Abstract: A system, apparatus and method for automatically controlling the volume of a home entertainment device by an HVAC component. An HVAC component determines when it, or another HVAC, is active or not, and causes a home entertainment device to adjust its volume accordingly.

Abstract: Simulation of sound objects and attributes based on time-varying recursive filter structures each comprising a vector of one or more state variables and a mutable number of sound input and/or sound output signals. For simulating sound reception, the recursive update of at least one state variable involves adding an input term obtained by linearly combining input sound signals being received, wherein said combination involves time-varying coefficients adapted in response to input reception coordinates associated with said input sound signals. For simulating sound emission, state variables are linearly combined wherein said combination involves time-varying coefficients adapted in response to output emission coordinates associated with said output sound signals. Attenuation or other effects induced by sound propagation and/or interaction with obstacles may be incorporated during sound emission and/or reception through scaling the time-varying coefficients involved therein.

Abstract: A sound collection method and a microphone array estimate at least one sound source direction and form a plurality of sound collection beams in the estimated plurality of sound source direction, using sound collection signals of a plurality of microphones. The number of sound source directions estimated is smaller than the number of sound collection beams formed.

Abstract: Example embodiments provide a system and method for dynamically triggering display of recommendations during an end-of-show period. A digital receiver identifies an end-of-show period for a piece of digital content. The end-of-show period indicates a portion at an end of the piece of digital content during which display of recommendations can be triggered. The digital receiver monitors for a motion indication signal from a remote control device. In response to both playback of the piece of digital content being within the end-of-show period and a determination that the motion indication signal is received, the digital receiver causes immediate display of one or more recommendations of further digital content.

Abstract: A sound collection method includes estimating at least one sound source direction and forming a plurality of sound collection beams in the estimated plurality of sound source direction, using sound collection signals of a plurality of microphones. The number of sound source directions estimated is smaller than the number of sound collection beams formed.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and method for automatically controlling the volume of a home entertainment device by an HVAC component. An HVAC component determines when it, or another HVAC, is active or not, and causes a home entertainment device to adjust its volume accordingly.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for acoustic feedback attenuation at a telecommunications terminal. A speakerphone equipped with a loudspeaker and two microphones is featured. Signals from the two microphones are subjected to a calibration stage and then to a runtime stage. The purpose of the calibration stage is to match the microphones to each other by advantageously using both magnitude and phase equalization across the frequency spectrum of the microphones. During the runtime stage, the microphones monitor the ambient sounds received from sound sources, such as the speakerphone's users and the loudspeaker itself, during a conference call. The speakerphone applies the generated set of filter coefficients to the optimized microphone's signals. By combining the signal from the reference microphone with the filtered signal from the optimized microphone, the speakerphone is able to attenuate the sounds from the loudspeaker that would otherwise be transmitted back to other conference call participants.

Abstract: An echo suppressing apparatus operable with a sound output device for outputting sound based on a reference signal and a sound processing device for processing an observed signal based on a received sound, the echo suppressing apparatus includes: an echo removal section for removing an echo component of the observed signal which is presumed on the basis of both the observed signal and the reference signal; a ratio calculation section for calculating a power ratio of the observed signal to the reference signal; a correction amount calculation section for calculating, based on the power ratio, a correction amount for the observed signal after removal; a correction section for correcting, based on the calculated correction amount, the observed signal after removal, so as to suppress a residual echo remaining in the observed signal after removal; and an output section for outputting the corrected observed signal to the sound processing device.

Abstract: A method enables a participant in a conference call to monitor, as he is speaking, whether his speech is getting through to the other participants. A teleconference bridge receives audio signals from a group of telecommunications endpoints that are involved in a conference call. The bridge generates audio signals to be transmitted, which are based on one or more of the received audio signals. During the ongoing process of minimizing the presence of acoustic echo, the bridge might exclude one or more of the received audio signals from the transmitted audio signals. When this occurs, particularly when an active talker is being excluded, the bridge transmits an indication to one or more of the endpoints as part of one of the transmitted audio signals. The indication can be audible such as a tone or a voice, visual such as a flashing light, or tactile such as vibration.

Abstract: A telecommunications system includes a network; a plurality of user devices operably coupled to said network and including a microphone and a speaker; a collaboration server configured to cause a playing of one or more test tones at said plurality of user devices and compensate for feedback if said test tones are detected by microphones associated with said plurality of user devices.

Abstract: A noise-canceling device of a voice communication terminal that removes noise elements included in received voice signals. The device comprises: a digital filter array that exhibits filter qualities in response to a coefficient setting signal showing each supplied arrays of filter coefficients, and includes a first-stage filter that receives the received voice signals as well as multiple later-stage filters connected thereto in a straight line; a filter qualities designator that generates input designation that designates each qualities of the multiple digital filters forming the digital filters array; and a filter coefficient setter that retains multiple arrays of filter coefficients, extracts a filter coefficient array corresponding to the designation input from among the multiple filter coefficient arrays, and supplies to each multiple digital filters.

Abstract: A method of controlling teleconference signals includes receiving, at a teleconference bridge, endpoint-generated audio signals from each of a plurality of participating endpoints arranged at a plurality of locations. At least two of the participating endpoints are acoustically collocated at one of the locations. A bridge-generated audio signal is generated for each of the participating endpoints based on a set of signals. The set of signals includes all of the endpoint-generated signals received at the teleconference bridge, exclusive of the endpoint-generated signals transmitted to the bridge from each of the acoustically collocated endpoints.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for detecting acoustic echo in a telecommunications transmission. Detected acoustic echo is analyzed to determine if the acoustic echo includes characteristics indicative of use of a speakerphone by a remote party. Specific characteristics analyzed include the presence of multiple bulk delay values, echo magnitude, and the length of time for echo delays present within the telecommunications system. If the detected acoustic echo falls outside the range of acceptable parameters, or otherwise exceeds threshold limits, a warning signal is transmitted to the user indicating a high likelihood that the remote party is using a speakerphone. Warning the user of speakerphone use by the remote party can be helpful in ensuring that the communications between the parties is maintained in confidence.

Abstract: A signal processing device includes: a speaker amplifier for amplifying a reception voice; a reception voice attenuator for attenuating the reception voice inputted to the speaker amplifier during a voice transmission mode; a reception voice detection circuit for detecting the reception voice outputted from the speaker amplifier; a microphone amplifier for amplifying a transmission voice inputted to a microphone; a transmission voice attenuator for attenuating the transmission voice outputted by the microphone amplifier during a voice reception mode; a transmission voice detection circuit for detecting the transmission voice outputted by the microphone amplifier; and a discriminator for discriminating the mode to be operated among the voice transmission mode and the voice reception mode on the basis of detection outputs from the reception voice detection circuit and the transmission voice detection circuit.

Abstract: A system for reducing noise in a signal line, through which upward signals and downward signals are transmitted between a center and terminals, includes a noise-reduction device provided between the center and the terminals. The noise-reduction device attenuates the upward signals by an increased amount when a noise increase regarding the upward signals is detected on the signal line. The system further includes a noise-control device, provided at terminals, which boosts a transmission level of the upward signals by an amount compensating for the attenuation of the upward signals by the noise-reduction device.

Abstract: A voice recognition system includes an adaptive filter and a subtractor. The adaptive filter generates a simulated talk-back voice y(n) by setting a filter coefficient simulating a transfer system in which an input voice corresponding to a voice command and a talk-back voice output from a speaker are input into a microphone and by filtering a talk-back voice x(n). The subtractor extracts the input voice by subtracting the simulated talk-back voice y(n) from mixed sound input into the microphone. With this configuration, the talk-back voice is attenuated from the mixed sound including the input voice and the talk-back voice input tedinto the microphone, and then, the mixed sound is supplied to a voice recognition engine. Accordingly, the user can input his/her voice during a talk-back operation without the need to interrupt it by pressing a speech button every time the user wishes to input the voice. The voice recognition operation time can be thus reduced.

Abstract: Methods and arrangements for controlling audio levels according to user selectable features are disclosed. The system can receive a user selection for an alternate mode for audio device. A monitor can monitor audio levels in a physical area and the system can automatically switch an audio device from a current mode to the alternate mode when the monitored audio level exceeds a predetermined threshold. The alternate mode can provide a higher audio level or volume than the current mode. The alternate mode can also be a closed caption mode, a record mode, and a transcript mode to name a few. Thus, when the ambient sound level reaches a predetermined level many audio devices can change modes based on user configured instructions.

Abstract: A wireless communication device is disclosed that provides a sidetone to the device user. The device converts an outbound analog audio signal to an outbound audio bitstream from which a sidetone bitstream is extracted. The device also converts an inbound digital audio signal to an inbound audio bitstream. A filter in the device both adds the sidetone bitstream to the inbound audio bitstream and filters the resultant added bitstreams to provide an analog audio signal with sidetone.

Abstract: In a speakerphone device identification of signals (i.e., voice input or speaker output) in a process for reducing acoustic feedback, in a communication device, is accomplished by adding a signature noise (i.e., an identification mark) to output signals radiated by the speaker to enable these signals to be separated from speech input to the microphone. Having identified the signal (i.e., speech output) likely to cause a “singing” phenomenon, appropriate insertion loss to reduce the feedback may be added to the appropriate speech path within the communication device, to reduce a probability of singing.

Abstract: A person receiving a Voice over IP call, such as a call center agent, remotely controls media settings on a caller's multimedia terminal device functioning as a telephone terminal device. In some embodiments, the call center agent may remotely control media settings by entering a DTMF (dual tone multi-frequency) sequence from the telephone keypad. The DTMF sequence may be recognized by a gateway through which an Internet-to-PSTN call is made, stripped out of the audio stream and sent to the caller's multimedia terminal device in a separate command message through the Internet, or the DTMF sequence may be encoded into packets along with the voice information for detection and translation into a command message by software at the caller's terminal device. In pure VoIP applications, command packets may be sent directly.

Abstract: A speakerphone incorporates a portion defining a loudspeaker cavity, the cavity containing a loudspeaker. The speakerphone also includes a handset with an internal microphone in the handset. The speakerphone has a housing adapted to receive the handset, and when it is thus received, the handset microphone is acoustically coupled to the loudspeaker cavity, allowing the handset microphone signal to be used to control feed-back or feed-forward algorithms that enhance the performance of the speakerphone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing echo feedback in a wireless communication system (10) is accomplished when a receiving communication unit (24) senses a feedback signal, or echo, via an ancillary communication path. The receiving communication unit is a targeted recipient of an original audio signal generated by a transmitting communication unit (22), where the original audio signal (42) is conveyed to the receiving communication unit. Upon detecting the feedback signal and determining that it exceeds a feedback threshold, the receiving communication unit attenuates an audible output of the original signal to reduce echo to the transmitting communication unit. In addition, the receiving communication unit, and/or the transmitting communication unit include echo canceller to further minimize the echo within the digital communication system.

Abstract: A transceiver system is disclosed for use in a telecommunication system. The transceiver system includes a transmission circuit including a transmitter input coupled to an input of a transmission amplifier, a receiver circuit including a receiver output coupled to an output of a receiver amplifier, and a transmission line interface circuit that is coupled to an output of the transmission amplifier and to an input of the receiver amplifier. The transmission line interface circuit includes a matching impedance that is directly coupled to a feedback path of the transmission amplifier and that terminates the transmission line of the transceiver system.

Abstract: In a speakerphone device identification of signals (i.e., voice input or speaker output) in a process for reducing acoustic feedback, in a communication device, is accomplished by adding a signature noise (i.e., an identification mark) to output signals radiated by the speaker to enable these signals to be separated from speech input to the microphone. Having identified the signal (i.e., speech output) likely to cause a “singing” phenomenon, appropriate insertion loss to reduce the feedback may be added to the appropriate speech path within the communication device, to reduce a probability of singing.

Abstract: In a speakerphone device identification of signals (i.e., voice input or speaker output) in a process for reducing acoustic feedback, in a communication device, is accomplished by adding a signature noise (i.e., an identification mark) to output signals radiated by the speaker to enable these signals to be separated from speech input to the microphone. Having identified the signal (i.e., speech output) likely to cause a “singing” phenomenon, appropriate insertion loss to reduce the feedback may be added to the appropriate speech path within the communication device, to reduce a probability of singing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing echo feedback in a wireless communication system (10) is accomplished when a receiving communication unit (24) senses a feedback signal, or echo, via an ancillary communication path. The receiving communication unit is a targeted recipient of an original audio signal generated by a transmitting communication unit (22), where the original audio signal (42) is conveyed to the receiving communication unit. Upon detecting the feedback signal and determining that it exceeds a feedback threshold, the receiving communication unit attenuates an audible output of the original signal to reduce echo to the transmitting communication unit. In addition, the receiving communication unit, and/or the transmitting communication unit include echo canceller to further minimize the echo within the digital communication system.

Abstract: A method for improving acoustic sidetone suppression in hands-free telephones, in particular for use in motor vehicles, is described. The telephone has a level discriminator and a plurality of adaptive echo compensation filters each processing a subband. In at least one subband, a further adaptive filter (a shadow filter) of a lower order is connected in parallel with the adaptive echo compensation filter. Spatial changes are detected with the aid of a combined evaluation of a correlation analysis and a residual error comparison of the two competing, adaptive filters.

Abstract: A digital signal processing algorithm to cancel howling in a telephone circuit, the telephone circuit being characterized by a receive path and a transmit path in an effective closed loop configuration. The algorithm monitors input samples taken from the receive path and, if a howling signal is detected, controlled amounts of attenuation are introduced to the loop until howling is cancelled. In a preferred embodiment a prediction logic is included in the algorithm to verify the howling signal.

Abstract: An acoustic communication terminal apparatus for performing data communication over a telephone line by using an acoustic coupler has an error number counter for counting the number of errors occurring during communication. With a control signal based on the result of this counting performed by the error number counter, the gain of an amplifier circuit provided in an acoustic output section of a transmitter portion of the apparatus is switched, and also the gain of an amplifier circuit provided in an acoustic input section of a receiver portion of the apparatus is switched. Alternatively, with the above control signal, the frequency filtering characteristics of an input filter circuit provided in the acoustic input circuit is switched.

Abstract: In a facsimile machine 1, when the speakerphone key 14 is depressed (S1: YES) and a call signal from some other telephone is not arriving to the facsimile machine 1(S2: NO), a speaker 26 is made ON and the microphone M is made OFF (S3). When at least one key of a dial key group 11 is depressed (S4: YES) and the telephone line 25 is connected to a telephone of the other end (S5: YES), the microphone M is made ON while the speaker 26 is maintained as being ON (S6).