Abstract:
A conference phone system includes personal headsets and a base unit. The personal headsets individually capture audios of local participants on a conference call (“local audios”) and transmit the local audios in separate and identifiable channels to the base unit. The base unit receives the local audios and transmits the local audios in separate and identifiable audio streams over a network to a network client. For a remote participant on the conference call, the network client reproduces the local audios and indicates one or more participants who are presently speaking. The network client can also virtualize the local audios so that the remote participant can distinguish the participants by their relative positions, whether virtual or actual. The network client uses the audio source identification information of various participants to enable conference features to mute, enhance, or hold private sidebar conversations.

Description:
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART  
       [0001]     Teleconferencing enables people separated geographically to hold meetings through the use of telephone, closed-circuit TV, and network-based tools for sharing visual materials such as slides and whiteboards. Due to band width and equipment limitations, teleconference participants often miss out on much of the information available in the local meeting to in-meeting participants. This is especially true when in-meeting participants meet in person in the local meeting and teleconference with one or more remote participants. While tools such as NetMeeting and WebEx attempt to address some of the problems, namely data sharing and video, they do not address the audio difficulties of a teleconference.  
         [0002]     Low quality audio plagues users of conference phones. Remote meeting participants, already at a disadvantage when they cannot see the visual cues and expressions of the other people in the meeting, also must contend with distractions such as the person speaking being too far away from the microphone, too many people speaking at the same time, and machine noise form laptops and overhead projectors.  
         [0003]     In-person participants are also exposed to these distractions, but naturally filter them out by reading lips and turning the head to hear well. On the remote end, the user hears all the audio to which the conference phone is exposed and is not able to filter out distractions as one would do in person. Thus, what are needed are an apparatus and a method that overcome some of these audio-related teleconferencing problems.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     In one embodiment of the invention, a conference phone system includes wireless or wired headsets and a base unit. These personal headsets individually capture audios of local participants on a conference call (“local audios”) and transmit the local audios in separate and identifiable channels to the base unit. The base unit receives the local audios and transmits the local audios in separate and identifiable audio streams over a network to a network client. For a remote participant on the conference call, the network client reproduces the local audios and indicates one or more participants who are presently speaking. The network client can also virtualize the local audios so that the remote participant can distinguish the participants by their relative positions, whether virtual or actual. Furthermore, the network client can solo, enhance, or mute any one local participant, or hold a sidebar conversation between the remote participant and any one local participant. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]      FIG. 1  illustrates a conference phone system in one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0006]      FIGS. 2, 3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 , and  7  illustrate methods for operating the conference phone system of  FIG. 1  in embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
       [0007]     Use of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similar or identical elements.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates a conference phone system  10  in one embodiment of the invention. Conference phone system  10  includes a base unit  12  and multiple wireless headsets  14 . The base unit includes a radio transceiver  16  (e.g., a Bluetooth transceiver) capable of handling multiple audio channels and a VoIP (Voice-over-Internet Protocol) interface  18  to a network  20  (e.g., the Internet). Each wireless headset  14  includes a speaker  22 , a microphone  24 , and a radio transceiver  26  (e.g., a Bluetooth transceiver). Each wireless headset  14  uses a separate and identifiable channel so that base unit  12  can associate a given audio stream to a given headset  14 . Base unit  12  can further include a POTS (plain old telephone system) interface  19  for connecting to POTs (plain old telephones)  21  via a telephone network  23  (e.g., a public switched telephone network).  
         [0009]     On the remote end, each network client  28  includes a computer  30 , a monitor  32 , and a stereo headset  34 . Computer  30  includes a CPU  40  for executing a teleconference application, a memory  42  for storing the GUI application and related data, a display card  44  for rendering the GUI on monitor  32 , a NIC (network interface card)  46  for connecting to network  20 , and a sound card  48  for reproducing and capturing audio on headset  34 . The teleconference application handles the VoIP audio connection, generates a graphic user interface on monitor  32 , feeds audio to stereo speakers  36  of headset  34 , captures the user&#39;s voice via a microphone  38  of headset  34 , and transmits the local audio via the VoIP. As shown, multiple network clients  28  can be connected to base unit  12  via network  20 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  illustrates a method  100  for holding a conference call among local participants at one or more base units, one or more remote participants using network clients, and one or more telephonic participants using POTs in one embodiment of the invention. Method  100  is divided between (1) actions  102  to  110  taken by wireless headsets  14  and a base unit  12  at a local site, and (2) actions  112  to  118  taken by a network client  28  at a remote site. At each local site, local participants are meeting in person about a base unit  12  and is each equipped with a wireless headset  14 . At each remote site, a remote participant uses network client  28  to participate in the conference call.  
         [0011]     In step  102 , wireless headsets  14  uses microphones  24  to individually capture the voices of the local participants.  
         [0012]     In step  104 , wireless headsets  14  uses radio transceiver  26  to transmit the voices in unique and identifiable channels to base unit  12 . As the voices are transmitted in separate and identifiable channels, base unit  12  can use radio transceiver  16  to associate a given audio stream to a given headset  14  used by a given local participant.  
         [0013]     In step  105 , one or more POTs  21  transmits the voices of the telephonic participants over POTS network  23  to POTS interface  19  of base unit  12 . With the caller ID enabled, base unit  12  can use POTS interface  19  to associate a given audio stream to a given POT used by a given telephonic participant.  
         [0014]     In step  106 , base unit  12  uses VoIP interface  18  to transmit the local audios of the local participants and the POTS audios of the telephonic participants over network  20  to network clients  28  and other base units  12 , if any. In one embodiment, VoIP interface  18  transmits the audios of each local participant and each telephonic participant in separated and identifiable audio streams (e.g., in separate packets with headers identifying the local or telephonic participants) to network clients  28  and other base units  12 .  
         [0015]     In step  108 , base unit  12  uses VoIP interface  18  to receive remote audios from network clients  28  and other local audios from other base units  12 . In one embodiment, the audios from each remote participant and each local participant of other base units  12  are received in separate and identifiable audio streams.  
         [0016]     In step  110 , base unit  12  uses radio transceiver  16  to transmit the remote audios and the other local audios to wireless headsets  14 . Alternatively or in addition to the wireless transmission, base unit  12  may include a speaker  50  that broadcasts the remote audio and the other local audios to the local participants. Furthermore, base unit  12  uses POTS interface  19  to transmit the remote audios, the local audios, and the other local audios to POTs  21  for the telephonic participants.  
         [0017]     Steps  102  to  110  are repeated for the duration of the conference call by each participating base unit  12 . Although shown separate and in sequence, these steps may be carried out concurrently or in different order in accordance with the flow of the conversation.  
         [0018]     Now turning to the action taken by each network client  28 , in step  112 , network client  28  represents the local participants having wireless headsets  14  on monitor  32 . For example, referring back to  FIG. 1 , there may be six participants (whether local, telephonic, or other remote participants) so network client  28  (more specifically CPU  40 ) instructs display card  44  to generate a GUI having six icons representing the six participants on monitor  32 . Note that the relative positions of the icons on monitor  32  do not necessarily reflect the relative positions of any local participants at a local site.  
         [0019]     The remote participant can manually determine which participant is using which headset and provide identifiable features for the icon (e.g., names and/or pictures of the local participants). Alternatively, base unit  12  may be preconfigured with the names of the local participants and provide it to network client  28  to automatically generate GUI icons with default name and/or pictures of the local participants.  
         [0020]     In step  114 , network client  28  (more specifically CPU  40 ) uses NIC  46  to receive the local audios of the local participants and POTS audios of the telephonic participants in separate and identifiable audio streams over network  20  from base units  12 . Network client  28  can also use NIC  46  to receive remote audios from other network clients  28 , if any.  
         [0021]     In step  115 , network client  28  (more specifically CPU  40 ) identifies one or more of the local participants, the telephonic participants, and other remote participants who are presently speaking. Network client  28  identifies a participant as one who is presently speaking when the volume of his or her audio stream exceeds a threshold.  
         [0022]     In step  116 , network client  28  (more specifically CPU  40 ) uses sound card  48  to send the local audios, POTS audios, and other remote audios to speakers  36  of headset  34 . Furthermore, network client  28  uses display card  44  to visually indicate on monitor  32  the one or more local participants, telephonic participants, and remote participants who are presently speaking. For example, referring back to  FIG. 1 , an arrow  52  is used to indicate a local participant  54  who is presently speaking.  
         [0023]     In step  118 , network client  28  (more specifically CPU  40 ) uses microphone  38  of headset  34  to capture the voice of the remote participant. Network client  28  then uses sound card  48  to convert the voice into a remote audio stream. Finally, network client  28  uses NIC  46  to transmit the audios of the remote participant in an identifiable audio stream (e.g., in packets with headers identifying the remote participant) over network  20  to base units  12  and other network clients  28 .  
         [0024]     Steps  112  and  118  are repeated for the duration of the conference call. Although shown separate and in sequence, these steps may be carried out concurrently or in different order in accordance with the flow of the conversation.  
         [0025]      FIG. 3  illustrates one embodiment of step  116  that manipulates the local audio streams so that the remote participant hears the various speakers in different virtual locations in order to better identify the individual speakers. The virtual location is established in a sound field created by the headphone speakers by adjusting the relative volume, phase, and other audio characteristics of the speakers.  
         [0026]     In step  132 , network client  28  (more specifically CPU  40 ) assigns a virtual position to each participant in the conference call. In one embodiment, network client  28  can assign the virtual positions according to the relative positions of the icons representing the participants on monitor  32 .  
         [0027]     In step  134 , network client  28  (more specifically CPU  40 ) uses sound card  48  to perform a 2-speaker 3D virtualization of the audio streams according to the virtual positions of the participants. Virtualization of the audio streams includes adjusting the stereo effect and the phase effect of the sound so that the remote participant hears each participant in a unique virtual position. The virtualized audio is transmitted from sound card  48  to stereo speakers  36  of headset  34 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  illustrates a method  140  for a solo feature of conference phone system  10  in one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0029]     In step  142 , network client  28  (more specifically CPU  40 ) receives an instruction from the remote participant to solo one participant (local, telephonic, or another remote participant). Referring back to  FIG. 1 , the remote participant can do this by selecting a solo button  61  and then selecting the icon representing the one participant that he or she wishes to solo.  
         [0030]     In step  144 , network client  28  (more specifically CPU  40 ) instructs sound card  48  to only reproduce the audio stream from the selected participant until the remote participant deactivates the solo feature. Thus, the remote participant will only hear the voice of the selected participant.  
         [0031]      FIG. 5  illustrates a method  145  for an audio enhance feature of conference phone system  10  in one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0032]     In step  146 , network client  28  (more specifically CPU  40 ) receives an instruction from the remote participant to enhance one participant (local, telephonic, or another remote participant). Referring back to  FIG. 1 , the remote participant can do this by selecting an enhance button  62  and then selecting the icon representing the one participant that he or she wishes to enhance.  
         [0033]     In step  148 , network client  28  (more specifically CPU  40 ) instructs sound card  48  to increase the volume of the selected participant and/or lowers the volumes of the other participants so the remote participant can hear the selected participant better. Network client  28  will continue to do this until the remote user deactivates the enhance feature.  
         [0034]      FIG. 6  illustrates a method  150  for a mute feature of conference phone system  10  in one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0035]     In step  152 , network client  28  (more specifically CPU  40 ) receives an instruction from the remote participant to mute one participant (local, telephonic, or another remote participant). Referring back to  FIG. 1 , the remote participant can do this by selecting a mute button  63  and then selecting the icon representing the one participant that he or she wishes to mute.  
         [0036]     In step  154 , network client  28  (more specifically CPU  40 ) instructs sound card  48  to stop reproducing the audio from the selected participants until the remote participant deactivates the mute feature. Thus, the remote participant will not hear the voice of the selected participant.  
         [0037]      FIG. 7  illustrates a method  160  for a sidebar conversation feature of conference phone system  10  in one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0038]     In step  162 , network client  28  (more specifically CPU  40 ) receives an instruction from the remote participant to initiate a sidebar conversation with one of the participants. Referring back to  FIG. 1 , the remote participant can do this by selecting a sidebar button  64  and then selecting the icon representing the only participant that he or she wishes to have a sidebar conversation with.  
         [0039]     In step  164 , network client  28  (more specifically CPU  40 ) uses NIC  46  to transmit the identity of the selected participant over network  20  to a base unit  12  or another network client  28  where the selected participant is located.  
         [0040]     In step  166 , network client  28  (more specifically CPU  40 ) instructs sound card  48  to only reproduce the audio stream from the selected participant until the remote participant deactivates the sidebar conversation feature. Alternatively, network client  28  lowers the volume of the other participants so that the remote participant can hear the selected participant better.  
         [0041]     In step  168 , base unit  12  or another network client  28  (where the selected participant is located) receives the identity of the selected participant to the sidebar conversation.  
         [0042]     In step  170 , base unit  12  or another network client  28  (where the selected participant is located) only transmits the remote audio stream from the requesting network client  28  to the headset of the selected participant. If the selected participant is a telephonic participant at base unit  12 , base unit  12  only transmits the remote audio stream from the requesting network client  28  to the POT  21  that the selected participant is using.  
         [0043]     Steps  162  to  170  are repeated for the duration of the sidebar conversation. Although shown separate and in sequence, some of these steps may be carried out concurrently or in different order in accordance with the flow of the conversation.  
         [0044]     With each participant in the local site now wearing microphone headsets, sound quality is improved for both the remote and the local participants. Furthermore, the use of wireless headsets that broadcast over identifiable channels allows the current speaker to be visually identified for the remote participant. Along with visual indication of who is presently speaking, the audio signals are virtualized so that the remote participant hears the various speakers in different virtual locations in order to better identify the individual speakers. Additionally, the use of wireless headsets that broadcast over identifiable channels allows for features such as solo, enhance, muting, and sidebar conversations.  
         [0045]     Various other adaptations and combinations of features of the embodiments disclosed are within the scope of the invention. Although wireless headsets are described above, the above system and methods are equally applicable to wired headsets that transmit over identifiable channels to the base unit. Numerous embodiments are encompassed by the following claims.