公开(公告)号：US12126958B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-22

申请号：US18444898

申请日：2024-02-19

Applicant: ClearOne, Inc.

Inventor： Derek L. Graham ,  David K. Lambert ,  Michael J. Braithwaite

IPC: H04R1/40 ,  G10L21/0208 ,  G10L21/0232 ,  H04R1/08 ,  H04R1/28 ,  H04R3/00 ,  H04R3/04 ,  H04R17/02 ,  H04R29/00 ,  H04R31/00

CPC classification number: H04R1/406 ,  G10L21/0232 ,  H04R1/08 ,  H04R1/2876 ,  H04R3/005 ,  H04R3/04 ,  H04R17/02 ,  H04R29/005 ,  H04R31/006 ,  G10L2021/02082 ,  H04R2201/021 ,  H04R2420/07 ,  H04R2430/21 ,  H04R2430/23

Abstract: This disclosure describes an apparatus and method of an embodiment of an invention that is a ceiling tile microphone that includes: a plurality of microphones coupled together as a microphone array used for beamforming where the plurality of microphones are positioned at predetermined locations and produce audio signals to be used to form a directional pickup pattern; a single ceiling tile with an outer surface on the front side of the ceiling tile where the outer surface is acoustically transparent, the microphone array couples to the back side of the single ceiling tile and combines with the single ceiling tile as a single unit; a housing that encloses signal processing circuitry and couples to the back side of the single unit; where the single unit is mountable on the ceiling using mounting accessories; where all or part of the housing is in the ceiling space above the plane of the ceiling; where the single unit further includes beamforming.

公开(公告)号：US20230050677A1

公开(公告)日：2023-02-16

申请号：US17819093

申请日：2022-08-11

Applicant: ClearOne, Inc.

Inventor： Trisha Batzer

IPC: H04R1/40 ,  H04R3/00

Abstract: This disclosure describes an apparatus and method of an embodiment of an invention that is improves Direction of Arrival (DOA) determinations. This embodiment of the apparatus includes a plurality of microphones coupled together as a microphone array used for beamforming, the plurality of microphones are positioned at predetermined locations and produce audio signals to be used to form a directional pickup pattern; a processor, memory, storage, and a power supply operably coupled to the microphone array, the processor configured to execute the following steps: processing an algorithm for a Direction of Arrival (DOA) determination; supplemental processing that improves the DOA processing.

公开(公告)号：US20220353610A1

公开(公告)日：2022-11-03

申请号：US17865086

申请日：2022-07-14

Applicant: ClearOne, Inc.

Inventor： Derek Graham ,  David K. Lambert ,  Michael Braithwaite

IPC: H04R1/40 ,  H04R1/08 ,  G10L21/0232 ,  H04R29/00 ,  H04R3/00 ,  H04R17/02 ,  H04R1/28 ,  H04R31/00 ,  H04R3/04

Abstract: A beamforming microphone array may be integrated into a wall or ceiling tile as a single unit. The beamforming microphone array includes a plurality of microphones that picks up audio input signals. In addition, the wall or ceiling tile may include an acoustically transparent outer surface on the front side of the tile, and the beamforming microphone array picks up the audio input signals through the outer surface of the tile. The beamforming microphone array may be coupled to the tile as a single unit and may be integrated into the back side of the tile.

公开(公告)号：US11297420B1

公开(公告)日：2022-04-05

申请号：US17111759

申请日：2020-12-04

Applicant: ClearOne, Inc.

Inventor： Derek Graham ,  David K. Lambert ,  Michael Braithwaite

IPC: H04R1/40 ,  H04R1/28 ,  H04R1/08 ,  G10L21/0232 ,  H04R3/00 ,  H04R31/00 ,  H04R3/04 ,  H04R17/02 ,  H04R29/00 ,  G10L21/0208

Abstract: This disclosure describes a ceiling tile microphone that includes: a plurality of microphones coupled together as a microphone array used for beamforming, the plurality of microphones are positioned at predetermined locations; a single ceiling tile with an outer surface on the front side of the ceiling tile where the outer surface is acoustically transparent, the microphone array combines with the ceiling tile as a single unit, the ceiling tile being mountable in a drop ceiling in place of a ceiling tile included in the drop ceiling; where the ceiling tile microphone further includes beamforming, acoustic echo cancellation, and auto voice tracking; where the ceiling tile microphone is used in a drop ceiling mounting configuration; where the microphone array couples to the back side of the ceiling tile and all or part of the ceiling tile microphone is in the drop space of the drop ceiling.

公开(公告)号：US11190378B2

公开(公告)日：2021-11-30

申请号：US15733318

申请日：2019-04-09

Applicant: ClearOne, Inc.

Inventor： Ed Thurmond ,  Charles Egan

IPC: H04L25/02 ,  H04L25/08

Abstract: This disclosure describes an embodiment of an invention that is sending an information and/or control data signal on a differential signal pair. This embodiment of the apparatus 200 includes an information and/or control data signal 220; a balanced differential signal pair of conductors 212 that includes a positive 202 and a negative 204 differential conductor; a first network of circuits 214 that transforms the information signal 220 into a common mode voltage on the individual conductors 202 and 204 of the balanced differential signal pair of conductors; and a second network of circuits 216 that transforms the common mode voltage on the individual conductors 202 and 204 of the balanced differential signal pair of conductors 212 back to the data signal 222; where the first network of circuits 214 couples to the second network of circuits 216 via the balanced differential signal pair of conductors 202 and 204.

公开(公告)号：US11188133B2

公开(公告)日：2021-11-30

申请号：US16844274

申请日：2020-04-09

Applicant: ClearOne, Inc.

Inventor： Ed Thurmond ,  Richard Herrera ,  Byra Ferkovich ,  Pichet Ong ,  Peter Manley

IPC: G06F1/00 ,  G06F1/26 ,  H01L23/00 ,  H01L29/866 ,  H04L12/10 ,  H04L12/00

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a system 400 for transmitting power to a remote Power over Ethernet (PoE) subsystem by forwarding Powered Device (PD) input voltage where the subsystem includes a PD and a Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) device. Included is a master PSE device 402, a first subsystem 410, and a second subsystem 428. The first subsystem 410 includes a first PD 418 that includes a first power switching device 426 and a first PSE device 424. The first power switching device 426 forwards the input power from the first PD 418 to the first PSE 424 without disturbing the PoE handshaking between the devices. The first power switching device 426 uses a switching device with level detection that detects the required input voltage. The second subsystem 428 receives the power from the first subsystem's 410 first PSE device 424. And the second subsystem 428 operates in a manner similar to the first subsystem 410.

公开(公告)号：US09813806B2

公开(公告)日：2017-11-07

申请号：US14475849

申请日：2014-09-03

Applicant: ClearOne Inc.

Inventor： Derek Graham ,  David K. Lambert ,  Michael Braithwaite

IPC: H04R3/00 ,  H04R1/40 ,  H04R17/02 ,  H04R1/08 ,  H04R3/04

CPC classification number: H04R1/406 ,  H04R1/08 ,  H04R1/2876 ,  H04R3/005 ,  H04R3/04 ,  H04R17/02 ,  H04R31/006 ,  H04R2201/021 ,  H04R2420/07 ,  H04R2430/21 ,  H04R2430/23

Abstract: This disclosure describes a beamforming microphone array integrated into a wall or ceiling tile as a single unit where the beamforming microphone array picks up audio input signals. The beamforming microphone array includes a plurality of microphones that picks up audio input signals. In addition, the wall or ceiling tile includes an outer surface on the front side of the tile where the outer surface is acoustically transparent. The beamforming microphone array is coupled to the tile as a single unit and is integrated into the back side of the tile. Additionally the beamforming microphone array picks up the audio input signals through the outer surface of the tile.

公开(公告)号：US20170163434A1

公开(公告)日：2017-06-08

申请号：US15217303

申请日：2016-07-22

Applicant: ClearOne, Inc.

Inventor： Tracy A. Bathurst ,  Derek L. Graham ,  Michael Braithwaite ,  Russell S. Ericksen ,  Brett Harris ,  Sandeep Kalra ,  David K. Lambert ,  Peter H. Manley ,  Ashutosh Pandey ,  Bryan Shaw ,  Michael Tilelli ,  Paul Robert Bryson

IPC: H04L12/18 ,  H04S7/00 ,  H04M3/56

CPC classification number: H04L12/1827 ,  G10L19/167 ,  H04L65/403 ,  H04L65/607 ,  H04L65/608 ,  H04M3/567 ,  H04M3/568 ,  H04M7/006 ,  H04N7/15 ,  H04R3/12 ,  H04S1/007 ,  H04S7/30 ,  H04S2400/11 ,  H04S2400/13 ,  H04S2400/15

Abstract: This disclosure describes a conferencing system with spatial rendering of audio data. The conferencing system includes a local conferencing device that includes a plurality of microphones, an audio encoder, and a spatial encoder that are associated with a local endpoint. The conferencing system further includes a remote conferencing device that includes a plurality of speakers, an audio decoder, and a spatial renderer that are associated with the remote endpoint. The spatial renderer is configured to superimpose a coordinate system for the plurality of speakers and a coordinate system for the plurality of microphones during spatial rendering of the audio data.

公开(公告)号：US09641688B2

公开(公告)日：2017-05-02

申请号：US14979822

申请日：2015-12-28

Applicant: ClearOne Inc.

Inventor： Ashutosh Pandey ,  Darrin T. Thurston ,  David K. Lambert ,  Tracy A. Bathurst

IPC: H04B3/20 ,  H04M3/56 ,  H04R3/00 ,  H04R29/00 ,  H04M9/08 ,  G10L21/0208 ,  H04R1/40

CPC classification number: H04R1/406 ,  G10K11/178 ,  G10L21/0208 ,  G10L21/0232 ,  G10L21/0264 ,  G10L2021/02082 ,  G10L2021/02166 ,  H04M3/568 ,  H04M9/082 ,  H04R3/005 ,  H04R29/007 ,  H04R2201/401 ,  H04R2201/403 ,  H04R2203/12 ,  H04R2430/20 ,  H04R2430/23 ,  H04R2499/11

Abstract: This disclosure describes a conferencing apparatus with an automatically adapting beamforming microphone array for teleconferencing applications. The conferencing apparatus includes a processor coupled to memory, storage, and a housing. The apparatus further includes a communication element, a plurality of microphones arranged in the housing and configured as a beamforming microphone array, and an orientation sensor. Additionally, the apparatus includes executing a series of steps including: (a) adapting a signal-processing characteristic of the beamforming microphone array responsive to the orientation signal, (b) beamforming to combine the plurality of microphone signals to a plurality of combined signals, (c) performing an acoustic echo cancellation operation on the plurality of combined signals to generate a plurality of combined echo-canceled signals, and (d) selecting one or more of the plurality of combined echo-canceled signals for transmission.

公开(公告)号：US09635186B2

公开(公告)日：2017-04-25

申请号：US15190424

申请日：2016-06-23

Applicant: ClearOne, Inc.

Inventor： Ashutosh Pandey ,  Darrin T. Thurston ,  David K. Lambert ,  Tracy A. Bathurst

IPC: H04B1/00 ,  H04M3/56 ,  H04R3/00 ,  H04R29/00 ,  H04M9/08 ,  G10L21/0208 ,  H04R1/40 ,  G10L21/0264 ,  G10K11/178 ,  G10K11/16 ,  G10L21/0216

CPC classification number: H04R1/406 ,  G10K11/178 ,  G10L21/0208 ,  G10L21/0232 ,  G10L21/0264 ,  G10L2021/02082 ,  G10L2021/02166 ,  H04M3/568 ,  H04M9/082 ,  H04R3/005 ,  H04R29/007 ,  H04R2201/401 ,  H04R2201/403 ,  H04R2203/12 ,  H04R2430/20 ,  H04R2430/23 ,  H04R2499/11

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a conferencing apparatus that combines a beamforming microphone array (BMA) with an acoustic echo canceller where the BMA further comprises a plurality of microphones that are oriented to develop a corresponding plurality of microphone signals. The apparatus further includes a processor, memory, and storage where the processor is configured to execute program instructions. The processor performs a beamforming operation to create a plurality of combined signals. In addition, the processor performs an acoustic echo cancellation operation to generate a plurality of combined echo cancelled signals. Further, the processor selects one of the combined echo cancelled signals for transmission to the far end where the signal selection module uses the far end signal as information to inhibit the signal selection module from changing the selection of the combined echo cancelled signals while only the far end signal is active.