Hands-free telephone conversation system and relay device in hands-free telephone conversation system

• US 20030027607A1
• Filed: 08/05/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hatakeyama, Takeshi, Kindo, Tsuyoshi, Tomoda, Masaaki, Moriguchi, Ken-ichi, Ata, Teruaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,031,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

A hands-free telephone conversation system comprises the communication device 11 and the relay device 12.

The communication device 11 includes the microphone 111 that receives the voice from the user, the speaker 112 that outputs the other party'"'"'s voice, the control unit 113 that detects the status of the wireless communication, and the local wireless communication unit 114 that communicates with the relay device 12 by wireless.

The relay device 12 includes the microphone 121 that receives the voice from the user, the local wireless communication unit 123 that communicates with the communication device 11 by wireless, the communication control unit 122a that detects the status of the wireless communication, the microphone switch unit 122b that switches the voice input reception of the microphone 121, and the network communication unit 124 that sends and receives the voice to and from the other party'"'"'s communication device 14 through the network 13.

Claims

1. A hands-free telephone conversation system comprising a communication device and a relay device,

wherein the communication device includes:

a first voice input unit operable to receive voice from a user;

a voice output unit operable to output the voice of the other party of the telephone conversation; and

a first wireless communication unit operable to send and receive the voice to and from the relay device by wireless, and

the relay device includes;

a second voice input unit operable to receive voice from a user;

a second wireless communication unit operable to send and receive the voice to and from the communication device by wireless;

a first wireless communication status detection unit operable to detect the status of the wireless communication between the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit;

a voice input switch unit operable to select either the first voice input unit or the second voice input unit depending on a detection result of the first wireless communication status detection unit; and

a network communication unit operable to send the voice that is received by the first voice input unit or the second voice input unit selected by the voice input switch unit operable to the communication device of the other party of the telephone conversation through the communication line network.

2. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 1,

wherein the voice input switch unit selects the second voice input unit when the status of the wireless communication detected by the first wireless communication status detection unit is abnormal, and selects the first voice input unit when the status of the wireless communication is normal.

3. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 1,

wherein the relay device further includes:

a first wireless communication retrial unit operable to try to reconnect with the communication device when the status of the communication detected by the wireless communication status detection unit is abnormal.

4. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 1,

wherein the first wireless communication status detection unit detects the status of the wireless communication by presence or absence of receiving packet.

5. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 1,

wherein the first wireless communication status detection unit detects the status of the wireless communication by receiving level of an electric field.

6. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 1,

wherein the relay device further includes:

a voice input switch message generation unit operable to generate a message that notifies the other party of the telephone conversation of a selection by the voice input switch unit, and

the network communication unit sends the message generated by the voice input switch message generation unit to the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network.

7. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 1,

wherein the communication device further includes:

a second wireless communication status detection unit operable to detect the status of the wireless communication between the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit; and

a second wireless communication retrial unit operable to try to reconnect with the relay device when the status detected by the second wireless communication status detection unit is abnormal.

8. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 7,

wherein the second wireless communication status detection unit detects the status of the wireless communication by presence or absence of receiving packet.

9. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 7,

wherein the second wireless communication status detection unit detects the status of the wireless communication by receiving level of an electric field.

10. A hands-free telephone conversation system comprising a communication device and a relay device,

wherein the communication device includes:

a first voice input unit operable to receive voice from a user;

a voice output unit operable to output voice from the other party of the telephone conversation; and

a first wireless communication unit operable to send and receive voice to and from the relay device by wireless, and

the relay device includes;

a second wireless communication unit operable to send and receive the voice to and from the communication device by wireless;

a first wireless communication status detection unit operable to detect a the status of wireless communication between the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit;

a network communication unit operable to send and receive the voice to and from the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network; and

a network communication disconnection unit operable to cut off the connection with the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network, depending on a detection result of the first wireless communication status detection unit.

11. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 10,

wherein the relay device further includes:

a time measurement unit operable to measure the elapsed time after the relay device detects the first wireless communication status, and

the network communication disconnection unit cuts off the connection with the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network, when the time measurement unit measures the passage of a certain time after the first wireless communication status detection unit detects the abnormal status.

12. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 10,

wherein the relay device further includes:

a first wireless communication retrial unit operable to try to reconnect with the communication device when the status detected by the first wireless communication status detection unit is abnormal; and

a trial frequency counting unit operable to count retrial frequency of the first wireless communication retrial unit, and

the network communication disconnection unit cuts off the connection with the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network, when the trial frequency counting unit counts a certain number of trials after the first wireless communication status detection unit detects the abnormal status.

13. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 10,

wherein the first wireless communication status detection unit detects the status of the wireless communication by presence or absence of receiving packet.

14. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 10,

wherein the first wireless communication status detection unit detects the status of the wireless communication by receiving level of an electric field.

15. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 10,

wherein the relay device further includes:

a telephone conversation ending message generation unit operable to generate a message to inform in advance the other party that the telephone conversation will end by the network communication disconnection unit; and

a network transmission unit operable to send the message generated by the telephone conversation ending message generation unit to the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network.

16. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 10,

wherein the communication devise further includes:

a second wireless communication status detection unit operable to detect the status of wireless communication between the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit; and

a second wireless communication retrial unit operable to try to reconnect with the relay device when the status, detected by the second wireless communication status detection unit, is abnormal.

17. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 16,

wherein the second wireless communication status detection unit detects the status of the wireless communication by presence or absence of receiving packet.

18. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 16,

wherein the second wireless communication status detection unit detects the status of the wireless communication by receiving level of an electric field.

19. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 10,

wherein the relay device further includes:

a second voice input unit operable to receive voice from a user; and

a voice input switch unit operable to select the second voice input unit when the status detected by the first wireless communication status detection unit is abnormal, and select the first voice input unit when the status is normal, and

the network communication unit sends the voice received by the first voice input unit or the second voice input unit selected by the voice input switch unit to the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network.

20. The hands-free telephone conversation system according to claim 19,

wherein the relay device further includes:

a voice input switch message generation unit operable to generate a message that informs the other party of the telephone conversation of the selection by the voice input switch unit, and

the network communication unit sends the message generated by the voice input switch message generation unit to the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network.

21. A relay device that receives a user'"'"'s voice by wireless from a communication device that receives the voice from the user, the relay device comprising:

a voice input unit operable to receive voice from the user;

a wireless communication unit operable to send and receive voice to and from the communication device by wireless;

a wireless communication status detection unit operable to detect the status of the wireless communication with the communication device;

a voice input switch unit operable to select the communication device or the voice input unit depending on a detection result of the wireless communication status detection unit; and

a network communication unit operable to send the voice received from the communication device or the voice input unit selected by the voice input switch unit to the communication device of the other party of the telephone conversation through the communication line network.

22. The relay device according to claim 21,

wherein the voice input switch unit selects the voice input unit when the status of the wireless communication detected by the wireless communication status detection unit is abnormal, and selects the voice reception from the communication device when the status is normal.

23. The relay device according to claim 21,

wherein the relay device further includes:

a wireless communication retrial unit operable to try to reconnect with the communication device when the status of the wireless communication is abnormal, depending on a detection result of the wireless communication status detection unit.

24. The relay device according to claim 21,

wherein the relay device further includes:

a voice input switch message generation unit operable to generate a message that informs the other party of the telephone conversation of the switch by the voice input switch unit, and

the network communication unit sends the message generated by the voice input switch message generation unit, to the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network.

25. A relay device that receives a user'"'"'s voice by wireless from a communication device to receive the voice from the user, the relay device comprising:

a wireless communication unit operable to send and receive voice to and from the communication device by wireless;

a wireless communication status detection unit operable to detect the status of the wireless communication with the communication device;

a network communication unit operable to send and receive the voice to and from the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network; and

a network communication disconnection unit operable to cut off the connection with the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network, depending on a detection result of the wireless communication status detection unit.

26. The relay device according to claim 25,

wherein the relay device further includes:

a time measurement unit to measure the elapsed time after the wireless communication status detection unit detects the wireless communication status, and

the network communication disconnection unit cuts off the connection with the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network, when the time measurement unit measures the passage of a certain time after the wireless communication status detection unit detects the abnormal status.

27. The relay device according to claim 25,

wherein the relay device further includes:

a wireless communication retrial unit operable to try to reconnect with the communication device when the wireless communication status is abnormal, depending on the detection result of the wireless communication status detection unit; and

a trial frequency counting unit operable to count the retrial frequency of the wireless communication retrial unit, and

the network communication disconnection unit cuts off the connection with the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network, when the trial frequency counting unit counts a certain number of trials after the wireless communication status detection unit detects the abnormal status.

28. The relay device according to claim 25,

wherein the relay device further includes:

a telephone conversation ending message generation unit operable to generate a message to inform the other party of the telephone conversation in advance that the telephone conversation will end by the network communication disconnection unit; and

a network transmission unit operable to send the message generated by the telephone conversation ending message generation unit, to the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network.

29. The relay device according to claim 25,

wherein the relay device further includes:

a voice input unit operable to receive voice from a user;

a voice input switch unit operable to select either voice input from the communication device or the voice input unit, depending on a detection result of the wireless communication status detection unit; and

a network communication unit operable to send the voice received from the communication device or the voice input unit selected by the voice input switch unit to the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network.

30. The relay device according to claim 29,

wherein the relay device further includes:

a voice input switch message generation unit operable to generate a message that informs the other party of the telephone conversation of the switch by the voice input switch unit, and

wherein the network communication unit sends the message generated by the voice input switch message generation unit to the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network.

31. A hands-free telephone conversation method for a system comprising a communication device and a relay device,

wherein the communication device includes:

a first voice input step for receiving voice from a user;

a voice output step for outputting the voice from the other party of the telephone conversation; and

a first wireless communication step for sending and receiving the voice to and from the relay device by wireless, and

the relay device includes;

a second voice input step for receiving voice from a user;

a second wireless communication step for sending and receiving the voice to and from the communication device by wireless;

a wireless communication status detection step for detecting the status of the wireless communication between the first wireless communication step and the second wireless communication step;

a voice input switch step for selecting either the first voice input step or the second voice input step, depending on a detection result of the wireless communication status detection step; and

a network communication step for sending the voice received in the first voice input step or the second voice input step selected in the voice input switch step to the other party'"'"'s communication device through communication line network.

32. A hands-free telephone conversation method for a system comprising a communication device and a relay device,

wherein the communication device includes:

a first voice input step for receiving voice from a user;

a voice output step for outputting a voice from the other party of the telephone conversation; and

a first wireless communication step for sending and receiving the voice to and from the relay device by wireless,

the relay device includes;

a second wireless communication step for sending and receiving the voice to and from the communication device by wireless;

a wireless communication status detection step for detecting the status of the wireless communication between the first wireless communication step and the second wireless communication step;

a network communication step for sending and receiving the voice to the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network; and

a network communication disconnection step for cutting of the connection with the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network, depending on a detection result of the wireless communication status detection step.

33. A hands-free telephone conversation method according to claim 32 including:

a second voice input step for receiving voice from a user; and

a voice input switch step for selecting the second voice input step when the status detected in the first wireless communication status detection step is abnormal, and selecting the first voice input step when the status is normal,

wherein in the network communication step, the voice received in the first voice input step or the second voice input step selected in the voice input switch step is sent to the other party'"'"'s communication device through the communication line network.