As reported yesterday, NewBay Media editors have broken the story of the patent infringement lawsuit filed by ClearOne with the United States District Court of Utah, Central Division. More details have emerged on this suit. From the filing, NewBay Media editors have learned the following:
"The technology at issue in this case pertains generally to the field of digital signal processing techniques, as used primarily in audio and video teleconferencing systems that are often deployed in conference rooms."
"Beamforming, also known as spatial filtering, is a signal processing technique used in sensor arrays for directional signal transmission or reception. Beamforming can be used to select desired sound sources, while rejecting unwanted sounds. In an audio conferencing system, beamforming can be used to select, or focus on, a participant’s voice, while rejecting noise and interfering speech from other directions, which provides superior audio performance and clarity."
"Another related and important technology in audio conferencing is acoustic echo cancellation. This technology improves audio quality by reducing or preventing echo from being created or reducing/removing it after it is already present. For example, from the perspective of remote audio conferencing participants, their own voices are recreated by loudspeakers in the conference room, and these audio signals are also then picked up by the microphones in the room and sent back the remote participants, causing an undesirable echo. Acoustic echo cancellation involves recognizing that echo, then reducing or removing it by subtracting it from the transmitted signal."
- The April 25, 2017 filing also states: "ClearOne is at the forefront of integrating beamforming microphone arrays with acoustic echo cancellation. ClearOne’s ‘186 Patent covers a conferencing apparatus that combines a beamforming microphone array with an acoustic echo canceller and, among other things, inhibits the changing of the selection of the combined echo cancelled signals while only the far end signal is active, as well as other embodiments.”
Please read the original post for background on this issue. We will continue to share relevant details as they become available.
