System and method for configuring communication devices
AssigneeH.M. Electronics, Inc.
InventorDavid O'Gwynn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A communication system that includes a base unit and one or more end units that communicate over a primary communication link using a first communication protocol and a secondary communication link using a second protocol. The secondary communication link may be a shorter range communication link than the primary communication link. The secondary communication link may be used to transmit and receive registration information, configuration settings, and status information between the end units and the base unit.
Claims22
A base station of a communication system, wherein the communication system includes the base station and one or more portable end units, the base station comprising:
- electronic storage media configured to electronically store information, wherein the stored information includes configuration settings for communication over one or more communication links between the base station and the one or more portable end units;
- and
- one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
- responsive to a portable end unit being in proximity to the base station, receive, over a secondary communication link, information from the portable end unit of the communication system, wherein the secondary link is a Near-Field Communication (NFC) link, and wherein the received information identifies the portable end unit;
- determine whether the portable end unit is currently registered to the base station, wherein determination is based on the received information;
- responsive to determining the portable end unit is not registered to the base station, register the portable end unit to the base station, wherein registering the portable end unit is based on the information received over the NFC link;
- obtain a set of configuration settings for communication over a primary communication link between the portable end unit and the base station, wherein the primary communication link is different from the secondary communication link, wherein the communication over the primary communication link includes two-way audio communication;
- and
- transmit information related to the set of configuration settings from the base station to the portable end unit, causing the portable end unit to facilitate the two-way audio communication between the base station and the portable end unit over the primary communication link.
A method for configuring portable end units within a communication system that includes a base station and one or more portable end units, wherein the portable end units include an portable end unit, the method being implemented by one or more physical processors that are configured to execute computer-readable instructions to perform the method, the method comprising:
- electronically storing information in electronic storage media, wherein the stored information includes configuration settings for communication over one or more communication links between the base station and the one or more portable end units;
- responsive to a portable end unit being in proximity to the base station, receiving, over a secondary communication link, information from the portable end unit of the communication system, wherein the secondary link is a Near-Field Communication (NFC) link, and wherein the received information identifies the portable end unit;
- determining whether the portable end unit is currently registered to the base station, wherein determination is based on the received information;
- responsive to determining the portable end unit is not registered to the base station, registering the portable end unit to the base station, wherein registering the portable end unit is based on the information received over the NFC link;
- obtaining a set of configuration settings for communication over a primary communication link between the portable end unit and the base station, wherein the primary communication link is different from the secondary communication link, wherein the communication over the primary communication link includes two-way audio communication;
- transmitting information from the base station to the portable end unit, wherein the transmitted information is related to the set of configuration settings for the portable end unit;
- and
- causing the portable end unit to facilitate communication between the base station and the portable end unit over the primary communication link.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.