Systems, methods, and devices for processing audio signals

• US 8,019,449 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2004
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chanyu Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hill, Thomas W., Gerszberg, Irwin, Barzegar, Farhad, Mollica, Scott J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCORD, PAUL C
• Application Number:
  US10/980,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20060034300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,505 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/24 Variable rate codecs, e.g. for generating different qualities using a scalable representation such as hierarchical encoding or layered encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments provide a method comprising a plurality of activities, comprising: initiating a communications connection between an audio device and a CPE gateway coupled to the audio device, the CPE gateway coupleable to a network; and negotiating between the audio device and the CPE gateway for a parameter associated with processing an audio signal to be transmitted across the network, the audio signal corresponding to a selected audio bandwidth from a plurality of audio bandwidths.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an audio device forming a telephone handset having at least one speaker element and a processor, wherein the audio device is coupled to a consumer premises equipment gateway, which is coupled to a network, and

wherein the processor of the audio device upon being coupled to the consumer premises equipment gateway immediately negotiates with the consumer premises equipment gateway regarding a parameter associated with processing an audio signal to be transmitted across the network in response to coupling the audio device to the gateway;

wherein the transmitted audio signal corresponds to a selected audio bandwidth from a plurality of audio bandwidths;

wherein the selected audio bandwidth is associated with the parameter and is based on a speaker type of the speaker elements determined by the gateway; and

wherein the plurality of audio bandwidths comprise a first audio bandwidth of approximately 3.1 kHz and a second audio bandwidth of at least approximately 6 kHz.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the audio device comprises an audio codec.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the audio device comprises a plurality of audio codecs.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the audio device is configured to select an audio codec for processing the audio signal according to the negotiated parameter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the audio device comprises a telephone.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the audio device comprises a microphone.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the audio device comprises a speaker.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the audio device comprises an acoustic transducer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the audio device comprises an audio player.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the audio device comprises an audio recorder.

11. A machine-implemented method comprising:

initiating a communications connection between an audio device and a consumer premises equipment gateway coupled to the audio device, and wherein the gateway is coupleable to a network; and

immediately negotiating between the audio device and the consumer premises equipment gateway for a parameter associated with processing an audio signal to be transmitted across the network in response to coupling the audio device to the consumer premises equipment gateway via a physical port, wherein the transmitted audio signal corresponds to a selected audio bandwidth from a plurality of audio bandwidths, wherein the selected audio bandwidth is associated with the parameter and is based on a speaker type of speaker elements of the audio device, wherein the speaker type is determined by the consumer premises equipment gateway, wherein the plurality of audio bandwidths comprise a first audio bandwidth of approximately 3.1 kHz and a second audio bandwidth of at least approximately 6 kHz.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting an audio codec for processing the audio signal according to the negotiated parameter.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising sampling the audio signal according to the parameter.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising digitizing the audio signal according to the parameter.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising formatting the audio signal according to the parameter.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising compressing the audio signal according to the parameter.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing the digitized audio signal to the network according to the parameter.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving the digitized audio signal from the network according to the parameter.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising decompressing the audio signal according to the parameter.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising converting the audio signal according to the parameter.

21. A machine readable medium comprising machine-implementable instructions, which, when loaded in and executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

initiating a communications connection between an audio device and a consumer premises equipment gateway coupled to the audio device, and wherein the gateway is coupleable to a network; and

immediately negotiating between the audio device and the gateway for a parameter associated with processing an audio signal to be transmitted across the network in response to coupling the audio device to the consumer premises equipment gateway via a physical port, wherein the transmitted audio signal corresponds to a selected audio bandwidth from a plurality of audio bandwidths, wherein the selected audio bandwidth is associated with the parameter and is based on a speaker type of speaker elements of the audio device, wherein the speaker type is determined by the consumer premises equipment gateway, wherein the plurality of audio bandwidths comprise a first audio bandwidth of approximately 3.1 kHz and a second audio bandwidth of at least approximately 6 kHz.

22. A machine-implemented method comprising:

initiating a communications connection between an audio device and a consumer premises equipment gateway coupled to the audio device, and wherein the gateway is coupleable to a network; and

immediately negotiating between the audio device and the gateway for a parameter associated with processing an audio signal to be transmitted across the network in response to coupling the audio device to the consumer premises equipment gateway via a physical port, wherein the transmitted audio signal corresponds to a selected audio bandwidth from a plurality of audio bandwidths, wherein the selected audio bandwidth is associated with the parameter and is based on a speaker type of speaker elements of the audio device, wherein the speaker type is determined by the computer premises equipment gateway, wherein the plurality of audio bandwidths comprise a first audio bandwidth of approximately 3.1 kHz and a second audio bandwidth of at least approximately 6 kHz and is not larger than an audio bandwidth of the audio device.