Control of a wireless conference telephone system

• US 20040146031A1
• Filed: 12/16/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: IP Holding OY
• Inventors: Jukarainen, Jarkko
• Granted Patent: US 7,254,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/337
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72513 On hold, intercom or transfer communication modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Wireless conference telephone system or a corresponding audio system, the system comprising of at least one audio unit (B1-B3) having at least one microphone and/or at least one speaker (SPK1-SPK4), an audio control unit (UI1), and a power source, at least one signal source unit (C1), and at least one operation control unit with which the user can control the operation of the wireless control unit coupled to the audio unit(s) over a digital personal area network standard, such as Bluetooth radio standard, capable of forming said connection. The operation control unit communicates with the audio unit(s) by using a wireless protocol, such as WAP, and the operation control unit has a user interface so that the user controls the operation of the system over a user interface, such as WML, operating over the wireless protocol.

Claims

1. Method of controlling a wireless conference telephone system or a corresponding audio system, the system comprising at least one audio unit (B1-B3) having at least one microphone and/or at least one speaker (SPK1-SPK4) and an audio control unit (UI1),

at least one signal source unit (C1), and

at least one operation control unit with which the user can control the operation of the audio unit(s),

characterised in that the operation control unit is a wireless control unit connected to the system over a digital personal area network standard, such as Bluetooth radio standard, capable of forming said connection, that the operation control unit communicates with the audio unit(s) by using a wireless protocol, such as WAP, and

that the user controls the operation of the system with a user interface operating over the wireless protocol.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the signal source unit is wireless signal source unit (C1), such as a mobile phone, capable of transferring the audio information to and/or from the conference telephone system, and that the wireless source unit and the audio unit are connected to each other over a digital personal area network standard, such as Bluetooth radio standard, capable of forming said connection.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterised in that the signal source unit operates as an operation control unit (C1).

4. Method according to claim 2, characterised in that the signal source unit and the operation control unit are separate units.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the operation control unit and the audio unit(s) are first connected over the digital personal area network standard, such as Bluetooth, and after that the operation control unit request at least one control page over the wireless protocol, such as WAP, from a control server, such as WAP server, which is the server running inside audio unit (B1), and that a response is sent in a wireless data format, such as WML or corresponding page format, to the operation control unit.

6. Method according to claim 1, characterised in

that at least one of the following audio functions in the audio unit may be controlled by the user over a wireless protocol using PTD:

volume, mute, tone control (bass/treble), and

that at least one of the following operational functions in the audio unit may be controlled by the user over a wireless protocol using PTD;

activate audio (conference) call to the conference call unit (B1), activate intercom call to another Bluetooth audio device, make connections between audio unit (B1) and other Bluetooth device(s).

7. Wireless conference telephone system or a corresponding audio system, the system comprising of at least one audio unit (B1-B3) having at least one microphone and/or at least one speaker (SPK1-SPK4), an audio control unit (UI1), and a power source,

at least one signal source unit (C1), and

at least one operation control unit with which the user can control the operation of the audio unit,

characterised in

that the operation control unit is a wireless control unit coupled to the audio unit(s) over a digital personal area network standard, such as Bluetooth radio standard, capable of forming said connection,

that the operation control unit communicates with the audio unit(s) by using a wireless protocol, such as WAP, and

that the operation control unit has a user interface so that the user controls the operation of the system over a user interface, such as WML, operating over the wireless protocol.

8. System according to claim 7, characterised in that the signal source is a wireless signal source unit (C1), such as a mobile phone, capable of transferring the conference audio information to and/or from the conference telephone system, and

that the wireless source unit and the audio unit are connected to each other over a digital personal area network standard, such as Bluetooth radio standard, capable of forming said connection.

9. System according to claim 7, characterised in that the audio unit comprises:

a digital personal area network standard module, such as a Buetooth module (BT1) having a RF unit (RF1), a processor unit (RISC) (μ

P1) and a memory (M1), the memory having a control server, such as a WAP server, with a user interface for the wireless control unit operating in the memory.

10. System according to claim 7, characterised in that the system comprises at least two audio units each communicating with the wireless control unit directly or via a master unit.

11. System according to claim 7, characterised in that the audio unit is constructed as a single standalone unit having at least one microphone and at least one speaker (SPK1-SPK4), an audio control unit (U1), and a power source in a single housing, and that the exterior housing covers can be removed and changed to accommodate to the user'"'"'s taste in for example different color covers.

12. System according to claim 7, characterised in that the control is based on interface menus, such as controlling WML pages, divided into different operational categories, such as:

Main menu(s) (Menu

     1), Mode menus (like Menu 1-1) and Command menu(s) (Menu 1-1-1), wherein the main menu is the page shown to the user when he connects to the device, the mode menus show the current state and possible functions available, when the device is in selected operation mode, and the command menu for changing a value of certain setting or confirming an action.

13. System according to claim 7, characterised in that the audio unit operates also a terminal device for other operational sensors, like fire alarm or motion alarm, wherein these functions can be set up and control by either using the control buttons on the audio unit itself or via the connected wireless control unit.

14. System according to claim 7, characterised in that the signal source unit is located in an audio unit.