Audio conferencing system for office furniture
AssigneeOFS Brands Inc.
InventorsWes Harper, Jack Gershfeld
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An office furniture conferencing system includes a plurality of microphones attached to a table. Each microphone produces a respective audio signal. An electronic control module is attached to the table. The module includes a switching device having a plurality of inputs each receiving a respective one of the audio signals. The switching device selects and outputs one of the audio signals. A wireless transmitter is communicatively coupled to the switching device. The wireless transmitter wirelessly transmits an airborne signal dependent upon the selected audio signal.
Claims20
An office furniture conferencing system comprising:
- a table;
- a plurality of microphones attached to the table, each microphone being configured to produce a respective audio signal;
- and
- an electronic control module attached to the table, the module including:
- a switching device having a plurality of inputs each configured to receive a respective one of the audio signals, the switching device being configured to:
- select one of the audio signals;
- and
- output the selected audio signal;
- and
- a wireless transmitter communicatively coupled to the switching device, the wireless transmitter being configured to wirelessly transmit an airborne signal dependent upon the selected audio signal.
An office furniture conferencing method, comprising the steps of:
- providing a table having a plurality of microphones, a loudspeaker, and a control module attached thereto, the microphones and loudspeaker being communicatively coupled to the control module;
- producing a respective audio signal from each said microphone;
- automatically selecting one of the audio signals by use of the control module;
- wirelessly transmitting a first airborne signal dependent upon the selected audio signal, the transmitting being performed by use of the control module;
- wirelessly receiving a second airborne signal from a personal mobile device that received the first airborne signal, the personal mobile device being disposed within fifty feet of the table, the receiving being performed by use of the control module;
- identifying the personal mobile device by use of the control module;
- playing audible sounds on the loudspeaker dependent upon the second airborne signal, the playing step occurring after the identifying step and being performed by use of the control module;
- determining that a wireless communication link between the control module and the personal mobile device is broken, the determining step being performed by use of the control module;
- and
- in response to the determining step, inhibiting playing of any audible sound that is dependent upon an airborne signal from the personal mobile device, the inhibiting continuing until the control module re-identifies the personal mobile device.
An office furniture conferencing system comprising:
- a table;
- a plurality of microphones associated with the table, each microphone being configured to produce a respective audio signal;
- a switching device attached to the table and having a plurality of inputs each configured to receive a respective one of the audio signals, the switching device being configured to output a switcher signal dependent upon the audio signals;
- and
- a wireless transmitter attached to the table and communicatively coupled to the switching device, the wireless transmitter being configured to wirelessly transmit a Bluetooth signal dependent upon the switcher signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.