Portable wireless communication device and methods of configuring same when connected to a vehicle

• US 20060234781A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bosch, James A. Van
• Application Number:
  US11/394,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20060234781A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/569.200
• 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:

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.

2. The portable wireless communication device in claim 1, wherein the first detector monitors whether a communication line connected to the first interface is grounded.

3. The portable wireless communication device in claim 1, wherein the second detector detects the presence of a resistor in the external antenna.

4. The portable wireless communication device in claim 1, wherein the microcomputer accesses the data associated with the power loss from a hands-free control unit in the vehicle.

5. The portable wireless communication device in claim 1, 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.

6. 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.

7. The method in claim 6, 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.

8. The method in claim 6, 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.

9. The method in claim 8, wherein the memory in the wireless communication device stores the data according to a plurality of frequency bands.

10. The method in claim 8, wherein the memory in the wireless communication device stores the data according to a type and make of vehicle.

11. The method in claim 6, 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.