Augmenting the capabilities of transceivers

• US 6,397,079 B1
• Filed: 03/10/1999
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Bawaja, Gunjeet, Silvester, Kelan C., Shimoda, Marion H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Application Number:
  US09/265,651
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575,90,66,73,550,556,557,566,567,347,350,563,564,418 379/357,429,433 704/246,251,275,270
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/20 for coupling gramophone pick-up, recorder output, or microphone to receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/58 including a multilanguage function

Abstract

A computer system may be operated to enhance the functions available with a transceiver such as a cellular telephone, for example by providing enhanced memory and processing capabilities. In some embodiments, the computer can be linked to a cellular telephone to provide advanced speech recognition functions, language translation functions and encryption and authentication functions which may not be feasibly implemented in cellular telephones of relatively small size. For example, the computer system could be a portable computer system linked to a docking station which receives the cellular telephone. Alternatively, the cellular telephone and the computer may communicate by infrared or radio wave communications.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing the capabilities of a transceiver using a computer system comprising:

receiving a command on a computer system to implement a function not available through the transceiver;

invoking a software routine on the computer system to handle the command;

reading data from a database;

processing the command on the computer system;

encoding on the computer system a set of instructions in a format compatible with the format used on said transceiver in order to cause an event to occur through the execution of those instructions on the transceiver; and

transmitting said set of instructions to said transceiver.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein invoking said software routine includes invoking a speech recognition software routine.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting includes transmitting instructions using infrared transmissions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting includes transmitting instructions using radio wave transmissions.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the command from a peripheral device connected to the computer system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting involves transmitting instructions over a wire link.

7. The method of claim 1 further including automatically dialing a given party in response to said transmission.

8. The method of claim 1 including encoding a transmission that contains instructions for said transceiver.

9. An article comprising a medium for storing instructions that enable a computer to:

receive a command on the computer to implement a function not available through a transceiver;

invoke a speech recognition software routine to handle the command;

read data from a database that is part of a speech engine;

process the command;

encode a set of instructions in a format compatible with the format used on said transceiver in order to cause an event to occur through the execution of those instructions on said transceiver; and

transmit the instructions to the transceiver.

10. A computer system for providing enhanced capabilities to a transceiver comprising:

a processor;

memory associated with said processor;

said memory storing a software routine which enables the computer system to;

receive a command on the computer system to implement a function not available through a transceiver;

store the command on the computer system;

invoke a software routine on the computer system to handle the command;

read data from a database on the computer system;

process the command on the computer system;

encode on the computer system a set of instructions in a format compatible with the format used on said transceiver in order to cause an event to occur through the execution of those instructions on the transceiver; and

transmit said instructions to said transceiver.

11. The system of claim 10 including an infrared interface.

12. The system of claim 10 including a radio wave interface.

13. The system of claim 10 including a wire link between said transceiver and said computer system.

14. The system of claim 13 including a docking station that receives said transceiver and connects said transceiver to said computer system.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising a peripheral device that generates the command received by the computer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the peripheral device includes a microphone.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein said transceiver is a telephone.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein said computer system is a portable computer.

19. The system of claim 10 including a software routine for implementing a speech recognition function.

20. The system of claim 19 including a database for implementing a speech engine.