Background

[0001] Multiple people may participate in a conference call, a web conference, a virtual meeting, or another online event in which multiple people may speak. The audio signals from each participant are transmitted to each of the other participants.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0002] FIGS. 1 A and 1 B are block diagrams illustrating examples of devices for multiparticipant virtual meetings.

[0003] FIGS. 2A-2D are block diagrams illustrating examples of a system for multiparticipant virtual meetings.

[0004] FIGS. 3A-3D are flow diagrams illustrating examples of a method for conducting a multiparticipant virtual meeting.

Detailed Description

[0005] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific examples in which the disclosure may be practiced. It is to be understood that other examples may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims. It is to be understood that features of the various examples described herein may be combined, in part or whole, with each other, unless specifically noted otherwise.

[0006] With multiple participants in a conference call, a web conference, a virtual meeting, or another online event, there may be a large variation in individual volume levels when speaking. Typically, listeners can adjust an output volume level for all speakers as a whole and not for each speaker individually. This may result in a participant constantly adjusting the output volume level for different speakers or interrupting the flow of a meeting to ask a speaker to adjust their microphone level.

[0007] Accordingly, disclosed herein are systems and methods for multiparticipant virtual meetings with automatic audio equalization. Each participant’s computing device may individually automatically detect and adjust the output volume level of each of the other participants to an appropriate level. If multiple participant’s computing devices include an audio detection capability, a participant’s computing device may notify another participant’s computing device that their audio is too loud or too quiet. In response to a notification, the participant may adjust their distance to the microphone, manually adjust their microphone level, or their microphone level may be automatically adjusted. By using the system and methods disclosed herein, interruptions to meeting flow to correct audio issues may be prevented.

[0008] FIG. 1 A is a block diagram illustrating one example of a device 100a for multiparticipant virtual meetings. Device 100a may be a personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone (e.g., smartphone), a teleconferencing system, a gaming system, a smart speaker, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) device, or another suitable device for participating in a multiparticipant virtual meeting.

[0009] Device 100a includes a speaker 102, a processor 106, and a machine- readable storage medium 110. Speaker 102 is communicatively coupled to processor 106 through a communication path 104. Processor 106 is communicatively coupled to machine-readable storage medium 110 through a communication path 108. Although the following description refers to a single processor and a single machine-readable storage medium, the description may also apply to a device with multiple processors and multiple machine-readable storage mediums. In such examples, the instructions may be distributed (e.g., stored) across multiple machine-readable storage mediums and the instructions may be distributed (e.g., executed by) across multiple processors.

[0010] Processor 106 includes one (i.e., a single) central processing unit (CPU) or microprocessor or more than one (i.e., multiple) CPU or microprocessor, and/or other suitable hardware devices for retrieval and execution of instructions stored in machine-readable storage medium 110. Processor 106 may fetch, decode, and execute instructions 112-118 to conduct multiparticipant virtual meetings.

[0011] Processor 106 may fetch, decode, and execute instructions 112 to receive a plurality of audio signals from a plurality of respective virtual meeting participants. In one example, processor 106 may receive the plurality of audio signals over a network communication path communicatively coupled to device 100a. Processor 106 may fetch, decode, and execute instructions 114 to individually detect a volume of each of the plurality of audio signals. Processor 106 may fetch, decode, and execute instructions 116 to individually adjust the volume of an audio signal of the plurality of audio signals in response to detecting the volume of the audio signal being outside a selected volume range. In one example, the selected volume range may be adjusted by the user of device 100a. In response to the volume of an individual audio signal being below the selected volume range, the volume of the individual audio signal may be increased until it is within the selected volume range. In response to the volume of an individual audio signal being above the selected volume range, the volume of the individual audio signal may be decreased until it is within the selected volume range. Processor 106 may fetch, decode, and execute instructions 118 to output the plurality of audio signals to the speaker 102. In this way, the audio volume of each participant output to the speaker 102 may be substantially level.

[0012] FIG. 1 B is a block diagram illustrating another example of a device 100b for multiparticipant virtual meetings. Device 100b is similar to device 100a previously described and illustrated with reference to FIG. 1 A, except that device 100b also includes a microphone 150. Microphone 150 is communicatively coupled to processor 106 through a communication path 152. [0013] In addition to instructions 112-118 of FIG. 1A, as illustrated in FIG. 1 B, processor 106 may fetch, decode, and execute further instructions 120 to individually adjust the volume of each audio signal of the plurality of audio signals such that each audio signal of the plurality of audio signals is within the selected volume range. Processor 106 may fetch, decode, and execute further instructions 122 to receive an audio signal from the microphone 150 and further instructions 124 to transmit the audio signal received from the microphone to each of the plurality of virtual meeting participants. Processor 106 may fetch, decode, and execute further instructions 126 to receive a notification from at least one of the plurality of virtual meeting participants that the transmitted audio signal is outside the selected volume range and further instructions 128 to in response to the notification, adjust a level of the microphone 150. In this way, in addition or alternatively to adjusting the volume of audio signals received from other participants, a participant’s microphone level may be adjusted.

[0014] As an alternative or in addition to retrieving and executing instructions, processor 106 may include one (i.e., a single) electronic circuit or more than one (i.e., multiple) electronic circuit including a number of electronic components for performing the functionality of one of the instructions or more than one of the instructions in machine-readable storage medium 110. With respect to the executable instruction representations (e.g., boxes) described and illustrated herein, it should be understood that part or all of the executable instructions and/or electronic circuits included within one box may, in alternate examples, be included in a different box illustrated in the figures or in a different box not shown.

[0015] Machine-readable storage medium 110 is a non-transitory storage medium and may be any suitable electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical storage device that stores executable instructions. Thus, machine-readable storage medium 110 may be, for example, random access memory (RAM), an electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a storage drive, an optical disc, and the like. Machine-readable storage medium 110 may be disposed within device 100a or 100b, as illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1 B. In this case, the executable instructions may be installed on device 100a or 100b. Alternatively, machine-readable storage medium 110 may be a portable, external, or remote storage medium that allows device 100a or 100b to download the instructions from the portable/external/remote storage medium. In this case, the executable instructions may be part of an installation package. [0016] FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating one example of a system for multiparticipant virtual meetings. The system includes a plurality of computing devices 200i to 200N, where “N” is any suitable number of computing devices, and a network 270. Each of the plurality of computing devices 200i to 200N is communicatively coupled to network 270 through a communication path 272i to 272N, respectively. Each computing device 200i to 200N may be a personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone (e.g., smartphone), a teleconferencing system, a gaming system, a smart speaker, a PSTN device, or another suitable device for participating in a multiparticipant virtual meeting. Network 270 may include a wired network, a wireless network, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a cellular network, a PSTN, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0017] As represented by computing device 200N, each computing device 200i to 200N includes a processor 206 and a machine-readable storage medium 210. Processor 206 is communicatively coupled to machine-readable storage medium 210 through a communication path 208. Although the following description refers to a single processor and a single machine-readable storage medium, the description may also apply to a computing device with multiple processors and multiple machine-readable storage mediums. In such examples, the instructions may be distributed (e.g., stored) across multiple machine-readable storage mediums and the instructions may be distributed (e.g., executed by) across multiple processors.

[0018] Processor 206 includes one (i.e., a single) central processing unit (CPU) or microprocessor or more than one (i.e., multiple) CPU or microprocessor, and/or other suitable hardware devices for retrieval and execution of instructions stored in machine-readable storage medium 210. Processor 206 may fetch, decode, and execute instructions 212-216 to conduct multiparticipant virtual meetings.

[0019] Processor 206 may fetch, decode, and execute instructions 212 to receive an audio signal from each of the other computing devices of the plurality of computing devices 200i to 200N. Processor 206 may fetch, decode, and execute instructions 214 to individually detect a volume of each of the audio signals received from each of the other computing devices of the plurality of computing devices 200i to 200N. Processor 206 may fetch, decode, and execute instructions 216 to notify a computing device of the plurality of computing devices 200i to 200N in response to detecting the volume of the audio signal received from the computing device 200 being outside a selected volume range.

[0020] FIG. 2B is a block diagram illustrating another example of a representative computing device 200N that may be used for each computing device 200i to 200N of FIG. 2A. Device 200N of FIG. 2B may further include a speaker 202 and a microphone 250. Speaker 202 is communicatively coupled to processor 206 through a communication path 204. Microphone 250 is communicatively coupled to processor 206 through a communication path 252. [0021] In addition to instructions 212-216 of FIG. 2A, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, processor 206 may fetch, decode, and execute further instructions 218 to individually adjust the volume of an audio signal received from a computing device of the plurality of computing devices 200i to 200N in response to detecting the volume of the audio signal being outside a selected volume range and further instructions 220 to output the audio signal received from each of the other computing devices of the plurality of computing devices 200i to 200N to the speaker 202. Processor 206 may fetch, decode, and execute further instructions 222 to receive an audio signal from the microphone 250 and further instructions 224 to transmit the audio signal from the microphone 250 to each of the other computing devices of the plurality of computing devices 200i to 200N. [0022] FIG. 2C is a block diagram illustrating another example of a representative computing device 200N that may be used for each computing device 200i to 200N of FIG. 2A. In addition to instructions 212-216 of FIG. 2A and instructions 218-224 of FIG. 2B, as illustrated in FIG. 2C, processor 206 may fetch, decode, and execute further instructions 226 to receive communications regarding the audio signal from each of the other computing devices of the plurality of computing devices 200i to 200N. Processor 206 may fetch, decode, and execute further instructions 228 to based on the received communications, negotiate between at least three computing devices of the plurality of computing devices 200i to 200N such that audio signals transmitted or received from each of the at least three computing devices are inside the selected volume range. For example, this negotiation may include raising the microphone level of a first computing device while lowering the volume of the audio signal received from the first computing device at a second computing device and a third computing device, and/or lowering the microphone level of the second computing device while raising the volume of the audio signal received from the second computing device at the first computing device and the third computing device, etc. In any case, the microphone level and/or the volume of each audio signal received at a computing device may be adjusted such that the audio signals output to the speaker 202 of each computing device 200i to 200N are substantially level.

[0023] FIG. 2D is a block diagram illustrating another example of a representative computing device 200N that may be used for each computing device 200i to 200N of FIG. 2A. Device 200N of FIG. 2D may further include a display 260. Display 260 is communicatively coupled to processor 206 through a communication path 262.

[0024] In addition to instructions 212-216 of FIG. 2A, instructions 218-224 of FIG. 2B, and instructions 226-228 of FIG. 2C, as illustrated in FIG. 2D, processor 206 may fetch, decode, and execute further instructions 230 to receive a notification from at least one of the other computing devices of the plurality of computing devices 200i to 200N that the transmitted audio signal is outside the selected volume range and further instructions 232 to in response to the notification, adjust a level of the microphone 250. Processor 206 may fetch, decode, and execute further instructions 234 to receive a notification from at least one of the other computing devices of the plurality of computing devices 200i to 200N that the transmitted audio signal is outside the selected volume range and further instructions 236 to in response to the notification, output an indication of the notification to the display 260. In one example, the indication of the notification may be an alert, a message, or another suitable visible indication of the notification. In response to the indication of the notification, the participant may adjust their position relative to the microphone or manually adjust their microphone level.

[0025] As an alternative or in addition to retrieving and executing instructions, processor 206 may include one (i.e., a single) electronic circuit or more than one (i.e., multiple) electronic circuit including a number of electronic components for performing the functionality of one of the instructions or more than one of the instructions in machine-readable storage medium 210. With respect to the executable instruction representations (e.g., boxes) described and illustrated herein, it should be understood that part or all of the executable instructions and/or electronic circuits included within one box may, in alternate examples, be included in a different box illustrated in the figures or in a different box not shown.

[0026] Machine-readable storage medium 210 is a non-transitory storage medium and may be any suitable electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical storage device that stores executable instructions. Thus, machine-readable storage medium 210 may be, for example, RAM, EEPROM, a storage drive, an optical disc, and the like. Machine-readable storage medium 210 may be disposed within computing device 200N, as illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2D. In this case, the executable instructions may be installed on computing device 200N. Alternatively, machine-readable storage medium 210 may be a portable, external, or remote storage medium that allows computing device 200N to download the instructions from the portable/external/remote storage medium. In this case, the executable instructions may be part of an installation package.

[0027] FIGS. 3A-3D are flow diagrams illustrating examples of a method 300 for conducting a multiparticipant virtual meeting. In one example, method 300 may be implemented by the system of FIGS. 2A-2D. As illustrated in FIG. 3A at 302, method 300 includes receiving, at each computing device of a plurality of computing devices (e.g., 200i to 200N), an audio signal from each of the other computing devices of the plurality of computing devices. At 304, method 300 includes individually detecting, at each computing device of the plurality of computing devices, a volume of each of the audio signals from each of the other computing devices of the plurality of computing devices. At 306, method 300 includes individually adjusting, at each computing device of the plurality of computing devices, the volume of an audio signal from a computing device of the plurality of computing devices in response to detecting the volume of the audio signal is outside a selected volume range. At 308, method 300 includes outputting, to a speaker (e.g., 202) of each computing device of the plurality of computing devices, each audio signal from each of the other computing devices of the plurality of computing devices.

[0028] As illustrated in FIG. 3B at 310, method 300 may further include notifying a computing device of the plurality of computing devices in response to detecting, via another computing device of the plurality of computing devices, the volume of the audio signal received from the computing device is outside the selected volume range. As illustrated in FIG. 3C at 312, method 300 may further include adjusting a level of a microphone (e.g., 250) of the computing device notified that the volume of the audio signal received from the computing device is outside the selected volume range. As illustrated in FIG. 3D at 314, method 300 may further include displaying a message on the computing device (e.g., via a display 260) notified that the volume of the audio signal received from the computing device is outside the selected volume range.

[0029] Although specific examples have been illustrated and described herein, a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific examples shown and described without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific examples discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this disclosure be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.