Abstract: A personal digital assistant (PDA) enabled telephony system is provided comprising a telephone set having a communication port and a personal digital assistant. The personal assistant includes a user interface for displaying telephony functions to a user; a detector for detecting a selected telephony function; a telephony application for determining a call command based on the selected telephony function; and a communicator for communicating said call command to the communication port. In response to receiving the call command, the telephone set executes the selected telephony function.

Abstract: The present invention is directed at hybrid network configuration, comprising a plurality of application platforms for sending and receiving at least one of voice and data in accordance with a first predetermined protocol, a voice/data network for routing the voice and data between the plurality of application platforms in accordance with a second predetermined protocol, and at least one network portal for providing the plurality of application platforms access to the voice/data network using the first and second predetermined protocols.

Abstract: A speakerphone incorporates a portion defining a loudspeaker cavity, the cavity containing a loudspeaker. The speakerphone also includes a handset with an internal microphone in the handset. The speakerphone has a housing adapted to receive the handset, and when it is thus received, the handset microphone is acoustically coupled to the loudspeaker cavity, allowing the handset microphone signal to be used to control feed-back or feed-forward algorithms that enhance the performance of the speakerphone.

Abstract: A personal digital assistant (PDA) enabled telephony system is provided comprising a telephone set having a communication port and a personal digital assistant. The personal assistant includes a user interface for displaying telephony functions to a user; a detector for detecting a selected telephony function; a telephony application for determining a call command based on the selected telephony function; and a communicator for communicating said call command to the communication port. In response to receiving the call command, the telephone set executes the selected telephony function.

Abstract: A speakerphone incorporates a portion defining a loudspeaker cavity, the cavity containing a loudspeaker. The speakerphone also includes a handset with an internal microphone in the handset. The speakerphone has a housing adapted to receive the handset, and when it is thus received, the handset microphone is acoustically coupled to the loudspeaker cavity, allowing the handset microphone signal to be used to control feed-back or feed-forward algorithms that enhance the performance of the speakerphone.

Abstract: The present invention is directed at hybrid network configuration, comprising a plurality of application platforms for sending and receiving at least one of voice and data in accordance with a first predetermined protocol, a voice/data network for routing the voice and data between the plurality of application platforms in accordance with a second predetermined protocol, and at least one network portal for providing the plurality of application platforms access to the voice/data network using the first and second predetermined protocols.

Abstract: Conventional telephone sets normally include a microphone housing defining an opening to the exterior which communicates with a cavity in the microphone housing within which is located an internal microphone, and leads connecting the internal microphone with a PCB. An improvement is proposed, namely the provision of an external microphone connected to a plug which is receivable snugly within the opening, thus to substantially block external sound from reaching the internal microphone. Contact devices link the PCB with portions of the plug and thus with the external microphone.

Abstract: An event detector for a headset connected to a telephone, comprising a switch for short circuiting a microphone of the headset and a circuit for detecting a hookswitch flash in the event the duration of the short circuiting of the microphone is greater than a predetermined minimum and less than a predetermined maximum duration.

Abstract: A digital switching system comprises a plurality of digital interface cards for connection to a public telecommunications network, each card including at least one digital interface circuit with a synchronization detector for detecting a network synchronization signal. A control unit includes a system clock having a clock synchronization input. A a system bus carries data through the switching system and is connected between the interface cards and the control unit. A switch in the interface cards is operative in response to control data from the control unit and carried over the system bus in an overhead channel to connect the synchronization detector of a selected active digital interface circuit to the clock synchronization input of the system clock over a clock synchronization line so as to pass detected synchronization signals on the active circuit directly thereto. The system clock can thus be brought directly into synchronization with the detected synchronization signal of the active interface unit.