Tandberg Telecom As

Vtel Corporation

Peter Hsiang

James H Parry

A communications system and method performs centralized signal processing on received audio signals. A plurality of terminals are coupled to a processing switch via links. The terminals can be, for example, dedicated speakerphones, desktop handsets, or personal computers with audio capabilities. The links can be wired or wireless, can carry analog or digital signals, and can be shared with other users in a network. The switch receives the audio data from the terminals, processes the data according to desired acoustical procedures, creates one or more output mixes, and provides the output mixes to the appropriate terminals. The operation of the processing switch is controlled by a communications support module (CSM) which can receive, process, and send data to/from multiple terminals simultaneously. The CSM receives audio signals from the terminals. The CSM uses stored room models holding room model information including data and/or filters representing the acoustic properties of the terminal and/or the environment surrounding the terminal to produce the audio signals. Signal processing (SP) modules provide a pool of SP power from which the CSM can draw to process audio signals received from or being sent to the terminals. The CSM uses the SP modules to perform signal processing including acoustic echo cancellation, automatic gain control, noise reduction. The CSM also uses a mixing module to perform signal mixing.

Communications system and method utilizing centralized signal processing

A method and associated apparatus for controlling an acoustic canceler (&ldquo;AEC&rdquo;) are disclosed. Prior to passing audio signals to the AEC, a distortion detector is used to determine if the signals are distorted. If so, the AEC does not adapt is filter coefficients to the distorted signals. This technique improves the AEC's ability to adapt its filter coefficients to subsequent undistorted signals. For example, near-end or far-end audio signals above a predetermined threshold value are detected by a distortion detector which disables adaptive filter control logic so that distorted signals do not result in generation of erroneous filter coefficients.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Peter Hsiang