WIRELESS HANDS-FREE SYSTEM WITH SILENT USER SIGNALING

• US 20040185915A1
• Filed: 03/21/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ihara, Katsumi, Homiller, Daniel Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

Wireless hands-free system with silent user signaling. Silent alerting capability is provided for any hands-free device that relies on a short-range, wireless connection to interface to a terminal. The silent alerting action can be provided by any non-audible signaling mechanism, for example a vibrator or a light. A hands-free device establishes the short-range wireless connection with the communication terminal in question. When an alert message, such as for an incoming call, is received over the short-range wireless connection, the silent alerting action is produced in response to the alert message. The invention can find use in any wireless hands-free device, for example, a “Bluetooth” headset.

Claims

1. A method of signaling a user of a hands-free device for a communication terminal, the method comprising:

establishing a short-range, wireless connection between the hands-free device and the communication terminal;

receiving an alert message over the short-range, wireless connection; and

producing a silent alerting action in response to the alert message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert message specifically designates the silent alerting action.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting user selection of a silent alert mode at the hands-free device.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising sending a silent mode activation message to the communication terminal over the short-range, wireless connection.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising muting an in-band ring tone at the hands-free device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the short-range wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection and the alert message is based on a Bluetooth hands-free profile.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the short-range wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection and the alert message is based on a Bluetooth hands-free profile.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the short-range wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection and the alert message is based on a Bluetooth hands-free profile.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the short-range wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection and the alert message and the silent mode activation message are based on a Bluetooth hands-free profile.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein the short-range wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection, the alert message is based on a Bluetooth hands-free profile, and the in-band ring tone is received over a Bluetooth audio connection.

11. A method of signaling a user of an incoming call comprising:

establishing a short-range wireless connection with between a hands-free device and a communications terminal;

receiving an incoming call over a network connection;

determining that the user has selected silent alert mode; and

sending a silent alert message to the hands-free device over the short-range wireless connection.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the determining that the user has selected silent alert mode further comprises receiving a silent mode activation message from the hands-free device.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the short-range wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection and the silent alert message is based on a Bluetooth hands-free profile.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the short-range wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection and the silent alert message and silent mode activation message are based on a Bluetooth hands-free profile.

15. Apparatus for signaling a user of a hands-free device for a communication terminal, the apparatus comprising:

means for establishing a short-range, wireless connection between the hands-free device and the communication terminal;

means for receiving at the hands-free device an alert message over the short-range, wireless connection; and

means for producing at the hands-free device a silent alerting action in response to the alert message.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising means for detecting user selection of a silent alert mode at the hands-free device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising means for sending a silent mode activation message to the communication terminal over the short-range, wireless connection.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising means for muting an in-band ring tone at the hands-free device.

19. Apparatus for signaling a user of an incoming call, the apparatus comprising:

means for establishing a short-range wireless connection with a hands-free device;

means for receiving an incoming call over a network connection;

means for determining that the user has selected silent alert mode; and

means for sending a silent alert message to the hands-free device over the short-range wireless connection.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising means for receiving a silent mode activation message from the hands-free device.

21. A hands-free apparatus for a communication terminal, the hands-free apparatus comprising:

a non-audible signaling mechanism;

audio input/output devices; and

logic operatively connected to the non-audible signaling mechanism and the audio input/output devices, the logic operable to control the hands-free device to receive an alert message through a short-range wireless connection and to produce a silent alerting action at the non-audible signaling device in response to the alert message.

22. The hands-free apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a silent alert mode input mechanism connected to the logic, the silent alert mode input mechanism operable for enabling a user to activate a silent mode of operation.

23. The hands-free apparatus of claim 22 wherein activation of the silent mode of operation causes the sending of a silent mode activation message to the communication terminal through the short-range wireless connection.

24. The hands-free device of claim 21 wherein the non-audible signaling mechanism comprises a vibrator.

26. The hands-free device of claim 21 wherein the short-range wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection and the alert message is based on a Bluetooth hands-free profile.

27. The hands-free device of claim 22 wherein the short-range wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection and the alert message is based on a Bluetooth hands-free profile.

28. The hands-free device of claim 23 wherein the short-range wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection and the alert message and the silent mode activation message are based on a Bluetooth hands-free profile.

29. The hands-free device of claim 24 wherein the short-range wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection and the alert message is based on a Bluetooth hands-free profile.

25. The hands-free device wherein the non-audible signaling mechanism comprises a light.

30. The hands-free device of claim 25 wherein the short-range wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection and the alert message is based on a Bluetooth hands-free profile.

31. A communication terminal comprising:

an audio gateway (AG) system;

a short-range radio frequency (RF) block;

short-range baseband logic; and

a processing platform operatively connected to the AG system, the short-range baseband logic and the short-range RF block, the processing platform operable to control the communication terminal to establish a short-range wireless connection with a hands-free device and send a silent alert message to the hands-free device through the short-range RF block in response to an incoming call.

32. The communication terminal of claim 31 wherein the processing platform is further operable to control the communication terminal to receive a silent mode activation message from the hands-free device over the short-range RF block.

33. The communication terminal of claim 31 wherein the short-range wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection and the silent alert message is based on a Bluetooth hands-free profile.

34. The communication terminal of claim 32 wherein the short-range wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection and the silent alert message and silent mode activation message are based on a Bluetooth hands-free profile.