Abstract

An integrated sound/telephone headset system is provided comprising a music source, a telephone, a headset having a microphone and earphones, and a control system. The control system receives music from the music source, a telephone ring signal from a telephone line, the telephone audio, and ambient sounds received by the microphone. A handset lift device is manually actuated by the user to select between a bypass mode and operational modes. When operating in the bypass mode, the phone is answered with its handset, and the headset is connected to a mixer with audio input from the music source, the ambient sounds, and a ring tone indicating a ring signal on the telephone line. When in the operational modes, a user initiates or answers a call by lowering the microphone, which switches the headset from the mixer to the telephone and connects the telephone to the telephone line. At the end of the conversation, the user reverses these actions by raising the microphone to switch the headphones back to the mixer and disconnecting the phone from the phone line.

Other References

• Helloset, Use your headset without lifting the handset, Dec. 199