US Patent 7577247 Apparatus and method for telephone, intercom, and clock

The invention features a telephone, intercom, and clock. The telephone comprises a receiver adapted to receive a signal representing encoded first voice data; a processor comprising a media access controller adapted to obtain the encoded first voice data from the signal, and a digital signal processor adapted to decode the first voice data obtained by the media access controller; an output circuit; a digital-to-analog converter adapted to convert the first voice data decoded by the digital signal processor to a first analog signal, wherein the first analog signal is output to the output circuit; an input circuit; an analog-to-digital converter adapted to receive a second analog signal from the input circuit, and to convert the second analog signal to second voice data; wherein the digital signal processor is further adapted to encode the second voice data; and a transmitter adapted to transmit signals representing the encoded second voice data.