External operating unit for a mobile radio telephone

• US 20020042289A1
• Filed: 06/25/2001
• Published: 04/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Kabatek, Ulrich
• Granted Patent: US 7,027,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/044 spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/0406 in the form of balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/0209 Check valves or pivoted valves
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6083 by interfacing with the vehicle audio system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

An external operating unit for a commercially available mobile radio telephone is proposed, in which the operating unit (1) is constructed separately from the mobile radio telephone (2) and can be connected to the mobile radio telephone (2). A first Set of standardized functions for mobile radio telephones is stored in the operating unit (1). This first set of standardized functions contains at least the functions for setting up a fixed data link and for transmitting an identity attribute of the mobile radio telephone. So that the operating unit can also be used with new mobile radio devices, it is provided that a library containing a second set of specialized functions of the mobile radio telephone can be loaded into the operating unit (1) and can be stored in a memory module (4) of the operating unit (1). The operating unit has, in particular, a control module (3) containing a WAP browser, the library with the specialized functions of the mobile radio telephone (2) being loaded into the operating unit (1) via a mobile radio link to an Internet provider. This ensures complete operability via the external operating unit (1) also in the case of new mobile radio telephone types.

Claims

1. An operating unit for a mobile radio telephone, comprising:

a housing separate from a mobile radio telephone unit which may be in data communication with the mobile radio telephone;

a first set of standardized functions for mobile radio telephones which includes the functions for setting up a fixed data link and for transmitting an identity attribute of the mobile radio telephone stored in a memory module of the housing;

a library containing a second set of specialized functions for the mobile radio telephone which can be stored in the memory module of the housing.

2. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein a control module containing software for accessing files of a generally accessible external computer system is integrated into the housing via a radio link with the mobile radio telephone.

3. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second set of specialized functions can be loaded by a radio link from an external database.

4. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein an operating unit is integrated into the mobile radio telephone.

5. The operating unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein a browser in the housing is a WAP browser.

6. The operating unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the browser uses WML and/or WMLscript standards.

7. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein standardized functions are a component of the standardized AT+C instruction set.

8. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing 1 is incorporated into an indicating instrument of the vehicle.

9. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing further includes a car radio.

10. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing further includes a navigation system.

11. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing may be connected to the mobile radio telephone via a wire-connected link.

12. The operating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing may be connected to the mobile radio telephone via a wireless link.

13. The operating unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the connection between the housing and the mobile radio telephone is a short-distance radio link.

14. The operating unit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the short-distance radio link is a Bluetooth standard connection.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the second set of specialized functions is loaded from the external database via the Internet.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the connection to the Internet is effected via a program, which is executable in a control module of the housing unit.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the connection to the Internet is effected via a WAP browser.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the browser uses the WML and/or WMLscript standards.

20. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the standardized functions are part of the AT+C instruction set.

21. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein a wire-connected link is effected between the operating unit and the mobile radio telephone.

22. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a short-distance radio link is effected between the separate housing and the mobile radio telephone.

15. A method for updating instruction functions of a separate external housing for a mobile radio telephone system, in which a first set of standardized functions which contains the functions for setting up a fixed data link and for transmitting an identity attribute of the mobile radio telephone, is stored in a memory module associated with the separate housing unit, comprising the steps of:

determining an identity attribute of the mobile radio telephone,

determining, based on the identity attribute, whether a second set of specialized functions for the mobile radio telephone is stored in the separate housing of the mobile radio telephone system,

if no second set of specialized functions is stored for the mobile radio telephone;

automatically establishing a radio link to an external database with the mobile radio telephone,

transmitting the identity attribute of the mobile radio telephone to the external database,

selecting a second set of specialized functions for the mobile radio telephone from the database,

transmitting the second set of specialized functions to the housing; and

storing the second set of specialized functions outside the mobile radio telephone in the memory module associated with the separate housing.