Conferencing based on portable multifunction devices

• US 9,973,561 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2015
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fu, Yu Hui, Liu, Yu Hang, Sun, Ning, Xie, Ming, Xu, Jian, Zhao, Li Li
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Davoud
• Application Number:
  US14/689,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20160308929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 709201, 709202, 709203, 709204, 709205, 709217, 709230, 709231, 709232, 709246
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

A computer receives a first audio signal that is acquired by a first user device used by a first user in a conference and a second audio signal that is acquired by a second user device used by a second user in the conference. The computer processes the first audio signal based on the second audio signal to improve quality of the first audio signal, and sends the processed first audio signal to the conference.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing, by a computer operating as a teleconference hub, communications with a plurality of portable multifunction devices, in accordance with one or more wireless communication protocols, wherein each of the plurality of portable multifunction devices includes a microphone operated to capture audio signals;

receiving, by the computer, a first audio signal that is acquired by a first portable multifunction device of the plurality of portable multifunction devices, via its microphone, used by a first user in a teleconference;

receiving, by the computer, second audio signals that are acquired by other portable multifunction devices of the plurality of portable multifunction devices, via their microphones, used by a other users in the conference;

determining, by the computer, that the first audio signal represents the audio signal of a dominant speaker among the users in the teleconference;

performing noise cancellation processing, by the computer, on the first audio signal and the second audio signals to produce an output audio signal that represents the first audio signal with reduced noise; and

sending, by the computer, the first output audio signal to the conference.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein performing noise cancellation processing comprises:

estimating, by the computer, based on the second audio signals, an ambient noise in a space where the first portable multifunction device is located; and

removing, by the computer, the estimated ambient noise from the first output audio signal.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein estimating, by the computer, the ambient noise further comprises:

filtering, by the computer, the second audio signals to generate a second output audio signal as an approximation of the ambient noise, the filtering of the second audio signals being controlled according to an error signal, the error signal generated from the first audio signal and the second output audio signal.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining that the first audio signal represents the audio signal of a dominant speaker comprises:

comparing, by the computer, a strength of the first audio signal with a strength of the second audio signals; and

determining that the first audio signal represents the audio signal of the dominant speaker if the strength of the first audio signal is greater than the strength of the second audio signal.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating, by the computer, the first portable multifunction user device prior to receiving the first audio signal from the first portable multifunction user device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein authenticating, by the computer, the first portable multifunction user device further comprises:

receiving, by the computer, a near field communication (NFC) signal from the first portable multifunction user device;

obtaining, by the computer, an identification of the first portable multifunction user device from the received NFC signal; and

determining, by the computer, that the first portable multifunction user device is authorized to access the conference, based on the obtained identification.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computer, information indicating an acoustic feature of the first user, the acoustic feature being obtained by the first portable multifunction user device; and

processing, by the computer, the first audio signal based on the acoustic feature of the first user.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending, by the computer, the first output audio signal to the conference further comprises:

transmitting, by the computer, the first output audio signal to a remote teleconference hub computer.

9. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising one or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the program instructions comprising:

program instructions to establish, by a computer operating as a teleconference hub, communications with a plurality of portable multifunction devices, in accordance with one or more wireless communication protocols, wherein each of the plurality of portable multifunction devices includes a microphone operated to capture audio signals;

program instructions to receive, by the computer, a first audio signal that is acquired by a first portable multifunction device of the plurality of portable multifunction devices, via its microphone, used by a first user in a teleconference;

program instructions to receive, by the computer, second audio signals that are acquired by other portable multifunction devices of the plurality of portable multifunction devices, via their microphones, used by other users in the conference;

program instructions to determine, by the computer, that the first audio signal represents the audio signal of a dominant speaker among the users in the teleconference;

program instructions to perform noise cancellation processing, by the computer, on the first audio signal and the second audio signals to produce an output audio signal that represents the first audio signal with reduced noise; and

program instructions to send, by the computer, the output audio signal to the conference.

10. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein program instructions to perform noise cancellation processing comprise:

program instructions to estimate, by the computer, based on the second audio signals, an ambient noise in a space where the first portable multifunction device is located; and

program instructions to remove, by the computer, the estimated ambient noise from the first audio signal.

11. The computer program product according to claim 10, wherein program instructions to estimate, by the computer, the ambient noise further comprises:

program instructions to filter, by the computer, the second audio signals to generate a second output audio signal as an approximation of the ambient noise, the program instructions to filter the second audio signals being controlled according to an error signal, the error signal generated from the first audio signal and the second output audio signal.

12. The computer program product according to claim 9, further comprising:

program instructions to receive, by the computer, a near field communication (NFC) signal from the first portable multifunction user device;

program instructions to obtain, by the computer, an identification of the first portable multifunction user device from the received NFC signal; and

program instructions to determine, by the computer, that the first portable multifunction user device is authorized to access the conference, based on the obtained identification.

13. A computer system operating as a teleconference hub, the computer system comprising one or more receivers, one or more transmitters, one or more processors, one or more non-transitory computer readable memories, one or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory storage medium for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer readable memories, the program instructions comprising:

program instructions to establish, by a computer operating as a teleconference hub, communications with a plurality of portable multifunction devices, in accordance with one or more wireless communication protocols, wherein each of the plurality of portable multifunction devices includes a microphone operated to capture audio signals;

program instructions to receive, by the computer, a first audio signal that is acquired by a first portable multifunction device of the plurality of portable multifunction devices, via its microphone, used by a first user in a teleconference;

program instructions to receive, by the computer, second audio signals that are acquired by other portable multifunction devices of the plurality of portable multifunction devices, via their microphones, used by other users in the conference;

program instructions to determine, by the computer, that the first audio signal represents the audio signal of a dominant speaker among the users in the teleconference;

program instructions to perform noise cancellation processing, by the computer, on the first audio signal and the second audio signals to produce an output audio signal that represents the first audio signal with reduced noise; and

program instructions to send, by the computer, the output audio signal to the conference.

14. The computer system according to claim 13, wherein program instructions to performing noise cancellation processing comprise:

program instructions to estimate, by the computer, based on the second audio signals, an ambient noise in a space where the first portable multifunction is located; and

program instructions to remove, by the computer, the estimated ambient noise from the first audio signal.

15. The computer system according to claim 14, wherein program instructions to estimate, by the computer, the ambient noise further comprises:

program instructions to filter, by the computer, the second audio signals to generate a second output audio signal as an approximation of the ambient noise, the program instructions to filter the second audio signals being controlled according to an error signal, the error signal generated from the first audio signal and the second output audio signal.

16. The computer system according to claim 13, wherein program instructions to determine that the first audio signal represents the audio signal of a dominant speaker comprise:

program instructions to compare, by the computer, a strength of the first audio signal with a strength of the second audio signals; and

program instructions to determine that the first audio signal represents the audio signal of the dominant speaker if the strength of the first audio signal is greater than the strength of the second audio signal.

17. The computer system according to claim 13, further comprising:

program instructions to authenticate, by the computer, the first portable multifunction user device prior to receiving the first audio signal from the first portable multifunction user device.

18. The computer system according to claim 17, wherein program instructions to authenticate, by the computer, the first portable multifunction user device further comprises:

program instructions to receive, by the computer, a near field communication (NFC) signal from the first portable multifunction user device;

program instructions to obtain, by the computer, an identification of the first portable multifunction user device from the received NFC signal; and

program instructions to determine, by the computer, whether the first portable multifunction user device is authorized to access the conference, based on the obtained identification.

19. The computer system according to claim 13, further comprising:

program instructions to receive, by the computer, information indicating an acoustic feature of the first user, the acoustic feature being obtained by the first portable multifunction user device; and

program instructions to process, by the computer, the first audio signal based on the acoustic feature of the first user.

20. The computer system according to claim 13, wherein program instructions to send, by the computer, the first output audio signal to the conference further comprises:

program instructions to transmit, by the computer, the first output audio signal to a remote conference hub computer.