Integrating a cellular phone with a speech-enabled softphone

• US 8,626,237 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Boyaci, Omer, Krishnan, Parameshwaran, Krishnakumar, Anjur Sundaresan, Yajnik, Shalini
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yuwen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Fanghwa
• Application Number:
  US12/207,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20090082062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,946 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00

Abstract

A method is disclosed that enables access to the paired combination of a personal computer and cellular telephone, the access being provided through voice commands from a Bluetooth headset or other type of wireless headset. Through the headset, a user is able to invoke a speech-recognition engine during a call in progress that involves the cell phone with which the personal computer has been paired. The set of phrases that can be recognized by the engine, which is resident at the personal computer, are based on the current call-processing state of the call that is being handled by the paired cell phone. Some of the phrases correspond to commands to retrieve one or more entries from a database, such as one stored at the cell phone. One or more of the commands can be for controlling the cell phone or a softphone application that executes at the personal computer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing via a personal area network i) a first connection between a first telecommunications device and a headset device, wherein the first connection is configured to support telephony, and ii) a second connection between the first telecommunications device and a second telecommunications device;

receiving, at the first telecommunications device via the personal area network, an indication that the second telecommunications device is handling a first telephone call;

receiving, at the first telecommunications device from the headset device, i) a control signal generated by the headset device as the result of an actuation of an answer/end-call button at the headset device, followed by ii) a voice signal that conveys an utterance made by a user of the headset device, wherein the utterance is a command directed at the second telecommunications device, and wherein the voice signal is conveyed via a pairing of the headset device to the first telecommunications device then via a pairing of the first telecommunications device to the second telecommunications device;

invoking, at the first telecommunications device, a speech-recognition function to recognize the command in the utterance received, based on the receiving of i) the indication and ii) the control signal; and

transmitting the command by the first telecommunications device to the second telecommunications device via the personal area network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first telecommunications device communicates with the headset device and with the second telecommunications device through the personal area network, in accordance with the Bluetooth specification.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first telecommunications device is a personal computer and the second telecommunications device is a cellular telephone.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the indication signifies that the first telephone call has been answered.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

recognizing the utterance as a command to retrieve at least one entry in a database stored at the second telecommunications device; and

receiving, at the first telecommunications device, a message that conveys the at least one entry.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the database is that of a call log.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the database is that of a phone book.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the transmitting of the command to the second telecommunications device occurs by using one or more AT commands.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising executing a softphone application at the first telecommunications device.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining a party to be called, based on the at least one entry; and

placing a second telephone call from the first telecommunications device to the party to be called, via the softphone application.

11. A method comprising:

establishing a first Bluetooth connection between a first telecommunications device and a headset device, the first telecommunications device being capable of telephony and the first Bluetooth connection being capable of telephony;

establishing a second Bluetooth connection between the first telecommunications device and a cellular telephone;

receiving, at the first telecommunications device;

i) a control signal from the headset device, wherein the control signal is generated by the headset device as the result of an actuation of an answer/end-call button at the headset device,

ii) an indication that a call that is incoming at the cellular telephone, and

iii) a voice signal from the headset device, wherein the voice signal conveys an utterance made by a user of the headset device, wherein the utterance is a command directed at the cellular telephone, and wherein the voice signal is conveyed via a pairing of the headset device to the first telecommunications device then via a pairing of the first telecommunications device to the cellular telephone;

interpreting, at the first telecommunications device, the receiving of the control signal as being one of a plurality of possible interpretations that includes i) a stimulus to answer the call and ii) a stimulus to invoke a speech-recognition function to recognize the command in the utterance received, the particular interpretation being based on the call-processing state of the call at the time that the control signal is received; and

transmitting the command to the cellular phone from the first telecommunications device via the second Bluetooth connection.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first telecommunications device is a cellular telephone.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising executing a softphone application at the first telecommunications device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the command is for retrieving at least one entry in a first database stored at the cellular phone, and further comprising:

receiving, at the first telecommunications device, a message that conveys the at least one entry; and

storing the at least one entry into a second database that is accessible by the softphone application.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first database is that of a call log.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the first database is that of a phone book.