What is Speakerphone?

7 minutes

Speakerphone Definition & Meanings

The speakerphone consists of a multi-directional microphone, a speaker, noise and echo cancellation, and an external interface to allow hands-free communication. In audio and video conferences, multiple participants may participate. Communicating via mobile phone and computer is much easier with speakerphones. Voice commands are transmitted through the speakerphone.

It has been widely used in conferences in various industries, including government agencies, companies, universities, scientific research institutes, troops, enterprises and institutions. You can answer the meeting voice without going to the front desk to answer the phone during a meeting. Under normal circumstances, conference hands-free phones can be divided into three types: one is a wireless phone (such as Huawei, ZTE, etc.) that is connected to the network through a computer system; the second is to use a voice call to transfer to a local cardless phone; A wireless microphone that is transferred to the external network by telephone. Currently, most conference rooms have implemented a phone-free access system, but some conference rooms also affect the use effect due to hardware and software restrictions. When using a dedicated telephone, you can apply the hands-free calling function to the conference room, such as conference room video conference or video conference.

How Does a Speakerphone Works?

A speakerphone is a device used to produce sound. It includes a speaker body and a cabinet. The speaker body is generally made of metal materials divided into plastic and metal. Plastic speakers have a soft sound and no distortion, while metal speakers have a dull sound and no sound distortion. We often say that the unit refers to the speaker, like assembling the speaker. The loudspeaker itself is just a component unit. Still, the sound-emitting material is processed into a unit that can cause sound distortion to generate a specific frequency signal and conduct sound through it. It is neither a sound-producing nor physical element in the general sense. The loudspeaker transmits the sound signal into the acoustic space.

In modern society, people have new requirements for sound, so the requirements for speakers are also getting higher and higher. In a sense, there are more and more loudspeaker manufacturers in the world, they have produced a variety of different specifications and various types of loudspeakers, and even some loudspeakers with good performance are exported to foreign countries. Loudspeakers are one of the first devices to be used in industrial production, and their design, manufacture and use have received significant attention. For example, there are many precision speakers in the various equipment used to manufacture precision instruments. And many precision instruments also use the speaker body, such as computers, mobile phones, cars and many other electronic devices that require speakers to emit electricity or provide sound quality to complete their work. In modern society, loudspeakers are widely used in film, television, radio, computer screen, camera, tape recorders, medical instruments, sound, and other fields.

Types of Speakerphones

Conferencing devices transmit and receive audio in different ways. Understanding how they work is critical. Communication channels in the telecom world can be divided into three types: half-duplex, full-duplex, and simplex. There are different ways in which audio is transmitted in each mode of communication. The full-duplex and half-duplex are the most common types in the telecom world.

1.Full-Duplex Speakerphone

In a full duplex speakerphone setup, multiple users can converse simultaneously. It allows anyone to interrupt and chime in without interrupting the current speaker if you host a conference with various parties. Two links are required to support complete duplex audio transmission because overlapping speech can occur on both connections at the same time. As with a telephone signal, there are two paths involved in communication. You will receive audio data one way, while the rest of the conference will hear your speech over the other.

2.Half-Duplex Speakerphone

A half-duplex system can only support one conversation at a time. Similar to an interphone, when one party talks, the other party hears the audio but cannot add to or interrupt it. After the first speaker finishes speaking, another speaker takes over. Other microphones will be disabled as long as someone is speaking.

Different Connection Methods of Speakerphone

Connecting your conference speakerphone devices, there are two main types of connection methods, Bluetooth or connecting by USB wire. Different connection methods can apply in different scenarios.

1.USB Speakerphone

The USB wired connection is the simplest and most efficient way to connect the speakerphone. You need to plug in the USB wire to the speakerphone and your computer; then, you can start the conference call immediately. However, this method is only suitable when you conduct a small conference meeting with a small group of participants (3~6), as the distance of placing your speakerphone will be limited by the length of the USB wire if you conduct a large conference meeting with large participants and set the speakerphone close to you. Still, far away from other participants, they may not be able to hear the information from the party on the other side. The same goes for the other side of the party; they may not be able to hear all the participants as the distance is too far away for the microphone to pick up the audio. Nevertheless, the USB wired connection is the most stable connection considering that the Bluetooth connection may have lower quality output & input due to the unstable connection.

2.Bluetooth/Wireless Speakerphone

The Bluetooth/Wireless connection can be more flexible, as there is no distance limit between your computer and the conference speakerphone. You can place the device anywhere around the room. Therefore, when you conduct large conference meetings with many participants, you can freely move the conference speakerphone to a suitable location for everyone to participate. However, using Bluetooth/wireless connection may not be the optimal connecting method if you're looking for high-quality and stable connectivity. The wireless connection sometime may get affected by other signals and cause loss of connection.

Speaker with Built-In Microphone Technology

Microphone technology will be an essential part of traditional speakers and be used as part of speakers. Microphone technology has been present in 20th-century recording and digital media devices since 1900. During the late twentieth and early twenty-first century, microphone technology was used to create tiny microsystems. Many technologies include microphone speaker technology and built-in microphone technology. The speakers we're seeing now have the same complete speaker system technology and microphone capabilities, and that's because microphone speakers can be tested with speakers for multiple functions. All audio signals are available from an application called MIDI/PBL. All tests are performed from a device called an SPM; a loudspeaker is used to measure reflections in a sound and changes in the mid-frequency signal at multiple locations. During the design process, we had to pay attention to sound processing. The speaker's loudspeaker unit is also designed to produce all the information it needs more efficiently when the sound changes.

Echo Cancelling Speakerphone & Voice Pick Up

Speaker cancellers are commonly used in modern audio equipment to reduce sound distortion or improve sound quality. To meet the needs of modern sound systems, the principle of echo cancellation needs to be adopted to eliminate the transient distortion or energy loss and resonance caused by the vibration and various frequency band noises. This occurs to the speakers in different frequency ranges so that the sound is clearer and louder and has high acoustic properties.

Scope of application of microphone pickup -- used for wired and wireless headphones/speakerphones. The wired microphones are installed on both sides of the fuselage and can be directly connected to the earphones through external signal lines; the wireless microphones are connected through the audio lines on both sides. You can directly connect the headset through an external signal cable when needed. This product is a professional audio pickup that can automatically identify the pickup position and output, analyze the signal, and process it simultaneously. This is suitable for recording the sound of headphones or wireless headphones; at the same time, it can pick up sounds in real time for devices such as microphones, hearing aids and receivers.

Applicable Scenario for Speakerphone

With the development of e-commerce, conferences have become an important channel for enterprises to communicate efficiently. However, with the intensification of market competition, the meeting format is constantly changing, and its importance and effectiveness are also increasing. We can transform the meeting into a marketing activity by designing the form of the meeting room and making communication one of the primary forms of the meeting.

It usually will do the job when you conduct an internal team meeting or a one-to-one conference call meeting using your smartphone. However, when you conduct a formal meeting with other businesses, the sound and audio quality of the smartphone may affect your meeting experience, or then, in this case, it would be great to have a Bluetooth speakerphone that can improve your meeting experience and ensure you can gather all the vital information from the other party. The EMEET OfficeCore M2 Max or the EMEET OfficeCore M3 would suit this type of need.

Moreover, you usually use Zoom or Teams or another video conferencing software when you conduct a conference call meeting. Therefore, the external speakerphone must be compatible with your video conferencing software. The EMEET WebCam, Speakerphones and video cameras are compatible with most of the available video conferencing software.

Conclusion

Overall, since more and more people are working from home, video conferencing software is becoming more popular. Some of you may still use your smartphone's speaker functionality to avoid using your hands during an online meeting at home. Unfortunately, the audio quality of most smartphone speakers is relatively poor. Using a professional Bluetooth conference speakerphone will enable you to reap the benefits of both hands-free convenience and superior sound quality.

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