Voice-controlled wireless communications system and method

• US 20040127241A1
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vocera Communications, Inc. (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vocera Communications, Inc. (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Shostak, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,248,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/500
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• 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 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• 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 2250/06 including a wireless LAN 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 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 : Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 : User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• 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 8/20 : Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 : from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 : Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 : between terminal devices

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 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 communicate using a wireless protocol with one of the wireless access points adjacent the badge; and

wherein the badge further comprises an unassigned state and an assigned state such that the badge is initially in the unassigned state when it has not been assigned to a user, the badge enters the assigned state when the badge has been assigned to a user and the badge returns to the unassigned state when the user has finished using the badge so that the badge is dynamically bound to the user while the user is using the badge.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the badge is not assigned to any user of the system at all times and may be reused by any user of the system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the central computer further comprises a user database having user profile data and messages for each user of the system, wherein the user profile data and messages for a particular user are downloaded to the badge which has been assigned to the particular user.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the user profile data and messages for a particular user are deleted from the badge assigned to the particular user when the badge returns to the unassigned state.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the central computer further comprises a browser application which permits a user to interact with the central computer and change a user profile database containing user profile information, the browser application further comprising means for assigning a badge to a particular user by changing a badge identification field in the user database so that a particular badge is assigned to a particular user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the central computer further comprises a voice recognition system that receives voice commands from a user through the badge and wherein the badge is assigned to a particular user when the user first issues any command from the badge to the voice recognition system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the central computer further comprises a voice recognition system that receives voice commands from a user through the badge and a user database containing a user profile for each user of the system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the central computer further comprises a voice recognition system that receives voice commands from a user through the badge and wherein the badge is assigned to a particular user when the user issues a “

Log On”

command from the badge to the voice recognition system.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the user profile database further comprises an alternative name field for each user containing alternative spoken names of the particular user wherein the voice recognition system recognizes the alternative spoken names of the user.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the badge further comprises an automatic answer feature in which a call to the badge is capable of being answered without any action by a user of the badge.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the user database further comprises a group calling field containing a group name wherein the group further comprises one or more people and wherein the central computer further comprises a group calling command that causes the people in the group to be called by the central computer system.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the user database further comprises a call screening field that contains information about which calls to a particular user are allowed so that calls to the badge assigned to the particular user are prioritized.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the call screening field further comprises a block all calls field which specifies that all calls to the particular user will be blocked.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the call screening field further comprises an allow all calls field which specifies that all calls to the particular user are being allowed to be answered at the badge assigned to the user.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the call screening field further comprises a VIP field containing one or more persons that can override the block all calls.

16. The system of claim 7, wherein the user profile database further comprises a forwarding portion that contains information for the routing of a call to a particular badge assigned to the particular user when the user is not accepting calls to the badge.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the forwarding portion further comprises a work phone field that specifies a work phone to which a call to the particular user may be routed.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the forwarding portion further comprises a home phone field that specifies a home phone to which a call to the particular user may be routed.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the forwarding portion further comprises a cellular phone field that specifies a cellular phone to which a call to the particular user may be routed.

20. The system of claim 7, wherein the user database further comprises a genie configuration field that contains a particular personality of the voice recognition system chosen by a particular user wherein each user may choose a different genie personality.

21. The system of claim 7, wherein the user database further comprises a call receiving portion that contains information about the call receiving options chosen by the particular user.

22. The system of claim 7, wherein the user database further comprises a network boundary alert field that specifies that the badge assigned to the particular user will alert the user when the user leaves the coverage areas of the access points.

23. The system of claim 7, wherein the voice recognition system further comprises a learn name command wherein a user spells the name of the person whose name is to be learned by the voice recognition system.

24. The system of claim 7, wherein the central computer further comprises means for mapping an extension number to a user of the badge wherein the mapping means further comprises means for mapping the extension number to a particular user and means for mapping the particular user to a badge based on the user profile in the database.

25. The system of claim 7, wherein the central computer further comprises a begin tour command wherein a user walks around the system so that the voice recognition system announces each access point as the user enter the range of the access point and wherein the user names each access point when it is announced.

26. 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 adjacent the badge; and

wherein the central computer further comprises a database containing a user profile for each user of the wireless communications system, each user profile containing information about the operation of a badge that has been assigned to a particular user and wherein the user profile for a particular user is capable of being changed so that the operation of the badge currently assigned to the user is also changed based on the user profile.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the badge further comprises an unassigned state and an assigned state such that the badge is initially in the unassigned state when it has not been assigned to a user, the badge enters the assigned state when the badge has been assigned to a user and the badge returns to the unassigned state when the user has finished using the badge so that the badge is dynamically bound to the user while the user is using the badge.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the badge is not assigned to any user of the system at all times and may be reused by any user of the system.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the central computer further comprises a user database having user profile data and messages for each user of the system, wherein the user profile data and messages for a particular user are downloaded to the badge which has been assigned to the particular user.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the user profile data and messages for a particular user are deleted from the badge assigned to the particular user when the badge returns to the unassigned state.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the central computer further comprises a browser application which permits a user to interact with the central computer and change a user profile database containing user profile information, the browser application further comprising means for assigning a badge to a particular user by changing a badge identification field in the user database so that a particular badge is assigned to a particular user.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein the central computer further comprises a voice recognition system that receives voice commands from a user through the badge and wherein the badge is assigned to a particular user when the user first issues any command from the badge to the voice recognition system.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein the central computer further comprises a voice recognition system that receives voice commands from a user through the badge.

34. The system of claim 27, wherein the central computer further comprises a voice recognition system that receives voice commands from a user through the badge and wherein the badge is assigned to a particular user when the user issues a “

Log On”

command from the badge to the voice recognition system.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the user profile database further comprises an alternative name field for each user containing alternative spoken names of the particular user wherein the voice recognition system recognizes the alternative spoken names of the user.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the badge further comprises an automatic answer feature in which a call to the badge is capable of being answered without any action by a user of the badge.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the user database further comprises a group calling field containing a group name wherein the group further comprises one or more people and wherein the central computer further comprises a group calling command that causes the people in the group to be called by the central computer system.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the user database further comprises a call screening field that contains information about which calls to a particular user are allowed so that calls to the badge assigned to the particular user are prioritized.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the call screening field further comprises a block all calls field which specifies that all calls to the particular user will be blocked.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein the call screening field further comprises an allow all calls field which specifies that all calls to the particular user are being allowed to be answered at the badge assigned to the user.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the call screening field further comprises a VIP field containing one or more persons that can override the block all calls.

42. The system of claim 33, wherein the user profile database further comprises a forwarding portion that contains information for the routing of a call to a particular badge assigned to the particular user when the user is not accepting calls to the badge.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the forwarding portion further comprises a work phone field that specifies a work phone to which a call to the particular user may be routed.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein the forwarding portion further comprises a home phone field that specifies a home phone to which a call to the particular user may be routed.

45. The system of claim 42, wherein the forwarding portion further comprises a cellular phone field that specifies a cellular phone to which a call to the particular user may be routed.

46. The system of claim 33, wherein the user database further comprises a genie configuration field that contains a particular personality of the voice recognition system chosen by a particular user wherein each user may choose a different genie personality.

47. The system of claim 33, wherein the user database further comprises a call receiving portion that contains information about the call receiving options chosen by the particular user.

48. The system of claim 33, wherein the user database further comprises a network boundary alert field that specifies that the badge assigned to the particular user will alert the user when the user leaves the coverage areas of the access points.

49. The system of claim 33, wherein the voice recognition system further comprises a learn name command wherein a user spells the name of the person whose name is to be learned by the voice recognition system.

50. The system of claim 33, wherein the central computer further comprises means for mapping an extension number to a user of the badge wherein the mapping means further comprises means for mapping the extension number to a particular user and means for mapping the particular user to a badge based on the user profile in the database.

51. The system of claim 33, wherein the central computer further comprises a begin tour command wherein a user walks around the system so that the voice recognition system announces each access point as the user enter the range of the access point and wherein the user names each access point when it is announced.

52. A system for locating a user of a wireless communications system wherein the wireless communications system has a central computer connected to one or more access points which communicate wirelessly with a badge associated with a user, the system comprising:

means for determining the current access point being used for communications by the badge of the user being located; and

means for generating a location indicator for the user wherein the location indicator is the name and location of the access point currently being used by the user.

53. A method for locating a user of a wireless communications system wherein the wireless communications system has a central computer connected to one or more access points which communicate wirelessly with a badge associated with a user, the method comprising:

receiving a request to locate a user of the wireless communications system;

determining the access point currently being used for communications by the badge of the user; and

generating a location indicator for the user wherein the location indicator is the name and location of the access point being used by the user.

54. A system for locating a member of a group of a wireless communications system wherein the wireless communications system has a central computer connected to one or more access points which communicate wirelessly with one or more badges associated with one or more members of the group, the system comprising:

means for determining the current access point(s) being used for communications by the badge(s) of the one or more members of the group specified by a group location request; and

means for generating a location indicator for the member in the group wherein the location indicator is the name and location of the access point currently being used by the member of the particular group.

55. A method for locating a member of a group of a wireless communications system wherein the wireless communications system has a central computer connected to one or more access points which communicate wirelessly with one or more badges associated with one or more members of the group, the method comprising:

receiving a request to locate a member of a group of the wireless communications system;

determining the current access point(s) being used for communications by the badge(s) of the one or more members of the group specified by a group location request;

generating a location indicator for the members in the group wherein the location indicator is the name and location of the access point currently being used by the members of the group.

56. A communications device for communicating wirelessly with a computer system, the device comprising:

a central processing unit for controlling the operation of the communications device and executing instructions to perform operations of the badge; and

wherein the device further comprises an unassigned state and an assigned state such that the device is initially in the unassigned state when it has not been assigned to a user, the device enters the assigned state when the device has been assigned to a user and the device returns to the unassigned state when the user has finished using the device so that the device is dynamically bound to the user while the user is using the particular device.