Pairing modular wireless earpiece/microphone (HEADSET) to a serviced base portion and subsequent access thereto

• US 7,778,601 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2005
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seshadri, Nambirajan, Bennett, James D., Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/120,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20060166718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/569.1, 455/575.2, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 381/74
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724

Abstract

The present invention provides a modular wireless headset to support voice communications when registered to a base unit. This modular wireless headset includes both a wireless microphone and wireless earpiece. The wireless earpiece may further include a wireless interface, a processing circuit, a speaker, a user interface, a pairing circuit, and a registration circuit. The wireless interface allows the wireless earpiece to wirelessly communicate with the base unit that couples the modular wireless headset to a servicing network. This coupling to the service network and base unit only occurs when the headset is successfully registered to the base unit. The pairing circuit and registration circuit allow the exchange of pairing or registration information between various wireless components. The pairing circuit allows the wireless earpiece and microphone to exchange pairing information which is then compared to determine whether or not a successful pairing can be achieved. Successfully paired wireless earpieces and wireless microphones wirelessly communicate. The registration circuit registers the modular wireless headset to the base unit when the registration information associated with the modular wireless headset and base unit compare favorably. Components of the modular wireless headset that do not pair successfully are uncoupled from the headset. Similarly, wireless headsets that fail to register are communicatively uncoupled from the base unit.

Claims

1. A modular wireless headset operable to support voice communications when registered to a base unit, comprising:

a wireless microphone; and

a wireless earpiece operable to wirelessly communicate with the wireless microphone, wherein each of the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece include;

a pairing circuit operable to pair the wireless earpiece and the wireless microphone to each other, when pairing information associated with the wireless earpiece compares favorably to pairing information associated with the wireless microphone, wherein the paired wireless earpiece and wireless microphone form a trusted pair in which each of the wireless earpiece and the wireless microphone can automatically accept wireless communications within the trusted pair; and

a registration circuit operable to register the modular wireless headset to the base unit when registration information associated with the modular wireless headset compares favorably with registration information associated with the base unit, wherein upon registration, automatic communications exchange occurs between the modular wireless headset and the base unit; and

wherein management duties to provide the voice communications are divided between the modular wireless headset and the base unit by the modular wireless headset supporting a first portion of a cellular protocol stack and by the base unit supporting a second portion of the cellular protocol stack.

2. The modular wireless headset of claim 1, wherein both the wireless microphone and wireless earpiece comprise the registration circuit.

3. The modular wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the wireless microphone comprises:

a microphone transducer operable to transduce voice communications;

a second processing circuit communicatively coupled to the microphone transducer;

a second wireless interface communicatively coupled to the second processing circuit, wherein the second processing circuit and second wireless interface are operable to encode and wirelessly communicate transduced voice communications to the wireless earpiece; and

wherein the first wireless interface communicatively couples the wireless microphone to the base unit to support transduced voice communications when successfully registered and successfully paired.

4. The modular wireless headset of claim 3, wherein the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece physically dock during pairing to exchange pairing information.

5. The modular wireless headset of claim 3, wherein the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece wirelessly communicate during pairing to exchange pairing information.

6. The modular wireless headset of claim 3, wherein the base unit physically docks to the modular wireless headset during registration of the modular wireless headset to the base unit.

7. The modular wireless headset of claim 3, wherein the base unit wirelessly communicates to the modular wireless headset during registration of the modular wireless headset to the base unit.

8. The modular wireless headset of claim 3, wherein comparing pairing information comprises comparing information selected from the group consisting of:

voice patterns;

biometric information;

user tactile inputs;

passwords;

MAC Layer inputs;

voice recognized inputs;

encryption key;

handwriting recognition inputs;

audio testing inputs;

third party information; and

proximity information.

9. The modular wireless headset of claim 3, wherein comparing registration information comprises comparing information selected from the group consisting of:

voice patterns;

biometric information;

user tactile inputs;

passwords;

voice recognized inputs;

encryption key;

handwriting recognition inputs;

audio testing inputs;

third party information; and

proximity information.

10. The modular wireless headset of claim 3, further comprising at least one additional wireless module operable to pair to the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece, and wherein the at least one additional wireless module comprises at least one device selected from the group consisting of:

a wireless earpiece, wireless microphone, a touchpad, and a text display.

11. The modular wireless headset of claim 10, wherein the wireless microphone, the wireless earpiece, and at least one additional wireless module are operable to establish a wireless network.

12. The modular wireless headset of claim 3, wherein the 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).

13. The modular wireless headset of claim 3, wherein the base unit is selected from the group consisting of:

a wireless terminal, a wireless access point (WAP), a cordless telephone, a cellular telephone, an audio playback device, a computer, and a personal digital assistant.

14. The modular wireless headset of claim 3, wherein the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece comprise pre-paired wireless modules.

15. A method to service voice communications between a destination terminal and a modular wireless headset, comprising:

communicatively coupling a wireless microphone and a wireless earpiece of the modular wireless headset to a base unit to exchange registration information, wherein the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece form a trusted pair in which each of the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece can automatically accept wireless communication within the trusted pair;

comparing registration information associated with the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece to registration information associated with the base unit;

successfully registering the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece to the base unit when the registration information associated with the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece compares favorably to registration information associated with the base unit;

uncoupling the wireless microphone or the wireless earpiece that fails to successfully register to the base unit;

communicatively coupling the modular wireless headset to a servicing network through the base unit; and

servicing voice communications between the modular wireless headset and a destination terminal accessible to the modular wireless headset through the communicatively coupled base unit and servicing network, wherein management duties servicing the voice communications are divided between the modular wireless headset and the base unit by the modular wireless headset supporting a first portion of a cellular protocol stack and by the base unit supporting a second portion of the cellular protocol stack.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein communicatively coupling the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece comprises physically docking the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece to the base unit.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the 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).

18. The method of claim 15, wherein registration information comprises information selected from the group consisting of:

voice patterns;

biometric information;

user tactile inputs;

passwords;

voice recognized inputs;

encryption key;

handwriting recognition inputs;

audio testing inputs;

third party information; and

proximity information.

19. A method to service voice communications between a destination terminal and a modular wireless headset, comprising:

communicatively coupling a wireless microphone and a wireless earpiece by;

comparing pairing information associated with the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece;

when the pairing information compares favorably, pairing the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece, wherein the modular wireless headset comprises a successfully paired and coupled wireless microphone and wireless earpiece to form a trusted pair in which each of the wireless earpiece and the wireless microphone can automatically accept wireless communication within the trusted pair; and

when the pairing information compares unfavorably, uncoupling the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece;

communicatively coupling the modular wireless headset to the base unit by;

comparing registration information associated with the modular wireless headset to registration information associated with the base unit;

when the registration information compares favorably, registering the modular wireless headset to the base unit when the registration information compares favorably; and

when the registration information compares unfavorably, uncoupling the modular wireless headset that fails to register to the base unit;

communicatively coupling the modular wireless headset to a servicing network through the base unit; and

servicing voice communications between the modular wireless headset and a destination terminal accessible to the modular wireless headset through the communicatively coupled base unit and servicing network, wherein management duties servicing the voice communications are divided between the modular wireless headset and the base unit by the modular wireless headset supporting a first portion of a cellular protocol stack and by the base unit supporting a second portion of the cellular protocol stack.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein communicatively coupling the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece comprises physically docking the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece to the base unit.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein communicatively coupling the modular wireless headset comprises physically docking the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece to the base unit.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the 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).

23. The method of claim 20, wherein registration information comprises information selected from the group consisting of:

voice patterns;

biometric information;

user tactile inputs;

passwords;

voice recognized inputs;

encryption key;

handwriting recognition inputs;

audio testing inputs;

third party information; and

proximity information.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein pairing information comprises information selected from the group consisting of:

voice patterns;

biometric information;

user tactile inputs;

passwords;

voice recognized inputs;

encryption key;

handwriting recognition inputs;

audio testing inputs;

third party information; and

proximity information.