System and method for achieving voice-activated radio broadcasting over IP networks

1. A system comprising:

a first system that receives information from a packet-switching communication network and detects a voice signal in the received information;

a second system that is activated by the voice signal detected by the first system; and

a third system that broadcasts the voice signal received from the activated second system,

wherein the second system is activated without using any software,

wherein the voice signal is received at a microphone input of the second system, the microphone input being connected to an ear-and-mouth port of the first system,

wherein the second system is a component that stands alone from the first system, and

wherein an output of the activated second system activates a transmission capability of the third system and transmits the voice signal.

2. A method comprising the steps of

receiving information from a packet-switching communication network using a router;

detecting a voice signal in the received information using the router;

transmitting the voice signal to a voice-activated relay using the router, the voice-activated relay outputting the voice signal to a radio broadcasting system and activating the radio broadcasting system without using any software; and

broadcasting the voice signal through the radio broadcasting system,

wherein the voice-activated relay is a component that stands alone from the router.

3. A system comprising:

a router configured to receive information from a packet-switching communication network, detect a voice signal in the received information and transmit the voice signal to a voice-activated relay;

the voice-activated relay configured to receive the voice signal from the router and transmit the voice signal to a radio broadcasting base station, the voice-activated relay configured to activate the radio broadcasting base station without using any software; and

the radio broadcasting base station configured to broadcast the voice signal from the voice-activated relay, the radio broadcasting base station normally in a receive state for receiving incoming signals,

wherein the voice-activated relay is a component that stands alone from the router.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the voice-activated relay is operable to activate push-to-talk circuitry in the radio broadcasting base station, thereby to switch the radio broadcasting base station to the broadcast state.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the voice-activated relay is operable to switch the radio broadcasting base station from a broadcast state to the receive state when the voice signal is no longer present.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the voice-activated relay is operable to switch to an idle state when the voice signal is no longer present.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the base station is configured to stop transmitting when the voice-activated relay is in the idle state.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the base station is operable to receive radio signals when the voice-activated relay is in the idle state.

9. The system of claim 3 , wherein the router is further operable to receive an audio signal from the base station.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the router is operable to receive the audio signal through an ear-and-mouth port of the router.