CONFERENCE AUDIO SYSTEM

Abstract

Even in a conference audio system having an automatic mute release device, it is possible to reduce a delay time from an utterance to output from a speaker. The system includes: an A/D converter (33) for converting an audio signal from a plurality of microphones into a digital signal; audio level detection means to detect whether the converted digital signal level indicates an utterance or no sound; audio data storage means (32) for temporarily storing the digital signal in which the audio level detection means has detected an utterance; control means (31) for controlling storage of the audio data into the audio data storage means (32) and read out of the audio data; and a D/A converter (34) for converting the read-out audio data into an analog audio signal. When the audio level detection means has detected no sound in the series of audio data, the control means (31) hastens the audio data read-out timing in correspondence to the time of the no sound portion.