CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT FOR A MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS UNIT OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, MOTOR VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A CIRCUIT ARRANGMENT

• US 20150181644A1
• Filed: 07/11/2013
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Ehrentraut, Herbert
• Granted Patent: US 9,635,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/005 adapting radio receivers, transmitters andtransceivers for operation on two or more bands, i.e. frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A circuit arrangement for a mobile radio unit of a motor vehicle has a first mobile radio module for mobile radio transmission according to a first mobile radio standard, and a second mobile radio module for mobile radio transmission according to a second mobile radio standard, the first mobile radio module having a communication interface which is intended to interchange control and useful data and is connected to an electrical connection for electrically connecting the circuit arrangement to an external processor unit. The first mobile radio module has an additional interface which is used to electrically connect the first mobile radio module to a communication interface of the second mobile radio module, which communication interface is designed to interchange control and useful data. Reliable mobile radio transmission is enabled for voice data and other digital useful data with little development and circuit complexity.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A circuit arrangement for a mobile radio unit of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a first mobile radio module for mobile radio transmission according to a first mobile radio standard, the first mobile radio module having first and second interfaces, the first interface being a communication interface to interchange control and useful data with an external processor unit via an electrical connection that electrically connects the circuit arrangement to the external processor unit, the external processor unit being external to the circuit arrangement;

a second mobile radio module for mobile radio transmission according to a second mobile radio standard, the second mobile radio module having a communication coupling, the communication coupling being a communication interface that electrically connects to the first mobile radio module via the second interface of the first mobile radio module, so that the first and second mobile radio modules can interchange control and useful data via the communication coupling of the second mobile radio module and the second interface of the first mobile radio module; and

a switch to selectively transmit data to the first mobile radio module or the second mobile radio module.

15. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein

the switch is a transfer device provided in the first mobile radio module, and

the transfer device selectively transfers a signal between the first and second interfaces of the first mobile radio module.

16. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein

the communication interfaces of the first and second mobile radio modules each comprise an audio connection to transmit and/or receive audio signals, and

the transfer device transmits the audio signals between the electrical connection and the audio connection of the second mobile radio module, the audio signals being transferred via the audio connection of the first mobile radio module.

17. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein

the first mobile radio module has a control device to generate control commands to control the second mobile radio module, and

the control commands are transmitted to the second mobile radio module via the second interface of the first mobile radio module.

18. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first mobile radio module serially receives identification data relating to a user from a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) via a connection of the first interface of the first mobile radio module.

19. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein

identification data relating to a user is received from a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) via the electric connection, and

the circuit arrangement further comprises:

a SIM chip operable by a vehicle manufacturer; and

a switch to switch between the SIM chip and the identification data received via the electrical connection.

20. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first interface comprises:

an audio connection to transmit and receive audio signals,

a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) connection to receive identification data, and

an control connection to receive control commands.

21. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second mobile radio module is a Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication module.

22. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first mobile radio module is selected from the group consisting of a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System/ Global System for Mobile (UMTS/GSM) module, an Long-Term Evolution (LTE) module, and an LTE/UMTS/GSM module.

23. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first and second mobile radio modules are arranged on a common plug-in card.

24. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein the electrical connection and the first and second mobile radio modules are arranged on a common plug-in card.

25. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

a main antenna connection to connect a main antenna;

a secondary antenna connection to connect an additional antenna; and

a switching device to couple the first mobile radio module to the main antenna connection and the second mobile radio module to the secondary antenna connection in a first switching state and to couple the first mobile radio module to the secondary antenna connection and the second mobile radio module to the main antenna connection in a second switching state, for radio signal transmission to/from the first mobile radio module and/or the second mobile radio module.

26. A motor vehicle having a mobile radio unit with a circuit arrangement comprising:

a first mobile radio module for mobile radio transmission according to a first mobile radio standard, the first mobile radio module having first and second interfaces, the first interface being a communication interface to interchange control and useful data with an external processor unit via an electrical connection that electrically connects the circuit arrangement to the external processor unit, the external processor unit being external to the circuit arrangement;

a second mobile radio module for mobile radio transmission according to a second mobile radio standard, the second mobile radio module having a communication coupling, the communication coupling being a communication interface that electrically connects to the first mobile radio module via the second interface of the first mobile radio module, so that the first and second mobile radio modules can interchange control and useful data via the communication coupling of the second mobile radio module and the second interface of the first mobile radio module; and

a switch to selectively transmit data to the first mobile radio module or the second mobile radio module.

27. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 26, wherein

the motor vehicle comprises the external processor unit,

the external processor unit is coupled to the first mobile radio module via the electrical connection and the first interface of the first mobile radio module, and

the external processor unit interchanges data with a mobile radio network via the electrical connection and the first interface of the first mobile radio module.

28. A method for operating a circuit arrangement for a mobile radio unit of a motor vehicle, the circuit arrangement comprising:

a first mobile radio module for mobile radio transmission according to a first mobile radio standard, the first mobile radio module having first and second interfaces, the first interface being a communication interface to interchange control and useful data with an external processor unit via an electrical connection that electrically connects the circuit arrangement to the external processor unit, the external processor unit being external to the circuit arrangement;

a second mobile radio module for mobile radio transmission according to a second mobile radio standard, the second mobile radio module having a communication coupling, the communication coupling being a communication interface that electrically connects to the first mobile radio module via the second interface of the first mobile radio module, so that the first and second mobile radio modules can interchange control and useful data via the communication coupling of the second mobile radio module and the second interface of the first mobile radio module; and

a switch to selectively transmit data to the first mobile radio module or the second mobile radio module, the method comprising;

receiving control commands at the first mobile radio module via the first interface of the first mobile radio module; and

examining the control commands at the first mobile radio module to determine whether each control command is intended for the first mobile radio module or the second mobile radio module; and

controlling the second mobile radio module according to commands intended for the second mobile radio module, the second mobile radio module being controlled by the first mobile radio module via the second interface of the first mobile radio module.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein

the first mobile radio module receives useful data at one of the first and second interfaces, and

the first mobile radio module transmits the useful data to the other of the first and second interfaces.

30. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein

the first mobile radio module transfers to the second interface, useful data received at the first interface, and

the first mobile radio module transfers to the first interface, useful data received at the second interface.

31. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein

for mobile radio transmission of telephony data and internet data, the switch routes the telephony data and the internet data to different respective mobile radio modules.

32. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein

the switch is provided in the first mobile radio module.