Speakerphone system or speakerphone accessory with on-cable microphone

Abstract

A portable speakerphone having a housing, a receiving transducer, an electrical cable, a transmitting transducer, and a processor. The receiving transducer is affixed to the housing and is configured to receive a first electrical signal from a mobile device. The electrical cable is coupled to and extends from the housing. The transmitting transducer is affixed to the electrical cable, remote from the housing. Also, the transmitting transducer is configured to transmit a second electrical signal, and the second electrical signal is based in part on the first electrical signal. The processor is configured to suppress acoustic echo by modifying the second electrical signal. The processor is also configured to output the modified second electrical signal to the mobile device. A related method is also disclosed.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A portable speakerphone comprising:
 a receiving transducer affixed to a housing;   an electrical cable extending from the housing and having a connector at a distal end of the electrical cable, opposite a proximal end of the electrical cable coupled to the housing, the receiving transducer configured to receive a first electrical signal via the connector;   a transmitting transducer affixed to the electrical cable, remote from the housing, and configured to transmit a second electrical signal; and   an acoustic echo cancellation circuit configured to suppress acoustic echo in the second electrical signal by modifying the second electrical signal based in part on the first electrical signal, and to provide an output of the modified second electrical signal via the connector.   
     
     
         21 . The speakerphone of  claim 20  wherein the acoustic echo cancellation circuit includes an acoustic echo cancellation processor configured to receive the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal, and further includes a mixer configured to combine an output of the acoustic echo cancellation processor with the second electrical signal. 
     
     
         22 . The speakerphone of  claim 20  wherein the acoustic echo cancellation circuit further includes a non-linear processing module configured to further suppress acoustic echo by non-linear processing of an output of the mixer. 
     
     
         23 . The speakerphone of  claim 20  wherein the connector is configured to receive the first electrical signal from a mobile device coupled to the connector. 
     
     
         24 . The speakerphone of  claim 20  wherein the acoustic echo cancellation circuit provides an output to a mobile device via the connector. 
     
     
         25 . The speakerphone of  claim 20  wherein the second electrical signal is based in part on an audio signal from the receiving transducer and a voice signal. 
     
     
         26 . The speakerphone of  claim 25  wherein the voice signal is an analog voice signal. 
     
     
         27 . The speakerphone of  claim 20  wherein the electrical cable is detachably attached to the housing. 
     
     
         28 . The speakerphone of  claim 20  wherein the transmitting transducer includes a microphone located along the electrical cable between the proximal end of the electrical cable and the connector. 
     
     
         29 . The speakerphone of  claim 20  wherein the transmitting transducer includes a microphone affixed to the connector. 
     
     
         30 . The speakerphone of  claim 20  wherein the transmitting transducer includes a microphone substantially enclosed within the connector. 
     
     
         31 . The speakerphone of  claim 20  wherein the housing and the electrical cable separate the transmitting transducer and the receiving transducer by more than four inches. 
     
     
         32 . The speakerphone of  claim 20  wherein the transmitting transducer is a directional microphone. 
     
     
         33 . The speakerphone of  claim 20  wherein the transmitting transducer includes an array of transmitting transducers. 
     
     
         34 . A method of providing an acoustic echo suppressed signal in a portable speakerphone, the method comprising:
 receiving a first electrical signal from a mobile device via a connector positioned at a distal end of an electrical cable;   communicating the first electrical signal through the electrical cable to a receiving transducer affixed to a housing, a proximal end of the electrical cable coupled to the housing;   transmitting a second electrical signal from a transmitting transducer affixed to the electrical cable and separated from the receiving transducer by at least about four inches;   suppressing an acoustic echo in the second electrical signal by modifying the second electrical signal based in part on the first electrical signal; and   providing an output of the modified second electrical signal via the connector.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the second electrical signal is based on an audio signal received from the receiving transducer and an analog voice signal. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34  wherein said suppressing an acoustic echo in the second electrical signal includes comparing the first electrical signal with the second electrical signal and subtracting the first electrical signal from the second electrical signal to form the modified second electrical signal. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34  wherein said suppressing an acoustic echo in the second electrical signal includes non-linear processing of the modified second electrical signal. 
     
     
         38 . A portable speakerphone comprising:
 a receiving transducer affixed to a housing;   an electrical cable having a connector at a distal end of the electrical cable that is opposite a proximal end of the electrical cable coupled to the housing, the receiving transducer configured to receive a first electrical signal from a mobile device coupled to the connector;   a transmitting transducer configured to transmit a second electrical signal, the transmitting transducer affixed to the electrical cable and separated from the receiving transducer by at least four inches; and   an acoustic echo cancellation circuit configured to suppress acoustic echo in the second electrical signal based in part on the first electrical signal, and to provide an output signal to a mobile device via the connector.   
     
     
         39 . The speakerphone of  claim 38  wherein the transmitting transducer includes a microphone affixed to the connector.