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Method and apparatus for detecting speech at a near-end of a communications system, a speaker-phone system, or the like

  • US 6,141,415 A
  • Filed: 10/11/1996
  • Issued: 10/31/2000
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A speaker-phone system for communication between a near-end terminal and a far-end terminal, comprising:

  • an acoustic speaker at the near-end terminal;

    a receiver for receiving a first signal from the far-end terminal for driving the acoustic speaker;

    a microphone for converting an acoustic signal at the near-end terminal to a second signal to be transmitted, the microphone being acoustically coupled to the acoustic speaker at the near-end terminal;

    a transmitter for transmitting said second signal to be transmitted to the far-end terminal;

    a first circuit for providing a fixed frequency content to said first, received signal in a frequency range that may be contained in said signal to be transmitted, the first circuit including a filter for removing from the first, received signal at least one frequency that is contained in the signal received from the far-end terminal to provide the fixed frequency content;

    a detector to detect the presence of a modification of said known frequency content in said second signal to be transmitted, the detector including a power detector for detecting signal power at the at least one frequency removed from the first, received signal; and

    a control circuit connected to the first circuit and the detector to modify at least one parameter of the speaker-phone system when said detector detects a long term power level greater than a noise floor in the second signal to be transmitted at the at least one frequency removed from the first, received signal.

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