Clearone Communications, Inc.

Carrie L Owen

David K Lambert

Tracy A Bathurst

Wayne Whiteley

This disclosure describes a virtual microphone for reducing common-mode noise for an individual pod in a multi-pod conferencing system that includes a base and a plurality of pods for local conference participants to communicate with remote conference participants. The described virtual microphone includes pod processor means and a loudspeaker that couples to a digital to analog converter that converts digital audio to analog audio, where the loudspeaker couples to the pod processor means. In addition, the virtual microphone includes three physical bi-polar microphones positioned at 120-degree intervals in the horizontal resting plane of the pod, where each individual physical microphone connects to a pair of audio ports with each audio port being equal distance from the loudspeaker, and where the physical microphones couple to analog to digital converting means, and further where the physical microphones couple to the pod processor means. Further, the virtual microphone includes virtual microphone means. And, the virtual microphone includes pod echo cancellation means. Further, the virtual microphone includes microphone gating means using a loudness value, a quietness counter, and a noise floor value. And further, the virtual microphone also has the individual pod using the microphone gating means to gate on or off the virtual microphone.

Virtual microphones in electronic conferencing systems

This disclosure describes a multi-pod conferencing system for local conference participants to communicate with remote conference participants that includes a plurality of pods for local conference participants where an individual pod connects to one or more plurality of pods through a data communication means. The individual pods further include the following: pod processor means; an input device and a display; a loudspeaker that couples to a digital to analog converter; 3 physical bi-polar microphones positioned at 120 degree intervals in the horizontal resting plane of the pod, each individual physical microphone connects to a pair of audio ports with each audio port being equal distance from the loudspeaker, the physical microphones couple to analog to digital converting mean and pod processor means; 3 virtual microphones; pod echo cancellation means; and microphone gating means. The disclosed system further includes a base unit that couples to the plurality of pods through the data communication means. The base unit further includes base controller means, where the base controller means couples to the converting means. The system further includes the command input and display information from the individual pod that distributed to the plurality of pods such that the plurality of pods can be operated in tandem and where the computed values of the pod gating means is distributed to other pods to gate the pods on and or off.

Multi-pod conference systems

This disclosure describes a method of gating a multi-pod conferencing system for local conference participants to communicate with remote conference participants that includes providing a plurality of pods where an individual pod connects to one or more plurality of pods through a data communication means. The individual pods further include: pod processor means, digital to analog converter means, analog to digital converting means, virtual microphone means, pod echo cancellation means, and microphone gating means. The disclosed method further includes providing a base unit that uses data communication means and base controller means. The disclosed method further includes the computed values of the pod gating means being distributed to other pods to gate the pods on and or off.

Systems and methods for managing the gating of microphones in a multi-pod conference system

This disclosure describes a method of controlling a multi-pod conferencing system for local conference participants to communicate with remote conference participants. This method includes providing a plurality of pods to local conference participants wherein an individual pod connects to one or more of the plurality of pods through a data communication means. The individual pods further include pod processor means. The pod processor means couples to an input device and a display. The method further includes providing a base unit that couples to the plurality of pods through the data communication means. The base unit further couples to a carrier medium, where the base unit further includes base controller means. The base controller means couples to the converting means. Additionally, the method further includes receiving command input at an individual pod from the local conference participant, updating the display at the individual pod in response to the command input, and distributing the command input through said data communication means to other plurality of pods and the base controller, where the plurality of pods and the base controller interpret the command input and change their operational state if necessary in response to the command input.

Growing community of inventors

Layton, UT, United States of America

Carrie L Owen