Patent attributes
A hands-free voice communication apparatus includes a speakerphone and earpiece combo, a digital signal processing (DSP) module, and a communication module. The hands-free apparatus may be used as a speakerphone or an earpiece. The speakerphone and earpiece combo includes a loudspeaker and one or multiple microphones. The loudspeaker provides an acoustic output. Each microphone receives an acoustic input and provides an input signal. The DSP module performs digital signal processing on the input signals from the microphones and provides an output signal for the loudspeaker. The DSP module may perform digital signal processing with different sets of parameters for the speakerphone and earpiece modes. The communication module provides communication between the hands-free apparatus and a communication device, e.g., a cellular phone or a wireless PDA.