System and method for providing location specific sound in a telepresence system

• US 20070263079A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Graham, Philip R., Abed, Tark, Richman, Marc L., Harrell, Randy K., McLaughlin, Hugh J., Yu, Feng Hao, Marechal, Philip E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,692,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A system for providing location-specific sound in a telepresence system includes a plurality of remote microphones. Each remote microphone is associated with a respective area and operable to generate a sound signal from the voice of at least one user within the respective area. The system also includes a plurality of remote cameras. Each remote camera is associated with a respective remote microphone of the plurality of remote microphones and aligned to generate an image of its associated respective area. The system further includes a plurality of local displays. Each local display is operable to reproduce the image of a respective area generated by a respective remote camera. The system also includes a plurality of local loudspeakers. Each local loudspeaker is positioned proximate to a respective local display and operable to reproduce the sound signal from the voice of the at least one user within the respective area reproduced by the respective local display.

Claims

1. A system for providing location-specific sound in a telepresence system comprising:

a plurality of remote microphones, each remote microphone associated with a respective area and operable to generate a sound signal from the voice of at least one user within the respective area;

a plurality of remote cameras, each remote camera associated with a respective remote microphone of the plurality of remote microphones and aligned to generate an image of its associated respective area;

a plurality of local displays, each local display operable to reproduce the image of a respective area generated by a respective remote camera; and

a plurality of local loudspeakers, each local loudspeaker positioned proximate to a respective local display and operable to reproduce the sound signal from the voice of the at least one user within the respective area reproduced by the respective local display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of remote microphones comprises a plurality of directional remote microphones.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of remote microphones comprises a plurality of cardioid remote microphones.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of remote microphones comprises a plurality of hypercardioid remote microphones.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of remote microphones comprises a plurality of higher order directional remote microphones.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of remote microphones comprises a plurality of low profile remote microphones.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a filter operable to remove unwanted sound from the sound detected by the plurality of remote microphones.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the unwanted sound comprises sound detected by at least two remote microphones of the plurality of remote microphones, the sound detected at each remote microphone having a different amplitude, the unwanted sound being the sound having the smaller amplitude.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein each local loudspeaker is positioned below the proximate respective local display.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each local loudspeaker is positioned above the proximate respective local display.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each local loudspeaker is positioned on a side of the proximate respective local display such that each local display has at least one local loudspeaker on each side.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein each remote microphone associated with a respective area comprises a remote microphone coupled to a table wherein the table spans each respective area.

13. A method for providing location-specific sound in a telepresence system, comprising:

generating a sound signal from the voice of at least one user within a respective area, the sound signal generated by at least one remote microphone of a plurality of remote microphones, each remote microphone associated with the respective area;

aligning a plurality of remote cameras to generate an image of an associated respective area each remote camera associated with a respective remote microphone of the plurality of remote microphones;

reproducing the image of a respective area generated by a respective remote camera at each local display of a plurality of local displays; and

reproducing the sound signal from the voice of the at least one user within the respective area reproduced by the respective local display, each local loudspeaker positioned proximate to a respective local display.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of remote microphones comprises a plurality of directional remote microphones.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of remote microphones comprises a plurality of cardioid remote microphones.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of remote microphones comprises a plurality of hypercardioid remote microphones.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of remote microphones comprises a plurality of higher order directional remote microphones.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of remote microphones comprises a plurality of low profile remote microphones.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising filtering unwanted sound from the sound detected by the plurality of remote microphones.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the unwanted sound comprises sound detected by at least two remote microphones of the plurality of remote microphones, the sound detected at each remote microphone having a different amplitude, the unwanted sound being the sound having the smaller amplitude.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein each local loudspeaker is positioned below the proximate respective local display.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein each local loudspeaker is positioned above the proximate respective local display.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein each local loudspeaker is positioned on a side of the proximate respective local display such that each local display has at least one local loudspeaker on each side.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein each remote microphone associated with a respective area comprises a remote microphone coupled to a table wherein the table spans each respective area.