Handsfree unit

• US 6,154,639 A
• Filed: 11/25/1998
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kanazumi, Takuya, Kurokawa, Osamu, Nakamura, Ken, Ishikura, Akira, Nomura, Yoshihiro, Hyodo, Masakuni
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, John J
• Application Number:
  US09/199,483
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569, 455/570, 455/553, 455/431, 455/74, 379/387, 379/388, 379/389, 379/390, 379/391, 379/59, 379/3
• US Class Current: 455/74
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/46 by voice-frequency signals; by pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/08 Two-way loud-speaking telephone systems with means for conditioning the signal, e.g. for suppressing echoes for one or both directions of traffic

Abstract

The present invention provides a cheap handsfree unit which can prevent the howling phenomenon and reduce the input sound from the loud-speaker into the microphone in both the analog and digital modes. A reception side comprises a signal level adjusting circuit constituted by a switch circuit and attenuators, and a transmission side comprises a signal level adjusting circuit constituted by a switch circuit and attenuators, to introduce the attenuation of 15 dB or 30 dB in response to the analog or digital mode. A voice switch is constituted so that the analog reception signal and the analog transmission signal are rectified respectively by rectifiers, the levels of both signals are compared by a comparator, and either switch or switch having a higher input signal level becomes conductive as a result of the comparison. The attenuation is introduced on the basis of the communication mode, only to either the analog reception signal or analog transmission signal having a smaller signal intensity.

Claims

1. A handsfree unit used in a dual-mode radio communication apparatus for making communication with a base station by selectively employing any one of analog and digital communication modes, for allowing a loud communication to be made,

said handsfree unit comprising:

voice switch means for controlling signal intensity, so that signal intensity of a transmission signal is greater than signal intensity of a reception signal at the time of transmission, and signal intensity of a reception signal is greater than signal intensity of a transmission signal at the time of reception; and

control amount switching means for increasing the control amount of the signal intensity controlled by said voice switch means when the communication mode of said dual-mode radio communication apparatus is the digital mode, more than the control amount of the signal intensity when the communication mode of said dual-mode radio communication apparatus is the analog mode.

2. The handsfree unit according to claim 1, wherein said voice switch means controls the signal intensity by introducing an attenuation to the reception signal at the time of transmission and to the transmission signal at the time of reception, and said control amount switching means increases the attenuation introduced by said voice switch means in the digital mode, as compared with the attenuation in the analog mode.

3. The handsfree unit according to claim 1, wherein said voice switch means controls the signal intensity by amplifying the transmission signal at the time of transmission and amplifying the reception signal at the time of reception, and said control amount switching means reduces an amplification gain of said voice switch means signal in the digital mode, as compared with the amplification gain in the analog mode.

4. A dual-mode radio communication apparatus for making communication with a base station by selectively employing any one of analog and digital communication modes,

said dual-mode radio communication apparatus comprising:

discrimination means for discriminating the analog mode and the digital mode; and

a handsfree unit for allowing a loud communication to be made,

said handsfree unit including;

voice switch means for controlling signal intensity, so that signal intensity of a transmission signal is greater than signal intensity of a reception signal at a time of transmission, and signal intensity of a reception signal is greater than signal intensity of a transmission signal at the time of reception; and

control amount switching means for increasing the control amount of the signal intensity controlled by said voice switch means when the communication mode of said dual-mode radio communication apparatus is the digital mode, more than the control amount of the signal intensity when the communication mode of said dual-mode radio communication apparatus is the analog mode.

5. The dual-mode radio communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said voice switch means controls the signal intensity by introducing an attenuation to the reception signal at the time of transmission and to the transmission signal at the time of reception, and said control amount switching means increases the attenuation introduced by said voice switch means in the digital mode, as compared with the attenuation in the analog mode.

6. The dual-mode radio communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said voice switch means controls the signal intensity by amplifying the transmission signal at the time of transmission and amplifying the reception signal at the time of reception, and said control amount switching means reduces an amplification gain of said voice switch means signal in the digital mode, as compared with the amplification gain in the analog mode.

7. A hands-free unit used in a radio communication apparatus for use in a radio system, the apparatus communicating with a base station of the system using one of an analog and a digital communication modes, the hands-free unit comprising:

first control means for controlling a transmit magnitude of a transmit signal from a microphone and a receive magnitude of a receive signal to a speaker so as to cause the transmit magnitude being much greater than the receive magnitude when the transmit magnitude is greater than the receive magnitude and so as to cause the receive magnitude being much greater than the transmit magnitude when the receive magnitude is greater than the transmit magnitude and

second control means for causing the controlling quantity of the transmit and receive magnitudes in the digital mode being greater than those in the analog mode.

8. The hands-free unit according to claim 7, wherein the first control means attenuates only the receive magnitude when the transmit magnitude is greater than the receive magnitude and attenuates only the transmit magnitude when the receive magnitude is greater than the transmit magnitude and

the second control means for causing the attenuating quantity of the transmit and receive magnitudes in the digital mode being greater than those in the analog mode.

9. The hands-free unit according to claim 7, wherein the first control means amplifies only the transmit magnitude when the transmit magnitude is greater than the receive magnitude and amplifies only the receive magnitude when the receive magnitude is greater than the transmit magnitude and

the second control means for causing the amplifying quantity of the transmit and receive magnitudes in the digital mode being greater than those in the analog mode.

10. A radio communication apparatus for use in a radio system, the apparatus communicating with a base station of the system using one of an analog and a digital communication modes, the apparatus comprising:

determining means for determining which one of the modes the apparatus selects;

first control means for controlling a transmit magnitude of a transmit signal from a microphone and a receive magnitude of a receive signal to a speaker so as to cause the transmit magnitude being much greater than the receive magnitude when the transmit magnitude is greater than the receive magnitude and so as to cause the receive magnitude being much greater than the transmit magnitude when the receive magnitude is greater than the transmit magnitude; and

second control means responsive to the determining means for causing the controlling quantity of the transmit and receive magnitudes in the digital mode being greater than those in the analog mode.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first control means attenuates only the receive magnitude when the transmit magnitude is greater than the receive magnitude and attenuates only the transmit magnitude when the receive magnitude is greater than the transmit magnitude and

the second control means responsive to the determining means for causing the attenuating quantity of the transmit and receive magnitudes in the digital mode being greater than those in the analog mode.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first control means amplifies only the transmit magnitude when the transmit magnitude is greater than the receive magnitude and amplifies only the receive magnitude when the receive magnitude is greater than the transmit magnitude and

the second control means responsive to the determining means for causing the amplifying quantity of the transmit and receive magnitudes in the digital mode being greater than those in the analog mode.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the apparatus includes a portable unit and the portable unit includes the determining means.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the apparatus includes a hands-free unit and the handsfree unit includes the first and second control means.