US 12,342,137 B2
System and method utilizing discrete microphones and virtual microphones to simultaneously provide in-room amplification and remote communication during a collaboration session
David Gregory Popovich, Ottawa (CA); Mahdi Javer, Calgary (CA); and David Gordon Johnson, Calgary (CA)
Assigned to NUREVA INC., Calgary (CA)
Filed by NUREVA, INC., Calgary (CA)
Filed on May 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/739,926.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/186,450, filed on May 10, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0360895 A1, Nov. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. H04R 3/00 (2006.01); G10K 11/178 (2006.01); H04R 1/02 (2006.01); H04R 1/04 (2006.01); H04R 1/40 (2006.01); H04R 3/12 (2006.01); H04R 27/00 (2006.01)
CPC H04R 3/005 (2013.01) [G10K 11/17823 (2018.01); G10K 11/17873 (2018.01); H04R 1/025 (2013.01); H04R 1/04 (2013.01); H04R 1/403 (2013.01); H04R 1/406 (2013.01); H04R 3/12 (2013.01); G10K 2210/3027 (2013.01); G10K 2210/505 (2013.01); H04R 27/00 (2013.01); H04R 2227/009 (2013.01); H04R 2420/07 (2013.01); H04R 2430/01 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
14. A method, comprising:
receiving audio signals, via an audio processor, from one or more remote participants through a computer configured to receive the remote participant audio signals over Internet from the one or more remote participants through one or more unified communications sessions (UCCs);
receiving audio signals, via the audio processor, from one or more microphone arrays configured for UCCs audio pickup, wherein each of the one or more microphone arrays is located in a shared space shared by one or more local participants, and comprises a plurality of microphones combined and arranged in a product enclosure, wherein the one or more microphone arrays are configured to provide a full shared 3D space coverage for audio pickup of static and transient local participants not using a discrete microphone system, by locating and focusing on active talking local participants, in real-time, to receive audio signals from the focused one or more local participants;
receiving audio signals, via the audio processor, from any of one or more discrete microphone systems configured to provide amplification for in room reinforcement and UCCs audio pickup, wherein each of the one or more discrete microphone systems is configured to receive voice audio from a single local participant, per microphone system, among the one or more local participants located in the shared space;
splitting each received discrete microphone system audio signal into two identical audio streams, a first split audio signal stream and a second split audio signal stream;
amplifying the first split audio signal stream, and combining the first split audio signal stream with the received remote participant audio signals;
transmitting the combined first split audio signal stream with the received remote participant audio signals to all of one or more speakers in the shared space thereby providing (i) in room amplification from the one or more discrete microphones systems configured to provide amplification for in room reinforcement and (ii) in room speaker output from the one or more remote participants audio signals;
combining the second split audio signal stream with the audio signals from the one or more microphone arrays configured for UCCs audio pickup; and
outputting the combined second split audio signal stream with the audio signals from the one or more microphone arrays to the computer for sending, via the computer, to the one or more remote participants over the Internet through the one or more UCCs.