TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR EFFICIENT USE AND IDENTIFICATION OF PERIPHERALS HAVING AUDIO LINES

• US 20100235168A1
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vocollect, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vocollect, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Murawski, Mark David, Zoschg, Ryan Anthony, Logan, James Randall, Zatezalo, Douglas Mark, Byford, Roger Graham, Sweeney, Lawrence R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,612,032 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt

Abstract

A communication system comprises a terminal configured for being able to communicate with a computer and to operate according to at least one operational parameter. A peripheral device for use with the terminal has a characterizing parameter associated therewith. The terminal is operable for reading the characterizing parameter from the peripheral device when the device is coupled to the terminal. The terminal is further operable for configuring itself to operate according to an operational parameter associated with the characterizing parameter of the peripheral device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for speech recognition comprising:

a computer device having speech recognition circuitry operable for processing audio signals for speech recognition in accordance with one or more speech recognizer algorithms;

a headset for coupling to the computer device and having at least one line for directing audio signals to the computer device, the headset having at least one characterizing signal associated therewith;

the headset configured to forward the characterizing signal on the at least one line to the computer device;

the computer device operable for receiving the characterizing signal and for configuring the computer device to select a speech recognizer algorithm based upon the characterizing signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the computer device is further operable for configuring the computer device according to an operational parameter for the computer device that is associated with the characterizing signal of the headset.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the characterizing signal is associated with at least one of a specific use, a specific user, a specific use group and a specific location.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the characterizing signal is reflective of an ID of the headset.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the characterizing signal is an audio signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the computer device includes memory for storing the one or more speech recognizer algorithms, the computer device selecting a speech recognizer algorithm based on the characterizing signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the characterizing signal is indicative of a type of headset, the computer device operable for receiving the characterizing signal and for selecting a speech recognizer algorithm based upon the type of headset.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the characterizing signal is one of a DTMF tone and a PWM stream.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein headset has at least one microphone and a microphone line, the characterizing signal being forwarded on the microphone line.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the headset includes a tone generator for generating audio tones to form the characterizing signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the headset is configured to automatically forward the characterizing signal to the computer device when it is coupled to the computer device.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the headset has an input, the headset forwarding the characterizing signal to the computer device when the input is engaged.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the headset includes circuitry for generating the characterizing signal, the circuitry being powered by the computer device on the at least one line for directing audio signals to the computer device.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the operational parameters are in a menu, the computer device operable for accessing the menu based upon the characterizing parameter.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said computer device is configured for coupling with multiple different peripheral devices, the computer device being configurable to operate with multiple operational parameters associated with the peripheral device characterizing signals of the peripheral devices.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the characterizing signal of the headset reflects a type of headset, the speech recognizer algorithm being selected based upon the type of headset.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the characterizing signal of the headset reflects a type of headset and is used to ensure that the headset is approved for use with the computer device.

18. A headset for use with a computer device having speech recognition circuitry operable for processing audio signals for speech recognition in accordance with one or more speech recognizer algorithms, the headset comprising:

a speaker for capturing audio signals;

at least one line for directing audio signals to a computer device;

circuitry for generating at least one characterizing signal associated with the headset wherein the characterizing signal is indicative of the speech recognizer algorithm to be used for the headset;

the headset configured to forward the characterizing signal on the at least one line to the computer device so the computer device selects a speech recognizer algorithm for the headset.

19. The headset of claim 18 wherein the characterizing signal is also associated with an operational parameter for the computer device.

20. The headset of claim 18 wherein the characterizing signal is associated with at least one of a specific use, a specific user, a specific use group and a specific location.

21. The headset of claim 18 wherein the characterizing signal is reflective of an ID of the headset.

22. The headset of claim 18 wherein the characterizing signal is an audio signal.

23. The headset of claim 18 wherein the characterizing signal is indicative of a type of headset so that the computer device can select a speech recognizer algorithm based upon the type of headset.

24. The headset of claim 18 wherein the characterizing signal is one of a DTMF tone and a PWM stream.

25. The headset of claim 18 wherein headset has at least one microphone and a microphone line, the characterizing signal being forwarded on the microphone line.

26. The headset of claim 18 wherein the headset includes a tone generator for generating audio tones to form the characterizing signal.

27. The headset of claim 18 wherein the headset is configured to automatically forward the characterizing signal to the computer device when it is coupled to the computer device.

28. The headset of claim 18 wherein the headset has an input, the headset forwarding the characterizing signal to the computer device when the input is engaged.

29. The headset of claim 18 wherein the headset includes circuitry for generating the characterizing signal, the circuitry configured for being powered by a computer device on the at least one line for directing audio signals to the computer device.

30. The headset of claim 18 wherein the characterizing signal of the headset reflects a type of headset and is used to ensure that the headset is approved for use with the computer device.