Abstract:
A wireless control apparatus for web phones includes a control base and a Bluetooth controller. The control base carries software for a web phone system. The Bluetooth controller is detachably plugged into the control base. A web device reads the software to perform the web phone system while the control base is plugged into the web device. Moreover, the web device charges the Bluetooth controller via the control base while the Bluetooth controller is plugged into the control base. The Bluetooth controller controls the functions of the web phone system via the control base by wireless transmission while the Bluetooth controller is detached from the control base.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Taiwan Patent Application No. 096104807 filed on Feb. 9, 2007. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention provides a wireless control apparatus for web phones, especially a control apparatus running software to wirelessly control phone systems through Bluetooth in order to perform the functions of dialing or answering a web phone call, selecting a contact person, and adjusting voice volume. 
         [0004]    2. Descriptions of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Internet realizes a global platform of barrier-free data transmission. In recent years, communication providers develop this platform as a bridge for remote voice communication. Since the utility rate of web phones hugely increases because of the improvement of voice package transmission technology, current web phone systems, such as SKYPE, are capable of delivering qualified communication performance and also have an advantage of saving connection fees. Accordingly, the web phones become popular. 
         [0006]    However, before running a web phone system, an user must download and install a web phone software into his/her personal computer and then choose an account number and password. For those unfamiliar with computer operations, this procedure is complicated and confusing. Furthermore, the web phones require an user to correctly input his/her account number and password so as to activate the services. It is no problem when running the web phone system in his/her own computer because the account number and password can be stored and memorized in the computer. However, it becomes inconvenient when running the web phone system in other&#39;s computer or public-access computers if the user forgets his/her account number and password. 
         [0007]    In addition, an earphone and a microphone connecting to the computer are necessary to make a phone call through a web phone system. A mouse connecting the computer is also essential to select a contact person and adjust settings. 
         [0008]    Therefore, the current web phones have the following defects: 1. the requirement of downloading and installation of a web phone software; 2. inconvenience when other&#39;s or a public-access computer is used to run a web phone system if the account number and password cannot be memorized; and 3. the requirement of a computer nearby to plug an earphone, a microphone, and a mouse. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    In view of the above-mentioned defects, the present invention provides a wireless control apparatus for web phones. The wireless control apparatus is capable of controlling a web phone system which will be automatically run after the control apparatus is plugged into a network device. The control apparatus, through Bluetooth, may control the web phone system to perform the functions of dialing or answering a web phone call, selecting a contact person, and adjusting voice volume. 
         [0010]    The wireless control apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises a control base and a Bluetooth controller. The control base may comprise a USB control module, a memory control module, and a first Bluetooth module. The Bluetooth controller is detachably and electrically plugged into the control base. The Bluetooth controller may comprise a second Bluetooth module, a voice I/O module, and a button control module. 
         [0011]    If the control base and the Bluetooth controller of the present invention comprise the above elements respectively, the module connections of the control base are: the USB control module being connected to the network device; the memory control module being connected to the USB control module; and the first Bluetooth module being connected to the USB control module. The memory control module, storing web phone software and a personal data, sends the web phone software to the network device through the USB control module. The web phone software is executed by the network device. After the personal data is retrieved and verified, the web phone system can be activated. 
         [0012]    If the control base and the Bluetooth controller of the present invention comprise the above elements respectively, the module connections of the Bluetooth controller are: the second Bluetooth module, for data processing, performing wireless data transmission with the first Bluetooth module; the voice I/O module, for providing earphone and microphone functions, being connected to the second Bluetooth module; the button control module being connected to the second Bluetooth module. The button control module has a selection button, a dialing and answering button, and a volume adjustment button to wirelessly control the functions of contact person selection, web phone dialing or answering, and volume adjustment of the web phone system. 
         [0013]    The wireless control apparatus of the present invention stores the web phone software and the personal data so that, when it is plugged into the network device, the web phone system is activated if the personal data is verified. Therefore, the present invention can solve the defects of the conventional web phone systems: 1. the requirement of downloading and installation of a web phone software; 2. inconvenience when other&#39;s or a public-access computer is used to run a web phone system if the account number and password cannot be memorized. 
         [0014]    Meanwhile, the wireless control apparatus of the present invention can wirelessly control the functions of contact person selection, web phone dialing or answering, and volume adjustment of the web phone system. Therefore, the present invention further solves the defect of the conventional web phone systems: 3. the requirement of a computer nearby to plug an earphone, a microphone, and a mouse. 
         [0015]    The summary and the following detailed description are exemplary. The purpose is to support the claims. Other objectives and advantages of the present invention will be illustrated in the detail description accompanying with the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  illustrates the aspect of an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  illustrates usage environment of the embodiment; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates a circuit block diagram of the embodiment when a Bluetooth controller is electrically plugged into a control base; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  illustrates a circuit block diagram of the embodiment when the Bluetooth controller is detached from the control base; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 5A-5C  illustrate the control base of the embodiment; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  illustrates the Bluetooth controller of the embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , it shows the aspect of an embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment, a wireless control apparatus  1  for web phones, comprises a control base  10  and a Bluetooth controller  12 . The Bluetooth controller  12  is detachably and electrically plugged into the control base  10 . 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , it shows a usage environment of the embodiment. The wireless control apparatus  1  can be connected to a network device  2  which is a personal computer or a computer installed in a car capable of connecting to Internet. As  FIG. 2  shows, the control base  10  can be plugged into the network device  2  in order to perform data transmission with the network device  2 . The Bluetooth controller  12  can be electrically plugged into the control base  10  or detached from the control base  10 . When the Bluetooth controller  12  is electrically plugged into the control base  10 , the network device  2  charges the Bluetooth controller  12  through the control base  10 . When the Bluetooth controller  12  is detached from the control base  10 , a user may operate the Bluetooth controller  12  to wirelessly control the functions of contact person selection, web phone dialing or answering, and volume adjustment of the web phone system through the control base  10 . 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , it shows a circuit block diagram of the embodiment when the Bluetooth controller  12  is electrically plugged into the control base  10 . The control base  10  comprises a USB control module  102 , a memory control module  104 , a first Bluetooth module  106 , a third reset circuit  108 , and a first reset circuit  109 . The Bluetooth controller  12  comprises a second Bluetooth module  120 , a voice I/O module  122 , a button control module  124 , a second reset circuit  126 , a charge module  127 , a power detection module  128 , and an indicatory light module  129 . 
         [0025]      FIGS. 5A-5C  illustrate the control base  10 . As shown in  FIG. 5A , the USB control module  102  comprises a USB control chip U 1 , a USB connection port  1022 , a memory circuit  1023 , a charge connection port  1024 , a first USB downstream port  1025 , and a second USB downstream port  1026 . The first and second USB downstream ports  1025 ,  1026  are configured to transmit signals between the memory control module  104  and the first Bluetooth module  106 . The first reset circuit  109  comprises a resistor R 7  and a capacitor C 3 . As  FIG. 5B  shows, the memory control module  104  comprises a memory control chip U 2  and a memory chip U 3 . As  FIG. 5C  shows, the first Bluetooth module  106  comprises a control chip U 4  connected to an oscillation circuit  1062  and an antenna circuit  1064 . The product models of the above-mentioned chips are marked in the drawings. 
         [0026]    Referring back to  FIG. 3 , the control base  10  connects to the network device  2  through the USB control module  102  to perform data transmission with the network device  2 , and to obtain power from a power source. The power source can charge the Bluetooth controller  12  when it is connected to the control base  10 . The memory control module  104 , connected to the USB control module  102 , stores software and a personal data for a web phone system. When the control base  10  is plugged into the network device  2 , the network device  2  executes the software to run the web phone system. When the control base  10  is detached from the network device  2 , the software in the network device  2  is deleted automatically. The software of the embodiment is a SKYPE software, and the personal data of the embodiment is an account number and a password for logging into SKYPE. 
         [0027]    The first Bluetooth module  106 , connected to the USB control module  102 , is configured to perform wireless data transmission with the Bluetooth controller  12 . The first reset circuit  109  is connected to the USB control module  102 . When the USB control module  102  is plugged into the network device  2 , the first reset circuit  109  re-activates the USB control module  102 . Meanwhile, the memory control module  104  makes the third reset circuit  108 , through a power signal in the circuit  1025  of the USB control module  102 , to re-activate the memory module  104 . 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , it shows the circuitry of the Bluetooth controller  12 . The second Bluetooth module  120  is implemented with a control chip U 5 . The voice I/O module  122  comprises a speaker control circuit  1222  and a microphone control circuit  1224 . The button control module  124  comprises resistors R 2 -R 5 , switches SW 1 -SW 3 . The second reset circuit  126  comprises resistors R 12 -R 13 , a capacitor C 22  and an electronic switch Q 1 . The charge module  127  comprises resistors R 16 , R 17 , R 19 -R 21 , a capacitor C 26 , and an electronic switch Q 2 . The power detection module  128  comprises capacitors C 23 -C 25 , and resistors R 14 -R 15 . The indicatory light module  129  comprises LEDs D 3 -D 4 , and resistors R 6 , R 8 . 
         [0029]    Referring back to  FIG. 3 , the Bluetooth controller  12  uses the second Bluetooth module  120  to perform data processing, and perform wireless data transmission with the first Bluetooth module  106 . The charge module  127 , connected to the USB control module  102  of the control base  10  and the second Bluetooth  120 , retrieves power from the USB control module  102  so as to charge the second Bluetooth module  120 . The voice I/O module  122 , connected to the second Bluetooth module  120 , is configured to provide the functions of an earphone and a microphone. The button control module  124  is connected to the second Bluetooth module  120 . The switches SW 1 -SW 3  of the button control module  124  are used as a selection button, a dialing and answering button, and a volume adjustment button. The user can wirelessly control the functions of contact person selection, web phone dialing or answering, and volume adjustment of the voice I/O module  122  of the web phone system by pressing these buttons. The second reset circuit  126  is connected to the second Bluetooth module  120 . When the second Bluetooth module  120  is charged through the charge module  127 , a signal indicative of the charge enables the second reset circuit  126  to output a LOW signal to the second Bluetooth module  120 . The second Bluetooth module  120  is re-activated thereby. 
         [0030]    The power detection module  128  of the Bluetooth controller  12 , connected to the second Bluetooth module  120 , is configured to detect a voltage level of a battery in the Bluetooth controller  12 . If the voltage level is below a particular voltage, e.g. 3.3V, the power detection module  128  generates a signal indicative of weak power to inform the second Bluetooth module  120 . The indicatory light module  129  of the Bluetooth controller  12 , connected to the second Bluetooth module  120 , provides light indications for functions on the Bluetooth controller  12 . For example, the indicatory light module  129  provides a flashing blue light when the wireless control apparatus  1  is ON, and provides a flashing red light when the wireless control apparatus  1  is OFF. 
         [0031]      FIG. 4  illustrates a circuit block diagram in the condition that the Bluetooth controller  12  is detached from the control base  10 . After the Bluetooth controller  12  is detached, the network device  2  stops charging the Bluetooth controller  12  through the control base  10 . The user may operate the selection button and/or the dialing and answering button to generate a control instruction. The control instruction is processed by the second Bluetooth module  120  and then transmitted to the first Bluetooth module  106  of the control base  10 . Finally, the USB control module  102  controls the functions of contact person selection and web phone dialing or answering of the web phone system in the network device  2 . Furthermore, the user may operate the volume adjustment button to generate another control instruction. This control instruction is also processed by the second Bluetooth module  120  to adjust the volume of the earphone and the microphone of the voice I/O module  122 . 
         [0032]    In conclusion, the wireless control apparatus of the present invention stores the web phone software and the personal data so that, when it is plugged into the network device, the web phone system is executed. Therefore, the present invention can solve the defects of the conventional web phone systems: 1. the requirement of downloading and installation of a web phone software; 2. inconvenience when other&#39;s or a public-access computer is used to run a web phone system if the account number and password cannot be memorized. 
         [0033]    Besides, the wireless control apparatus of the present invention can wirelessly control the functions of contact person selection, web phone dialing or answering, and volume adjustment of the web phone system. Therefore, the present invention further solves the defect of the conventional web phone systems: 3. the requirement of a computer nearby to plug an earphone, a microphone, and a mouse. 
         [0034]    The above disclosure is related to the detailed technical contents and inventive features thereof. Persons skilled in this field may proceed with a variety of modifications and replacements based on the disclosures and suggestions of the invention as described without departing from the characteristics thereof. Nevertheless, although such modifications and replacements are not fully disclosed in the above descriptions, they have substantially been covered in the following claims as appended.