Automatic configuration of telecommunication station sets
View Patent ↗A telecommunication station set such as an IP phone is configured based on proximity of a user. Proximity of the user relative to the station set can be determined using RF-ID, UWB, GPS, direct user input, contextual information or other technology. For example, the user may carry a badge equipped with an RF-ID tag. The RF-ID tag is operative in response to an RF-ID reader associated with the phone, when in close proximity, to signal user ID and password, which may be encrypted. The user ID and password are sent to a SIP server, which authenticates the user and retrieves user-specific configuration details which are returned to the IP phone. The IP phone configures itself with the user-specific parameters. If the user moves away from the phone, as determined by the RF-ID tag being out of range of the reader, the IP phone de-configures itself.
1. Apparatus that facilitates configuration of a telecommunications station set, comprising:
proximity determination circuitry configured to provide an indication that a first user is within a predetermined proximity to the station set by detecting a first wireless device transported by the first user; and
configuration circuitry adapted, in response to the proximity indication, to configure the station set for use by the first user by changing at least one parameter to a first active setting which is specific to the first user;
the proximity determination circuitry also configured to provide an indication that a second user is within closer proximity to the station set than the first user by detecting a second wireless device transported by the second user, the configuration circuitry adapted, in response to the proximity indication associated with the second user, to configure the station set for use by the second user by changing the at least one parameter to a second active setting which is specific to the second user if an authorizing input is also provided.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a device configured to facilitate calculation of present location of the first user.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the configuration circuitry is adapted to configure the station set based at least in-part on data from the device.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the data includes at least one of unique ID, user ID and password.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the at least one of unique ID, user ID and password are encrypted.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one of unique ID, user ID and password are decrypted by the configuration circuitry.
7. The apparatus of claim 5 further including authentication circuitry configured to authenticate the first user based on user ID and password.
8. The apparatus of claim 5 further including authentication circuitry configured to authenticate the first user based on a unique ID number which is translated into a user ID and password by circuitry.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the configuration circuitry is adapted to configure the station set with user-specific parameters.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the configuration circuitry is adapted to configure the station set with user type specific parameters.
11. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the device includes an RF-ID tag.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the RF-ID tag is embedded in a badge.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the proximity determination circuitry includes an RF-ID reader associated with the station set.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the configuration circuitry includes a SIP server.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the configuration circuitry includes a server configured to decode a unique ID, and send a user ID and password to the SIP server.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 further including de-configuration circuitry adapted to de-configure the station set in response to an indication that the first user is outside a predetermined proximity to the station set.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 further including disabling circuitry configured to disable the station set in response to an indication that the first user is outside a predetermined proximity to the station set.
18. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the device includes an ultra wide band RF pulse generator.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the RF pulse generator is configured to transmit an indication of user ID and password.
20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the proximity determination circuitry includes an ultra wide band RF pulse generator.
21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the RF pulse generator is configured to transmit an indication of station set ID.
22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the proximity determination circuitry further includes RF pulse receivers disposed in known locations.
23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the proximity determination circuitry further includes a position calculation server configured in response to data from the RF pulse receivers to calculate the position of the device relative to the station set.
24. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the device includes a transceiver configured to provide an indication of device location, the transceiver being configured to utilize at least one of ultra wideband, ultrasonic, infrared and Wi-Fi based RTLS.
25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the proximity determination circuitry further includes a position calculation server configured in response to data from the transceiver to calculate the position of the device relative to the station set.
26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the proximity determination circuitry is configured to respond to contextual information.
27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the contextual information includes indications of when the user will be near to the station set.
28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the indications are derived from an electronic schedule.
29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the station set includes an external controller for signaling contextual information.