Telephone device and method for operating a telephone device

Abstract

A telephone terminal or a combined telephone-dictation terminal is disclosed. Such telephone apparatus includes a handset having a microphone and a speaker together with a speakerphone having a microphone and a speaker. Such telephone apparatus also includes a hook switch, which detects on-hook and off-hook conditions of the handset, a speakerphone switch, and a control mechanism, which is responsive to the hook switch and the speakerphone switch. The control mechanism may successively enable and disable at least one of the speakerphone microphone and the speakerphone speaker in response to successive operations of the speakerphone switch during the on-hook condition. Preferably, such a control mechanism (a) enables the speakerphone microphone and the speakerphone speaker when the speakerphone switch is operated a first time during the on-hook condition; (b) disables the speakerphone microphone when the speakerphone switch is operated a second time during the on-hook condition; and (c) reenables the speakerphone microphone when the speakerphone switch is operated a third time during the on-hook condition. The control mechanism may enable the headset microphone and the headset speaker in response to a change from the on-hook condition to the off-hook condition and then enable the speakerphone speaker when the speakerphone switch is operated a first time during the on-hook condition. Such a control mechanism desirably disables the headset microphone when the speakerphone switch is operated a second time during the off-hook condition and reenables the headset microphone when the speakerphone switch is operated a third time during the off-hook condition.