Telecommunications audio endpoints

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10051353-B2
Application number	US-201715454212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2017
Priority date	Dec 13, 2016
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

Presented herein is an audio endpoint for telecommunication operations, sometimes referred to herein as a “telecommunications audio endpoint” or, more, simply as an “audio endpoint.” According to at least one example, the audio endpoint presented herein includes a base, a speaker, a speaker waveguide, a microphone waveguide, and two or more microphones. The base is configured to engage a support surface (i.e., a table) and the speaker is configured to emit sounds (i.e., fire) in a direction of the base. The speaker waveguide is disposed between the speaker and the microphone waveguide, while the microphone waveguide is disposed between the speaker waveguide and the base. The two or more microphones are disposed within the microphone waveguide and are proximate to the base. In general, the speaker waveguide is configured to guide sounds output by the speaker in general radially (outward) directions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An audio endpoint comprising:
a base configured to engage a support surface;
a speaker configured to emit sounds in a direction of the base;
a speaker waveguide disposed between the speaker and the base and configured to guide the sounds output by the speaker in radially outward directions;
a microphone waveguide disposed between the speaker waveguide and the base;
two or more microphones disposed within the microphone waveguide, wherein the two or more microphones are positioned proximate to the base; and
a gap disposed between the speaker waveguide and the microphone waveguide that allows low frequency pressure to pass through the audio endpoint between the speaker waveguide and the microphone waveguide.

2. The audio endpoint of claim 1 , wherein the gap has a height of approximately 2 mm, such that a top surface of the microphone waveguide is separated from a bottom surface of the speaker waveguide by at least 2 mm.

3. The audio endpoint of claim 1 , wherein the microphone waveguide comprises:
microphone receptacles that are each configured to receive one of the two or more microphones, wherein the microphone receptacles create impedance pockets on either side of each of the two or more microphones.

4. The audio endpoint of claim 3 , wherein the each of the impedance pockets are configured to draw sound towards each of the two or more microphones in a direction perpendicular to at least one of the radially outward directions in which the speaker waveguide guides the sound output by the speaker.

5. The audio endpoint of claim 1 , wherein the two or more microphones are bidirectional microphones that each include two lobes and each of the two lobes is oriented to receive sound in a direction perpendicular to the downward direction.

6. The audio endpoint of claim 1 , wherein the speaker waveguide comprises:
interleaved sets of fins configured to smooth pressure from a center of the speaker waveguide outward, over a broad frequency range, as the sounds output by the speaker propagate outwards in the radially outward directions.

7. An audio endpoint comprising:
a base plate configured to support the audio endpoint on a support surface;
a speaker assembly including:
a speaker configured to emit sounds towards the base plate; and
a speaker waveguide disposed between the speaker and the base plate and configured to propagate sound emitted from the speaker in radial outward directions, away from the audio endpoint; and

a microphone assembly disposed between the speaker assembly and the baseplate, wherein the microphone assembly is vibrationally and acoustically isolated from the speaker assembly.

8. The audio endpoint of claim 7 , wherein the speaker waveguide comprises:
interleaved sets of fins configured to smooth pressure from a center of the speaker waveguide outward, over a broad frequency range, as the sound emitted from the speaker propagates outward in the radial outward directions.

9. The audio endpoint of claim 7 , wherein the microphone assembly includes two or more microphones that are each positioned to pick up sound in a direction that is perpendicular to the one of the radially outward directions in which the sound emitted from the speaker is propagated.

10. The audio endpoint of claim 7 , wherein the microphone assembly comprises:
a plurality of microphones embedded within a microphone wave guide that is separated from the speaker waveguide by a gap of approximately 2 mm.

11. The audio endpoint of claim 10 , wherein the microphone waveguide comprises:
microphone receptacles that are each configured to receive one of the plurality of microphones, wherein the microphone receptacles create impedance pockets on either side of each of the plurality of microphones.

12. The audio endpoint of claim 7 , wherein the speaker assembly is coupled to the microphone assembly via the base plate to vibrationally isolate the microphone assembly with respect to the speaker assembly.

13. An audio endpoint comprising:
a base plate configured to support the audio endpoint;
a speaker assembly including a speaker that emits sounds towards the base plate; and
a microphone assembly, including:
a microphone waveguide that is disposed between the speaker and the baseplate and includes a plurality of graduated microphone pockets; and
a plurality of microphones, each of which is positioned at the bottom of one of the graduated microphone pockets in an orientation that allows each of the plurality of microphones to pick up sound from directions that are approximately tangent to an outer circumference of the microphone waveguide, wherein the graduated microphone pockets create impedance pockets on opposite sides of each of the plurality of microphones.

14. The audio endpoint of claim 13 , wherein the microphone waveguide and the speaker assembly are individually coupled to the baseplate via vibrational dampening grommets.

15. The audio endpoint of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of microphones are approximately 4 mm away from a support surface on which the base plate is resting.

16. The audio endpoint of claim 13 , wherein the plurality microphones includes three microphones that are equally spaced around a reference circle that is disposed within and concentric to the outer circumference.

17. The audio endpoint of claim 16 , wherein the reference circle is coaxial to a central vertical axis of the speaker assembly.

18. The audio endpoint of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of microphones further comprise:
a vibration dampening microphone boot casing that substantially encircles one of the plurality of microphones.

19. The audio endpoint of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of microphones are bidirectional electret condenser microphones.

20. The audio endpoint of claim 13 , wherein the speaker assembly further comprises:
a speaker waveguide disposed between the speaker and the base plate and configured to guide the sounds emitted by the speaker in radially outward directions.

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Robison David William Nolan
• Hughes Kevin Lee
• Bao Feng
• Ijams Stephen Lee
• Sanchez Victor Manuel
• Sanguinet David M

Classifications

• H04R1/2892

  Mountings or supports for transducers · CPC title

• H04R19/016

  for microphones · CPC title

• H04R1/323

  for loudspeakers (H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04R1/2846

  Vents, i.e. ports, e.g. shape thereof or tuning thereof with damping material · CPC title

• H04R1/406

  microphones · CPC title