Polycom, Inc.

Bose Corporation

Michael Pocino

Kwan Kin Truong

James Steven Joiner

Craig H Richardson

Thomas M Drewes

Scott David Orangio

Peter L Chu

Jinwei Feng

Darryl John Bryans

John Allen

Jenna Duggan-Lykes

Steve Joiner

Zubair Khan

James M Sharp

An audio system and method for enhancing audio quality in telecommunications applications. Specifically, a graphical user interface (GUI) is provided to allow an observer to visualize pickup zones within an environment that schematically represent areas of heightened microphone sensitivity. A microphone array and camera are arranged to obtain an audio signal and an image which correspond to a talker within the environment. The images are displayed via a first device or are transmitted to a second device and are displayed to the observer, while the audio signal is converted into an audio output by the second device. Visual overlays are provided, via the visualization window, corresponding with pickup zones within the environment corresponding to areas of heightened microphone sensitivity. The observer may adjust the visual overlay corresponding with each pickup zone using the GUI provided, resulting in an adjustment of the pickup zones by the microphone array within the environment.

Audio visualization in telecommunications applications

A videoconferencing system has a plurality of displays arranged side-by-side. Top loudspeakers are arranged adjacent the tops of the displays, and bottom loudspeakers are arranged adjacent the bottoms of the displays. A control unit operatively coupled to the displays and the loudspeakers routes video to each of the displays and routes audio corresponding to each display to any of the top and bottom loudspeakers arranged adjacent the display. Thus, the top and bottom loudspeakers form a vertical pair of loudspeakers that output the corresponding audio for its respective display. In this way, the audio for the video of a given display is perceived by participants to originate from the center of the given display. If one of the loudspeakers is not provided, gain setting and mixing between adjacent sets of loudspeakers can produce a virtual loudspeaker for the one that is missing.

Loudspeaker arrangement with on-screen voice positioning for telepresence system

Systems and methods for digitally linking multiple microphones and managing microphone signals are provided. Embodiments provide for digitally linking of multiple auto-mixer systems where a large number of microphones are required. In large auto-mixer systems, microphone input channels may be distributed among many devices. Rather than transmitting these signals individually to a central processing device for the auto-mixer, it is most efficient to distribute the audio signal processing functions of the automatic microphone mixer among multiple devices in an audio conferencing system. Subsequently, a smaller number of gated mixes of microphone signals may be transmitted between devices. Thus, embodiments of the present invention act to digitally link multiple microphone signals, arbitrating these signals, in order to enable distributed automatic microphone mixers to behave as a single mixer.

Digital linking of multiple microphone systems

Methods and devices for improving the intelligibility of audio in a teleconferencing unit. Multiple microphones and multiple audio channels are used, in which only the best microphones are selected to represent each audio channel. Multiple microphones signals may be mixed according to microphones' positions in a room to form a single signal to represent one audio channel. The audio signal may be further processed to effectuate other features.

Stereo microphone processing for teleconferencing

A computer program of the type commonly known as a 'wizard' is disclosed that initializes user interface software for controlling an audio conferencing device. The wizard allows the desired audio inputs (e.g., microphone, telephones, etc.) and audio outputs (speakers, recording devices, etc.) to be chosen by an audio system administrator. Thereafter, the wizard allows an audio conferencing device (or devices) to be chosen by the administrator, or allows such a device(s) to be optimally chosen dependent upon the chosen inputs and outputs. The wizard then maps the inputs and outputs to the input and output ports on the audio conferencing device. When the administrator finishes the wizard, the wizard computes the mapping parameters and other audio-optimizing parameters for the selected inputs and outputs. These parameters are then loaded into the user interface software automatically.

Computer program and methods for automatically initializing an audio controller

A multimedia conferencing system includes a loud speaker system, one or more microphones for receiving a local audio signal and a remote audio signal, a state machine and an echo canceller that operates in conjunction with two reference signals to remove substantially all of a feedback signal component in the local audio signal that results from reinforcing and playing the local audio signal over the loud speaker system. The state machine operates to detect that only the local audio is active, and if so controls the operation of the echo canceller such that only the feedback component of the local audio signal is removed and the local audio signal is not suppressed.

Method and system for processing audio signals

A distributed audio signal processing system having a plurality of linked audio signal processing units is disclosed. Each audio signal processing unit has physical channels for receiving and sending local audio signals and a high bandwidth interface for exchanging audio signals with other linked audio signal processing units. Each of the physical channels of each of the audio signal processing units are mapped to a corresponding global channel. The audio signal processing system provides a tightly integrated, distributed signal processing matrix where any input signal or physical channel on any one of the signal processing units can be exchanged with any other of the linked audio signal processing units, thereby providing maximum flexibility for selecting signals to mix and determining how to process the signals.

Distributed audio signal processing system

A distributed audio signal processing system having a plurality of linked audio signal processing units is disclosed. Each audio signal processing unit has physical channels for receiving and sending local audio signals and a high bandwidth interface for exchanging audio signals with other linked audio signal processing units. Each of the physical channels of each of the audio signal processing units is mapped to a corresponding global channel. Global channels can be combined to form virtual channels that can be processed as a signal channel.

Distributed audio signal processing system having virtual channels

A distributed audio signal processing system having a plurality of linked audio signal processing units is disclosed. Each audio signal processing unit has physical channels for receiving and sending local audio signals and a high bandwidth interface for exchanging audio signals with other linked audio signal processing units. Each of the physical channels of each of the audio signal processing units is mapped to a corresponding global channel. Global channels can be combined to form virtual channels that can be processed as a signal channel. Combinations of virtual channels can be grouped into logical channel groups that can be controlled as a group.

Distributed audio signal processing system having logical channel groups

A multiplexed microphone signal with multiple signal processing paths is disclosed. Each signal processing path has it own priority and other characteristics. A signal path is selected based on the application of the processed signal. Similar processes within different paths may be shared to reduce computation workload.

Multiplexed microphone signals with multiple signal processing paths

A computer program of the type commonly known as a 'wizard' is disclosed that initializes user interface software for controlling an audio conferencing device. The wizard allows the desired audio inputs (e.g., microphone, telephones, etc.) and audio outputs (speakers, recording devices, etc.) to be chosen by an audio system administrator. Thereafter, the wizard allows an audio conferencing device (or devices) to be chosen by the administrator, or allows such a device(s) to be optimally chosen dependent upon the chosen inputs and outputs. The wizard then maps the inputs and outputs to the input and output ports on the audio conferencing device, a step which again can be performed manually by the administrator or automatically by the wizard. After reviewing the mapping results, the administrator finishes the wizard, which computes the mapping parameters and other audio-optimizing parameters for the selected inputs and outputs. These parameters are then loaded into the user interface software, which saves the administrator the time and inconvenience of having to set up and optimize these parameters from scratch.

Growing community of inventors

Marietta, GA, United States of America

Michael Pocino