Next Generation Cell Phone

• US 20100113034A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Speight, Howard L., Ricci, Christopher P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,412,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/440
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed. The system includes a wireless headset. The wireless headset includes a network receiver to receive beacon signals from wireless access points. A beacon table contains data extracted from the received beacon signals. A wireless network selector selects a wireless access point based on the data in the beacon table. The system further includes a voice agent application coupled to the wireless headset and a special-purpose application coupled to the voice agent application.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a wireless headset, comprising;

an audio circuit to convert a spoken command into a command signal;

a network receiver to receive beacon signals from wireless access points and not to otherwise communicate with any wireless access points;

a beacon table to contain data extracted from the received beacon signals;

a wireless network selector to select a wireless access point based on the data in the beacon table;

a wireless network transmitter/receiver to communicate with the selected wireless access point, the wireless network transmitter/receiver being a separate piece of hardware from the network receiver;

a voice agent application coupled to the wireless headset;

a special-purpose application coupled to the voice agent application;

the voice agent application comprising;

a receiver to receive the command signal from the wireless headset through the selected network;

logic to determine that responding to the command signal requires sending a command to the special-purpose application; and

a transmitter to transmit the command to the special-purpose application.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless headset is coupled to the voice agent application through the selected wireless access point.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a network selector to select between a network accessed by the selected wireless access point and a second network; and

the wireless headset being coupled to the voice agent through the network selected by the network selector.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the second network is selected from the group consisting of a cellular network and a BlueTooth network.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a location application to determine a location of the wireless headset;

the location application providing the location to the wireless network selector to be used in selecting the wireless access point.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a location application to determine the trajectory of the wireless headset;

the location application providing the trajectory to the wireless network selector to be used in selecting the wireless access point.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the special-purpose application is configured to produce a response upon processing the command; and

the system further comprises;

a text-to-voice application to;

receive the response;

convert the response into an audio signal; and

transmit the audio signal to the wireless headset; and

the audio circuit further to convert the audio signal to an audible response.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the special-purpose application is selected from a group consisting of an email application and a database application.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the special-purpose application is selected from a group consisting of a voice-mail application, an email application, a database application, an entertainment application, and a PBX application.

10. A system comprising:

a wireless headset, comprising;

an audio circuit to convert a spoken command into a command signal;

a network receiver to receive beacon signals from wireless access points and not to otherwise communicate with any wireless access points;

a beacon table to contain data extracted from the received beacon signals;

a wireless network selector to select a wireless access point based on the data in the beacon table;

a wireless network transmitter/receiver to transmit and receive with the selected wireless access point, the wireless network transmitter/receiver being a separate piece of hardware than the network receiver;

a special-purpose application coupled to the wireless headset;

the special-purpose application comprising;

a receiver to receive the command signal from the wireless headset through the selected network;

logic to determine that responding to the command signal requires performing a function of the special-purpose application; and

logic to perform the function.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the special-purpose application is coupled to the wireless headset through the selected wireless access point.

12. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

a network selector to select between the selected wireless access point and a second network.

the wireless headset being coupled to the voice agent through the network selected by the network selector.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the second network is selected from the group consisting of a cellular network and a BlueTooth network.

14. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

a location application to determine a location of the wireless headset;

the location application providing the location to the wireless network selector to be used in selecting the wireless access point.

15. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

a location application to determine the trajectory of the wireless headset;

the location application providing the trajectory to the wireless network selector to be used in selecting the wireless access point.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the special-purpose application is configured to produce a response upon processing the command; and

the system further comprises;

a text-to-voice application to;

receive the response,

convert it to an audio signal; and

transmit the audio signal to the wireless headset; and

the audio circuit to convert the audio signal to an audible response.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the special-purpose application is selected from a group consisting of an email application and a database application.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein the special-purpose application is selected from a group consisting of a voice-mail application, an email application, a database application, an entertainment application, and a PBX application.

19. A method for managing a telephone call from a device comprising:

building a beacon table containing information received in beacon signals received wirelessly from wireless access points;

determining that the device is moving in such a way that it will lose an association with an existing wireless access point and that it will not transition to another wireless access point without intervention and, in response;

using information from the beacon table to identify a wireless access point to which to transition the device;

pre-authenticating the device with the identified wireless access point;

determining that the device should transition from the existing wireless access point and, in response;

terminating the device'"'"'s association with the existing wireless access point; and

initiating an association with the identified wireless access point.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

determining that the device should transition to a cellular channel; and

, in response;

initiating a connection between the device and the cellular channel; and

terminating the device'"'"'s association with any wireless access point.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein determining that the device is moving comprises:

determining the trajectory of the device.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein using information from the beacon table to identify a wireless access point to which to transition the device comprises:

analyzing features that would be available to the device via the wireless access point.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein using information from the beacon table to identify a wireless access point to which to transition the device comprises:

analyzing the trajectory of the device to determine which wireless access point would cover the device for the longest period of time.