Handover of call serviced by modular ear-piece/microphone between servicing base portions

• US 7,555,318 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2005
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seshadri, Nambirajan, Bennett, James D., Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US11/122,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20060183425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/575.2, 455/569.1, 455/575.6, 455/550.1, 455/344, 455/563, 455/436, 379/430, 379/106.02
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3866 carried on the head
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00 Hand-off or reselection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/203 for converged personal network application service interworking, e.g. OMA converged personal network services [CPNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Handover of call serviced by modular ear-pience/microphone between servicing base portions is presented. A wireless headset includes wireless interface(s), earpiece, a microphone, processing module, and a user interface. The wireless interface(s) wirelessly couples the wireless headset to a base unit via a wireless personal area network (WPAN). The earpiece renders inbound portions of the service calls audible while the microphone is operable to produce the outbound portion of the call. Both the earpiece and microphone are communicatively coupled to the wireless interface(s). The processing module also coupled to the wireless interface(s) allows the wireless headset to initiate call functions between the wireless headset and a servicing network made available through the base unit, service a call and call control functions, and anchor the call to the wireless headset. The user interface in conjunction with the processing module allows the wireless headset to initiate commands and/or call control functions based upon user input.

Claims

1. A method to service audio communications between a destination terminal accessible by a servicing network, and a wireless headset, comprising:

establishing a first wireless personal area network (WPAN) between a first base unit and the wireless headset with a trusted relationship;

operably coupling the first WPAN to the servicing network using the first base unit;

servicing calls with a first communication pathway between the destination terminal, having an associated address, and the wireless headset via the operably coupled servicing network and first WPAN that are coupled together using the first base unit;

detecting the presence of a second base unit;

establishing a second WPAN, wherein the second WPAN operably couples the second base unit and the wireless headset;

operably coupling the second WPAN to the servicing network using the second base unit, wherein the coupling comprises a trusted relationship;

based on the address associated with the destination terminal, establishing a second communication pathway between the destination terminal and the wireless headset via the operably coupled servicing network and second WPAN that are coupled together using the second base unit;

initiating, with the wireless headset, a handoff of the calls from the first communication pathway to the second communication pathway;

servicing the calls with the second communication pathway; and

terminating the first communication pathway.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless headset is operable to validate the identity of the first base unit and the second base unit using a subscriber or system identification module (SIM) when establishing a voice communication.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the SIM of the wireless headset acts as a surrogate SIM for the first base unit when initiating a call via the first base unit.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the SIM of the wireless headset acts as a surrogate SIM for the first base unit when servicing a call via the first base unit and/or second base unit.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein servicing the voice communications with the second communication pathway further comprises terminating the first communication pathway.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein initiating the handoff is based on user input.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising alerting a user upon detecting the presence of a second base unit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the servicing network servicing network is selected from the group consisting of:

cellular network;

public switched telephone network (PSTN);

wide area network (WAN);

local area network (LAN); and

a wireless local area network (WLAN).

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the serving network operably coupled to the first base unit and second base unit are different serving networks.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating advanced call functions with a user interface operably coupled to the wireless headset, wherein the advanced call functions comprise at least one function selected from the group consisting of:

network interface functions;

base unit interface functions;

directory functions;

caller ID functions;

voice activated commands;

call waiting functions;

call conferencing functions;

call initiation functions; and

device programming functions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one user interface comprises a visual interface, tactile interface, and/or audio interface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the tactile interface comprises one-touch buttons operable to initiate the advanced call functions.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the audio interface further comprises a voice recognition system (VRS) operable to recognize voice commands.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising identifying and implementing voice activated commands while servicing voice communications.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first base unit is a cellular telephone that couples to the first WPAN to the servicing network; and

the second base unit is a wire line telephone that couples to the second WPAN to the servicing network.

16. A wireless headset operable to service a call transferred from a first base unit to a second base unit, the wireless headset comprising:

at least one wireless interface operable to wirelessly couple the wireless headset and the first base unit and/or the second base unit via a wireless personal area network (WPAN);

a earpiece communicatively coupled to the at least one wireless interface, wherein the earpiece renders an inbound portion of the call audible;

a microphone communicatively coupled to the at least one wireless interface, wherein the microphone is operable to produce an outbound portion of the call;

a processing module communicatively coupled to the at least one wireless interface, wherein the processing module is operable to;

initiate a handover of the serviced call, having an associated address, from a first communication pathway serviced from a service network via the first base unit to a second communication pathway serviced from the service network via the second base unit, wherein the second communication pathway is established based on the address associated with the serviced call;

initiate call control functions between the wireless headset and the servicing network operably coupled to the second base unit;

service the call between the wireless headset and the servicing network that couples to the second base unit; and

anchor the call to the wireless headset; and

a user interface communicatively coupled to the processing module, wherein the processing module is operable to initiate commands and/or call control functions based upon user input.

17. The wireless headset of claim 16, wherein the first base unit and second base unit are selected from the group consisting of:

cellular network terminal;

public switched telephone network (PSTN) terminal;

wide area network (WAN) terminal;

local area network (LAN) terminal; and

a wireless local area network (WLAN) terminal.

18. The wireless headset of claim 16, wherein the first base unit or second base unit is operable to couple the wireless headset to a servicing network selected from the group consisting of:

cellular network;

public switched telephone network (PSTN);

wide area network (WAN);

local area network (LAN); and

a wireless local area network (WLAN).

19. The wireless headset of claim 18, wherein the first base unit and second base unit operably couple to different servicing networks.

20. The wireless headset of claim 16, further comprising a user interface operably coupled to the earpiece and/or microphone that is operable to initiate commands based upon user input.

21. The wireless headset of claim 20, wherein the user interface comprises a visual interface, tactile interface, and/or audio interface.

22. The wireless headset of claim 21, wherein the user interface supports advanced call functions that comprise at least one function selected from the group consisting of:

network interface functions;

base unit interface functions;

directory functions;

caller ID functions;

voice activated commands;

call waiting functions;

call conferencing functions;

call initiation functions; and

device programming functions.

23. The wireless headset of claim 22, wherein the tactile interface comprises one-touch buttons operable to initiate the advanced call functions.

24. The wireless headset of claim 22, wherein the audio interface further comprises a voice recognition system (VRS) operable to recognize voice commands operable to initiate the advanced call functions.

25. The wireless headset of claim 16, wherein the processing module is operable to validate the identity of at least one of the first base unit and the second base unit using a subscriber or system identification module (SIM) when establishing and/or servicing voice communications.

26. The wireless headset of claim 25, wherein the SIM of the wireless headset acts as a surrogate SIM for the first base unit when initiating a call via the first base unit.

27. The wireless headset of claim 26, wherein the SIM of the wireless headset acts as a surrogate SIM for the first base unit when servicing a call via the first base unit.

28. The wireless headset of claim 16, wherein:

the first base unit is a cellular telephone that couples to the WPAN to the servicing network; and

the second base unit is a wire line telephone that couples to the WPAN to the servicing network.

29. A method to service calls between a destination terminal accessible by a servicing network, and a wireless headset, the method comprising:

establishing a first wireless personal area network (WPAN), wherein the first WPAN operably couples a first base unit and the wireless headset, wherein;

the wireless headset supports all of a WPAN protocol stack and a plurality of upper layers of the servicing network protocol stack; and

the first base unit supports a plurality of lower layers of the servicing network protocol stack;

operably coupling the first WPAN to the servicing network using the first base unit;

servicing calls with a first communication pathway between the destination terminal, having an associated address, and the wireless headset via the operably coupled servicing network and first WPAN that are coupled together using the first base unit, wherein a subscriber or system identification module (SIM) within the wireless headset is operable to support SIM functions for the first base portion;

detecting the presence of a second base unit, wherein the second base unit is operable to support the plurality of lower layers of the servicing network protocol stack;

establishing a second WPAN, wherein the second WPAN operably couples the second base unit and the wireless headset;

operably coupling the second WPAN to the servicing network using the second base unit;

based on the address associated with the destination terminal, establishing a second communication pathway between the destination terminal and the wireless headset via the operably coupled servicing network and second WPAN that are coupled together using the second base unit; and

initiating, with the wireless headset, a handoff of the calls from the first communication pathway to the second communication pathway;

servicing the calls with the second communication pathway; and

terminating the first communication pathway.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the first servicing network and second servicing network are selected from the group consisting of:

cellular network;

public switched telephone network (PSTN);

wide area network (WAN);

local area network (LAN); and

a wireless local area network (WLAN).

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the first servicing network and second servicing network comprise different servicing networks.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein:

the headset is operable to process a first portion of a first network protocol stack or second network protocol stack;

the first base unit further comprises a first serving network interface operable to couple with the first serving network, and process a second portion of the first network protocol stack; and

the second base unit further comprises a second serving network interface operable to couple with the second serving network, and process a second portion of the second network protocol stack.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising supporting subscriber identification module (SIM) functionality within the wireless headset.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising initiating advanced call functions with a user interface operably coupled to the wireless headset.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the advanced call functions comprise at least one function selected from the group consisting of:

network interface functions;

base unit interface functions;

directory functions;

caller ID functions;

voice activated commands;

call waiting functions;

call conferencing functions;

call initiation functions; and

device programming functions.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the at least one user interface comprises a visual interface, tactile interface, and/or audio interface.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein:

the first base unit is a cellular telephone that couples to the first WPAN to the servicing network; and

the second base unit is a wire line telephone that couples to the second WPAN to the servicing network.