SPATIAL SOUND CONFERENCE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS

• US 20030081115A1
• Filed: 02/08/1996
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Services Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: CURRY, JAMES E., MCALLISTER, ALEXANDER I., HATTON, PATRICIA V.
• Granted Patent: US 7,012,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

The spatial sound conference system enables participants in a teleconference to distinguish between speakers even during periods of interruption and overtalk, identify speakers based on spatial location cues, understand low volume speech, and block out background noise using spatial sound information. Spatial sound information may be captured using microphones positioned at the ear locations of a dummy head at a conference table, or spatial sound information may be added to a participant'"'"'s monaural audio signal using head-related transfer functions. Head-related transfer functions simulate the frequency response of audio signals across the head from one ear to the other ear to create a spatial location for a sound. Spatial sound is transmitted across a communication channel, such as ISDN, and reproduced using spatially disposed loudspeakers positioned at the ears of a participant. By inserting a spatial sound component in a teleconference, a speaker other than the loudest speaker may be heard during periods of interruption and overtalk. Additionally, speakers may be more readily identified when they have a spatial sound position, and the perception of background noise is reduced.

Claims

1. A spatial sound conference system comprising:

a conference station comprising;

right and left spatially disposed microphones connected to a communication channel for receiving right and left audio signals, wherein the differences between the right and left audio signals represent a head-related transfer function; and

a remote station comprising;

right and left spatially disposed loudspeakers connected to the communication channel.

2. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a compression unit connected to the right and left spatially disposed microphones for compressing the right and left audio signals; and

a decompression unit connected to the right and left spatially disposed loudspeakers for decompressing the compressed right and left audio signals.

3. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone positioned in the remote station and connected to the communication channel for receiving an audio signal; and

a loudspeaker positioned in the conference station and connected through the communication channel to the microphone.

4. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a compression unit connected to the microphone positioned in the remote station for compressing the audio signal; and

a decompression unit connected to the loudspeaker positioned in the conference station for decompressing the compressed audio signal.

5. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 1, wherein the right and left spatially disposed microphones are positioned on a dummy head.

6. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a microphone positioned in the remote station and connected to the communication channel for receiving an audio signal; and

a loudspeaker positioned proximal to the dummy head and connected through the communication channel to the microphone.

7. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a microphone positioned in the remote station and connected to the communication channel for receiving an audio signal; and

right and left spatially disposed loudspeakers positioned in the conference station and connected through the communication channel to the microphone.

8. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a head-tracking sensor in the remote station connected to the communications channel; and

a position simulator attached to the dummy head and connected through the communication channel to the sensor.

9. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a video camera positioned in the conference station and connected to the communication channel for receiving a video image; and

a display positioned in the remote station and connected through the communication channel to the video camera.

10. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 9, wherein the video camera is positioned near the location of eyes on a dummy head.

11. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 9, wherein the display is a head-mounted display.

12. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 1, wherein the right and left spatially disposed loudspeakers are a headset.

13. A method for conducting a spatial sound conference comprising the steps of:

converting audio information into right and left audio signals at a conference station, wherein the conversion imparts a differential characteristic to the right and left audio signals, and the differential characteristic is represented by a head-related transfer function, and the right and left audio signals comprise spatialized audio;

transmitting audio information representative of said spatialized audio from the conference station across a communication channel to a remote station; and

playing the spatialized audio in the remote station.

14. A method for conducting a spatial sound conference according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

compressing the right and left audio signals after the step of converting; and

decompressing the compressed right and left audio signals after the step of transmitting.

15. A spatial sound conference system comprising:

a transmitting station comprising;

a microphone connected to a communications system for receiving an audio signal;

a head-related transfer function unit connected to the communications system for imparting a head-related transfer function to the audio signal to produce a spatialized audio signal; and

a receiving station comprising;

right and left spatially disposed loudspeakers connected to the communication system for receiving the spatialized audio signal.

16. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a compression unit connected to the microphone for compressing the audio signal; and

a decompression unit connected to the head-related transfer function unit for decompressing the compressed audio signal.

17. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a compression unit connected to the head-related transfer function unit for compressing the spatialized audio signal; and

a decompression unit connected to the right and left spatially disposed loudspeakers for decompressing the compressed spatialized audio signal.

18. A spatial sound conference system according to claim 15, wherein the head-related transfer function unit is contained in a spatial sound conference bridge.

19. A method for conducting a spatial sound conference comprising the steps of:

receiving an audio signal at a transmitting station;

transmitting the audio signal from the transmitting station to a spatial sound conference bridge;

imparting a head-related transfer function to the audio signal to create a spatialized audio signal;

sending the spatialized audio signal from the spatial sound conference bridge to a receiving station; and

playing the spatialized audio signal on spatially disposed loudspeakers at the receiving station.

20. A method for conducting a spatial sound conference according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

compressing the audio signal after the step of receiving; and

decompressing the compressed audio signal after the step of transmitting.

21. A method for conducting a spatial sound conference according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

compressing the spatialized audio signal after the step of imparting; and

decompressing the compressed spatialized audio signal after the step of sending.

22. A method for conducting a spatial sound conference comprising the steps of:

receiving an audio signal at a transmitting station;

transmitting the audio signal from the transmitting station to a receiving station;

imparting a head-related transfer function to the audio signal to create spatialized audio signal;

playing the spatialized audio signal on spatially disposed loudspeakers in the receiving station.

23. A method for conducting a spatial sound conference according to claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

compressing the audio signal after the step of receiving; and

decompressing the compressed audio signal after the step of transmitting.

24. A spatial sound conference bridge comprising:

at least two input ports for receiving at least two audio outputs;

a head-related transfer function unit to the at least two input ports for imparting a head-related transfer function to at least one received audio signal to produce one spatialized audio signal; and

at two output ports connected to the head-related transfer function unit for transmitting the spatialized audio signal.

25. A spatial sound conference bridge according to claim 24, further comprising:

a decompression unit connected to at least one input port for decompressing at least one audio signal.

26. A spatial sound conference bridge according to claim 24, further comprising:

a compression unit connected to at least one output port for compressing at least one spatialized audio signal.

27. A method for conducting a spatial sound conference comprising the steps of:

receiving at least two monaural audio signals;

generating at least two sets of spatialized audio signals from the at least two monaural audio signals using at least two head-related transfer functions;

compiling at least one composite signal from the at least two sets of spatialized audio signals;

transmitting at least one composite signal to a location; and

playing at least one composite signal at the location.