Patent ID: 7107209

Claim:
A speech communication apparatus including a speech communication microphone, a speaker and a communication unit for amplifying an output signal from said speech communication microphone, said speech communication microphone and said speaker being fixedly disposed in the vicinity of a mouth and an ear of an individual, respectively, said communication unit comprising: amplifying means for amplifying an input signal and outputting said input signal so amplified; and control means for controlling the gain of said amplifying means in response to an excessive input signal, said control means including: a VOX detection circuit, a sneezing detection circuit, and an OR circuit, the OR circuit for outputting a theoretical sum of an output signal from the VOX detection circuit and an output signal from the sneezing detection circuit for controlling the gain of said amplifying means such that a reproduced sound of said excessive input signal is reduced to a predetermined level only for a predetermined period of time when said excessive input signal is detected.