Audio processing of shared content

• US 9,723,263 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Co. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Bowon
• Primary Examiner(s): ZENATI, AMAL S
• Application Number:
  US13/874,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20140320589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 37940606, 37940613
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/082 using echo cancellers echo cancellers per se H04B3/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

An audio processor for a video conference system receives an audio signal from content to be shared over a video conference and an audio signal from a network. The audio signal from the shared content and the audio signal from the network are mixed together for output to a speaker. The audio processor may also receive a local audio signal from a microphone. The local audio signal is mixed with the audio signal of the shared to content to generate an outbound signal.

Claims

1. A method of a computing device, comprising:

receiving a first audio signal, wherein the first audio signal corresponds to content to be shared in a video conference, and the first audio signal played for consumption by a plurality of participants of the video conference;

receiving a second audio signal from a microphone;

receiving a third audio signal from a network;

providing the first audio signal to a first input of a mixer in the computing device, and providing a version of the second audio signal to a second input of the mixer;

mixing, by the mixer, the first audio signal and the version of the second audio signal together to produce a fourth audio signal that includes the first audio signal added to the version of the second audio signal, wherein the fourth audio signal is prepared for output to the network;

mixing the first audio signal and the third audio signal together to produce a fifth audio signal, wherein the fifth audio signal is prepared for output to a speaker;

canceling acoustic echo of the fifth audio signal from the second audio signal to produce a sixth audio signal; and

filtering the sixth audio signal to produce the version of the second audio signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising delaying the first audio signal to produce a delayed version of the first audio signal, wherein the first audio signal mixed with the version of the second audio signal to produce the fourth audio signal is the delayed version of the first audio signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising encoding the fourth audio signal for output to the network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting the fifth audio signal to a speaker.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising decoding the third audio signal after the third audio signal is received from the network to produce a decoded version of the third audio signal, wherein the third audio signal mixed with the first audio signal to produce the fifth audio signal is the decoded version of the third audio signal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first audio signal comprises a video clip to be shared in the video conference.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixing of the first audio signal and the third audio signal to produce the fifth audio signal is performed by another mixer.

6. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that upon execution cause a computing device to:

receive a first audio signal corresponding to audible content to be shared for consumption by a plurality of participants in a video conference;

receive a second audio signal from a microphone;

receive a third audio signal from a video conference end point over a network;

provide the first audio signal to a first input of a first mixer in the computing device, and provide a version of the second audio signal to a second input of the first mixer;

receive a fourth audio signal produced by mixing, by the first mixer, the first audio signal and the version of the second audio signal together, the fourth audio signal including the first audio signal added to the version of the second audio signal, wherein the fourth audio signal is for output to the video conference end point;

receive a fifth audio signal produced by mixing, by a second mixer, the first audio signal and the third audio signal;

cancel acoustic echo of the fifth audio signal output by the second mixer from the second audio signal to produce a sixth audio signal;

filter the sixth audio signal to produce the version of the second audio signal; and

output the fifth audio signal to a speaker.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the instructions upon execution cause the computing device to further:

delay the first audio signal to produce a delayed version of the first audio signal, wherein first audio signal mixed, by the first mixer, with the delayed version of the second audio signal to produce the fourth audio signal is the delayed version of the first audio signal.

8. An audio processor comprising:

a first mixer to mix together a first audio signal and a second audio signal to produce a third audio signal, wherein the first audio signal corresponds to audible content to be played for consumption by a plurality of participants in a video conference, and wherein the second audio signal is received from a video conference end point coupled to a network, the third audio signal for output to a speaker;

a second mixer to mix together the first audio signal and a fourth audio signal to produce a fifth audio signal, the fifth audio signal comprising the first audio signal added to the fourth audio signal, the second mixer comprising a first input to receive the first audio signal, and a second input to receive the fourth audio signal, wherein the fourth audio signal is based on a signal received from a microphone, and wherein the fifth audio signal is for output to the network;

an acoustic echo canceler to cancel acoustic echo of the third audio signal from the signal received from the microphone to produce a sixth audio signal; and

a filter to filter the sixth audio signal to produce the fourth audio signal.

9. The audio processor of claim 8, further comprising:

a delay to delay the first audio signal, wherein the delayed first audio signal is mixed by the second mixer with the fourth audio signal to produce the fifth audio signal.

10. The audio processor of claim 8, further comprising:

an encoder to encode the fifth audio signal for output to the network.

11. The audio processor of claim 8, further comprising:

a decoder to decode the second audio signal after the second audio signal is received from the network.