IP Library Granted Patent US 11,019,442
Granted Patent B2
US 11,019,442 · App. 16/097,129 · Granted May 25, 2021

Muting microphones of physically colocated devices

Inventors: Alexander Wayne Clark (Houston, TX); Mary G Baker (Palo Alto, CA); Kent E Biggs (Houston, TX)
Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
H04R29/004H04M3/568H04R1/08H04R3/00H04M2203/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,019,442
App. No.
16/097,129
Granted
May 25, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Examples disclosed herein provide the ability for a computing device to configure one microphone at a time from physically colocated devices to remain active for participating in a teleconference. In one example method, the computing device determines whether a first device with a first microphone on the teleconference is physically colocated with respect to a second device with a second microphone on the teleconference. When the first and second devices are physically colocated with respect to each other, the computing device configures either the first or second microphone to remain active for participating in the teleconference while the other of the first or second microphone is to be muted.

Claims (29)

1. A method comprising:

determining whether a first device with a first microphone on a teleconference is physically colocated with respect to a second device with a second microphone on the teleconference by:

comparing ambient noise collected with the first microphone with ambient noise collected by the second microphone; and

determining the first device and the second device are colocated based on the comparison; and

in response to the first and second devices being physically colocated with respect to each other, selecting the first microphone to be active for participating in the teleconference while causing the second microphone to be muted.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second devices on the teleconference are physically colocated with respect to each other when the first and second microphones are in proximity to each other for the first and second devices to be vulnerable to producing feedback.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second devices on the teleconference are physically colocated with respect to each other when the first and second devices share a geolocation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first microphone to be active is selected based on a prioritization of the physically colocated devices.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the prioritization of the physically colocated devices is based on an audio certification or ability of each device from the physically colocated devices.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first microphone to be active is manually selected by a user from the physically colocated devices.

7. The method of claim 6 , comprising muting a previously active microphone of a device from the physically colocated devices when the user is to manually activate a microphone of another device from the physically colocated devices.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising muting all microphones from the physically colocated devices when a location of the physically colocated devices is designated to be muted.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions which, when executed by a processor, to cause the processor to:

determine a first device and a second device on a teleconference that are physically colocated with respect to each other by:

comparing ambient noise collected with a microphone of the first device with ambient noise collected by a microphone of the second device; and

determining the first device and the second device are colocated based on the comparison;

select the microphone of the first device to be active for participating in the teleconference; and

mute the microphone of the second device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the first device and the second device are physically colocated with respect to each other when the microphones of the first and second devices are in proximity to each other for the first and second devices to be vulnerable to producing feedback.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the first and second devices on the teleconference are physically colocated with respect to each other when the first and second devices share a geolocation.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the microphone of the first device that is to be active is selected based on a prioritization of the physically colocated first and second devices.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , comprising muting microphones from the physically colocated first and second devices when a location of the physically colocated first and second devices are designated to be muted.

14. A computing device comprising a processor to:

determine whether a first device with a first microphone on a teleconference is physically colocated with respect to a second device with a second microphone on the teleconference by:

comparing ambient noise collected with the first microphone with ambient noise collected by the second microphone; and

determining the first and the second device are colocated based on the comparison;

wherein the first and second devices on the teleconference are physically colocated with respect to each other when the first and second microphones are in proximity to each other for the first and second devices to be vulnerable to producing feedback; and

in response to the first and second devices are physically colocated with respect to each other, select the first microphone to be active for participating in the teleconference and cause the second microphone to be muted.

15. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein first microphone to be active is selected based on a prioritization of the physically colocated devices.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 14, 2018
From: CLARK, ALEXANDER WAYNE; BAKER, MARY G; BIGGS, KENT E
To: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
Reel/Frame 047506/0103 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200329323A1 · Oct 15, 2020