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"Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance. "
Ambose Bierce
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7366296 | Network support for voice path signal strength balancing Embodiments of the method and system provide for automatic balancing of audio signal strength levels on voice paths between first and second parties in a telecommunication system. The method in an embodiment may have the steps of: checking for a subscription to audi... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7239047 | Switch device incorporating capacitive oscillator A switch (10) comprises a face plate (16) and a single switch sensing oscillator (18) responsive to a switch activating presence. The oscillator (18) has a resistive component (36) connected to a sensing plate (38) which act... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7233659 | Message playback concurrent with speakerphone operation A digital telephone answering device having speakerphone capability allows a recorded message to be played back and heard by the far-end party as well as over the local speakerphone by the near-end party during speakerphone operation as if it were a normal receive s... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7139393 | Environmental noise level estimation apparatus, a communication apparatus, a data terminal apparatus, and a method of estimating an environmental noise level A level of a sound signal including a voice signal and an environmental noise signal is detected and a level (power level) is sampled in response to a clock signal. It is detected whether the presently sampled level increases from the previously sampled level. An en... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7095846 | Half duplex device and signal processing method thereof A half duplex device and signal processing method thereof. First, a signal detection unit of a signal detector of a half duplex device obtains a short-term power and long-term power. Next, a data update unit of the signal detector sets a short-term power threshold a... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7058430 | Mobile communications terminal with a hands-free mode A mobile communications terminal is provided having a first loudspeaker for emitting sound signals in a normal mode of the communications terminal, a second loudspeaker for emitting sound signals in a hands-free mode of the communications terminal, an antenna and a ... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7054438 | Method and apparatus for active reduction of speakerphone singing In a speakerphone device identification of signals (i.e., voice input or speaker output) in a process for reducing acoustic feedback, in a communication device, is accomplished by adding a signature noise (i.e., an identification mark) to output signals radiated by ... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7046792 | Transmit/receive arbitrator The amplitudes of a signal on the microphone input of a telephone and a signal on the line input of the telephone are compared with each other and with two thresholds. The comparisons are sampled and the samples control an up-down counter. The count in the counter i... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7023984 | Automatic volume adjustment of voice transmitted over a communication device A system and method for adjusting the volume level of a communications device in response to a voice volume/ambient noise relationship. Ambient noise and voice volume are sampled and compared to a predetermined ambient noise to voice volume relationship. Voice volum... | 04/04/2006 |
| 6978010 | Ambient noise cancellation for voice communication device A system and method for reducing or entirely canceling background or ambient noise from a voice transmission from a communications device. A communications device, such as a mobile telephone, is configured with an ambient noise compensation signal generator that is ... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6959275 | System and method for enhancing the intelligibility of received speech in a noise environment Based on an automatic gain factor derived from a long term peak value sample is a frame of a received signal containing speech are adjusted to enhance intelligibility. A dynamic range compression algorithm may also be used to further enhance intelligibility. ... | 10/25/2005 |
| 6950511 | Detection of both voice and tones using Goertzel filters A plurality of Goertzel filters whose operating frequencies are distributed across the voice baseband are used to detect voice and control tones in a signal. Filters operating at frequencies of control tones and detecting that most of the signal energy occurs at tho... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6795547 | Full duplex speaker-phone providing increased loop stability A full duplex speaker-phone that performs adaptive filtering to provide increased loop stability between users of the speaker-phone. The invention employs a sliding filter that performs adaptive frequency dependent attenuation of the speech signals within a speaker-... | 09/21/2004 |
| 6771769 | Method and apparatus for active reduction of speakerphone singing In a speakerphone device identification of signals (i.e., voice input or speaker output) in a process for reducing acoustic feedback, in a communication device, is accomplished by adding a signature noise (i.e., an identification mark) to output signals radiated by ... | 08/03/2004 |
| 6754337 | Telephone having four VAD circuits Voice activity is detected by comparing a signal with two thresholds and producing data representing the energy of the signal. The data, in binary form, is compared with thresholds to determine voice activity. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the ... | 06/22/2004 |
| 6711258 | Apparatus and method for controlling a volume in a digital telephone The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for volume control in digital telephones such as second generation mobile telephone terminals, third generation IMT 2000 image mobile telephone terminals, and ISDN (integrated service digital network) termin... | 03/23/2004 |
| 6535604 | Voice-switching device and method for multiple receivers A voice-switching device for use in a telephone terminal which applies an optimal amount of switched loss to a plurality of distinct receive transducers. The voice-switching device detects speech signals on the transmit and receive paths to determine a mo... | 03/18/2003 |
| 6473629 | Method of displaying alternating transmitting and receiving phases of voice communication in a mobile phone in a speakerphone mode A method of displaying alternating transmitting and receiving phases of voice communication in a mobile phone with a display when it is operated in the speakerphone mode includes the steps of comparing the intensity of a received voice signal from a calle... | 10/29/2002 |
| 6377679 | Speakerphone The conventional speakerphone using the voice switch, when combined with the echo canceler, involves a problem that the threshold for switching the transmit/receive state of the voice switch cannot comply smoothly and stably with the performance variation... | 04/23/2002 |
| 6154639 | Handsfree unit The present invention provides a cheap handsfree unit which can prevent the howling phenomenon and reduce the input sound from the loud-speaker into the microphone in both the analog and digital modes. A reception side comprises a signal level adjusting c... | 11/28/2000 |
| 5940499 | Voice switch used in hands-free communications system A voice switch in a hands-free communications system performs selective attenuation with respect to respective voice signals being transmitted and received in respective transmitting and receiving paths, the transmitted voice signal having been converted ... | 08/17/1999 |
| 5940486 | Two-way communication system with selective muting A bidirectional communication channel provides communication across a sound proof wall used, for example in a ticket booth. Normally communication from outside into the booth is muted by inhibiting the gain of a listen channel to a preselected percentage ... | 08/17/1999 |
| 5933493 | Telecommunications system, a subscriber unit, and a television set comprising a subscriber unit Known is a telecommunications system comprising a near end and a far end subscriber unit communicating with each other via a transmission channel, at least the near end subscriber being arranged for handsfree communication. In the known system, the near e... | 08/03/1999 |
| 5857019 | Apparatus and method for providing a telephone user with control of the threshold volume at which the user's voice will take control of a half-duplex speakerphone conversation An improved speakerphone that may be viewed as a modification of a conventional half-duplex speakerphone that includes transmit and receive attenuators for alternatively isolating either a speaker or a microphone from a phone line. The attenuators are con... | 01/05/1999 |
| 5515432 | Method and apparatus for volume and intelligibility control for a loudspeaker Selectively compressing the signal supplied to a loudspeaker based upon the volume setting for the sound level to be produced by the loudspeaker improves the intelligibility of human speech produced by a loudspeaker at high volume levels. Compression of t... | 05/07/1996 |
| 5479474 | Communication system having a remote unit, a fixed unit and a half-duplex communication channel A radio telephone for a vehicle is provided having means (3) for switching between a handset mode and a hands-free mode, and control means (4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) responsive to said means for switching, said control means controlling the telephone such that ... | 12/26/1995 |
| 5467393 | Method and apparatus for volume and intelligibility control for a loudspeaker Selectively compressing the signal supplied to a loudspeaker based upon the volume setting for the sound level to be produced by the loudspeaker improves the intelligibility of human speech produced by a loudspeaker at high volume levels. Compression of t... | 11/14/1995 |
| 5448620 | Volume control for a dual mode communications device FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate communications devices (30) that are operable in both a radio dispatch mode and a telephone interconnect mode. To mitigate the problem of a relatively high level audio signal from being unexpected broadcast from an ear-piece of th... | 09/05/1995 |
| 5430796 | Auxiliary attenuator arrangement for use in voice-switched speakerphone and method of selectively inserting communication loss in speakerphone paths Speech signals appearing at the receiving and transmitting paths of a speakerphone which operates under voice switching, are received at a control circuit. The control circuit issues a control signal which assumes a first level in the event that a signal ... | 07/04/1995 |
| 5398278 | Digital musicians telephone interface A telephone interface system to interconnect the output of two or more musicians, one at an instant location and the other at a remote location, over communication lines such system converting the analog musical output to digital form for duplexing over t... | 03/14/1995 |
| 5319704 | Control circuit for voltage controlled attenuator for speakerphones An integrated control circuit for generating a regulated control voltage for voltage-controlled attenuators used in speakerphone circuits. The circuit provides separate transmit and receive voltage regulation to provide accurate gain settings for the volt... | 06/07/1994 |
| 5170430 | Voice-switched handset receive amplifier A voice-band receive amplifier for telephone handsets that mitigates loud sidetone and acoustic sing. A receive channel (30) with amplification and voice-switched attenuation is disposed between a receive port of a telephone network (80) at terminals (1a)... | 12/08/1992 |
| 5099472 | Hands free telecommunication apparatus and method In a hands free communications terminal apparatus, a loudspeaker and a microphone are permitted to be simultaneously active. A controller monitors signals in transmit and receive paths to direct operations of transversal filters to provide two echo cancel... | 03/24/1992 |
| 5048082 | Voice direction recognition in a digital telephone station A method for controlling a voice-controlled voice direction recognition unit for a digital telephone station, which can be connected to termination units having different hybrid attenuations. The method prevents self-interruption in the transmission side ... | 09/10/1991 |
| 4959857 | Acoustic calibration arrangement for a voice switched speakerphone An acoustic calibration circuit in a voice switched adaptive speakerphone accurately determines the type of acoustic environment in which the speakerphone is employed. The calibration circuit measures the acoustics of the room by emitting a tone burst thr... | 09/25/1990 |
| 4899378 | Telephone announcement system A telephone announcement system adaptable to existing two-wire subscriber telephone lines is described. The announcement system is connected between the tip and ring wires of a standard subscriber telephone line and activated in a receive-only announcemen... | 02/06/1990 |
| 4887288 | Self calibration arrangement for a voice switched speakerphone An electrical calibration circuit in a voice switched adaptive speakerphone accurately determines the operating parameters of the speakerphone for optimal performance before operation. This is achieved by updating thresholds used to determine when the spe... | 12/12/1989 |
| 4879746 | Voice communication link interface apparatus Apparatus is provided for interfacing a voice communication instrument, e.g. headset, to a communication link, e.g. a telephone line. The interface includes a transmit channel having amplification, frequency shaping and voice switching to suppress backgro... | 11/07/1989 |
| 4821329 | Audio switch device with timed insertion of substitute signal A switching device operable to monitor for the presence of an audio signal on a primary input line to a mixer includes a retriggerable timer responsive to activity on the primary line. When activity ceases for a predetermined time interval, the retriggera... | 04/11/1989 |
| 4700382 | Voice-switched telephone circuit with center idle state A voice-switched telephone circuit with center idle state improves bi-dirional gain control in loudspeaking telephones and thereby enhances the natural quality of interactive conversation. The voice-switched telephone includes: a transmit channel having ... | 10/13/1987 |
