Voice-controlled wireless communications system and method

• US 6,901,255 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vocera Communications, Inc. (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vocera Communications, Inc. (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Shostak, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US09/947,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20030045279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 455/90.3, 455/575.1, 455/550.1, 455/563, 455/564, 455/566, 455/41.2, 455/556.1, 455/456.1, 455/422, 455/426, 455/90, 455/575, 455/550, 455/41, 455/556, 455/456
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/387 using subscriber identification cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks

Abstract

A wireless communication system has a central computer, one or more wireless access points and one or more personal badges that communicate wirelessly with the one or more wireless access points. The badges provide the user with a communications device that permits the user to initiate telephone calls and conferences, receive telephone calls, receive pages and be located within a particular environment.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a badge having a means for receiving an outgoing action command, a user identification, and user instructions on how to respond to incoming calls;

one or more access points that communicate with the badge by using a wireless protocol, wherein each of the access points has a predetermined coverage area; and

a central computer connected to the access points, wherein the central computer receives the outgoing action command, the user identification, and the user instructions from the badge, connects the badge to a remote communication device based on the user identification, executes the outgoing action command and, if an incoming call is received, executes the user instructions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the central computer periodically determines locations of the badge based on which one of the access points is used to communicate with the badge.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user instructions comprises one or more of:

an instruction to forward an incoming call, an instruction to take a message, and instruction to provide a message, an instruction to selectively block an incoming call, and an instruction to provide a unique notification of a certain incoming call.

4. The wireless communications system of claim 1, wherein the badge further comprises a pager receiver that receives communication signals while the badge is not within any of the coverage areas of any of the access points.

5. The wireless communications system of claim 1, wherein the central computer further comprises a computer network interface for communicating with the access points, a telephone interface for communicating with a telephone system, and a central processing unit that executes software code that implements the communications system.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 5, wherein the computer network is a local area network.

7. The wireless communications system of claim 1, wherein the central computer further comprises a computer network interface for communicating with the access points, a telephone interface for communicating with a telephone system and a system controller wherein the system controller further comprises a voice command interpreter that interprets the voice commands received by the badge to generate commands, a call manager, responsive to the commands from the voice command interpreter, that manages the incoming and outgoing telephone calls over the telephone system over the telephone interface, and a connection manager, responsive to the commands from the voice command interpreter, that manages the wireless communications with the access points.

8. The wireless communications system of claim 1, wherein the badge further comprises a wireless transceiver that communicates with the access point, a display unit for displaying text messages and menus to the user of the badge, and a user input device for entering commands and user instructions into the badge.

9. A wireless communications system, comprising:

a central computer;

one or more wireless access points connected to the central computer by a computer network, each access point having a coverage area;

a badge that communicates using a wireless protocol with one of the wireless access points that the badge is within the coverage area of, the badge further comprising a microphone that receives voice commands and spoken words from a user and a speaker that generates audible signals heard by the user; and

wherein a communication session is initiated by a voice command from the user into the microphone of the badge and the communication session is carried out using the microphone and speaker of the badge, wherein the central computer further comprises an administrator that permits the badge to access the communications system and alter one or more configuration settings of the system.

10. A wireless communications system, comprising:

computer means for controlling the operation of the wireless communications system;

wireless access point means connected to the computer means by a computer network having one or more access points, each access point having a coverage area;

hands-free communications means that communicates using a wireless protocol with one of the wireless access points that the hands-free communications means is within the coverage area of, the hands-free communications means further comprising means for receiving voice commands from the user and means for generating audible signals heard by the user; and

wherein a communication session is initiated by a voice command from the user into the receiver means of the hands-free communications means and the communication session is carried out using the receiver means and generator means of the hands-free communications means, wherein the computer means further comprises means for permitting a user to access the communications system and alter one or more configuration settings of the system.

11. A wireless communications unit for hands-free communication with a wireless communications system, the unit comprising:

a central processing unit that controls the operations of the unit;

a microphone which is connected to the central processing unit and receives voice commands about contacting a remote device and instructions regarding how to respond when contacted by a remote device;

a speaker connected to the central processing unit that generates audible signals heard by the user; and

a wireless transceiver transmits the voice commands and the instructions to the wireless communication system using a wireless protocol.

12. The unit of claim 11 further comprising a display unit for displaying text messages and menus to the user of the unit.

13. The wireless communication unit of claim 11, wherein the instructions comprise one or more of:

an instruction to forward an incoming call, an instruction to take a message, and instruction to provide a message, an instruction to selectively block an incoming call, and an instruction to provide a unique notification of a certain incoming call.

14. The wireless communication unit of claim 11, wherein the voice commands are a primary mode of sending signals to the communications system.

15. A wireless communications unit for hands-free communication with a wireless communications system, the unit comprising:

a central processing unit that controls the operations of the unit;

a microphone connected to the central processing unit that receives voice commands and spoken words from a user;

a speaker connected to the central processing unit that generates audible signals heard by the user;

a wireless transceiver connected to the central processing unit that communicates with the wireless communication system using a wireless protocol; and

a pager receiver that permits the user to receive communication signals while the unit is not within any of the coverage areas of any of the access points;

wherein a communication session is initiated by a voice command from the user into the microphone of the unit and the telephone call is carried out using the microphone and speaker of the unit.

16. A wireless communications unit for hands-free communication with a wireless communications system, the unit comprising:

means for receiving voice commands and instructions from a user, wherein the voice commands are commands to contact a remote device and the instructions are instructions on how to respond when contacted by a remote device;

means for generating audible signals heard by the user;

means for controlling the operation of the receiving means and the generating means; and

wireless communications means for forwarding the voice commands and the instructions to the wireless communication system using a wireless protocol.

17. The unit of claim 16 further comprising means for displaying text messages and menus to the user of the unit.

18. The wireless communication unit of claim 16, wherein the instructions comprise one or more of:

an instruction to forward an incoming call, an instruction to take a message, and instruction to provide a message, an instruction to selectively block an incoming call, and an instruction to provide a unique notification of a certain incoming call.

19. The wireless communications unit of claim 16, wherein the voice commands are a primary mode of sending signals to the wireless communication system.

20. A wireless communications unit for hands-free communication with a wireless communications system, the unit comprising:

means for receiving voice commands and spoken words from a user;

means for generating audible signals heard by the user;

wireless communications means communicates with the wireless communication system using a wireless protocol;

means for controlling the operation of the receiving means, the generating means and the wireless communications means; and

means for permitting the user to receive communication signals while the means for receiving is not within any of the coverage areas of any of the access points;

wherein a communication session is initiated by a voice command from the user into the microphone of the unit and the communication session is carried out using the microphone and speaker of the unit.

21. A communication system comprising:

a hands-free communication means for receiving an outgoing action command, a user identification, and user instructions on how to respond to incoming calls;

one or more access point means for communicating with the hands-free communication means through a wireless protocol, wherein each of the access points has a predetermined coverage area; and

a computer means for receiving the outgoing action command, the user identification, and the user instructions from the hands-free communication means, connecting the hands-free communication means to another device based on the user identification and a database of user-to hands-free communication means assignments, executing the outgoing action command and, if an incoming call is received, executing the user instructions.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the computer means periodically determines locations of the hands-free communication means based on which one of the access points is used to communicate with the hands-free communication means.

23. The wireless communications system of claim 21, wherein the hands-free communications means further comprises a pager receiver that receives communication signals while the hands-free communication means is not within any of the coverage areas of any of the access points.

24. The wireless communications system of claim 21, wherein the computer means further comprises means for communicating with the access points, means for communicating with a telephone system and a processor means for executing software code that implements the communications system.

25. The wireless communications system of claim 24, wherein the means for communicating with the access points is a local area network.

26. The wireless communications system of claim 21, wherein the computer means further comprises means further communication with a computer network for communicating with the access points, means for communicating with a telephone system and a system controller wherein the system controller further comprises means for interpreting the voice commands from a user of the first hands-free communications means to generate commands, means, responsive to the commands from the interpreter means, for managing the incoming and outgoing telephone calls over the telephone system, and means, responsive to the commands from the interpreter means, for managing the wireless communications with the access points.

27. The wireless communications system of claim 21, wherein the hands-free communications means further comprises a wireless transceiver that communicates with the access point, a display unit for displaying text messages and menus to the user of the hands-free communications means, and a user input device for entering commands into the hands-free communications means.