Systems and methods that enable high quality audio teleconferencing are
disclosed. In one embodiment of the present invention, a signal processor
receives signals from a spatially dispersed set of directional
microphones, processing the microphone signals and the far-end received
audio into a signal for transmission to a far-end party. The processing
may comprise the use of one or more algorithms that reduce conference
room noise and may selectively increase participant audio levels by
processing the microphone signals using beamforming techniques. An
embodiment of the present invention may also comprise one or more
omni-directional microphones that may be used in cooperation with the
directional microphones to adjust for background noise, acoustic echo,
and the existence of side conversations.