Patent · US Expired

Software speakerphone system and method of operating a speakerphone

US5768364A · kind A · utility

17Cited by
13References
41Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 10, 1997
Grant dateJun 16, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 10, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M9/08
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In a speakerphone, which operates under software control, transmit and receive signal levels are sampled and compared against one another, with hysteresis, to enable one of two speakerphone modes of operation--either a transmit mode or a receive mode. A single peak detector is multiplexed to sense the transmit and receive signal levels. Fixed attenuators are switched into either the receive signal path or into the transmit signal path, depending upon the current speakerphone operation mode. Signal compression is used to provide for improved mode determination over a wide dynamic range. The level detection and/or attenuation may be performed in software. The speakerphone functions are readily implemented using standard line interfaces and control circuitry. Automatic gain control in the receive mode ensures a constant level of signals at the speakerphone loudspeaker, regardless of telephone line conditions.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.