Configuring a wireless communications device in a mobile communications system

• US 9,191,780 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2013
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GN Netcom A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: GN Netcom A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: Goldman, Tomasz Jerzy
• Primary Examiner(s): Gidado, Rasheed
• Application Number:
  US14/036,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20140092775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A wireless communications device (2) and an interface unit (3) in a mobile communications system are configured. The interface unit (3) is connected to the wireless communications device (2) according to a wireless communication protocol and to a computing device (1) connected to a communications network (5) via an access point (7) having an address. The computing device (1) is requested to visit a service provider (8) on the network (5), which based on the address of said access point (7) can provide location information regarding said access point (7). In dependence thereof one of a number of stored configuration profiles are determined, and the interface unit (3) is configured accordingly. A configuration request comprising said determined configuration profile is transmitted to the wireless communications device (2), which is then configured accordingly, and a communications link can be established between the interface unit (3) and the wireless communications device (2).

Claims

1. A wireless headset communications system, comprising:

a wireless headset device and a base interface unit wirelessly and physical wire connectable to said headset device, the base interface unit including;

a. a computer interface for connecting the interface unit to a computing device connected to a communications network via an access point having an address;

b. a transceiver configured to exchange radio signals between the interface unit and the wireless headset device according to a first wireless communication protocol; and

c. access to a storage having stored therein a number of configuration profiles, each stored configuration profile being linked to at least one location, said profiles including parameters for allowed communications protocols by geographic location;

wherein the system performs the steps of;

a. determining the geographical location of the base unit by having the computing device communicate with said access point to obtain an address and a correlation to a physical location;

b. ;

c. determining, in dependence of said geographic location information, one of said stored configuration profiles;

d. determining if first communication protocol is allowed in that geographic location;

e. if the first communication protocol is authorized in that geographic location, configuring the interface unit according to said stored configuration profile;

f. transmitting a configuration request comprising said determined configuration profile from the interface unit to the wireless headset communications device;

g. configuring the wireless communications device according to said determined configuration profile; and

h. establishing a communications link for exchanging radio signals between the interface unit and the wireless communications device according to said wireless communication protocol and said determined configuration profile;

i. if the first communication protocol is not allowed in that geographic location, connecting the headset device to the base unit by a physical wired connection, and transmitting a configuration request comprising said stored configuration profile from the interface unit to the wireless headset communications device via said physical wired connection, so that no wireless transmission is made in that geographic location with an unauthorized protocol.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the communications network is the Internet.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said access point is an IP access point, and the address of said access point is an IP address.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said access point is a Wi-Fi access point, and the address of said access point is a Wi-Fi address.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of transmitting the configuration request comprising the determined configuration profile from the interface unit to the wireless communications device according to said determined configuration profile.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication protocol is a Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications protocol.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of said configuration profiles comprises a number of parameters including at least a frequency band allowed in the at least one location linked to the configuration profile.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said location information comprises a country code.

9. An interface unit comprising:

a. a computer interface for connecting the interface unit to a computing device;

b. a transceiver configured to exchange radio signals between the interface unit and a wireless communications device according to a first wireless communication protocol, and

c. access to a storage having stored therein a plurality of configuration profiles, each stored configuration profile being linked to at least one geographic location, said profiles including parameters for allowed communications protocols by geographic location;

wherein the interface unit is further configured to;

j. obtain from said computing device information regarding the location of said computing device;

k. determine in dependence of said obtained location information one of said stored configuration profiles;

l. determining if first communication protocol is authorized in that geographic location;

m. if the first communication protocol is authorized in that geographic location, configure the interface unit according to said configuration profile;

n. transmit a configuration request comprising said determined configuration profile to the wireless communications device; and

o. establish a communications link for exchanging radio signals between the interface unit and the wireless communications device according to said wireless communication protocol and said determined configuration profile;

p. if the first communication protocol is not allowed in that geographic location, connecting the headset device to the base unit by a physical wired connection, and transmitting a configuration request comprising a stored configuration profile from the interface unit to the wireless headset communications device via said physical wired connection, so that no wireless transmission is made in that geographic location with an unauthorized protocol.

10. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein the communications network is the Internet.

11. The interface unit according to claim 10, wherein the interface unit is further configured to request the computing device to obtain said location information based on an IP address of said access point, when the computing device is connected to the Internet via an IP access point.

12. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein the interface unit is further configured to request the computing device to obtain said location information based on a Wi-Fi address of said access point, when the computing device is connected to the communications network via a Wi-Fi access point.

13. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein the interface unit is further configured to transmit the configuration request comprising the determined configuration profile to the wireless communications device according to said determined configuration profile.

14. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein said wireless communication protocol is a Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications protocol.

15. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein each of said configuration profiles comprises a number of parameters including at least a frequency band allowed in the at least one location linked to the configuration profile.

16. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein said location information comprises a country code.

17. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein the interface unit comprises a base station for a headset.

18. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein said computer interface is a Universal Serial Bus interface, and that the interface unit comprises a dongle configured to be removably coupled to the computing device via said Universal Serial Bus interface.

19. The interface unit according to claim 9, wherein the interface unit is an integrated part of said computing device.

20. An interface unit comprising:

a. a base unit connectable to the internet;

b. a communications device connectable to the base used by wireless communication and physical wired connection;

c. a transceiver configured to exchange radio signals between the base unit and a communications device according to a first wireless communication protocol, and

d. access to a data storage having stored therein a plurality of configuration profiles, each stored configuration profile being linked to at least one geographic location, said profiles including parameters for allowed communications protocols by geographic location;

wherein the base unit is further configured to;

e. obtaining information regarding the geographic location of said base unit;

f. determine in dependence of said obtained geographic location information one of said stored configuration profiles;

g. determining if first communication protocol is allowed in that geographic location;

h. if the first communication protocol is authorized in that geographic location, configure the interface unit according to that configuration profile;

i. transmitting a configuration request comprising said configuration profile to the wireless communications device; and

j. establishing a communications link for exchanging radio signals between the interface unit and the wireless communications device according to said wireless communication protocol and said determined configuration profile;

k. if the first communication protocol is not allowed in that geographic location, connecting the headset device to the base unit by a physical wired connection, and transmitting a configuration request comprising said determined configuration profile from the interface unit to the headset communications device via said physical wired connection, so that no unauthorized wireless transmission is made in that geographic location, until the headset and base unit are configured to an allowed wireless communication protocol.