Method and system for managing in-vehicle telephony

• US 20040151285A1
• Filed: 10/22/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Sychta, Brian V.
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,289 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

A technique for processing telephone calls from a plurality of telephone sources in a vehicle audio system suitably includes providing a first call using a first one of the telephone sources to a user via the vehicle audio system, notifying the user of a second call received via a second one of the telephone sources while the first call is active, and processing an instruction from the user to either suspend the first call and accept the second call or to continue providing the first call. The technique may be implemented in a vehicle audio system that includes an onboard telephone, and may be adapted to work with wireless or other portable telephones carried by drivers and passengers in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of processing telephone calls from a plurality of telephone sources in a vehicle audio system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first call using a first one of the telephone sources to a user via the vehicle audio system;

notifying the user of a second call received via a second one of the telephone sources while the first call is active; and

processing an instruction from the user to either suspend the first call and accept the second call, or to continue providing the first call.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the notifying step comprises providing an audible prompt using the vehicle audio system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the audible prompt comprises an indication of the priority of the second call.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing step comprises placing the first call on hold while the user accepts the second call.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing step comprises routing audio information from the first phone to the vehicle audio system, and routing output from a vehicle microphone to an input of the first phone.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the processing step comprises routing audio information from the second phone to the vehicle audio system and routing output from a vehicle microphone to an input of the second phone in response to the instruction from the user to suspend the first call.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing step comprises placing the first call into a queue while the second call is accepted.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing step comprises placing the second call into a queue until the first call is complete.

9. A system for processing telephone calls from a plurality of telephone sources in a vehicle audio system, the system comprising:

means for providing a first call using a first one of the telephone sources to a user via the vehicle audio system;

means for notifying the user of a second call received via a second one of the telephone sources while the first call is active; and

means for processing an instruction from the user to either suspend the first call and accept the second call, or to continue providing the first call.

10. An audio system for processing telephone calls from a plurality of telephones in a vehicle, the system comprising at least one audio speaker, a user interface and a controller communicating with an interface to each of the plurality of telephones, wherein the controller is configured to provide a first call from a first telephone to a user via the at least one audio speaker, to notify the user of a second call received via a second telephone while the first call is active, and to process an instruction received from the user at the user interface to either suspend the first call and accept the second call over the at least one audio speaker, or to continue providing the first call over the at least one audio speaker.

11. The audio system of claim 10 further comprising a first interface to the first telephone and a second interface to the second telephone.

12. The audio system of claim 11 wherein the first interface is a wireless interface.

13. The audio system of claim 12 wherein the second interface is an interface to an onboard telephony system.

14. The audio system of claim 12 wherein the wireless interface is a Bluetooth interface.

15. The audio system of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured to override any calls on the first telephone to automatically place a call on the second telephone in the event of an emergency.

16. The audio system of claim 10 wherein the controller is further configured to place the first call into a queue if the user accepts the second call.

17. The audio system of claim 10 wherein the controller is further configured to place the second call into a queue if the user continues the first call.

18. The audio system of claim 10 further comprising a voice recording subsystem in communication with the controller.

19. The audio system of claim 12 wherein the controller is further configured to place the first call into a private mode on the first telephone when instructed by the user.

20. The audio system of claim 10 wherein the user interface comprises a SEND button, a REJECT button, and an END button.