuitry for distinguishing the signals received by each microphone so that the camera follows a particular user includes a different carrier frequency associated with each microphone.

11. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 4, wherein the circuitry for distinguishing the signals received by each microphone includes microphone identification circuitry located at the base unit.

12. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 1, further including circuitry for:

evaluating signal quality from the microphone; and

a activating an alarm if the signal quality indicates that the microphone is being carried away by the user.