Real-time audio buffering for telephone handsets
AssigneeMitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsPaul H. Dietz, William S. Yerazunis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A telephone handset dynamically buffers a real-time audio signal. The handset includes a microphone and a speaker connected to a telephone network interface. A proximity sensor is located near the speaker of the handset. The proximity sensor is connected to a circuit for measuring a coupling between the handset and an ear of a user. A buffer continuously records the real-time audio signal. The recorded signal can than be played back after the handset is first removed from the ear of the user, and second re-applied with the ear of the user using a time-compressed audio signal, until the playback signal is resynchronized with the real-time audio signal.
Claims11
A telephone handset for dynamically buffering a real-time audio signal, the telephone handset including a microphone and a speaker connected to a telephone network interface, comprising:
- a proximity sensor located near the speaker;
- means, connected to the proximity sensor, for measuring a coupling between the handset and an ear of a user;
- a buffer connected to the speaker configured to record the real-time audio signal;
- and
- means for playing back the recorded signal as a time-compressed audio signal, after the handset is first decoupled from the ear of the user, and second recoupled with the ear of the user until the time-compressed audio signal is resynchronized with the real-time audio signal to enable loss-less telephone communications.
A method for dynamically buffering a real-time audio signal received in a telephone handset including a microphone and a speaker connected to a telephone network interface, comprising:
- recording the real-time audio signal in a buffer;
- measuring a coupling between the handset and an ear of a user;
- and
- playing back the recorded signal as a time-compressed audio signal, after the handset is first removed from the ear of the user, and second re-applied to the ear of the user until the time-compressed audio signal is resynchronized with the real-time audio signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.