HANDS-FREE INSTALLATION

• US 20090005125A2
• Filed: 02/06/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dietmar Jung, Edgar Venhofen
• Original Assignee: Dietmar Jung, Edgar Venhofen
• Inventors: Jung, Dietmar, Venhofen, Edgar
• Application Number:
  US12/026,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20080200217A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/569.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0264 for control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/001 Vehicle control means, e.g. steering-wheel or column
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface

Abstract

A hands-free installation for a mobile telephone comprises a housing and an electrical communication device, located in the housing, for communicating with the mobile telephone. In addition, the communication device has a microphone connected to it. According to the invention, the housing comprises a mounting apparatus for detachable connection to a steering-wheel ring on a motor vehicle steering wheel. This means that the hands-free installation allows good intelligibility to be achieved when telephoning without significantly increasing the risk of accident, and means that the hands-free installation can easily be integrated into a motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A hands-free installation for a mobile telephone, comprising:

a housing;

an electrical communication device, located in the housing, for communicating with the mobile telephone; and

a microphone connected to the communication device;

wherein;

the housing comprises a mounting apparatus for detachably connecting the hands-free installation to a steering-wheel ring of a motor vehicle steering wheel, and

the housing is adapted to fit a contour of the steering-wheel ring.

2. The hands-free installation according to claim 1, wherein the housing is adapted to fit a radially inwardly pointing contour of the steering-wheel ring.

3. The hands-free installation according to claim 1, wherein the mounting apparatus comprises a holding element, which is movable in a radial direction relative to the housing, for fixing the hands-free installation to the steering-wheel ring such that the hands-free installation cannot rotate about the steering-wheel ring.

4. The hands-free installation according to claim 3, wherein the holding element and/or a side of the hands-free installation which is opposite the holding element includes an elastic contact element arranged on it.

5. The hands-free installation according to claim 1, wherein the mounting apparatus includes a locking device for fixing the mounting apparatus to the steering-wheel ring in a mounted state.

6. The hands-free installation according to claim 1, wherein at least one loudspeaker is connected to the communication device and the housing comprises one or more loudspeaker outputs that point to a driver when the hands-free installation is in a mounted state on the steering-wheel ring.

7. The hands-free installation according to claim 1, wherein the mounting apparatus encompasses the steering-wheel ring in an angular range of ≧

180°

when the hands-free installation is in a mounted state on the steering-wheel ring.

8. The hands-free installation according to claim 1, wherein the communication device communicates with the mobile telephone wirelessly.

9. The hands-free installation according to claim 1, wherein the communication device is adapted to communicate with an external sound installation which comprises a loudspeaker so as to output sounds.

10. The hands-free installation according to claim 1, further comprises a fold-back display for presenting information.

11. The hands-free installation according to claim 4, wherein the elastic contact element is made of rubber.

12. The hands-free installation according to claim 1, wherein the mounting apparatus encompasses the steering-wheel ring in an angular range of ≧

190°

when the hands-free installation is in a mounted state on the steering-wheel ring.

13. The hands-free installation according to claim 1, wherein the mounting apparatus encompasses the steering-wheel ring in an angular range of ≧

220°

when the hands-free installation is in a mounted state on the steering-wheel ring.

14. The hands-free installation according to claim 1, wherein the mounting apparatus encompasses the steering-wheel ring in an angular range of ≧

270°

when the hands-free installation is in a mounted state on the steering-wheel ring.

15. The hands-free installation according to claim 8, wherein the communication device communicates with the mobile telephone wirelessly by radio.

16. The hands-free installation according to claim 8, wherein the communication device communicates with the mobile telephone wirelessly by means of BLUETOOTH technology.

17. The hands-free installation according to claim 9, wherein the external sound installation is a car radio and/or a CD player.

18. The hands-free installation according to claim 9, wherein the communication device communicates with the external sound installation using A2DP.

19. The hands-free installation according to claim 10, wherein the fold-back display communicates with the mobile telephone and/or a position finding system.

20. The hands-free installation according to claim 10, wherein the fold-back display is a color-adjustable backlit full display for presenting at least 14 characters per line.