Patent ID: 8363820

Claim:
A method for operating a telephonic device in a whisper mode comprising: receiving a transmit audio signal; determining a transmit audio signal voice activity status; calculating a transmit audio signal speech level; calculating a transmit audio signal signal-to-noise ratio; determining a receive audio signal voice activity status; adjusting a transmit audio signal gain responsive to the transmit audio signal voice activity status, the transmit audio signal speech level, the transmit audio signal signal-to-noise ratio, and the receive audio signal voice activity status; adjusting a sidetone feedback signal gain in conjunction with adjusting the transmit audio signal gain, wherein adjusting the sidetone feedback signal gain is responsive to the transmit audio signal voice activity status, the transmit audio signal speech level, the transmit audio signal signal-to-noise ratio, and the receive audio signal voice activity status; and determining a user whisper status utilizing the transmit audio signal speech level, wherein the transmit audio signal gain is increased and the sidetone feedback signal gain is increased if the user whisper status corresponds to a user whispering.