Wireless headset capable of automatic link connection and method for controlling the same

[0001] This application claims priority to an application entitled “Wireless Headset Capable of Automatic Link Connection and Method for Controlling the Same” filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Feb. 13, 2001 and assigned Serial No. 2001-7018, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates generally to an auxiliary communication terminal with a Bluetooth™ module, and in particular, to a wireless headset with a Bluetooth™ module and a link connection method for the wireless headset.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Thanks to the development of wireless communication technology, a low-cost, low-powered wireless device has been developed for the wireless communication and computer industries. As part of the wireless communication technology, the Bluetooth™ protocol has been defined by Ericsson, Inc. The Bluetooth™ protocol aims at providing local wireless communication services to users, and was designed especially for the purpose of providing stable, efficient, low-cost and high-capacity voice/data networking.

[0006] Devices with a Bluetooth™ module, if they are located within a distance of about ten meters (10 m) from one another, can exchange voice/data signals with one another through a wireless link in real time. The devices with the Bluetooth™ module are divided into a master for transmitting voice/data signals and a plurality of slaves for receiving the voice/data signals transmitted from the master, and the roles of the master and the slaves can be exchanged according to circumstances. Since the Bluetooth™ module can be made in the form of a microchip, it can be easily attached to communication devices. In addition, the Bluetooth™ module operates in a 2.4 GHz frequency band, which is a worldwide compatible communication frequency band.

[0007] The Bluetooth™ protocol is now applied to various fields, such as a communication terminal, a computer peripheral device, household electric appliances and a wireless headset as well. All of the Bluetooth™ modules have unique IDs (Identifications), and in order to connect a master and a slave in a Bluetooth™ wireless communication link, an ID of the Bluetooth™ module of the slave should be registered in advance in the Bluetooth™ module of the master. Since a wireless headset usually plays the role of a slave device, an ID of the wireless headset should be registered in advance in its counterpart master Bluetooth™ wireless communication device, such as a mobile communication terminal, so as to form a Bluetooth™ wireless communication link between them. Conventionally, a wireless headset with the Bluetooth™ module has a function key for performing ID registration and link connection necessary for Bluetooth™ wireless communication, and a user will manually select the function key in order to register the ID of the wireless headset in its counterpart Bluetooth™ wireless communication terminal and to set up a wireless link for the Bluetooth™ wireless communication. As stated above, the conventional wireless headset is disadvantageous in that the user should manually initiate ID registration and wireless link connection necessary for the Bluetooth™ wireless communication.

[0008] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a wireless headset, and a link connection method therefor, capable of automatically performing ID registration and wireless link connection without separate user intervention.

[0009] To achieve the above object, there is provided a wireless headset comprising a microphone supporting means having a microphone installed therein and being able to be folded to or unfolded from the main body of the wireless headset; a sensing device connected to a connector of the microphone supporting means and sensing whether the microphone supporting means is folded or unfolded; and a controller connected to the sensing device and a Bluetooth™ module and registering, using the Bluetooth™ module, an ID (identification) of the wireless headset in a counterpart terminal and set a link between the wireless headset and the counterpart terminal if it is determined by the sensing device that the microphone supporting means is unfolded.

[0010] In addition, there is provided an automatic link connection method for a wireless headset comprising a Bluetooth™ module, a microphone supporting means having a microphone installed therein and being able to be folded to or unfolded from the main body of the wireless headset, and a sensing device connected to a connector of the microphone supporting means and sensing whether the microphone supporting means is folded or unfolded. The automatic link connection method comprises the steps of attempting, by the wireless headset, to register an ID (identification) of the wireless headset in a counterpart Bluetooth™ wireless communication terminal and to set a link between the wireless headset and the counterpart Bluetooth™ wireless communication terminal if the sensing device determines that the microphone supporting means is unfolded; and registering, by the counterpart Bluetooth™ wireless communication terminal, the ID of the wireless headset to set the link in response to the attempt of ID registration and link setting by the wireless headset.

[0016] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a wireless headset according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a wireless headset according to an embodiment of the present invention. A structure of the wireless headset will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, components of a wireless headset according to an embodiment of the present invention are shown which include a Bluetooth™ module 110, a controller 111, a voice processor 113, a switch 119a, a speaker 115, a microphone 117a and a key input unit 121. The controller 111 controls the overall operation of the wireless headset. The Bluetooth™ module 110 enables the wireless headset to communicate with other Bluetooth™ devices according to the Bluetooth™ protocol. The Bluetooth™ modules transmit and receive a control command, a response thereto and user data by exchanging message packets through a host control interface (HCI) defined between the Bluetooth™ modules. An RS232 interface, a USB interface, or a standard PC interface can, for example, be utilized to actually transmit an HCI packet. The HCI packet is classified into a command packet, an event packet and a data packet. The command packet provides about 60 command words for various utilizations of the Bluetooth™ module. Under the control of the controller 111, the voice processor 113 modulates a voice signal inputted through the microphone 117a into a transmissible (radio) signal and provides the modulated signal to the Bluetooth™ module 110; and demodulates a signal received from the Bluetooth™ module 110 into a voice signal and provides the demodulated voice signal to the speaker 115. The key input unit 121 provides key data inputted by the user to the controller 111.

[0019] The switch 119a connected to the controller 111 is turned on or off according to movement of a microphone supporting member on which the microphone 117a is mounted. In general, since the microphone supporting member is attached to the wireless headset in a hinge structure, the microphone supporting member is folded to the main body of the wireless headset when the wireless headset is not in use. Referring to FIG. 2, the switch 119a is situated in a hinge connector 119b to which a microphone supporting member 117b is connected, and is turned on or off according to the movement of the microphone supporting member 117b. Specifically, if the microphone supporting member 117b moving along an arrow (1) becomes folded, the switch 119a is turned off, and if the microphone supporting member 117b is unfolded, the switch 119a is turned on. The controller 111 monitors the on/off state of the switch 119a, and performs ID registration and link connection if the switch 119a is turned on.

[0020] With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, a description will now be made of a procedure for performing automatic ID registration and link connection under the control of the controller 111 when the switch 119a is turned on (i.e., when the microphone supporting member 117b is unfolded). FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the controller 111 in the wireless headset according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 3 illustrates a procedure for performing automatic ID registration and link connection at a request of a master terminal.

[0021] First, a master terminal (e.g., a mobile communication terminal) transmits an SCO (Synchronous Connection-Oriented link) signal for synchronization and a unique-ID registration request message to a slave terminal (e.g., a wireless headset), which has a Bluetooth™ module and is located within a coverage (service) area where Bluetooth™ wireless communication with the master terminal is available. Referring to FIG. 3, after being synchronized with the master terminal through the SCO signal, the wireless headset receives the unique-ID registration request message (Step 201). The controller 111 will alert a user, for example by turning on a message reception indication LED (Light Emitting Diode) (Step 203). In response to turn-on of the LED, the user will then unfold the microphone supporting member 117b. The controller 111 determines whether the switch 119a is turned on (Step 205). If the switch 119a is turned on as the microphone supporting member 117b is unfolded, the controller 111 transmits an ID message to the master terminal (Step 207). Upon receipt of the ID message, the master terminal registers an ID of the wireless headset and then transmits an ID registration completion message to the wireless headset. Here, the master terminal should be able to register an ID of the slave terminal (wireless headset). The controller 111 receives the ID registration completion message from the master terminal (Step 209) and then proceeds to step 211. The master terminal then transmits a link connection request message through an ACL (Asynchronous Connection-less Link) channel, as occasion demands. The controller 111 determines whether the link connection request message is received (Step 211). If the link connection request message is received, the controller 111 proceeds to step 213. If the link connection request message is not received, the controller 111 enters a suspended state. The controller 111 transmits to the master terminal a link connection response message responsive to the link connection request message to form a link between the master terminal and the wireless headset (Step 213). The link connection response message is typically issued, either by the master or slave device, to indicate that the device is in a waiting state and is substantially capable of engaging in communication.

[0022] To sum up, if the ID of the wireless headset is registered in the master terminal through steps 201 to 209, the master terminal monitors whether the wireless headset stays within a coverage where Bluetooth wireless communication with the master terminal is available. Then, upon reception of a link connection request (e.g., reception of an incoming call or reception of a link connection request from the user), the master terminal transmits a link connection request message to the wireless headset.

[0023] With reference to FIG. 4, a description will now be made of a procedure for connecting a Bluetooth™ wireless communication link at a request of the wireless headset according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the controller 111 in the wireless headset according to another embodiment of the present invention. The controller 111 determines whether the switch 119a is turned on (Step 231). If the switch 119a is turned on as the user unfolds the microphone supporting member 117b, the controller 111 determines whether a master terminal with which the wireless headset is registered is located within the coverage area where Bluetooth™ wireless communication with the wireless headset is available (Step 233). If the registered master terminal is located within the coverage area, the controller 111 proceeds to step 239. Otherwise, the controller 111 proceeds to step 235. The controller 111 transmits a link connection request message to the registered master terminal (Step 239). Thereafter, if a link connection response message is received from the registered master terminal, a Bluetooth™ wireless communication link is formed between the wireless headset and the registered master terminal. Otherwise, the Bluetooth™ wireless communication link fails to be connected (Step 241), returning to step 231.

[0024] However, if the registered master terminal is found to not be located within the coverage area in step 233, the controller 111 transmits an ID message to the master terminal (Step 235). If the master terminal can register the ID of the wireless headset, the master terminal registers the ID of the wireless headset using the ID message received from the wireless headset. The master terminal then transmits an ID registration completion message to the wireless headset. The controller 111 determines whether the ID registration completion message is received from the master terminal (Step 237). If the ID registration completion message is received, the controller 111 proceeds to step 239. Otherwise, the controller 111 proceeds to step 241 and fails to perform ID registration and link connection. The controller 111 transmits a link connection request message to the master terminal (Step 239). Thereafter, if a link connection response message is received from the master terminal, a Bluetooth™ wireless communication link is formed between the wireless headset and the master terminal. Otherwise, the Bluetooth™ wireless communication link fails to be connected (Step 241).

[0025] As described above, a wireless headset of the present invention can automatically perform ID registration and link connection without separate manipulation by the user, using a switch which determines the position of the connector of the microphone supporting member and turns on or off according to the movement of the microphone supporting member, and also using a controller that attempts to perform the ID registration and link connection when the switch is turned on as the microphone supporting member is unfolded.

[0026] While the invention has been shown and described with reference to a certain preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, the switch 119a, serving as a sensing device, can be replaced with an equivalent capable of sensing the movement of the microphone supporting member 117b. In addition, the present invention can also be applied to a wireless headset having a microphone supporting member connected to the headset by a sliding type of structure instead of the hinge structure.