Communication inhibiting device and communication inhibiting system

• US 20010006886A1
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Published: 07/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,556,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/22 for communication related to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/415 based on motion status or velocity, e.g. for disabling use of mobile phones in a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/42 characterized by the control of the jamming frequency or wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/45 characterized by including monitoring of the target or target signal, e.g. in reactive jammers or follower jammers for example by means of an alternation of jamming phases and monitoring phases, called "look-through mode"
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/00 Access restriction access security to prevent unauthorised access H04W12/08; Network selection; Access point selection

Abstract

A communication inhibiting apparatus is provided with: disturbing wave generating means for generating a disturbing wave signal which disturbs communications to and from a portable telephone or similar communication terminal equipment; and disturbing wave emitting means for emitting the signal generated by said disturbing wave generating means, as said disturbing wave, to said communication terminal equipment.

Claims

1. A communication inhibiting apparatus, comprising:

disturbing wave generating means for generating a disturbing wave signal which disturbs communications to and from a portable telephone or similar communication terminal equipment; and

disturbing wave emitting means for emitting the signal generated by said disturbing wave generating means, as said disturbing wave, to said communication terminal equipment.

2. The communication inhibiting apparatus of

claim 1

, wherein said disturbing wave emitting means is installed in the driver'"'"'s seat of a mobile unit such as an automobile.

3. The communication inhibiting apparatus of

claim 1

, further comprising:

travel/stop detecting means for detecting whether the automobile or similar mobile unit is traveling or stationary; and

control means which, upon detecting the travel of said mobile unit by said travel/stop detecting means, controls the disturbing wave generating means to generate the disturbing wave signal and, upon detecting the stop of said mobile unit by said travel/stop detecting means, controls said disturbing wave generating means to discontinue the generation of said disturbing wave signal.

4. The communication inhibiting apparatus of

claim 3

, wherein said travel/stop detecting means is speed detecting means for detecting the speed of the mobile unit.

5. The communication inhibiting apparatus of

claim 3

, wherein said travel/stop detecting means is a handbrake of the mobile unit.

6. The communication inhibiting apparatus of

claim 1

, further comprising control means for controlling the disturbing wave generating means to generate the disturbing wave signal intermittently in the form of pulses.

7. The communication inhibiting apparatus of

claim 1

, further comprising:

transmitted wave detecting means for detecting a transmitted wave from the communication terminal equipment; and

control means for controlling the disturbing wave generating means to generate the disturbing wave signal upon detecting said transmitted wave by said transmitted wave detecting means.

8. The communication inhibiting apparatus of

claim 7

, further comprising antenna duplexer means for supplying the disturbing wave emitting means with the disturbing wave signal generated by the disturbing wave generating means and for supplying the transmitted wave detecting means with the transmitted wave from the communication terminal equipment received from said disturbing wave emitting means.

9. The communication inhibiting apparatus of

claim 7

, wherein said control means controls the disturbing wave generating means to generate the disturbing wave signal a predetermined time after the detection of the transmitted wave by the transmitted wave detecting means.

10. The communication inhibiting apparatus of

claim 7

, which further comprises storage means for storing frequency channel information on various mobile communication systems and wherein, upon detecting the transmitted wave from the communication terminal equipment by the transmitted wave detecting means, the control means estimates, based on the frequency channel information stored in said storage means, the receiving frequency of said communication terminal equipment which is used corresponding to the frequency of said transmitted wave, and controls the frequency of the disturbing wave signal which is generated by the disturbing wave generating means.

11. The communication inhibiting apparatus of

claim 7

, which further comprises storage means for storing frequency band information and TDMA slot information on the time axis of TDMA mobile communication systems and wherein, upon detecting the transmitted wave from the communication terminal equipment by the transmitted wave detecting means, the control means estimates, based on the frequency band information and the TDMA slot information stored in said storage means, the receiving frequency of the communication terminal equipment which is used corresponding to the frequency of said transmitted wave, and controls the frequency and generation timing of the disturbing wave signal which is generated by the disturbing wave generating means.

12. A communication inhibiting system, comprising:

beacon signal generating means for generating a beacon signal of a predetermined frequency to a limited area; and

a portable telephone or similar communication terminal equipment which detects the beacon signal generated by said beacon signal generating means and turns off its communication function.

13. The communication inhibiting system of

claim 12

, wherein said beacon signal generating means generates an infrared-ray or similar optical signal as the beacon signal.

14. The communication inhibiting system of

claim 12

, wherein said beacon signal generating means is installed in the driver'"'"'s seat of an automobile or similar mobile unit.

15. The communication inhibiting system of

claim 12

, wherein, upon detecting the beacon signal, the communication terminal equipment is set in an automatic answering mode.

16. The communication inhibiting system of

claim 12

, wherein when said communication terminal equipment keeps its communication function off after the detection of the beacon signal, a call to a pre-registered emergency contact address is enabled.

17. The communication inhibiting system of

claim 12

, further comprising notifying means for notifying a user of the communication terminal equipment that its communication function is off when the communication terminal equipment keeps the communication function off after the detection of the beacon signal.

18. The communication inhibiting system of

claim 12

, further comprising:

travel/stop detecting means for detecting whether the automobile or similar mobile unit is traveling or stationary; and

control means which, upon detecting the travel of said mobile unit by said travel/stop detecting means, controls the beacon signal generating means to generate the beacon signal and, upon detecting the stop of said mobile unit by said travel/stop detecting means, controls said beacon signal generating means to discontinue the generation of said beacon signal.

19. The communication inhibiting system of

claim 12

, further comprising control means for controlling the beacon signal generating means to generate the beacon signal intermittently in the form of pulses.

20. The communication inhibiting system of

claim 12

, further comprising:

transmitted wave detecting means for detecting a transmitted wave from the communication terminal equipment; and

control means for controlling the beacon signal generating means to generate the beacon signal upon detecting said transmitted wave by said transmitted wave detecting means.