Conference call and mobile communication devices that participate in a conference call

Abstract

A first mobile communication device that includes a first microphone, a first speaker, and a first delay unit. The first microphone is configured to (i) receive, during a conference call, a first user first microphone signal from a first user, and (ii) output a first microphone digital signal to the first delay unit. The first user first microphone signal represents audio content outputted by the first user. The first delay unit is configured to delay, by a delay period, the first microphone digital signal to provide a delayed first user first device digital signal. The first mobile communication device is configured to output, to a mixer, the delayed first user first device digital signal. The delay period is determined based on measurements executed by at least one mobile communication device out of the first mobile communication device, a second mobile communication device and a third mobile communication device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile device, comprising:
 a microphone configured to detect sounds from an environment during a conference call and to convert the detected sounds to a first digital signal;   a communications port configured to transmit the first digital signal to at least a far-end device participating in the conference call, the far-end device being located in a different environment than the mobile device; and   an echo cancellation unit configured to:
 receive a second digital signal from a near-end device participating in the conference call, the second digital signal including sounds detected from the environment by the near-end device; and 
 cancel the second digital signal based at least in part on the first digital signal. 
   
     
     
         2 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , further comprising a speaker configured to output second sounds based on the second digital signal. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile device of  claim 2 , wherein the echo cancellation unit is configured to cancel the second digital signal based at least in part on a correlation between the sounds and the second sounds. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile device of  claim 2 , wherein the echo cancellation unit is configured to mute the speaker. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile device of  claim 2 , wherein the echo cancellation unit is configured to manipulate a signal that is provided to the speaker. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , further comprising a delay unit configured to delay the first digital signal by a delay to provide a delayed first digital signal. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile device of  claim 6 , wherein the echo cancellation unit is configured to cancel the second digital signal based at least in part on the delayed first digital signal. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile device of  claim 6 , further comprising a delay estimation unit configured to estimate the delay based on a correlation between the first digital signal and the second digital signal. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the sounds detected from the environment by the near-end device include at least some of the sounds detected from the environment by the microphone. 
     
     
         10 . A method for participating in a conference call, comprising:
 at a mobile device:
 detecting, via a microphone, sounds from an environment during a conference call; 
 converting the detected sounds to a first digital signal; 
 transmitting the first digital signal to at least a far-end device participating in the conference call, the far-end device being located in a different environment than the mobile device; 
 receiving a second digital signal from a near-end device participating in the conference call, the second digital signal including sounds detected from the environment by the near-end device; and 
 cancelling the second digital signal based at least in part on the first digital signal. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising outputting, via a speaker, second sounds based on the second digital signal. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein cancelling the second digital signal comprises cancelling the second digital signal based at least in part on a correlation between the sounds and the second sounds. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising muting the speaker. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising manipulating a signal that is provided to the speaker. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising delaying the first digital signal by a delay to provide a delayed first digital signal. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein cancelling the second digital signal comprises cancelling the second digital signal based at least in part on the delayed first digital signal. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising estimating the delay based on a correlation between the first digital signal and the second digital signal. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the sounds detected from the environment by the near-end device include at least some of the sounds detected from the environment via the microphone. 
     
     
         19 . A controller, comprising:
 a processing system; and   a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processing system, causes the controller to:
 detect, via a microphone, sounds from an environment during a conference call; 
 convert the detected sounds to a first digital signal; 
 transmit the first digital signal to at least a far-end device participating in the conference call, the far-end device being located in a different environment than the mobile device; 
 receive a second digital signal from a near-end device participating in the conference call, the second digital signal including sounds detected from the environment by the near-end device; and 
 cancel the second digital signal based at least in part on the first digital signal. 
   
     
     
         20 . The controller of  claim 19 , wherein the sounds detected from the environment by the near-end device include at least some of the sounds detected from the environment by the microphone.