Modular ear-piece/microphone (headset) operable to service voice activated commands

Abstract

The present invention provides a modular headset operable to support both voice communications and voice activated commands. This may involve the use of multiple voice CODECs to process voice communications and voice activated commands. The modular headset includes both a microphone and wireless earpiece. The earpiece may further include an interface, a processing circuit, a speaker, a user interface, a pairing circuit, and a registration circuit. The interface allows the earpiece to communicate with the base unit that couples the modular headset to a servicing network. This coupling to the servicing network and base unit only occurs when the headset is successfully registered to the base unit. The pairing circuit and registration circuit allow the exchange of pairing or registration information between various components. The pairing circuit allows the wireless earpiece and microphone to exchange pairing information which is then compared to determine whether or not a successful pairing can be achieved. Analog to digital converts (ADCs), which may be located within either the microphone or earpiece are operable to process the transduced voice communications in accordance with either a voice CODEC or voice recognition CODEC depending on the selected mode of operation.

1 . A modular wireless headset operable to support voice communications over at least one servicing network, wherein the modular wireless headset comprises: 
 a wireless earpiece operable to receive radio frequency (RF) signals and render the received RF signals audible, wherein the at least one earpiece further comprises: 
 a first wireless interface operable to receive and transmit RF signals;  
 a first processing circuit operable to recover a first digital audio signal from received RF signals;  
 a digital to analog converter (DAC) operably coupled to the wireless interface and first processing circuit; and  
 a speaker module coupled to the DAC, wherein the speaker module is operable to render audio signals audible;  
   a wireless microphone operable to capture audio signals and convert the audio signals into transmitted RF signals, wherein the at least one wireless microphone further comprises: 
 a microphone transducer operable to capture audio signals and convert the captured audio signals into 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 voice recognition software (VRS) coder decoder (CODEC) operable to produce command signals when the ADC operates in a voice command mode; and  
 a voice CODEC operable to support voice communications when the ADC operates in a voice mode;  
 a second processing circuit operable to produce an RF signals from the digital audio signal from; and  
 a second wireless interface, operably coupled to the second processing circuit, wherein the second wireless interface is operable to receive and transmit RF signals; and  
   a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the wireless microphone, wherein the processing circuit is operable to implement command signals.    
   
   
       2 . The modular wireless headset of  claim 1 , wherein the user selects the voice command mode to process user voice commands.  
   
   
       3 . The modular wireless headset of  claim 2 , wherein the user selects the voice command mode with a one touch button.  
   
   
       4 . The modular wireless headset of  claim 2 , wherein the user selects the voice command mode with a one touch button.  
   
   
       5 . The modular wireless headset of  claim 2 , wherein the ADC is located within the wireless earpiece communicatively coupled to the wireless microphone.  
   
   
       6 . A modular wireless headset operable to support voice communications over at least one servicing network, wherein the modular wireless headset comprises: 
 a wireless earpiece operable to receive radio frequency (RF) signals and render the received RF signals audible, wherein the at least one earpiece further comprises: 
 a first wireless interface operable to receive and transmit RF signals containing digital audio signal;  
 a digital to analog converter (DAC) operably coupled to the wireless interface, wherein the DAC is operable to produce analog audio signals from the digital audio signals; and  
 a speaker module coupled to the DAC, wherein the speaker module is operable to render the analog audio signals audible;  
   a wireless microphone operable to capture audio signals and convert the audio signals into transmitted RF signals, wherein the at least one wireless microphone further comprises: 
 a microphone transducer operable to capture and output audio signals;  
 a second processing circuit operable to produce an RF signals from the 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 RF signals; and  
   at least one analog to digital converter (ADC) communicatively coupled to the microphone transducer, wherein the at least one ADC is operable to produce digital audio signals from analog audio signals:a voice recognition software (VRS) coder decoder (CODEC) operable to produce command signals when the ADC operates in a voice command mode; and a voice CODEC operable to support voice communications when the ADC operates in a voice mode;    a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the wireless microphone, wherein the processing circuit is operable to implement command signals.    
   
   
       7 . The modular wireless headset of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one ADC is located within the wireless earpiece communicatively coupled to the wireless microphone.  
   
   
       8 . The modular wireless headset of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one ADC further comprises: 
 a first ADC operable to implement the voice CODEC operable to support voice communications; and    a second ADC operable to implement the VRS CODEC operable to support the voice command mode.    
   
   
       9 . The modular wireless headset of  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the first ADC is located within the wireless microphone; and    the second ADC is located within the wireless earphone.    
   
   
       10 . The modular wireless headset of  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the first ADC is located within the wireless microphone; and    the second ADC is located within a base unit of the modular wireless headset communicatively coupled to the wireless microphone and/or wireless earpiece.    
   
   
       11 . The modular wireless headset of  claim 8 , wherein the user selects the voice command mode to process user voice commands.  
   
   
       12 . The modular wireless headset of  claim 11 , wherein the user selects the voice command mode with a one touch button.  
   
   
       13 . The modular wireless headset of  claim 12 , wherein the user selects the voice command mode with a one touch button.  
   
   
       14 . The modular wireless headset of  claim 10 , wherein the base unit couples the modular wireless headset to a 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).    
   
   
       15 . The modular headset of  claim 10 , wherein the modular headset is operable to switch servicing networks while servicing a voice communication.  
   
   
       16 . The modular wireless headset of  claim 10 , wherein the voice commands implement 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.    
   
   
       17 . The modular headset of  claim 10 , wherein the user voice commands are operable to validate and/or authenticate a servicing network.  
   
   
       18 . A method to service voice communications between a servicing network and a modular wireless headset, wherein the method comprises: 
 receiving inbound radio frequency (RF) signals from a base unit with at least one 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 at least one modular wireless earpiece;    capturing user voice commands with at least one wireless microphone wherein the user voice commands are processed with voice recognition software (VRS) coder decoder (CODEC);    converting user voice commands into digital commands;    capturing outbound voice communications with the at least one wireless microphone wherein the voice communications are processed with a voice CODEC;    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 at least one wireless microphone to the base unit; and    initiating wireless headset commands based on the digital commands.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , 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).    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the modular headset is operable to switch servicing networks while servicing a voice communication.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the wireless headset commands 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.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein a tactile interface initiates a voice command mode operable to capture and process user voice commands.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the tactile interface comprises one-touch buttons.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein: 
 a VRS circuit communicatively coupled to the wireless microphone implements the VRS CODEC; and    a voice processing circuit communicatively coupled to the wireless microphone implements the voice CODEC.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the VRS circuit wherein: 
 the voice processing circuit is located within the wireless microphone; and    the VRS circuit is located within the wireless earphone.