Plantronics, Inc.

Wayne R Stade

Vladimir Kraz

Paul L Regen

Robert F Young

Jeff M Wimsatt

An apparatus 10 controls the two-way communication between the microphone 12 and speaker 36 of a telephone headset and a telephone base. A transmit channel 15 includes an expander 18 that controllably attenuates the transmitted communication signal when the user is not speaking into the microphone 12. Conversely, a receive channel 30 includes a compressor 34 that controllably attenuates the received communication signal to prevent over driving the speaker 36.

Voice communication link interface

An amplifier which combines the low quiescent current requirements of a Class B transistor amplifier with the minimal distortion qualities of a Class AB amplifier. In one disclosed embodiment the amplifier is utilized as a receiver amplifier and as a transmitter in a modular telephone adapter for coupling a telephone headset to a conventional modular telephone comprising a handset and a base unit. Signal expansion circuitry takes advantage of the dynamic emitter resistance of transistors in the amplifier's output stage through modulation of collector current in the output transistors and inverted phase summation of the resulting error signal with the input signal. DC bias circuitry supplies a current supply which is relatively insensitive to changes in power supply or device parameters. In one disclosed embodiment of the invention, two such amplifiers are utilized in a modular telephone headset adapter which allows a telephone headset and a telephone handset to be switchably connected to a telephone base unit.

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Aptos, CA, United States of America

Wayne R Stade