Switch responsive to an audio cue

A user operated switch apparatus switchable among a plurality of operational modes by having the user selectively attenuate an input audio signal detected by said apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

• a microphone which converts the selectively attenuated input audio signal to an input electrical signal (IES);
• a first circuit which expresses a threshold value;
• a second circuit which expresses at least one parameter set;
• a selector which is responsive to said first circuit and to the IES for selecting a first parameter set expressed by said second circuit as an enabled parameter set;
• and
• a signal conditioner coupled to the IES, said signal conditioner being responsive to the IES and to the enabled parameter set for producing a conditioned electrical signal (CES).

A user operated switch apparatus switchable among a plurality of operational modes by having the user selectively attenuate an input audio signal detected by said apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

• a microphone which converts the selectively attenuated input audio signal to an input electrical signal (IES);
• a first circuit which expresses a default parameter set;
• a first memory which stores a threshold value;
• a second memory which stores at least one parameter set;
• a selector which is responsive to said first memory and to the IES for selecting a first parameter set stored in said second memory as the enabled parameter set;
• and
• a signal conditioner coupled to the IES, said signal conditioner responsive to the IES and to an enabled parameter set for producing a conditioned electrical signal (CES), wherein a first operational state is activated when said apparatus is initially turned on by using said first circuit which expresses the default parameter set as the enabled parameter set, and wherein a second operational state is activated when said selector selects a first parameter set from said second memory as an enabled parameter set.

A switch apparatus switchable among a plurality of operational modes by attenuating an input audio signal detected by said apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

• a microphone which converts the input audio signal to an input electrical signal (IES);
• a signal envelope detector (SED) coupled to the IES, said SED having a first time constant, wherein said SED produces a SED output in response to the IES;
• a noise envelope detector (NED) coupled to the IES, said NED having a second time constant that is greater than the first time constant, said NED produces a NED output in response to the IES;
• a first memory which stores at least one parameter set;
• a selector which is responsive to the SED output and to the NED output for selecting a first parameter set as an enabled parameter set;
• and
• a signal conditioner coupled to the IES, said signal conditioner being responsive to the IES and to an enabled parameter set for producing a conditioned electrical signal (CES).

A method of operating a switch switchable among a plurality of operational modes by having a user selectively attenuate an input audio signal detected by said apparatus, said method comprising:

• converting the selectively attenuated input audio signal to an input electrical signal (IES) with a microphone;
• storing a threshold value in a first memory;
• storing at least one parameter set in a second memory;
• selecting a first parameter set as an enabled parameter set by a selector which is responsive to the first memory and to the IES;
• and
• producing a conditioned electrical signal (CES) by a signal conditioner coupled to the IES, wherein the signal conditioner being responsive to the IES and to an enabled parameter set.

A method of operating a switch apparatus switchable among a plurality of operational modes by attenuating an input audio signal detected by said apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

• converting the input audio signal to an input electrical signal (IES) with a microphone;
• using a signal envelope detector (SED) coupled to the IES, the SED having a first time constant to produces a SED output in response to the IES;
• using a noise envelope detector (NED) coupled to the IES, said NED having a second time constant that is greater than the first time constant to produce a NED output in response to the IES;
• storing at least one parameter set in a first memory;
• selecting a first parameter set as an enabled parameter set with a selector which is responsive to the SED output and to the NED output;
• and
• producing a conditioned electrical signal (CES) with a signal conditioner coupled to the IES, said signal conditioner being responsive to the IES and to an enabled parameter set.

A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of operating a switch switchable among a plurality of operational modes by having a user selectively attenuate an input audio signal detected by said apparatus, the method comprising:

• converting the selectively attenuated input audio signal to an input electrical signal (IES) with a microphone;
• storing a threshold value in a first memory;
• storing at least one parameter set in a second memory;
• selecting a first parameter set as an enabled parameter set by a selector which is responsive to the first memory and to the IES for;
• and
• producing a conditioned electrical signal (CES) by a signal conditioner coupled to the IES, wherein said signal conditioner being responsive to the IES and to an enabled parameter set for.

A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of operating a switch apparatus switchable among a plurality of operational modes by attenuating an input audio signal detected by an apparatus, the method comprising:

• converting the input audio signal to an input electrical signal (IES) with a microphone;
• using a signal envelope detector (SED) coupled to the IES, the SED having a first time constant to produces a SED output in response to the IES;
• using a noise envelope detector (NED) coupled to the IES, said NED having a second time constant that is greater than the first time constant to produce a NED output in response to the IES;
• storing at least one parameter set in a first memory;
• selecting a first parameter set as an enabled parameter set with a selector which is responsive to the SED output and to the NED output;
• and
• producing a conditioned electrical signal (CES) with a signal conditioner coupled to the IES, the signal conditioner being responsive to the IES and to an enabled parameter set.