Patent Application
20090111528
Cellular telephones are often used with a wireless audio interface, such as a wireless headset, that is not physically connected to the telephone and communicates with it using a wireless connection. The radio link may use a standardized protocol such as the Bluetooth protocol. The wireless headset allows a user to operate the cellular telephone in a ‘hands-free’ mode while performing other activities—such as driving an automobile. In this mode, audio signals are routed through the wireless audio interface, rather than the local audio interface of the telephone, and the local audio interface of the telephone is disabled.
In normal operation, the telephone and headset are within a few feet of one another and the user interfaces with the telephone through the wireless headset. However, wireless communication is possible over much greater distances. For example, a radio connection will allow connection between a telephone in one room and a headset in a different room, or between a telephone inside a house and a headset in an automobile. This may cause a problem for the user. For example, when a cellular telephone rings and the user answers the call, the user may be unaware that the wireless audio interface—at a different location—is still active. If the user is unaware of the active wireless audio interface, he or she may believe that the lack of audio is an indication of a problem with the telephone or with the call connection.
Further, if the telephone may potentially be in communication with one of multiple wireless devices, the user may not know which device is active.
Current cellular telephones provide a visual indication of an active Bluetooth link. However, users may not notice this when answering an incoming call.
The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which together with the detailed description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to further illustrate various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
Before describing in detail embodiments that are in accordance with the present invention, it should be observed that the embodiments reside primarily in combinations of method steps and apparatus components related to audible indication of an active wireless link. Accordingly, the apparatus components and method steps have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
In this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by “comprises . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
It will be appreciated that embodiments of the invention described herein may comprise one or more conventional processors and unique stored program instructions that control the one or more processors to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of audible indication of an active wireless link described herein. The non-processor circuits may include, but are not limited to, a radio receiver, a radio transmitter, signal drivers, clock circuits, power source circuits, and user input devices. As such, these functions may be interpreted as a method to perform audible indication of an active wireless link. Alternatively, some or all functions could be implemented by a state machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations of certain of the functions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of the two approaches could be used. Thus, methods and means for these functions have been described herein. Further, it is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation.
The telephone may a cellular telephone. It may be a dedicated device or the telephone may be incorporated into another electronic device such as a portable computer, personal digital assistant or portable media player, for example.
In a first mode of operation, the telephone operates in a ‘stand-alone’ mode in which the local audio interface 104 is activated for receiving and/or broadcasting audio. For example, user's speech is sensed by microphone 110 and the incoming audio signals are broadcast from loudspeaker 108.
In a second mode of operation, the loudspeaker 1108 of the local audio interface 104 is deactivated and a radio transceiver 116 is activated. The radio transceiver sends and receives signals over a propagation path 118 to a radio transceiver 120 of a wireless audio interface 122. The wireless audio interface 122 includes a processor 124, an audio module 126, a loudspeaker 128 and a microphone 130.
In one embodiment of the invention, the telephone comprises a cellular telephone and the wireless audio interface comprises a wireless headset. The radio link may use a custom protocol or may use a standardize protocol such as the Bluetooth protocol. This allows a user to operate the cellular telephone in a ‘hands-free’ mode while performing other activities—such as driving an automobile. In this mode, audio signals are routed through the wireless audio interface rather than the local audio interface of the telephone and the local loudspeaker is disabled.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the telephone 100 is operable to determine if a user is attempting to use the local audio interface when the wireless audio interface is active and generates an audible warning to alert the user when this happens.
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for alerting a mobile telephone user to the presence of an active wireless audio interface during a telephone call. User interaction with the mobile telephone is monitored if a wireless audio interface is active and an audible message is played through a local audio interface of the mobile telephone if user interaction with the mobile telephone is detected and a wireless audio interface is active. The audible message alerts the user to the presence of the active wireless audio interface.
The level of voice detected may be compared with level from the active wireless audio interface so as to determine which audio interface the user is trying to use.
If no voice activity is detected, as depicted by the negative branch from decision block 214, or once the message has been played back, the process pauses at block 218. Then, as decision block 220, a check is made to determine if the call and the wireless interface are still active. If the call has finished or the wireless audio interface has been deactivated, as depicted by the negative branch from decision block 222, the detection and notification tasks are terminated at block 222 and the process ends at block 224. If the call and the wireless interface are still active, as depicted by the positive branch from decision block 222, flow returns to block 214 to determine if the user again attempts to user the local audio interface rather than the wireless audio interface.
In further embodiments, other methods are used to detect user attempts to use the local audio interface when the wireless interface is active.
In one embodiment, a sensor, such as a proximity sensor, is used to determine if a user has opened the cover of the telephone and where it is being held with respect to the user's body. Such sensors are currently used in telephones. Opening of the cover may indicate that the user is about to answer or place a call and proximity sensor may indicate whether the user is attempting to use the local audio interface.
In a further embodiment, user pressing of a ‘call’, ‘send’ or ‘answer’ button on a keyboard or touch-screen, together with data from the proximity sensor, may be used to indicate that the user is about to use the local audio interface while a wireless audio interface is active.
A tactile interface of the telephone (such as a keypad, touch screen or pointing device, for example) may be used as a user activity detector.
A voice level detector may be used as a user activity detector.
Other means of detecting user attempts to use the local audio interface while the wireless interface is active will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.
A further embodiment of the present invention relates to a mobile telephone that is able to alert a user of the mobile telephone to the presence of an active wireless audio interface during a telephone call. The mobile telephone includes a local audio interface having a loudspeaker and microphone and a radio transceiver, operable to form a radio link between the mobile telephone and the active wireless audio interface. The telephone also includes a user activity detector operable to detect user interaction with the mobile telephone if a wireless audio interface is active and a processor that is responsive to the user activity detector and is operable to cause an audible signal to be generated by the loudspeaker of the local audio interface if a wireless audio interface is active and user activity is detected by the user activity detector.
The method of the present invention may be implemented, for example, on a programmed processor of the telephone, on a programmable logic device (such as a field programmable gate array) or on an application specific integrated circuit.
In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.
