User validation of body worn device

• US 20090041313A1
• Filed: 08/10/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, William Owen
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/124
• 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: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication

Abstract

A headset includes a detector providing an output indicating a donned or doffed condition, a memory storing a fingerprint data of an authorized headset user, and a fingerprint scanner for generating a fingerprint scan upon detecting a donned condition. The headset includes a finger pad on an exterior of the headset on which a fingerprint of a headset wearer is placed during a validation process and a processor for processing the fingerprint scan to validate the identity of a headset user.

Claims

1. A headset comprising:

a detector providing an output indicating a donned or doffed condition;

a memory storing a fingerprint data of an authorized headset user;

a finger pad on an exterior of the headset on which a fingerprint of a headset wearer is placed during a validation process;

a fingerprint scanner for generating a fingerprint scan upon detecting a state change from a doffed condition to a donned condition; and

a processor for processing the fingerprint scan to validate an identity of a headset user.

2. The headset of claim 1, wherein the fingerprint scanner comprises an optical fingerprint scanner.

3. The headset of claim 2, wherein the optical fingerprint scanner comprises a charge coupled device and an internal light source.

4. The headset of claim 1, wherein the fingerprint scanner comprises a capacitance scanner.

5. The headset of claim 4, wherein the capacitance scanner comprises a semiconductor chip sensor.

6. The headset of claim 1, wherein the fingerprint scanner comprises a line scanner.

7. The headset of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises a motion detector.

8. The headset of claim 7, wherein the motion detector includes a magnet and a coil moving relative to one another.

9. The headset of claim 7, wherein the motion detector includes an acceleration sensor having a mass affixed to a piezoelectric crystal.

10. The headset of claim 7, wherein the motion detector includes a light source, a photosensor, and a movable surface therebetween.

11. The headset of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises one selected from the group consisting of an infra-red detector, a pyroelectric sensor, a capacitance circuit, a micro-switch, an inductive proximity switch, a skin resistance sensor, and at least two pyroelectric sensors for determining a difference in temperature readings from the two pyroelectric sensors.

12. A method for validating the identity of a headset wearer comprising:

detecting kinetic energy, temperature or capacitance to determine a headset characteristic;

processing the headset characteristic to determine a donned or doffed condition;

generating a fingerprint scan using a headset fingerprint scanner, and

processing the fingerprint scan to validate an identity of a headset wearer.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining whether a headset state has shifted from a doffed condition to a donned condition.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing an authorized headset wearer fingerprint in a headset memory.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein processing the fingerprint scan to validate the identity of a headset wearer comprises comparing the fingerprint scan to a previously stored authorized headset wearer fingerprint.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the headset fingerprint scanner comprises an optical fingerprint scanner.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the optical fingerprint scanner comprises a charge coupled device and an internal light source.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the headset fingerprint scanner comprises a capacitance scanner.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the capacitance scanner comprises a semiconductor chip sensor.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the headset fingerprint scanner comprises a line scanner.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising entering a validated state upon validation of the identity of the headset wearer.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising terminating a validated state upon determination of a doffed condition.

23. A headset comprising:

a detector means for providing an output indicating a donned or doffed condition;

a memory means storing a fingerprint data of an authorized headset user;

a surface means for receiving a fingerprint of a headset wearer during a validation process;

a fingerprint scanning means for generating a fingerprint scan upon detecting a state change from a doffed condition to a donned condition; and

a processing means for processing the fingerprint scan to validate an identity of a headset user.

24. The headset of claim 23, wherein the detector means comprises a motion detecting means for detecting headset movement.

25. A headset comprising:

a detector providing an output indicating a donned or doffed condition;

a memory storing a fingerprint data of an authorized headset user;

a fingerprint scanner for generating a fingerprint scan upon detecting a donned condition;

a finger pad on an exterior of the headset on which a fingerprint of a headset wearer is placed during a validation process; and

a processor for processing the fingerprint scan to validate an identity of a headset user.

26. The headset of claim 25, wherein the fingerprint scanner comprises an optical fingerprint scanner.

27. The headset of claim 26, wherein the optical fingerprint scanner comprises a charge coupled device and an internal light source.

28. The headset of claim 25, wherein the fingerprint scanner comprises a capacitance scanner.

29. The headset of claim 28, wherein the capacitance scanner comprises a semiconductor chip sensor.

30. The headset of claim 25, wherein the fingerprint scanner comprises a line scanner.

31. The headset of claim 25, wherein the detector comprises a motion detector.

32. The headset of claim 31, wherein the motion detector includes a magnet and a coil moving relative to one another.

33. The headset of claim 31, wherein the motion detector includes an acceleration sensor having a mass affixed to a piezoelectric crystal.

34. The headset of claim 31, wherein the motion detector includes a light source, a photosensor, and a movable surface therebetween.

35. The headset of claim 25, wherein the detector comprises one selected from the group consisting of an infra-red detector, a pyroelectric sensor, a capacitance circuit, a micro-switch, an inductive proximity switch, a skin resistance sensor, and at least two pyroelectric sensors for determining a difference in temperature readings from the two pyroelectric sensors.