Remote switching for handset handsfree speakerphone
AssigneeVTech Telecommunications Limited
InventorsJames Cao, James Maxwell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A remote switching for handset handsfree speakerphone operation in a telephone system including an “off of shelf” analog half duplex switching speakerphone IC on a base unit and routs handset handsfree signals via a RF link to and from a microphone and a speakerphone of at least one cordless handset. The remote switching provides a handset handsfree feature on any analog and digital platform that is not equipped with DSPs or other digital means for embedded speakerphone algorithms.
Claims18
A telephone system, comprising:
- a base unit;
- and
- at least one cordless handset wirelessly communicable with the base unit,
- wherein the base unit comprises analog half-duplex switching speakerphone circuitry for providing a handsfree operation for the at least one cordless handset, and wherein the analog half-duplex switching speakerphone circuitry detects signal levels input/output from the at least one cordless handset to determine a communication mode,
- wherein the base unit comprises a hybrid circuitry coupled with a PSTN to receive/transmit audio signals from/to the PSTN and a RF modular for demodulating audio signals received from the at least one cordless handset and modulating audio signals received from the hybrid circuitry, wherein the analog half-duplex switching speakerphone circuitry is between the hybrid circuitry and the RF modular, and
- wherein the analog half-duplex switching speakerphone circuitry further comprises:
- a first comparator for comparing a receive level and a transmit level at the RF modular side of the analog half-duplex switching speakerphone circuitry;
- a second comparator for comparing a receive level and a transmit level at the hybrid circuitry side of the analog half-duplex switching speakerphone circuitry;
- and
- a controller for determining an operation mode of the telephone system based on outputs of the first and second comparators.
A telephone system having a handset handsfree operation, comprising:
- a base unit;
- at least one cordless handset wirelessly communicable with the base unit;
- and
- analog half-duplex switching speakerphone circuitry located at the base unit that controls a handsfree operation mode of the at least one cordless handset,
- wherein the analog half-duplex switching speakerphone circuitry includes a controller for determining the handsfree operation mode based on at least one of outputs of comparators, speech detectors, and volume of a speech,
- wherein the base unit comprises a hybrid circuitry coupled with a PSTN to receive/transmit audio signals from/to the PSTN and a RF modular for demodulating audio signals received from the at least one cordless handset and modulating audio signals received from the hybrid circuitry, wherein the analog half-duplex switching speakerphone circuitry is between the hybrid circuitry and the RF modular, and
- wherein the analog half-duplex switching speakerphone circuitry further comprises:
- a first comparator for comparing a receive level and a transmit level at the RF modular side of the analog half-duplex switching speakerphone circuitry;
- a second comparator for comparing a receive level and a transmit level at the hybrid circuitry side of the analog half-duplex switching speakerphone circuitry;
- and
- a controller for determining an operation mode of the telephone system based on outputs of the first and second comparators.
A handset handsfree operation switch located in a base station and for use in an analog telephone system and a telephone system without a DSP (digital signal processing) function, the switch comprising:
- a first comparator for comparing a transmit level and a receive level at a RF modulator side that is wirelessly coupled with at least one cordless handset;
- a second comparator for comparing a transmit level and a receive level at a hybrid side that is coupled with a PSTN;
- a controller coupled with outputs of the first and second comparators for switching an operation mode based on the outputs, wherein
- the first and second comparators and the controller are located at a base unit of the telephone system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.