Wireless headset supporting enhanced call functions

• US 20050202857A1
• Filed: 05/03/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seshadri, Nambirajan, Bennett, James D., Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0256 wherein the modules are operable in the detached state, e.g. one module for the user interface and one module for the transceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A modular wireless headset includes earpiece(s) and microphone(s), where the earpiece and microphone may be physically separate devices. The earpiece renders inbound radio frequencies received from a host device audible. The earpiece may include a receiver module, data recovery module, and speaker module. The receiver module may convert inbound RF signals into low intermediate frequency (IF) signals. The data recovery module recovers audio signals from the low IF signals. The speaker module renders the audio signals audible. The microphone converts received audio signals into outbound RF signals, where the outbound RF signals are transmitted to the host device. The microphone includes an audio input module and a transmitter module. The audio input module is operably coupled to convert received analog audio signals into digital audio signals. The transmitter module is operably coupled to convert the digital audio signals into the outbound RF signals.

Claims

1. A wireless headset operable to support voice communications over at least one servicing network, wherein the wireless headset comprises:

a wireless earpiece operable to receive radio frequency (RF) signals and render the received RF signals audible;

a wireless microphone operable to capture audio signals and convert the audio signals into transmitted RF signals; and

at least one user interface operably coupled to the at least one wireless earpiece and/or at least one wireless microphone, wherein the user interface is operable to initiate enhanced call functions based upon user input.

2. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein at least one of the wireless earpiece and the wireless microphone comprise a detachable module.

3. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the at least one earpiece further comprises:

a first wireless interface operable to receive and transmit RF signals;

a first processing circuit operable to recover a first digital audio signal from received RF signals;

a digital to analog converter (DAC) operably coupled to the wireless interface and first processing circuit, wherein the DAC is operable to produce analog audio signals from the digital audio signals; and

a speaker module coupled to the DAC, wherein the speaker module is operable to render the analog audio signals audible;

the at least one wireless microphone further comprises;

a microphone transducer operable to capture audio signals and convert the captured audio signals into analog audio signals;

an analog to digital converter (ADC) operably coupled to the microphone transducer, wherein the ADC is operable to produce digital audio signals from the analog audio signals;

a second processing circuit operable to produce an RF signals from the digital audio signal from; and

a second wireless interface, operably coupled to the second processing circuit, wherein the second wireless interface is operable to receive and transmit RF signals.

4. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein a base unit wirelessly couples to the modular wireless headset.

5. The wireless headset of claim 4, wherein the base unit couples the modular wireless headset to a servicing network selected from the group consisting of:

cellular network;

public switched telephone network (PSTN);

wide area network (WAN);

local area network (LAN); and

a wireless local area network (WLAN).

6. The headset of claim 5, wherein the modular headset is operable to switch servicing networks while servicing a voice communication.

7. The wireless headset of claim 4, wherein the enhanced call functions comprise at least one function selected from the group consisting of:

network interface functions;

base unit interface functions;

directory functions;

caller ID functions;

voice activated commands;

call waiting functions;

call conferencing functions;

call initiation functions; and

device programming functions.

8. The wireless headset of claim 7, wherein the user interface comprises a visual interface, tactile interface, and/or audio interface.

9. The wireless headset of claim 8, wherein the tactile interface comprises one-touch buttons operable to initiate the enhanced call functions.

10. The wireless headset of claim 8, wherein the audio interface further comprises a voice recognition system (VRS) operable to recognize voice commands.

11. The headset of claim 10, further comprising circuitry to implement the VRS.

12. The headset of claim 10, wherein the VRS is operable to implement voice activated commands while servicing voice communications.

13. The headset of claim 4, wherein the user interface supports validation and/or authentication of a servicing network.

14. The headset of claim 1, further comprising an audio mixing module operable to mix multiple audio signals to be rendered by the at least one wireless earpiece.

15. A method to service voice communications between a servicing network and a modular wireless headset, wherein the method comprises:

receiving inbound radio frequency (RF) signals from a base unit with at least one wireless earpiece, wherein the inbound RF signals contain inbound digital voice communications;

converting the inbound digital voice communications into inbound analog voice communications;

rendering the inbound analog voice communications audible with the at least one wireless earpiece;

capturing outbound voice communications with at least one wireless microphone, having a microphone transducer;

converting the captured outbound voice communications into outbound digital voice communications;

converting the outbound digital voice communications into outbound digital RF signals to be transmitted from the at least one wireless microphone to the base unit; and

initiating enhanced call functions with at least one user interface operably coupled to the at least one wireless earpiece and/or at least one wireless microphone.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising coupling the modular wireless headset to the servicing network selected from the group consisting of:

cellular network;

public switched telephone network (PSTN);

wide area network (WAN);

local area network (LAN); and

a wireless local area network (WLAN).

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the modular headset is operable to switch servicing networks while servicing a voice communication.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the enhanced call functions comprise at least one function selected from the group consisting of:

network interface functions;

base unit interface functions;

directory functions;

caller ID functions;

voice activated commands;

call waiting functions;

call conferencing functions;

call initiation functions; and

device programming functions.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one user interface comprises a visual interface, tactile interface, and/or audio interface.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the tactile interface comprises one-touch buttons operable to initiate the enhanced call functions.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the audio interface further comprises a voice recognition system (VRS) operable to recognize voice commands.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one wireless earpiece and/or at least one wireless microphone further comprise circuitry to implement the VRS.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising identifying and implementing voice activated commands while servicing voice communications.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

validating the servicing network with the user interface; and

/or authenticating the servicing network with the user interface.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising mixing voice communications to be rendered with the at least one wireless earpiece.

26. A wireless headset operable to support voice communications over at least one servicing network, wherein the modular wireless headset comprises:

at least one wireless earpiece wirelessly coupled to at least one base unit coupled to the at least one servicing unit, wherein the at least one wireless earpiece is operable to receive radio frequency (RF) signals and render the received RF signals audible, wherein the at least one earpiece further comprises;

a first wireless interface operable to receive and transmit RF signals;

a first processing circuit operable to recover a first digital audio signal from received RF signals;

a digital to analog converter (DAC) operably coupled to the wireless interface and first processing circuit, wherein the DAC is operable to produce analog audio signals from the digital audio signals; and

a speaker module coupled to the DAC, wherein the speaker module is operable to render the analog audio signals audible;

at least one wireless microphone wirelessly coupled to the at least one wireless earpiece and/or the at least one base unit, wherein the at least one wireless microphone is operable to capture audio signals and convert the audio signals into transmitted RF signals, wherein the at least one wireless microphone further comprises;

a microphone transducer operable to capture audio signals and convert the captured audio signals into analog audio signals;

an analog to digital converter (ADC) operably coupled to the microphone transducer, wherein the ADC is operable to produce digital audio signals from the analog audio signals;

a second processing circuit operable to produce an RF signals from the digital audio signal from; and

a second wireless interface, operably coupled to the second processing circuit, wherein the second wireless interface is operable to receive and transmit RF signals; and

at least one user interface operably coupled to the at least one wireless earpiece and/or at least one wireless microphone, wherein the user interface is operable to initiate enhanced call functions; and

wherein at least one of the wireless earpiece and wireless microphone is detachable.

27. The wireless headset of claim 26, wherein the at least one servicing network is selected from the group consisting of:

cellular network;

public switched telephone network (PSTN);

wide area network (WAN);

local area network (LAN); and

a wireless local area network (WLAN).

28. The headset of claim 27, wherein the modular wireless headset is operable to switch servicing networks while servicing voice communications.

29. The wireless headset of claim 26, wherein the enhanced call functions comprise at least one function selected from the group consisting of:

network interface functions;

base unit interface functions;

directory functions;

caller ID functions;

voice activated commands;

call waiting functions;

call conferencing functions;

call initiation functions; and

device programming functions.

30. The wireless headset of claim 29, wherein the user interface comprises a visual interface, tactile interface, and/or audio interface.

31. The wireless headset of claim 30, wherein the tactile interface comprises one-touch buttons initiate the enhanced call functions.

32. The modular wireless headset of claim 29, wherein the audio interface further comprises a voice recognition system (VRS) operable to recognize voice commands.

33. The modular headset of claim 32 further comprising circuitry to implement the VRS.

34. The modular headset of claim 32, operable to implement voice activated commands while servicing voice communications.

35. The modular headset of claim 26, wherein the at least one user interface supports validation and/or authentication of a servicing network.

36. A method to service communications between a servicing network and a modular wireless multimedia device comprising:

receiving inbound radio frequency (RF) signals from a base unit with at least one wireless multimedia device, wherein the inbound RF signals contain inbound digital communications;

converting the inbound digital communications into inbound analog voice communications;

rendering the inbound communications audible with the at least one wireless multimedia device;

capturing outbound communications with at least one wireless microphone, having a microphone transducer;

converting the captured outbound voice communications into outbound digital voice communications;

converting the outbound digital voice communications into outbound digital RF signals to be transmitted from the at least one wireless microphone to the base unit; and

initiating enhanced call functions with at least one user interface operably coupled to the at least one wireless earpiece and/or at least one wireless microphone.