Wireless headset supporting enhanced call functions

• US 8,204,435 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2005
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• 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:
  US11/120,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20050202857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,604 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 1/0256 wherein the modules are operable in the detached state, e.g. one module for the user interface and one module for the transceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A modular wireless headset includes earpiece(s) and microphone(s), where the earpiece and microphone may be physically separate devices. The earpiece renders inbound radio frequencies received from a host device audible. The earpiece may include a receiver module, data recovery module, and speaker module. The receiver module may convert inbound RF signals into low intermediate frequency (IF) signals. The data recovery module recovers audio signals from the low IF signals. The speaker module renders the audio signals audible. The microphone converts received audio signals into outbound RF signals, where the outbound RF signals are transmitted to the host device. The microphone includes an audio input module and a transmitter module. The audio input module is operably coupled to convert received analog audio signals into digital audio signals. The transmitter module is operably coupled to convert the digital audio signals into the outbound RF signals.

Claims

1. A wireless headset operable to support communications over at least one servicing network, wherein the wireless headset comprises:

a wireless earpiece operable to receive radio frequency (RF) signals and render the received RF signals audible;

a wireless microphone operable to capture audio signals and convert the captured audio signals into transmitted RF signals; and

a user interface having a tactile interface, an audio interface, and a display module, the user interface coupled to at least one of the wireless earpiece and the wireless microphone, and operable to receive a user input command and to produce a command message, wherein the user interface is operable to;

use the command message to facilitate initiation of enhanced call functions via a host device of the at least one servicing network, wherein the host device and the wireless headset divide management duties related to the enhanced call functions, the division of management duties are provided by lower protocol layers being processed by the host device and upper protocol layers being processed by the wireless headset, and the command message directs the host device to execute the enhanced call functions; and

receive, in response to the command message, display information for display by the display module.

2. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the wireless earpiece and the wireless microphone include a detachable module.

3. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the wireless earpiece further comprises:

a first wireless interface operable to receive and transmit the RF signals;

a first processing circuit operable to recover a first digital audio signal from the received RF signals;

a digital to analog converter (DAC) operably coupled to the first wireless interface and the first processing circuit, wherein the DAC is operable to produce analog audio signals from the first digital audio signals; and

a speaker module coupled to the DAC, wherein the speaker module is operable to render the analog audio signals audible;

the wireless microphone further includes;

a microphone transducer operable to capture the audio signals and convert the captured audio signals into the analog audio signals;

an analog to digital converter (ADC) operably coupled to the microphone transducer, wherein the ADC is operable to produce digital audio signals from the analog audio signals;

a second processing circuit operable to produce the RF signals from the first digital audio signal; and

a second wireless interface, operably coupled to the second processing circuit, wherein the second wireless interface is operable to receive and transmit the RF signals.

4. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the host device couples the wireless headset to the at least one 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).

5. The wireless headset of claim 4, wherein the wireless headset is operable to switch from the at least one servicing network to another servicing network while servicing a voice communication.

6. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the enhanced 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.

7. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the tactile interface comprises one-touch buttons operable to initiate the enhanced call functions.

8. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the audio interface further comprises a voice recognition system (VRS) operable to recognize voice commands.

9. The wireless headset of claim 8, further comprising circuitry to implement the VRS.

10. The wireless headset of claim 8, wherein the VRS is operable to implement voice activated commands while servicing voice communications.

11. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the user interface supports at least one of validation of the at least one servicing network and authentication of the at least one servicing network.

12. A method to service communications between a servicing network and a modular wireless headset, wherein the method comprises:

receiving inbound radio frequency (RF) signals from a host device with a wireless earpiece, wherein the inbound RF signals contain inbound digital voice communications;

converting the inbound digital voice communications into inbound analog voice communications;

rendering the inbound analog voice communications audible with the wireless earpiece;

capturing outbound voice communications with a wireless microphone having a microphone transducer;

converting the captured outbound voice communications into outbound digital voice communications;

converting the outbound digital voice communications into outbound digital RF signals to be transmitted from the wireless microphone to the host device; and

initiating enhanced call functions via the host device of the servicing network based upon a user input command from a user interface coupled to a tactile interface and an audio interface, wherein the host device and the modular wireless headset divide management duties related to the enhanced call functions, the division of management duties are provided by lower protocol layers being processed by the host device and by upper protocol layers being processed by the modular wireless headset, and the user interface includes a display module, and the user input command derives from either of the tactile interface or the audio interface; and

receiving, in response to the user input command, display information for display by the display module.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising coupling the modular wireless headset to the 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).

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the modular wireless headset is operable to switch servicing networks while servicing a voice communication.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the enhanced 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.

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

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the audio interface further comprises a voice recognition system (VRS) operable to recognize voice commands.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the user input command is provided via a wireless microphone coupled to the user interface, wherein the user interface includes circuitry to implement the VRS.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising identifying and implementing voice activated commands while servicing voice communications.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

validating the servicing network with the user interface; and

authenticating the servicing network with the user interface.

21. A wireless headset operable to support voice communications over at least one servicing network, the wireless headset comprises:

at least one wireless earpiece wirelessly coupled to at least one host device coupled to the at least one servicing network, wherein the at least one wireless earpiece is operable to receive radio frequency (RF) signals and render the received RF signals audible, wherein the at least one wireless earpiece includes;

a first wireless interface operable to receive and transmit the RF signals;

a first processing circuit operable to recover a first digital audio signal from the received RF signals;

a digital to analog converter (DAC) operably coupled to the first wireless interface and first processing circuit, wherein the DAC is operable to produce analog audio signals from the first digital audio signal; and

a speaker module coupled to the DAC, wherein the speaker module is operable to render the analog audio signals audible;

at least one wireless microphone wirelessly coupled to the at least one wireless earpiece or the at least one host device, the at least one of the wireless earpiece and the wireless microphone are in a detachable fixed-relation to one another, wherein the at least one wireless microphone is operable to capture audio signals and convert the audio signals into transmitted RF signals, wherein the at least one wireless microphone includes;

a microphone transducer operable to capture incoming audio signals and convert the captured incoming audio signals into incoming analog audio signals;

an analog to digital converter (ADC) operably coupled to the microphone transducer, wherein the ADC is operable to produce second digital audio signals from the incoming analog audio signals;

a second processing circuit operable to produce second RF signals from the second digital audio signal; and

a second wireless interface, operably coupled to the second processing circuit, wherein the second wireless interface is operable to receive and transmit the RF signals; and

at least one user interface that includes a tactile interface, an audio interface, and a display module, the at least one user interface coupled to either of the at least one wireless earpiece and the at least one wireless microphone, and operable to receive a user input command to produce a command message, wherein the at least one user interface operable to;

facilitate the initiation of enhanced call functions via the at least one host device coupled to the at least one servicing network using the command message, wherein the at least one host device and the wireless headset divide management duties related to the enhanced call functions, the division of management duties are provided by lower protocol layers being processed by the at least one host device and by upper protocol layers being processed by the wireless headset, and the command message directs the at least one host device to execute the enhanced call functions; and

receive, in response to the command message, display information for display by the display module.

22. The wireless headset of claim 21, wherein the at least one 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 wireless headset of claim 22, wherein the wireless headset is operable to switch from the at least one servicing network to another servicing network while servicing voice communications.

24. The wireless headset of claim 21, wherein the enhanced 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.

25. The wireless headset of claim 21, wherein the tactile interface comprises one-touch buttons initiate the enhanced call functions.

26. The wireless headset of claim 21, wherein the audio interface receives audio commands from the at least one wireless microphone, and further comprises a voice recognition system (VRS) operable to recognize voice commands as the user input command.

27. The wireless headset of claim 26, wherein the audio interface is operable to initiate the voice commands while servicing voice communications.

28. The wireless headset of claim 21, wherein the at least one user interface supports at least one of validation of the at least one servicing network and authentication of the at least one servicing network.