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US4658398A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Framed digital voice summing for teleconferencing

Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Inc
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Filing: 1984-10-29
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Granted: 1987-04-14
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Expires: 2004-10-29
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Abstract

Abstract In a teleconferencing system activity levels of digital voice signals are compared over activity selection times and the signals are multiplied, over frame delays, by predetermined constants dependent on the relative levels of activity. The most active signal is multiplied by a constant of at least about 0.8, so that signal dominates through a frame delay, but the frame delays are sufficiently short that multiple speakers can be understood from the summed signal. No speaker maintains dominance for a sufficiently long time to substantially suppress speech of others.

Inventors

  • 👤 To R. Hsing

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 22:04
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/56; H04M3/568; H04M3/561

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 116 words
Electronic signal processing apparatus for combining digital voice signals in teleconferencing comprising: comparator means for comparing the activity levels of a plurality of digital signals to be combined and for determining a most active digital signal which has the greatest activity level; multiplier generator means for generating a multiplier for each of the digital voice signals, the multiplier for the most active digital signal being substantially greater than the other multipliers and the sum of the multipliers being about one; digital multiplier means for multiplying each digital voice signal with its respective multiplier, the same multiplier being applied through a plurality of digital samples; and digital summing means for summing the outputs of the multiplier means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 116 words
Electronic signal processing apparatus for combining digital voice signals in teleconferencing comprising: comparator means for comparing the activity levels of a plurality of digital signals to be combined and for determining a most active digital signal which has the greatest activity level; multiplier generator means for generating a multiplier for each of the digital voice signals, the multiplier for the most active digital signal being substantially greater than the other multipliers and the sum of the multipliers being about one; digital multiplier means for multiplying each digital voice signal with its respective multiplier, the same multiplier being applied through a plurality of digital samples; and digital summing means for summing the outputs of the multiplier means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 26 words
Electronic signal processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the multiplier generator means gernerates a multiplier for the most active digital signal of about 0.8.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 27 words
Electronic signal processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the comparator means compares the average values of the digital signals over a plurality of digital samples.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 30 words
Electronic signal processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the comparator means averages digital signals having a sample rate of about 8000 samples per second over about 64 samples.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 28 words
Electronic signal processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the digital multiplier means multiplies the digital voice signals with the same multipliers through about 64 consecutive samples.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 30 words
Electronic signal processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the multiplier generator means generates multipliers for combining 3 digital voice signals, the multipliers being about 0.80, 0.17 and 0.30.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 21 words
Electronic signal processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a μ law encoder for encoding the digital voice signals.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4254497A Cited
US4359603A Cited
US4387457A Cited
US4488291A Cited
US4499578A Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1990-04-13 1990-10-13 1991-04-14 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1994-04-13 1994-10-13 1995-04-14 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1998-04-13 1998-10-13 1999-04-14 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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