Methods and apparatuses for multi-channel acoustic echo cancelation
View Patent ↗Embodiments include methods and apparatuses for echo cancelation involving multiple audio channels and the production, sensing, or a combination thereof of multiple audio channels in conferencing systems. A conferencing apparatus with a plurality of speakers configured to generate outgoing acoustic waves responsive to a multi-channel audio signal. One or more microphones are configured to sense incoming acoustic waves from the plurality of speakers and from locally produced acoustic waves from a participant of a conference to generate one or more incoming audio signals. A processor is operably coupled to the plurality of speakers and the one or more microphones. The processor is configured to perform acoustic echo cancelation on the one or more incoming audio signals relative to at least two different channels of the multi-channel audio signal.
1. A method of acoustic echo cancelation in a conferencing system, comprising: generating a plurality of audio channels from a plurality of speakers responsive to a plurality of outgoing audio signals; sensing incoming acoustic waves from the plurality of speakers and from locally produced acoustic waves from a participant of a conference to generate one or more incoming audio signals; performing acoustic echo cancelation on the one or more incoming audio signals relative to at least two of the plurality of audio channels; performing a mixing and panning feedback loop operation including a mixing operation and a panning operation wherein: the mixing operation comprises combining and processing the one or more incoming audio signals with one or more feedback signals from the panning operation to generate two or more mixed audio channels; and the panning operation comprises processing the two or more mixed audio channels to generate the one or more feedback signals and a plurality of output audio channels.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the acoustic echo cancelation on the one or more incoming audio signals is performed separately for each audio signal of the plurality of outgoing audio signals.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein sensing the incoming acoustic waves comprises sensing with a plurality of directional microphones to generate the one or more incoming audio signals.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more feedback signals comprise four or more feedback signals such that:
the mixing operation comprises combining and processing the one or more incoming audio signals with the four more feedback signals from the panning operation to generate five or more mixed audio channels; and
the panning operation comprises processing the five or more mixed audio channels to generate the four or more feedback signals and the plurality of output audio channels.
5. The method of claim l, further comprising transmitting a configuration of the plurality of output audio channels to another conferencing system in communication with the conferencing system.
6. The method of claim l, wherein the pan and mixing operation generates the plurality of output audio channels in a configuration selected from the group consisting of a two-channel configuration including a left channel and a right channel, a three-channel configuration including a left channel, a right channel, and a center channel, and a four-channel configuration including a left channel, a right channel and at least one rear channel.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a configuration of the plurality of audio channels from a transmission received from another conferencing system in communication with the conferencing system.
8. A conferencing apparatus, comprising: a plurality of speakers configured to generate outgoing acoustic waves responsive to a plurality of outgoing audio signals; one or more microphones configured to sense incoming acoustic waves from the plurality of speakers and from locally produced acoustic waves from participant of a conference to generate one or more incoming audio signals; a memory configured for storing computing instructions; a processor operably coupled to the plurality of speakers, the one or more microphones, and the memory, the processor configured to execute the computing instructions to: perform acoustic echo cancellation on the one or more incoming audio signals relative to at least two different channels of the plurality of outgoing audio signals; and perform a mixing and panning feedback loop operation including a mixing operation and a panning operation wherein: the mixing operation comprises combining and processing the one or more incoming audio signals with one or more feedback signals from the panning operation to generate two or more mixed audio channels; and the panning operation comprises processing the two or more mixed audio channels to generate the one or more feedback signals and a plurality of output audio channels.
9. The conferencing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform the acoustic echo cancelation on the one or more incoming audio signals separately for each audio signal of the plurality of outgoing audio signal.
10. The conferencing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform the acoustic echo cancelation on the one or more incoming audio signals in series for each audio signal of the plurality of outgoing audio signal.
11. The conferencing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the one or more microphones comprise a plurality of directional microphones.
12. The conferencing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform the mixing and panning operation wherein the one or more feedback signals comprise four or more feedback signals such that; the mixing operation comprises combining the processing the one or more incoming audio signals with the four or more feedback signals such that: the mixing operation comprises combining and processing the one or more incoming audio signals with the four or more feedback signals from the panning operation to generate five or more mixed audio channels; and the panning operation comprises processing the five or more mixed audio channels to generate the four or more feedback signals and the plurality of output audio channels.
13. The conferencing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a configuration of the plurality of output audio channels to another conferencing system in communication with the conferencing system.
14. The conferencing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform the pan and mixing operation to generate the plurality of output audio channels in a configuration selected from the group consisting of a two-channel configuration including a left channel and a right channel, a three-channel configuration including a left channel, a right channel, and a center channel, and a four-channel configuration including a left channel, a right channel and at least one rear channel.
15. The conferencing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a configuration of the multi-channel audio signal from a transmission received from another conferencing system in communication with the conferencing system.
16. A conferencing apparatus, comprising: a plurality of speakers configured to generate outgoing acoustic waves responsive to a multi-channel audio signal; one or more microphones configured to sense incoming acoustic waves from the plurality of speakers and from locally produced waves from a participant of a conference to generate one or more incoming audio signals; and a processor operably coupled to the plurality of speakers and the one or more microphones, the processor configured to: perform acoustic echo cancellation on the one or more incoming audio signals relative to at least two different channels of the multi-channel audio signal; and perform a mixing and panning feedback loop operation including a mixing operation and a panning operation wherein: the mixing operation comprises combining and processing the one or more incoming audio signals with one or more feedback signals from the panning operation to generate two or more mixed audio channels; and the panning operation comprises processing the two or more mixed audio channels to generate the one or more feedback signals and a plurality of output audio channels.
17. The conferencing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform the acoustic echo cancelation on the one or more incoming audio signals separately for each audio channel of the multi-channel audio signal.
18. The conferencing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the one or more microphones comprise a plurality of directional microphones.
19. The conferencing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform the mixing and panning operation wherein the one or more feedback signals comprise four or more feedback signals such that: the mixing operation comprises combining and processing the one or more incoming audio signals with the four or more feedback signals from the panning operation to generate five or more mixed audio channels; and the panning operation comprises processing the five or more mixed audio channels to generate the four or more feedback signals and the plurality of output audio channels.
20. The conferencing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a configuration of the plurality of output audio channels to another conferencing system in communication with the conferencing system.
21. The conferencing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform the pan and mixing operation to generate the plurality of output audio channels in a configuration selected from the group consisting of a two-channel configuration including a left channel and a right channel, a three-channel configuration including a left channel, a right channel, and a center channel, and a four-channel configuration including a left channel, a right channel and at least one rear channel.
22. The conferencing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a configuration of the multi-channel audio signal from a transmission received from another conferencing system in communication with the conferencing system.