Portable telephone device and external a dapter connected by a short-range wireless link

• US 20040198422A1
• Filed: 04/05/2004
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Sato, Ryohei
• Granted Patent: US 7,277,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A portable telephone device has a long-range wireless communication function and a short-range wireless communication function for communicating with an external adapter. The quality of short-range communication with the external adapter is monitored during the long-range communication. When the quality of short-range communication has been deteriorated, a message indicative of short-range communication deterioration is transmitted to the party on the other end of line. Voice data received from the party on the other end of line in response to the message is recorded onto a data memory.

Claims

1. A portable telephone device comprising:

a long-range wireless communication section for communicating with a base station of a mobile telephone system to communicate with a party on other end of line;

a short-range wireless communication section for communicating with an external adapter;

a monitor for monitoring quality of short-range communication with the external adapter; and

a controller for activating the monitor during long-range communication.

2. The portable telephone device according to claim 1, wherein, after the quality of short-range communication monitored becomes lower than a predetermined threshold level, the controller instructs the long-range wireless communication section to transmit amessage indicative of short-range communication deterioration to the party on the other end of line.

3. The portable telephone device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a data memory for storing data that is received from the party on the other end of line,

wherein, after the message has been sent to the party on the other end of line, the controller stores data received from the party on the other end of line onto the data memory.

4. The portable telephone device according to claim 2, wherein the message is transmitted to the party on the other end of line when the quality of short-range communication monitored has been lower than the predetermined threshold level for a predetermined time period.

5. The portable telephone device according to claim 1, wherein, when the quality of short-range communication monitored becomes lower than a predetermined threshold level, the controller instructs the short-range wireless communication section to renew a short-range wireless communication link.

6. The portable telephone device according to claim 2, wherein, when the quality of short-range communication monitored becomes lower than a predetermined threshold level, the controller instructs the short-range wireless communication section to renew a short-range wireless communication link.

7. The portable telephone device according to claim 2, wherein the controller instructs the short-range wireless communication section to transmit the message indicative of short-range communication deterioration to the external adapter.

8. The portable telephone device according to claim 1, wherein at least voice data is exchanged between the portable telephone device and the external adapter.

9. The portable telephone device according to claim 8, wherein the external adapter is a headset having a speaker and a microphone.

10. The portable telephone device according to claim 8, wherein the external adapter is a camera adapter connected to a camera module, wherein image and voice data are exchanged between the portable telephone device and the camera adapter.

11. An external adapter connectable to a portable telephone device through a short-range wireless communication link, comprising:

an adapter monitor for monitoring quality of short-range communication with the portable telephone device; and

an adapter controller for activating the adapter monitor while the portable telephone device performing long-range communication with a base station of a mobile telephone system.

12. The external adapter according to claim 11, wherein, when the quality of short-range communication monitored becomes lower than a predetermined threshold level, the adapter controller renews a short-range communication link to the portable telephone device.

13. The external adapter according to claim 12, wherein the adapter controller renews a short-range communication link when the quality of short-range communication monitored has been lower than the predetermined threshold level for a predetermined time period.

14. A communication method for a portable telephone device comprising:

a long-range wireless communication section for communicating with a base station of a mobile telephone system to communicate with a party on other end of line; and

a short-range wireless communication section for communicating with an external adapter,

the method comprising;

monitoring quality of short-range communication with the external adapter during long-range communication;

when the quality of short-range communication monitored becomes lower than a predetermined threshold level, transmitting a voice guidance to the party on the other end of line; and

when receiving data from the party on the other end of line in response to the voice guidance, recording the data onto a data memory.

15. The communication method according to claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting a playback guidance to the party on the other end of line; and

when receiving a playback request in response to the playback guidance from the party on the other end of line, transmitting the data recorded to the party on the other end of line.

16. The communication method according to claim 14, further comprising:

when receiving a disconnect request from the external adapter, disconnecting an existing short-range wireless communication link; and

transmitting a connection request to the external adapter to renew a short-range wireless communication link.

17. The communication method according to claim 14, further comprising:

when the quality of short-range communication monitored becomes lower than the predetermined threshold level, transmitting a voice guidance to the external adapter.

18. A communication method between a portable telephone device and an external adapter,

the portable telephone device comprising:

a long-range wireless communication section for communicating with a base station of a mobile telephone system to communicate with a party on other end of line; and

a first short-range wireless communication section for communicating with the external adapter, and

the external adapter comprising;

a second short-range wireless communication section for communicating with the portable telephone device; and

an operation section,

the method comprising;

at the external adapter,

monitoring quality of short-range communication with the portable telephone device while the portable telephone device performing long-range communication with a base station;

when the quality of short-range communication monitored becomes lower than a predetermined threshold level, disconnecting an existing short-range wireless communication link depending on a user'"'"'s instruction;

transmitting a disconnect request to the portable telephone device;

at the portable telephone device,

disconnecting the existing short-range wireless communication link; and

transmitting a connection request to the external adapter to renew a short-range wireless communication link.

19. A communication system comprising a portable telephone device and an external adapter,

the portable telephone device comprising:

a long-range wireless communication section for communicating with a base station of a mobile telephone system to communicate with a party on other end of line;

a first short-range wireless communication section for communicating with the external adapter;

a first monitor for monitoring quality of short-range communication with the external adapter; and

a first controller for activating the monitor during long-range communication, and

the external adapter comprising;

a second short-range wireless communication section for communicating with the portable telephone device;

a second monitor for monitoring quality of short-range communication with the portable telephone device; and

a second controller for activating the adapter monitor while the portable telephone device performing long-range communication with a base station of the mobile telephone system.