Cordless telephone with mp3 player capability

A method of integrating a digital encoded-audio bit stream player in a radio-frequency (RF) telephone handset, comprising:

• establishing an RF connection between the RF telephone handset and an RF unit connected to a network, wherein communications between the RF telephone handset and the network pass through the RF unit;
• switching the RF telephone handset from performing as a telephony device to performing as a digital encoded-audio bit stream player;
• playing digital encoded-audio bit stream music from the RF telephone handset;
• muting the digital encoded-audio bit stream music playing from the digital encoded-audio bit stream player when the RF telephone handset receives a telephone call;
• and
• switching the RF telephone handset from performing as a digital encoded-audio bit stream player to performing as a telephony device while the telephone call is active, wherein:
• (i) the RF telephone handset comprises:
• a digital signal processor, and
• a digital-to-analog converter connected to the digital signal processor;
• (ii) the step of playing digital encoded-audio bit stream music from the RF telephone handset comprises the steps of:
• the digital signal processor decoding a digital encoded-audio bit stream to produce a digital reconstructed audio signal,
• the digital-to-analog converter converting the digital reconstructed audio signal to an analog audio signal, and
• outputting the analog audio signal to the user;
• (iii) the step of muting digital encoded-audio bit stream music playing from the digital encoded-audio bit stream player comprises the digital signal processor pausing decoding the digital encoded-audio bit stream;
• and
• (iv) the method further comprises:
• the digital signal processor receiving a telephone audio signal from the RF unit connected to the network,
• the digital signal processor passing the telephone audio signal to the digital-to-analog converter,
• the digital-to-analog converter converting the telephone audio signal to an analog audio signal, and
• outputting the analog audio signal to the user.