In-vehicle apparatus with radio transmission restricting function and radio transmission restricting system

• US 20090004968A1
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Miyake, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/26.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/02 Reducing interference from electric apparatus by means located at or near the interfering apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2215/062 by inhibiting burst transmission

Abstract

An in-vehicle apparatus determines in the vicinity the presence of a portable terminal designated with a device requiring restriction on radio transmission as a device name thereof. Radio transmission from a cellular phone is thereby restricted. In contrast, when determining in the vicinity the absence of the portable terminal designated with a device requiring restriction on radio transmission, the restriction on radio transmission from the cellular phone is removed. In the event of a person with a cardiac pacemaker getting on the vehicle, if the person carries a portable terminal designated with a device requiring restriction on radio transmission as a device name, the concern of the person about a possibility that the cellular phone has a bad influence on the cardiac pacemaker can be prevented.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle apparatus having a radio transmission restricting function and provided in a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a phoning control unit configured to control operation of a phoning device to send a radio wave of a predetermined frequency to a base station; and

a vicinity searching control unit configured to perform a search to determine whether or not a portable terminal, which requires a restriction on radio transmission, exists in a vicinity,

wherein the phoning control unit is further configured to perform a restriction on radio transmission from the phoning device when it is determined that the portable terminal requiring the restriction exists in the vicinity.

2. The in-vehicle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the phoning control unit is further configured to remove the restriction on radio transmission from the phoning device when it is determined that the portable terminal requiring the restriction does not exist in the vicinity while performing the restriction.

3. The in-vehicle apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a door determining control unit configured to determine whether opening and closing of a door, via which a passenger gets on and off, are performed; and

a get-on-and-off determining control unit configured to determine whether a change occurs in getting on and off via the door,

wherein when it is determined that the opening and the closing of the door are performed and it is determined that the change occurs, the vicinity searching control unit is further configured to start the search to determine whether or not a portable terminal requiring a restriction on radio transmission exists in a vicinity.

4. The in-vehicle apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a distance determining control unit configured to determine whether a distance traveled after the vehicle starts a travel reaches a predetermined distance,

wherein when it is determined that the distance reaches the predetermined distance, the vicinity searching control unit is further configured to start the search to determine whether or not a portable terminal requiring a restriction on radio transmission exists in a vicinity.

5. The in-vehicle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the vicinity searching control unit includes a short range wireless communication device to perform a short range wireless communication with a portable terminal, the short range wireless communication device is configured to search for a portable terminal transmitting specific information indicative of a device, which is permitted to require a restriction on radio transmission, to thereby perform the search to determine whether a portable terminal requiring a restriction on radio transmission exists in a vicinity.

6. The in-vehicle apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the short range wireless communication device is configured to transmit to the phoning device a transmission sound, which is to be transmitted to the base station from the phoning device while receiving from the phoning device a reception sound, which is received by the phoning device from the base station, when the phoning control unit is removing the restriction on radio transmission from the phoning device.

7. A radio transmission restricting system comprising:

the in-vehicle apparatus with the radio transmission restricting function according to claim 5; and

a portable terminal configured to transmit specific information indicative of a device, which is permitted to require a restriction on radio transmission when existing in a communication area of the short range wireless communication device.