# US 5,764,900 A · System and method for communicating digitally-encoded acoustic information across a network between computers

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- Number: US 5,764,900 A
- Document ID: US5764900A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/743,828
- Filed: 1996-11-05
- Granted: 1998-06-09
- Earliest claimed: 1996-11-05
- Assignees: Multitude Inc.
- Inventors: James E. G. Morris; Edward A. Lerner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5764900A

## CPC

- H04L 9/40: Network security protocols
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A system for communicating digitally-encoded acoustic information across a computer network between computers. The system includes a plurality of client computers coupled together via a computer network. Each client computer includes a communications interface, memory, a sound processor and a sound mixer. The communications interface is coupled to the computer network and receives digitally-encoded acoustic signals from the other client computers attached to the computer network. The memory is coupled to the communications interface and stores separately the received acoustic signals. The sound processor is coupled to the memory and enhances separately the stored acoustic signals. The sound mixer is coupled to the sound processor and mixes the enhanced acoustic signals to produce a mixed acoustic signal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for communicating sound between computers, comprising the steps of:
using a receiver computer for
receiving via a computer network a first digitally-encoded acoustic signal from a first computer and a second digitally-encoded acoustic signal from a second computer;
storing the first digitally-encoded acoustic signal in a first memory portion and the second digitally-encoded acoustic signal in a second memory portion;
processing the first digitally-encoded acoustic signal and the second digitally-encoded acoustic signal;
mixing the processed first digitally-encoded acoustic signal and the processed second digitally-encoded acoustic signal to generate a mixed digitally-encoded acoustic signal; and
converting the mixed digitally-encoded acoustic signal to sound.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the step of receiving comprises receiving a first message packet which includes first identification data and the first digitally-encoded acoustic signal, and a second message packet which includes second identification data and the second digitally-encoded acoustic signal; and
the step of processing comprises processing the first digitally-encoded acoustic signal based on the first identification data and processing the second digitally-encoded acoustic signal based on the second identification data.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second identification data comprises source address data.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first memory portion comprises a first storage buffer and the second memory portion comprises a second storage buffer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing comprises enhancing the first and second acoustic signals.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the step of enhancing comprises adjusting the volume and a virtual source location of the first and second acoustic signals.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing comprises:
storing the first digitally-encoded acoustic signal in a first active sound storage buffer if said first active buffer is available and in a first overflow sound buffer if said first active buffer is not available, and storing the second digitally-encoded acoustic signal in a second active sound buffer if said second active buffer is available and in a second overflow storage buffer if said second active buffer is not available.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
generating a plurality of separate environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals;
storing the environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals separately in environment memory portions;
processing the stored environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals separately;
mixing the processed environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals to generate a second mixed digitally-encoded acoustic signal; and
converting the second mixed digitally-encoded acoustic signal to sound.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
generating a plurality of environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals;
storing the environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals separately in environment memory portions; and
processing the stored environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals separately; and
wherein the step of mixing mixes in the processed environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals to generate the mixed digitally-encoded acoustic signal.

### Claim 10

A system for communicating sound between computers, comprising:
means for receiving via a computer network a first digitally-encoded acoustic signal from a first computer and a second digitally-encoded acoustic signal from a second computer;
means for storing the first digitally-encoded acoustic signal and the second digitally-encoded acoustic signal separately; and
means for processing the first digitally-encoded acoustic signal and the second digitally-encoded acoustic signal separately;
means for mixing the first digitally-encoded acoustic signal and the second digitally-encoded acoustic signal to generate a mixed digitally-encoded acoustic signal; and
means for converting the mixed digitally-encoded acoustic signal to sound.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10 wherein:
said means for receiving receives a first message packet which includes first identification data and the first digitally-encoded acoustic signal, and a second message packet which includes second identification data and the second digitally-encoded acoustic signal; and
said means for processing includes means for enhancing the first digitally-encoded acoustic signal based on the first identification data and enhancing the second digitally-encoded acoustic signal based on the second identification data.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11 wherein each of the first and second identification data comprises source address data.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10 wherein said means for storing comprises a first storage buffer and a second storage buffer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10 wherein said means for processing comprises means for enhancing the first and second digitally-encoded acoustic signals.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14 wherein said means for enhancing comprises:
means for adjusting volumes of the first digitally-encoded acoustic signal and of the second digitally-encoded acoustic signal; and
mean for adjusting virtual source locations of the first digitally-encoded acoustic signal and of the second digitally-encoded acoustic signal.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10 wherein said means for storing comprises:
a first active sound storage buffer for storing the first digitally-encoded acoustic signal;
a second active sound buffer for storing the second digitally-encoded acoustic signal;
a first overflow sound buffer for storing the first digitally-encoded acoustic signal when the active sound buffers are unavailable; and
a second overflow storage buffer for storing the second digitally-encoded acoustic signal when the active sound buffers are unavailable.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, further comprising:
means for generating a plurality of environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals;
means for storing the environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals separately; and
means for processing the stored environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals separately.

### Claim 18

A computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing a computer to perform the steps of:
receiving via a computer network a first digitally-encoded acoustic signal from a first computer and a second digitally-encoded acoustic signal from a second computer;
storing the first digitally-encoded acoustic signal in a first memory portion and the second digitally-encoded acoustic signal in a second memory portion;
processing the first digitally-encoded acoustic signal and the second digitally-encoded acoustic signal;
mixing the processed first digitally-encoded acoustic signal and the processed second digitally-encoded acoustic signal to generate a mixed digitally-encoded acoustic signal; and
converting the mixed digitally-encoded acoustic signal to sound.

### Claim 19

A system for processing digitally-encoded acoustic information provided by computers in a computer network, comprising:
a communications interface coupled to a computer network for receiving digitally-encoded acoustic signals from computers in the computer network;
memory coupled to the communications interface for storing separately the received digitally-encoded acoustic signals;
a sound processor coupled to the memory for enhancing separately the stored digitally-encoded acoustic signals; and
a sound mixer coupled to the sound processor for mixing the processed digitally-encoded acoustic signals to produce a mixed signal.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, further comprising an output device coupled to the sound mixer for translating the mixed signal to sound.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19 wherein:
said communications interface receives message packets which include digitally-encoded acoustic signals and identification data; and
said sound processor includes means for enhancing the stored digitally-encoded acoustic signals based on said identification data.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, wherein said identification data comprises source address data.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein said memory comprises a set of individual storage buffers.

### Claim 24 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein said sound processor comprises means for enhancing said digitally-encoded acoustic signals.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The system of claim 24, wherein said means for enhancing comprises:
means for adjusting the volume; and
means for adjusting a virtual source location of said digitally-encoded acoustic signals.

### Claim 26 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein said memory comprises:
active sound storage buffers for storing the digitally-encoded acoustic signals; and
overflow sound buffers coupled to said active storage buffers for storing said digitally-encoded acoustic signals when said active sound buffers are unavailable.

### Claim 27 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, further comprising:
means, coupled to said sound mixer, for generating environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals;
means, coupled to said means for generating, for storing separately said environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals; and
an environment sound processor, coupled to said means for storing, for processing separately the stored environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals.

### Claim 28

A system for processing digitally-encoded acoustic information provided by computers in a computer network, comprising:
a user interface for converting sound to first digitally-encoded acoustic signals;
a router coupled to said user interface and to said computer network for sending said first digitally-encoded acoustic signals to said computer network, and for receiving second digitally-encoded acoustic signals from computers in said computer network;
sound buffers coupled to said router for storing individually the second digitally-encoded acoustic signals;
an enhancement element coupled to said router for processing individually the second digitally-encoded acoustic signals stored in the sound buffers; and
a sound mixer coupled to said enhancement element for mixing said processed second digitally-encoded acoustic signals to generate a mixed digitally-encoded acoustic signal.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The system of claim 28 wherein said user interface comprises a microphone.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28)

The system of claim 28 further comprising an output device coupled to said sound mixer for translating said mixed signal to sound.

### Claim 31 (depends on 28)

The system of claim 28, wherein the sound buffers comprise active sound storage buffers and overflow sound buffers coupled together.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The system of claim 31 wherein the router stores the digitally-encoded acoustic signals in the active sound buffers when available and in the overflow sound buffers when the active sound buffers are not available.

### Claim 33 (depends on 28)

The system of claim 28 wherein said means for enhancing comprises:
means for adjusting the volume; and
mean for adjusting a virtual source location of said digitally-encoded acoustic signals.

### Claim 34 (depends on 28)

The system of claim 28, further comprising:
means, coupled to said sound mixer, for generating environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals;
means, coupled to said means for generating, for storing separately said environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals; and
an environment sound processor, coupled to said means for storing, for processing separately said stored environment digitally-encoded acoustic signals.