Patent ID: 6044150
Filing Date: 2000-03-28
Classification: G06F,H04M

Abstract:
A method for operating a personal computer as a speakerphone for bi-directional audio communication between a user and a remote party, said method comprising the steps of:operably connecting to the personal computer at a first connection point an audio component that is capable of converting an audio signal received at an audio input device into digital data, and that is capable of converting digital data into an audio signal for output to an audio output device;operably connecting to the personal computer at a second connection point a modem component that is capable of transferring and receiving data and voice via a telephone network; andexecuting, at the personal computer, computer-executable instructions for transferring audio information between the audio component and the modem component, the computer executable instructions comprising the steps of:a) for analog communication generated by said remote party,i) receiving digitized remote-party-generated audio as digitized by said modem component;ii) generating digitized user-consumed audio from said digitized remote-party-generated audio for presentation by said audio component to said user;b) for analog communication generated by said user,i) receiving digitized user-generated audio as digitized by said audio component;ii) filtering said digitized user-generated audio to remove any acoustic echo; andiii) generating digitized remote-party-consumed audio from said digitized user-generated audio for transmission by said modem component;c) when said modem component operates in half duplex mode, alternatingly converting said digitized remote-party-generated audio and digitized user-generated audio into digitized user-consumed audio and digitized remote-party-consumed audio, respectively, to provide a half-duplex implementation of said speakerphone;d) when said modem component operates in a full duplex mode and said audio component operates in half duplex mode, comparing a relative signal level of said digitized remote-party-generated audio with a threshold energy value;e) when said digitized remote-party-generated audio exceeds said threshold energy value, selecting said digitized remote-party-generated audio for presentation to said audio component as said digitized user-consumed audio; andf) when said digitized remote-party-generated audio does not exceed said threshold energy value, selecting said digitized user-generated audio for presentation to said modem component as said digitized remote-party-consumed audio.