Conference system and process for voice activation in the conference system

Abstract

Conference systems are used for example in discussions and usually comprise a plurality of delegate units with microphones, whereby in a discussion each discussion participant uses his own delegate unit. Usually the delegate units have a switch or the like, that allows the participant in front of the delegate unit to request, that his microphone is activated, so that the speech of the participant is input in the conference system and amplified by the conference system. A conference system comprising () a plurality of delegate units (), each delegate unit () having a microphone () for receiving an audio signal from a surrounding, a central service module () handling a plurality of contribution channels, whereby the audio output of the contribution channels contribute to an amplified audio output of the conference system () is proposed, whereby each delegate unit () is adapted to send a request for a contribution channel commit to the central service module (), whereby the central service module () is adapted to grant the request and to allocate a contribution channel to the requesting delegate unit (), thus setting the requesting delegate unit i in an active state A, whereby the delegate unit () is adapted to trigger the request by voice activation, whereby the request is triggered in case at least a first trigger condition is fulfilled defining that the audio signal level of one of the delegate units () as a possible requesting delegate unit i is higher than an individual test value for each other delegate unit () in the active state A, whereby the individual test value is an estimated audio signal level of the possible requesting unit i resulting from an audio or speech signal provided to the other active delegate units ().