Patent ID: 8639300

Claim:
A method for controlling an input audio source of a half duplex communication device, the method comprising the steps of: receiving input audio signals directly from a user via a microphone and audio input switch circuit, at a signal processor of a half duplex communication device, for further transmission to another device; determining at least one parameter from the input audio signals; comparing the at least one parameter with an input audio parameter threshold and determining whether the at least one parameter falls outside the input audio parameter threshold; responsive to determining that the at least one parameter falls outside the input audio parameter threshold, switching the audio input switch circuit of the half duplex communication device, from coupling the microphone to an input of a signal processor to coupling a reciprocal transducer loudspeaker to the input of the signal processor, so as to receive subsequent input audio signals directly from the user, via the loudspeaker and audio input switch circuit, for further transmission to the another device; and subsequently switching the audio input switch circuit to disconnect the loudspeaker from the input to the signal processor, receiving incoming audio signals from the another device, and causing the incoming audio signals to be routed to the loudspeaker via an output of the processor for playback to the user.