US 7,925,004 B2Granted

Speakerphone with downfiring speaker and directional microphones

AssigneePlantronics, Inc.

InventorsRichard Hodges, Gordon S. Simmons

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Abstract

A speakerphone having improved echo cancellation and sound output includes at least one directional microphone having at least one axis of sensitivity and at least one zone of insensitivity, and a speaker disposed in the zone of insensitivity of the microphone to radiate sound away from the microphone and towards a reflective surface, such as a desktop or wall, against which the speakerphone is disposed. A baseplate disposed adjacent to the speaker outlet can combine with the housing of the phone to form a flaring, right-angled horn having an inlet coupled to the outlet of the speaker and an outlet terminating at a periphery of the housing. A wall-mounting embodiment incorporates a unidirectional microphone with an axis of sensitivity oriented perpendicular to the wall, and a desktop-mounting embodiment includes an array of at least two bi-directional microphones having respective axes of sensitivity oriented parallel to the desktop.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A speakerphone, comprising:

a housing;
at least one microphone;
a speaker arranged within the housing such that the speaker is disposed in a zone of insensitivity of the at least one microphone and radiates sound along a radiation axis away from the at least one microphone and towards a surface against which the housing abuts;
wherein the sound radiation axis of the speaker is disposed generally perpendicularly to the abutting surface;
wherein the at least one microphone comprises at least two bi-directional microphones having respective axes of maximum sensitivity disposed generally orthogonal to each other and parallel to the abutting surface;
wherein the speaker resides in a common lower zone of insensitivity of the at least two microphones;
wherein the bi-directional microphones are disposed below an upper surface of the housing;
and
wherein the housing includes a plurality of tubular sound channels, each having an entry end originating at the upper surface of the housing and an exit end acoustically coupled to a respective opposite face of a pressure sensing element of one of the microphones.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.