Patent ID: 7760889

Claim:
A speech support system for a vehicle comprising: a first microphone, a second microphone, a third microphone, a fourth microphone, a first loudspeaker, a second loudspeaker, a third loudspeaker, and a fourth loudspeaker, wherein in a first state of the speech support system, first communication paths are maintained from the first microphone to the second, third, and fourth loudspeakers, second communication paths are maintained from the second microphone to the first, third, and fourth loudspeakers: third communication paths are maintained from the third microphone to the first, second, and fourth loudspeakers the second loudspeaker, and fourth communication path are maintained from the fourth microphone to the first, second, and third loudspeakers, wherein, of the speech support system is operable to switch to a second state of the speech support system in which the first communication paths are interrupted and substituted with communication paths from the first microphone to a telephone and from the telephone to the first loudspeaker, the second communication paths are interrupted and substituted with communication paths from the second microphone to the telephone and from the telephone to the second loudspeaker, and the third and fourth communication paths to the first and second loudspeakers are interrupted, while maintaining the third and fourth communication paths between the third and fourth microphones and the third and fourth loudspeakers.