Measurement and Tuning of Hands Free Telephone Systems

• US 20120278041A1
• Filed: 02/05/2010
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerence Operating Company (Cerence Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Haulick, Tim, Kolano, Guido, Roessler, Martin, Schnug, Walter, Buck, Markus, Koepf, Hans-Joerg
• Granted Patent: US 10,326,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing

Abstract

An arrangement is described for measuring performance characteristics of a hands free telephone system. There is a measurement system which is coupleable over a telephone audio interface directly to the hands free telephone system for measuring the performance characteristics.

Claims

1. An arrangement for measuring performance characteristics of a hands free telephone system, the arrangement comprising:

a measurement system coupleable over a telephone audio interface directly to the hands free telephone system for measuring the performance characteristics.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the measurement system includes a mobile phone simulation module for simulating operation of a mobile phone interaction with the hands free telephone system over the telephone audio interface.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the measurement system includes a telephone network simulation module for simulating operation of a wireless telephone network interaction with the hands free telephone system over the telephone audio interface.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising:

a simulation model database containing a plurality of simulation models representing specific network components which are selectable for use by the measurement system.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising:

a modification module coupleable with the hands free telephone system for modifying operating parameters thereof

6. An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the measurement system and the modification module operate iteratively to optimize the performance characteristics.

7. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein iterations are manually controllable.

8. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein iterations are software controllable.

9. An arrangement according to claim 6, wherein iterations are based on changing between different simulation models for specific network components.

10. An arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the iterations are performed without disruption to the interface connection between the measurement system and the hands free telephone system.

11. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the coupling over the telephone audio interface is based on a Bluetooth arrangement.

12. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the coupling over the telephone audio interface is based on a TCP/IP arrangement.

13. A method for measuring performance characteristics of a hands free telephone system, the method comprising:

measuring the performance characteristics with a measurement system implemented as a plurality of computer processes functioning in a computer processor and coupled directly over a telephone audio interface to the hands free telephone system.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein measuring the performance characteristics includes using a mobile phone simulation module to simulate operation of a mobile phone interaction with the hands free telephone system over the telephone audio interface.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein measuring the performance characteristics includes using a telephone network simulation module to simulate operation of a wireless telephone network interaction with the hands free telephone system over the telephone audio interface.

16. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

providing a plurality of simulation models representing specific network components which are selectable for use by the measurement system.

17. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

using a modification module to modify operating parameters of the hands free telephone system.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the measurement system and the modification module operate iteratively to optimize the performance characteristics.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the iterations are manually controllable.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein the iterations are software controllable.

21. A method according to claim 18, wherein the iterations are based on changing between different simulation models for specific network components.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the iterations are performed without disruption to the interface connection between the measurement system and the hands free telephone system.

23. A method according to claim 13, wherein the coupling over the telephone audio interface is based on a Bluetooth arrangement.

24. A method according to claim 13, wherein the coupling over the telephone audio interface is based on a TCP/IP arrangement.

25. A computer program product implemented in a computer readable storage medium for measuring performance characteristics of a hands free telephone system, the product comprising:

program code for measuring the performance characteristics with a measurement system coupled directly over a telephone audio interface to the hands free telephone system.