PORTABLE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND METHODS OF CONFIGURING SAME WHEN CONNECTED TO A VEHICLE

• US 20040192405A1
• Filed: 10/01/2002
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Van Bosch, James A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,792,296 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6083 by interfacing with the vehicle audio system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A portable wireless communication device (22) and method for configuring the same when connected to a hands-free system in a vehicle (20). In one embodiment, the device (22) has an interface (36A) and a detector (70A). The interface (36A) is for connecting the wireless communication device (22) to a hands-free control unit (24) in the vehicle (20). The detector (70A) is for determining whether the interface (36A) is connected to the hands-free control unit (24) in the vehicle (20). The wireless communication device (22) may obtain vehicle information from the vehicle (20) when it is determined that the interface (36A) is connected to the hands-free control unit (24). The wireless communication device (22) also configures at least one operation of the wireless communication device (22) based on the obtained vehicle information. For example, the vehicle information may include data associated with a power loss for communicating through an external antenna (40) of the vehicle (20). The operation configured in the wireless communication device (22) would then be adjusting an output power of the wireless communication device (22) based on the data in the vehicle information.

Claims

1. A portable wireless communication device comprising:

an interface for connecting the wireless communication device to a hands-free control unit in a vehicle; and

a detector for determining whether the interface is connected to the hands-free control unit in the vehicle;

wherein the wireless communication device obtains vehicle information from the vehicle when it is determined that the interface is connected to the hands-free control unit and the wireless communication device configures at least one operation of the wireless communication device based on the obtained vehicle information.

2. The portable wireless communication device in claim 1, wherein the vehicle information includes data associated with a power loss for communicating through an external antenna of the vehicle and the at least one operation configured in the wireless communication device includes adjusting an output power of the wireless communication device based on the data in the vehicle information.

3. The portable wireless communication device in claim 1, wherein the vehicle information includes data associated with a separate vehicle transceiver and the at least one operation configured in the wireless communication device includes forwarding an incoming call to the separate vehicle transceiver.

4. The portable wireless communication device in claim 1, wherein the vehicle information includes data associated with a vehicle positioning unit, the at least one operation configured in the wireless communication device includes adjusting a navigation routine within the wireless communication device to receive positioning information from the vehicle positioning unit.

5. The portable wireless communication device in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device further comprising a second interface and a second detector, the second interface for connecting the wireless communication device to an external antenna, the second detector for determining whether the wireless communication device is attached to the external antenna.

6. The portable wireless communication device in claim 5, wherein the wireless communication device adjusts an output power of the wireless communication device based on the obtained vehicle information when it is determined that the second interface is connected to the external antenna, the output power associated with sending a communication via the external antenna.

7. A system for configuring a portable wireless communication device when connected to a vehicle, the system comprising:

a vehicle interface in the wireless communication device for connecting the wireless communication device to the vehicle;

a vehicle detection circuit in the wireless communication device for determining whether the interface is connected to the vehicle; and

a microcomputer in the wireless communication device for accessing vehicle information from the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle interface is connected to the vehicle and for configuring at least one operation of the wireless communication device based on the vehicle information obtained from the vehicle.

8. The system in claim 7, wherein the vehicle information includes data associated with a power loss for communicating through an external antenna of the vehicle and the at least one operation configured in the wireless communication device includes adjusting an output power of the wireless communication device based on the data in the vehicle information.

9. The system in claim 7, wherein the vehicle information includes data associated with a separate vehicle transceiver and the at least one operation configured in the wireless communication device includes forwarding an incoming call to the separate vehicle transceiver.

10. The system in claim 7, wherein the vehicle information includes data associated with a vehicle positioning unit, the at least one operation configured in the wireless communication device includes adjusting a navigation routine within the wireless communication device to receive positioning information from the vehicle positioning unit.

11. The system in claim 7, wherein the system further comprising an antenna interface and an antenna detector, the antenna interface for connecting the wireless communication device to an external antenna, the antenna detector for determining whether the wireless communication device is attached to the external antenna.

12. The system in claim 11, wherein the system adjusts an output power of the wireless communication device based on the obtained vehicle information when it is determined that the antenna interface is connected to the external antenna, the output power associated with sending a communication via the external antenna.

13. A portable wireless communication device comprising:

a first interface for connecting the wireless communication device to a vehicle;

a second interface for connecting the wireless communication device to an external antenna; and

a microcomputer having a first detector and a second detector, the first detector for determining whether the first interface is connected to the vehicle, the second detector for determining whether the second interface is connected to the external antenna;

wherein the microcomputer is programmed to access data associated with a power loss for communicating through the external antenna and to adjust an output power of the wireless communication device based on the accessed data when the first detector determines that the first interface is connected to the vehicle and the second detector determines that the second interface is connected to the external antenna.

14. The portable wireless communication device in claim 13, wherein the first detector monitors whether a communication line connected to the first interface is grounded.

15. The portable wireless communication device in claim 13, wherein the second detector detects the presence of a resistor in the external antenna.

16. The portable wireless communication device in claim 13, wherein the microcomputer accesses the data associated with the power loss from a hands-free control unit in the vehicle.

17. The portable wireless communication device in claim 13, wherein the portable wireless communication device further has a memory that stores data associated with a plurality of power losses, each power loss associated with a different frequency band.

18. A method in a portable wireless communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether the wireless communication device is connected to a vehicle;

accessing vehicle information from the vehicle when it is determined that the wireless communication device is connected to the vehicle; and

configuring an operation in the wireless communication device based on the vehicle information accessed from the vehicle.

19. The method in claim 18, wherein the vehicle information accessed from the vehicle includes data associated with a power loss for communicating through an external antenna of the vehicle.

20. The method in claim 19, wherein the operation configured in the wireless communication device includes adjusting an output power of the wireless communication device based on the data in the vehicle information.

21. The method in claim 18, wherein the vehicle information accessed from the vehicle includes data associated with communicating with a separate cellular transceiver in the vehicle.

22. The method in claim 21, wherein the operation configured in the wireless communication device includes forwarding an incoming call to the separate cellular transceiver in the vehicle based on the data in the vehicle information.

23. The method in claim 18, wherein the vehicle information accessed from the vehicle includes data associated with a positioning unit in the vehicle.

24. The method in claim 23, wherein the operation configured in the wireless communication device includes adjusting a navigation routine within the wireless communication device to receive positioning information based on the data in the vehicle information.

25. A method in a portable wireless communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether the wireless communication device is connected to a vehicle;

determining whether the wireless communication device is connected to an external antenna;

if the wireless communication device is connected to a vehicle and the wireless communication device is connected to the external antenna, then obtaining data associated with a power loss for communicating through the external antenna and adjusting an output power for uplink wireless transmissions based on the obtained data.

26. The method in claim 25, wherein the step of obtaining data associated with the power loss for communicating through the external antenna includes obtaining the data from a hands-free control unit in the vehicle.

27. The method in claim 25, wherein the step of obtaining data associated with the power loss for communicating through the external antenna includes obtaining the data from a memory in the wireless communication device.

28. The method in claim 27, wherein the memory in the wireless communication device stores the data according to a plurality of frequency bands.

29. The method in claim 27, wherein the memory in the wireless communication device stores the data according to a type and make of vehicle.

30. The method in claim 25, wherein the method comprises the further steps of:

determining whether the wireless communication device is in an active call;

if it is determined that the wireless communication device is not in an active call, then changing a registration of the wireless communication device with a network.

31. A method in a portable wireless communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether the wireless communication device is connected to a vehicle;

obtaining vehicle information from the vehicle;

determining whether the vehicle has a separate cellular transceiver; and

if it is determined that the vehicle has a separate cellular transceiver, then forwarding an incoming call to the separate cellular transceiver in the vehicle based on the vehicle information obtained from the vehicle.

32. The method in claim 31, wherein the method comprises the further step of:

if it is determined that the vehicle does not have a separate cellular transceiver, then configuring the portable wireless communication device to transfer audio to the vehicle received in a downlink wireless transmission.

33. The method in claim 31, wherein the method comprises the further step of:

if it is determined that the vehicle does not have a separate cellular transceiver, then configuring the portable wireless communication device to receive audio from the vehicle for an uplink wireless transmission.