Mobile conference system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10250751-B2
Application number	US-201616064257-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2016
Priority date	Dec 23, 2015
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

A mobile conference system including a first mobile master hands-free unit and a second mobile slave hands-free unit, each having a microphone, a loudspeaker, a battery unit, an operating unit, a lighting unit, and a first transmitting/receiving unit for bidirectional wireless communication between the first and second mobile hands-free units. The first mobile hands-free unit includes a second transmitting/receiving unit for wireless bidirectional audio communication with an external unit. The first mobile hands-free unit is configured to wirelessly transmit audio signals received from the external unit via the second transmitting/receiving unit to the second mobile hands-free unit via the first transmitting/receiving unit, to mix audio signals received from the second mobile hands-free unit via the first transmitting/receiving unit with audio signals recorded via the at least one microphone of the first hands-free unit, and to wirelessly transmit said audio signals to the external unit via the second transmitting/receiving unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile conference system comprising:
a master mobile hands-free unit; and
a first slave mobile hands-free unit;
wherein each of the mobile hands-free unit comprise:
at least one microphone configured to record audio signals;
a loudspeaker configured to play back audio signals to be played back;
a battery unit configured to supply energy;
an operating unit;
a muting operating element,
a control interface configured to control wireless bidirectional transmission of control commands;
at least one lighting unit; and
a first transmitting/receiving unit configured to bidirectionally communicate wirelessly with another of the mobile hands-free units

wherein the master mobile hands-free unit further comprises:
a second transmitting/receiving unit configured to bidirectionally communicate wirelessly with an external unit;

wherein the master mobile hands-free unit is configured to:
receive first audio signals from the external unit by the second transmitting/receiving unit; and
wirelessly transmit the received first audio signals to the second mobile hands-free unit via the first transmitting/receiving unit;

wherein the master mobile hands-free unit is further configured to:
receive second audio signals from the second mobile hands-free unit by the first transmitting/receiving unit; and
mix the received second audio signals with recorded audio signals recorded by the at least one microphone of the master mobile hands-free unit; and
wirelessly transmit the mixed audio signals to the external unit via the second transmitting/receiving unit;

wherein the at least one second hands-free unit further comprises:
a muting operating element;

wherein the at least one second hands-free unit is configured to transmit, in response to an actuation of the muting operating element, a muting control command via the control interface of the at least one second hands-free unit to the control interface of the master mobile hands-free unit; and
wherein the master mobile hands-free unit is configured to interrupt, in response to receiving the muting control command, output of the audio signals recorded by its at least one microphone to the external unit via the second transmitting/receiving unit.

2. The mobile conference system according to claim 1 ;
wherein the master mobile hands-free unit further comprises;
a control unit configured to control an operation of a mobile conference;

wherein the control unit is configured to switch a second slave mobile hands-free unit coming new to a mobile conference, of the master and first slave mobile hands-free unit, into the mobile conference without interrupting the mobile conference so that the second slave mobile hands-free unit receives audio signals from the master mobile hands-free unit and transmits audio signals to the master mobile hands-free unit.

3. The mobile conference system according to claim 1 ;
wherein the master mobile hands-free unit further comprises:
a control unit configured to control the lighting units of the master and first slave hands-free units depending on an operating mode of the mobile conference system.

4. The mobile conference system according to claim 1 ;
wherein the master mobile hands-free unit further comprises:
a control unit configured to control a pairing of the master mobile hands-free unit with an external mobile telecommunications device;

wherein the operating unit of the master mobile hands-free unit is disposed on an upper side of the master mobile hands-free unit;
wherein the pairing is initiated by positioning the external mobile telecommunications device on the upper side of the master mobile hands-free unit; and
wherein the control unit is configured to deactivate the operating unit of the master mobile hands-free unit for the duration of the pairing process.

5. The mobile conference system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a charging and storage unit having:
a first charging slot; and
a second charging slot;

wherein the first charging slot is configured to charge the master hands-free unit and the second charging slot is configured to chare the first slave hands-free unit.

6. The mobile conference system according to claim 1 , further comprising,
a charging and storage unit comprising:
a plurality of charging contacts in the form of charging pins configured to contact annular charging contacts of the battery units of the master or first slave mobile hands-free units.

7. The mobile conference system according to claim 6 ;
wherein the charging and storage unit further comprises:
a control unit configured to record charging states of the batteries of the master and first slave mobile hands-free units located in the charging slots and to display a corresponding maximum time remaining based on the recorded charging states.

8. The mobile conference system according to, claim 1 ;
wherein each of the battery units has exposed annular charging contacts.

Assignees

• Sennheiser Communications As
• Sennheiser Electronic Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Gossen Alex
• Scholz Andre
• MüLLER ANDREAS
• Ditter David
• Engelking Dirk
• Logemann Fabian
• Battis Ingo
• Detay Jean-Christophe
• Tobien Jens
• Werner Jens
• Zastrow Jérôme-Etienne
• Mangold Marc
• Reitinger Mike
• Khoury Najib
• Christiansen Torben
• Mensendiek Wienand
• Röseler Jan-Phillip

Classifications

• H04M1/62

  Constructional arrangements · CPC title

• H04M3/564

  whereby the feature is a sub-conference · CPC title

• H04M2207/18

  wireless networks · CPC title

• H04M3/56 Primary

  Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities (video conference systems H04N7/15) · CPC title

• H04M1/6033 Primary

  for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets (arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08) · CPC title