Video headset

• US 10,129,919 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2016
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bayley, Antony M W, Reid, Peter K, Goddard, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hemant
• Application Number:
  US15/299,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20180115747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 370259-271, 370351-357
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0241 where no transmission is received, e.g. out of range of the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for video headsets are described. In one example, both a Bluetooth link and a Wi-Fi link are established between a video headset and a computing device, the Bluetooth link and the Wi-Fi link in operation concurrently. A user speech is received at a video headset microphone during a voice call, and a far end call participant speech is output at a video headset speaker during the voice call. A video is captured with a video headset video camera during the voice call. The user speech is transmitted over the Bluetooth link from the video headset to the computing device and the video is transmitted over the Wi-Fi link from the video headset to the computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

forming both a Bluetooth link and an IEEE 802.11 link between a video headset and a computing device, the Bluetooth link and the IEEE 802.11 link in operation concurrently;

receiving a user speech at a video headset microphone during a voice call;

outputting a far end call participant speech at a video headset speaker during the voice call;

capturing a video with a video headset video camera during the voice call;

transmitting the user speech over the Bluetooth link from the video headset to the computing device and transmitting the video over the IEEE 802.11 link from the video headset to the computing device;

terminating the IEEE 802.11 link following termination of a transmission of the video and entering a power save mode at a video headset IEEE 802.11 module;

receiving a video camera control message over the Bluetooth link between the video headset and the computing device; and

exiting the power save mode at the video headset IEEE 802.11 module and forming a new IEEE 802.11 link between the video headset and the computing device responsive to the video camera control message received over the Bluetooth link.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a telecommunications call audio comprising both the user speech and the far end call participant speech together with the video over the IEEE 802.11 link.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a video camera control message from the computing device over the Bluetooth link during video transmission over the IEEE 802.11 link.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the IEEE 802.11 link is a Wi-Fi Direct link.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing an audio with a second microphone at the video headset, the second microphone arranged to capture the audio associated with the video.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a video camera control message from a far end call participant over the Bluetooth link during video transmission over the IEEE 802.11 link, the video camera control message configured to modify one or more settings of the video headset video camera or operation the video headset video camera;

modifying one or more settings of the video headset video camera or operation of the video headset video camera responsive to the video camera control message; and

transmitting a modified video over the IEEE 802.11 link from the video headset to the computing device, the video modified responsive to the video camera control message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the video camera control message from the far end call participant over the Bluetooth link during video transmission over the IEEE 802.11 link is configured to control a zoom setting, direction, or focus of the video headset video camera.

8. A method comprising:

forming both a Bluetooth link and an IEEE 802.11 link between a video headset and a computing device, the Bluetooth link and the IEEE 802.11 link in operation concurrently;

receiving a user speech at a video headset microphone during a voice call;

outputting a far end call participant speech at a video headset speaker during the voice call;

capturing a video with a video headset video camera during the voice call; and

transmitting the user speech over the Bluetooth link from the video headset to the computing device and transmitting the video over the IEEE 802.11 link from the video headset to the computing device;

receiving a video camera control message from a far end call participant over the Bluetooth link during video transmission over the IEEE 802.11 link, the video camera control message configured to modify one or more settings of the video headset video camera or operation the video headset video camera;

modifying one or more settings of the video headset video camera or operation of the video headset video camera responsive to the video camera control message;

transmitting a modified video over the IEEE 802.11 link from the video headset to the computing device, the video modified responsive to the video camera control message; and

outputting a voice message at the video headset speaker responsive to receiving the video camera control message from the far end call participant over the Bluetooth link during video transmission over the IEEE 802.11 link.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein the video camera control message from the far end call participant over the Bluetooth link during video transmission over the IEEE 802.11 link is configured to control a zoom setting, direction, or focus of the video headset video camera.

9. A video headset comprising:

a battery;

a microphone;

a speaker;

a Wi-Fi enabled camera module comprising;

a camera video sensor;

a camera microphone;

a camera processor; and

an IEEE 802.11 communications interface;

a Bluetooth enabled module comprising;

a processor;

a Bluetooth communications interface;

a control and status interface linking the Wi-Fi enabled camera module and the Bluetooth enabled module; and

a memory storing an application program comprising executable instructions to conduct a voice call over a Bluetooth link utilizing the Bluetooth communications interface and transmit a video over an IEEE 802.11 link utilizing the IEEE 802.11 communications interface, wherein the Bluetooth link and IEEE 802.11 link are in operation simultaneously, and wherein the application program further comprises executable instructions to;

receive a control message on the Bluetooth communications interface and transmit the control message over the control and status interface linking the Wi-Fi enabled camera module and the Bluetooth enabled module; and

initiate transition of the Wi-Fi enabled camera module from a power save mode to a full power mode responsive to the control message.

10. The video headset of claim 9, wherein the application program further comprises executable instructions to:

receive a user speech at the microphone and output a far end call participant speech at the speaker during the voice call;

capture the video with the camera video sensor during the voice call;

form the Bluetooth link between the video headset and a computing device and the IEEE 802.11 link between the video headset and the computing device; and

transmit the user speech over the Bluetooth link from the video headset to the computing device and transmit the video over the IEEE 802.11 link from the video headset to the computing device.

11. The video headset of claim 9, wherein the control and status interface comprises a wired serial interface.

12. The video headset of claim 9, further comprising a flashlight or a laser pointer.

13. A video headset comprising:

a battery;

a microphone;

a speaker;

a Wi-Fi enabled camera module comprising;

a camera video sensor;

a camera microphone;

a camera processor; and

an IEEE 802.11 communications interface;

a Bluetooth enabled module comprising;

a processor;

a Bluetooth communications interface; and

a memory storing an application program comprising executable instructions to conduct a voice call over a Bluetooth link utilizing the Bluetooth communications interface and transmit a video over an IEEE 802.11 link utilizing the IEEE 802.11 communications interface, wherein the Bluetooth link and IEEE 802.11 link are in operation simultaneously; and

a control and status interface linking the Wi-Fi enabled camera module and the Bluetooth enabled module, wherein the camera microphone is arranged at the video headset to capture an audio corresponding to a captured video and the microphone is arranged to capture an audio corresponding to a video headset wearer speech.

21. The video headset of claim 13, wherein the application program further comprises executable instructions to:

receive a user speech at the microphone and output a far end call participant speech at the speaker during the voice call;

capture the video with the camera video sensor during the voice call;

form the Bluetooth link between the video headset and a computing device and the IEEE 802.11 link between the video headset and the computing device; and

transmit the user speech over the Bluetooth link from the video headset to the computing device and transmit the video over the IEEE 802.11 link from the video headset to the computing device.

22. The video headset of claim 13, wherein the control and status interface comprises a wired serial interface.

14. A method comprising:

beginning a communications session between a wearer of a video headset and a far end participant;

forming a first communications protocol link between the video headset and a computing device;

receiving a user speech at a microphone at the video headset and outputting a far end participant speech at a speaker at the video headset during the communications session;

transmitting the user speech over the first communications protocol link from the video headset to the computing device;

forming a second communications protocol link between the video headset and the computing device, the second communications protocol link in operation concurrently with the first communications protocol link;

capturing a video with a video camera at the video headset during the communications session; and

transmitting the video over the second communications protocol link from the video headset to the computing device;

terminating the second communications protocol link following termination of a transmission of the video and entering a power save mode at a second communications protocol module at the video headset;

receiving a video camera control message over the first communications protocol link between the video headset and the computing device; and

exiting the power save mode at the second communications protocol module and forming a new second communications protocol link between the video headset and the computing device responsive to the video camera control message received over the first communications protocol link.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the communications session is a telecommunications voice call conducted between the computing device and a telephony device at the far end participant.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting the video over the second communications protocol link comprises streaming the video during the communications session.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving a second video camera control message from the computing device over the first communications protocol link during video transmission over the second communications protocol link.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a video camera control message from the far end participant over the first communications protocol link during video transmission over the second communications protocol link, the video camera control message configured to modify one or more settings of the video camera or operation the video camera;

modifying one or more settings of the video camera or operation of the video camera responsive to the video camera control message; and

transmitting a modified video over the second communications protocol link from the video headset to the computing device, the video modified responsive to the video camera control message.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the first communications protocol comprises Bluetooth and the second communications protocol comprises an IEEE 802.11 protocol.