Enhanced audio teleconferencing with sound field effect

Abstract

An audio teleconferencing apparatus and method provide an audio sound field among a plurality of teleconferencees creating a sense of a virtual conference table having a spatial location for each conferencee at the virtual table. Each conferencee has a speakerphone including a programmable Digital Signal Processor (DSP) for receiving a conference audio signal. In one form, the speakerphones are coupled to a conference bridge through individual ports, the bridge linking together all conferencees for purposes of the multiparty teleconference and transmitting port identifying signals denoting at discrete instants of time which remote port has a currently speaking conferences. The port identity signals are transmitted in-band or out-of-band to the speakerphones in conjunction with the conference audio signal. Each speakerphone uses the programmed DSP and the port identity signal/audio signals to cause sound reproduced at the speakerphone to appear to emanate from positions around the virtual conference table according to the port identity signals. In another form, a conference speakerphone exchanges its ID with other conference phones on the call and creates an 'outgoing image' of participants at a speakerphone. Using the Id information, each DSP maps a virtual conference table for the conferencees and the relative spatial positions of the speakers within a group.