In-car telephone system, hands-free unit and portable telephone unit

• US 20040204161A1
• Filed: 09/04/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Kitao, Hideki, Iwamoto, Shinichi, Yamato, Toshitaka
• Granted Patent: US 6,993,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

The present invention was achieved in order to provide an in-car telephone system of great convenience when switching between a hands-free conversation and a conversation using a handset of a portable telephone (a handset conversation), which has a portable telephone conducting wireless telephone communication and a hands-free unit, being connected to the portable telephone, which outputs a receiving voice from the portable telephone through a speaker arranged in a car and outputs an aural signal input from a microphone arranged in the car to the portable telephone as a transmitting signal, comprising a connection detector to detect the communicative connection between the portable telephone and the hands-free unit during a handset conversation using a microphone and a speaker included in the portable telephone, and a mode switching device to switch from a handset conversation condition to a hands-free conversation condition using the microphone and the speaker arranged in the hands-free unit when the connection between the portable telephone and the hands-free unit during a handset conversation is detected by the connection detector.

Claims

1. An in-car telephone system, having:

a portable telephone unit conducting wireless telephone communication; and

a hands-free unit, being connected to the portable telephone unit, which outputs a receiving voice from the portable telephone unit through a speaker arranged in a car, and outputs an aural signal input from a microphone arranged in the car to the portable telephone unit as a transmitting signal, comprising;

a connection detector to detect that the portable telephone unit and the hands-free unit were communicatively connected during a handset conversation with a microphone and a speaker included in the portable telephone unit; and

a mode switching device to switch from a handset conversation condition to a hands-free conversation condition with the microphone and the speaker arranged in the hands-free unit when the connection between the portable telephone unit and the hands-free unit during a handset conversation is detected by the connection detector.

2. An in-car telephone system according to claim 1, wherein the mode switching device switches to a combination mode in which both a handset conversation and a hands-free conversation can be held for a prescribed period after detecting the connection between the portable telephone unit and the hands-free unit.

3. An in-car telephone system according to claim 2, wherein the prescribed period of the combination mode is a prescribed time.

4. An in-car telephone system according to claim 3, comprising a combination time setting device to set the prescribed time defining the prescribed period of the combination mode.

5. An in-car telephone system according to claim 2, wherein the conclusion of the prescribed period of the combination mode is based on the instant when the portable telephone unit is placed on a mounting device arranged in the car.

6. An in-car telephone system according to claim 2, wherein the conclusion of the prescribed period of the combination mode is based on the instant when the wire connection between the portable telephone unit and the hands-free unit is established using a connector.

7. An in-car telephone system according to claim 2, wherein the conclusion of the prescribed period of the combination mode is based on the instant when an ignition switch is turned on.

8. An in-car telephone system according to claim 2, wherein the conclusion of the prescribed period of the combination mode is based on the instant when a hands-free conversation starting switch included in the hands-free unit is operated.

9. An in-car telephone system according to claim 4, wherein the upper limit of the prescribed time of the combination mode is a predetermined upper limit time.

10. An in-car telephone system according to claim 1, wherein the connection detector detects the communicative connection using a taking-a-seat sensor to detect an occupant'"'"'s taking a seat.

11. An in-car telephone system according to claim 1, wherein the connection detector detects the communicative connection by reason of a door of the car being unlocked and opened.

12. An in-car telephone system according to claim 1, comprising:

an off-operation detector to detect the off operation of an ignition switch during the hands-free conversation condition; and

a mode return device to switch from the hands-free conversation condition to the handset conversation condition when the off operation of the ignition switch is detected by the off-operation detector.

13. An in-car telephone system according to claim 12, wherein the mode return device switches to a return combination mode in which both a handset conversation and a hands-free conversation can be held for a prescribed period after detecting the off operation of the ignition switch.

14. An in-car telephone system according to claim 13, wherein the prescribed period of the return combination mode is a prescribed time.

15. An in-car telephone system according to claim 14, comprising a return combination time setting device to set the prescribed time defining the prescribed period of the return combination mode.

16. An in-car telephone system according to claim 13, wherein the conclusion of the prescribed period of the return combination mode is based on the instant when a handset conversation starting switch included in the portable telephone unit is operated.

17. An in-car telephone system according to claim 13, wherein the conclusion of the prescribed period of the return combination mode is based on the instant when it is detected that an occupant left the seat using a taking-a-seat sensor to detect an occupant'"'"'s taking a seat.

18. An in-car telephone system according to claim 13, wherein the conclusion of the prescribed period of the return combination mode is based on the instant when a door of the car is opened, closed again, and then locked.

19. An in-car telephone system according to claim 13, wherein the conclusion of the prescribed period of the return combination mode is based on the instant when wireless communication between the portable telephone unit and the hands-free unit becomes impossible.

20. An in-car telephone system according to claim 13, wherein the conclusion of the prescribed period of the return combination mode is based on the instant when it is detected that a connector through which wire connection between the portable telephone unit and the hands-free unit is established is unhooked.

21. An in-car telephone system according to claim 16, wherein the upper limit of the prescribed period of the return combination mode is a predetermined upper limit time.

22. An in-car telephone system according to claim 1, wherein the hands-free unit is connected so that full time power is supplied from a battery independently of the operation of the ignition switch.

23. An in-car telephone system according to claim 22, comprising:

a battery capacity detector to detect the capacity of the battery; and

a restriction device to restrict a hands-free conversation when a low capacity of the battery is detected by the battery capacity detector.

24. An in-car telephone system according to claim 23, comprising a restriction inhibiting device to inhibit the restriction of a hands-free conversation by the restriction device during working of the engine of the car.

25. An in-car telephone system according to claim 23 or 24, comprising an announcing device to announce the restriction of a hands-free conversation when a hands-free conversation is restricted by the restriction device.

26. A hands-free unit in the in-car telephone system according to claim 1.

27. A portable telephone unit in the in-car telephone system according to claim 1.

28. A hands-free unit, which is connected to a portable telephone unit conducting wireless telephone communication, which outputs a receiving voice from the portable telephone unit through a speaker arranged in a car and outputs an aural signal input from a microphone arranged in the car to the portable telephone unit as a transmitting signal, comprising:

a connection detector to detect the communicative connection with the portable telephone unit; and

a hands-free-unit-side mode switching device to start the hands-free conversation processing and transmit a hands-free conversation mode switching signal showing that the condition is changed to a hands-free conversation condition to the portable telephone unit, when the communicative connection with the portable telephone unit is detected by the connection detector.

29. A portable telephone unit, which is connectable to a hands-free unit which outputs a receiving voice from a portable telephone unit conducting wireless telephone communication through a speaker arranged in a car and outputs an aural signal input from a microphone arranged in the car to the portable telephone unit as a transmitting signal, comprising:

a switching signal receiving device to receive a hands-free conversation mode switching signal showing that the condition is changed to a hands-free conversation condition from the hands-free unit; and

a portable-telephone-side mode switching device to stop the handset conversation processing and start the hands-free conversation processing, when the switching signal receiving device receives a hands-free conversation mode switching signal.