Mobile conferencing and audio sharing technology

• US 7,742,758 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callpod Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Callpod Incorporated
• Inventors: Guccione, Darren
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho, Un C
• Application Number:
  US11/208,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20070042762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/518, 455/519, 455/462, 455/463, 455/416, 455/569.1, 379/202.01, 381/119, 381/103, 369/4
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/561 by multiplexing
• 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 is provided for setting up a voice conference call or sharing audio content. The method includes the steps of providing an audio mixer that receives an audio input from each of at least three audio interfaces of the conference call, mixes the audio inputs and provides an equalized audio output to each of the at least three audio interfaces, providing a first local wireless interface between a first audio interface of the at least three audio interfaces and a first headset, providing a second local interface between a second audio interface of the at least three audio interfaces and a second headset and coupling a third audio interface of the at least three audio interfaces to a third headset through a base station of a cellular network, wherein the communication paths to the first, second and third persons are all different.

Claims

1. A method of setting up a conference call, such method comprising:

providing an audio mixer that receives an audio input from each of at least three audio interfaces of the conference call, mixes the audio inputs, and provides an equalized audio output to each of the at least three audio interfaces;

providing a first local wireless interface between a first audio interface of the at least three audio interfaces and a first headset of the conference call;

providing a second local interface between a second audio interface of the at least three audio interfaces and a second headset of the conference call;

coupling a third audio interface of the at least three audio interfaces to a third headset of the conference call through a base station of a cellular network;

wherein the first local wireless interface, the second local interface and the third audio interface are independent of each other and provide full duplex communications, and

wherein the audio mixer comprises a summer and a divider, the summer configured to sum the audio inputs from each of the at least three audio interfaces and to provide the sum to the divider, the divider configured to divide the sum equally across the at least three audio interfaces to provide the equalized audio output.

2. The method of setting up a conference call as in claim 1 wherein the second local interface comprises a second local wireless interface with the second headset.

3. The method of setting up a conference call as in claim 2 further comprising coupling a first transceiver to the first audio interface.

4. The method of setting up a conference call as in claim 3 further comprising setting up the first local wireless interface between the first headset and first transceiver under a bluetooth protocol.

5. The method of setting up a conference call as in claim 4 further comprising selecting a first wireless channel for use with the first local wireless interface.

6. The method of setting up a conference call as in claim 5 further comprising coupling a second transceiver to the second audio interface.

7. The method of setting up a conference call as in claim 6 further comprising setting up the second local wireless interface between the second headset and second transceiver under a bluetooth protocol.

8. The method of setting up a conference call as in claim 7 further comprising selecting a second wireless channel for use by the second local wireless interface, said second wireless channel being different than the first wireless channel.

9. The method of setting up a conference call as in claim 8 wherein the audio mixer is disposed within a cellular telephone.

10. The method of setting up a conference call as in claim 9 further comprising selecting the respective first and second channels for the first and second local wireless interfaces by sequentially activating a software or hardware pairing button on the cellular telephone and respective software or hardware pairing buttons on the first and second headsets.

11. The method of setting up a conference call as in claim 9 wherein the audio mixer further comprises a fourth audio interface and wherein the fourth audio interface is coupled to a speaker and microphone of the cellular telephone.

12. The method of setting up a conference call as in claim 8 wherein the audio mixer and respective transceivers for the first and second local wireless interfaces are disposed within a personal digital assistant.

13. The method of setting up a conference call as in claim 8 wherein the audio mixer and respective transceivers for the first and second local wireless interfaces are disposed within a notebook computer.

14. The method of setting up a conference call as in claim 8 wherein the audio mixer and respective transceivers for the first and second local wireless interfaces are disposed within an electronic device with audio capabilities.

15. An apparatus for setting up a conference call, such apparatus comprising:

an audio mixer that receives an audio input from each of at least three audio interfaces of the conference call, mixes the audio inputs, and provides an equalized audio output to each of the at least three audio interfaces;

a first local wireless interface between a first audio interface of the at least three audio interfaces and a first interface device;

a second local interface between a second audio interface of the at least three audio interfaces and a second interface device;

a third audio interface of the at least three audio interfaces coupled to a third interface device through a base station of a cellular network, wherein the first local wireless interface, the second local interface and the third audio interface are independent of each other and provide full duplex communications, and

wherein the audio mixer comprises a summer and a divider, the summer configured to sum the audio inputs from each of the at least three audio interfaces and to provide the sum to the divider, the divider configured to divide the sum equally across the at least three audio interfaces to provide the equalized audio output.

16. The apparatus for setting up a conference call as in claim 15 wherein the second local interface comprises a second local wireless interface, and wherein the second interface device is a wireless headset.

17. The apparatus for setting up a conference call as in claim 16 further comprising a first transceiver coupled to the first audio interface.

18. The apparatus for setting up a conference call as in claim 17 wherein the first local wireless interface is set up between the first interface device and first transceiver under a bluetooth protocol.

19. The apparatus for setting up a conference call as in claim 18 further comprising a first wireless channel selected for use with the first local wireless interface.

20. The apparatus for setting up a conference call as in claim 19 further comprising a second transceiver coupled to the second audio interface.

21. The apparatus for setting up a conference call as in claim 20 wherein the second local wireless interface is set up between the second interface device and second transceiver under a bluetooth protocol.

22. The apparatus for setting up a conference call as in claim 21 further comprising a second wireless channel selected for use by the second local wireless interface, said second wireless channel being different than the first wireless channel.

23. The apparatus for setting up a conference call as in claim 22 wherein the audio mixer disposed within a cellular telephone.

24. The apparatus for setting up a conference call as in claim 23 wherein the first wireless channel and the second wireless channel are selected by sequentially activating a pairing button on the cellular telephone and respective pairing buttons on the first interface device and the second interface device.

25. The apparatus for setting up a conference call as in claim 23 wherein the audio mixer further comprises a fourth audio interface and wherein the fourth audio interface is coupled to a speaker and microphone of the cellular telephone.

26. The apparatus for setting up a conference call as in claim 22 wherein the audio mixer and respective transceivers for the first and second local wireless interfaces are disposed within a personal digital assistant.

27. The apparatus for setting up a conference call as in claim 22 wherein the audio mixer and respective transceivers for the first and second local wireless interfaces are disposed within a notebook computer.

28. The apparatus for setting up a conference call as in claim 22 wherein the audio mixer and respective transceivers for the first and second local wireless interfaces are disposed within an electronic device with audio capabilities.

29. A method of setting up a conference call, such method comprising:

providing an audio mixer that receives an audio input from each of at least three audio interfaces of the conference call, mixes the audio inputs and provides an equalized audio output to each of the at least three audio interfaces;

providing a first local wireless interface between a first audio interface of the at least three audio interfaces and a first wireless headset of the conference call;

providing a second local wireless interface that is different than the first local wireless interface between a second audio interface of the at least three audio interfaces and a second wireless headset of the conference call;

coupling a third audio interface of the at least three audio interfaces to a third wireless headset of the conference call through a base station of a cellular network, wherein the first local wireless interface, the second local wireless interface and the third audio interface are independent of each other and provide full duplex communications,

wherein the audio mixer comprises a summer and a divider, the summer configured to sum the audio inputs from each of the at least three audio interfaces and to provide the sum to the divider, the divider configured to divide the sum equally across the at least three audio interfaces to provide the equalized audio output.