Integrated cellular telephone and vehicular audio system
DCFirst Claim
1. Apparatus for interfacing a shared output transducer with a program audio source and a telephone comprising:
- input means for receiving program audio signals from said program audio source and phone audio signals from said telephone;
output means coupled to said input means for selectably coupling said program audio signals or said phone audio signals to said shared output transducer or for selectably coupling simultaneously both said program audio signals and said phone audio signals to said shared output transducer; and
control means coupled to said input means and said output means for selecting said program audio signals and said phone audio signals simultaneously when said program audio source and said telephone are both in use and a call is not in progress and for selecting only said phone audio signals when a call is in progress.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An output transducer and amplifier are shared between an audio system and a cellular Phone in an automotive vehicle. An interface arbitrates between the program audio signals and the phone audio signals to select or deselect each of the audio signals depending on the status of each audio source. When only one source is in use then normally the audio signals from that source are selected. If both sources are turned on but a phone call is not in progress, then audio signals from both sources are simultaneously presented to the output transducers after summing. When a call is in progress, only the phone audio signals are selected.
136 Citations
14 Claims
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1. Apparatus for interfacing a shared output transducer with a program audio source and a telephone comprising:
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input means for receiving program audio signals from said program audio source and phone audio signals from said telephone; output means coupled to said input means for selectably coupling said program audio signals or said phone audio signals to said shared output transducer or for selectably coupling simultaneously both said program audio signals and said phone audio signals to said shared output transducer; and control means coupled to said input means and said output means for selecting said program audio signals and said phone audio signals simultaneously when said program audio source and said telephone are both in use and a call is not in progress and for selecting only said phone audio signals when a call is in progress. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. Apparatus for interfacing a shared output transducer with a program audio source and a telephone comprising:
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summing means having a plurality of inputs and a summed output for coupling to said shared output transducer; first switch means for receiving program audio signals from said program audio source and for controllably coupling said program audio signals to one of said inputs of said summing means; second switch means for receiving phone audio signals from said telephone and for controllably coupling said phone audio signals to another one of said inputs of said summing means; and control means coupled to said first switch means and said second switch means for setting said first and second switch means to couple said program audio signals and said phone audio signals simultaneously to said summing means when said program audio source and said telephone are both in use and a call is not in progress and for setting said first and second switch means to couple only said phone audio signals to said summing means when a call is in progress. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. An entertainment and communication system comprising:
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a program audio source providing program audio signals and a first control signal when said program audio source is in use; a telephone providing phone audio signals and a second control signal when said telephone is in use and providing a third control signal when a call is in progress; a shared transducer for converting said program audio signals and said phone audio signals into sound; and interface means coupled to said program audio source, said telephone, and said shared transducer for summing said program audio signals and said phone audio signals when said first and second controls signals indicate that said program audio source and said telephone are in use and said third control signal indicates that a call is not in progress. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for sharing an output transducer between a program audio source and a telephone, said program audio source providing program audio signals and a first control signal when said program audio source is in use and said telephone providing phone audio signals and a second control signal when said telephone is in use and providing a third control signal when a call is in progress, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing only said program audio signals to said output transducer when only said first control signal is present; providing only said phone audio signals to said output transducer when only said second control signal is present; providing both said program audio signals and said phone audio signals to said output transducer when said first and second control signals are present and said third control signal is absent; and providing only said phone audio signals to said output transducer when said third control signal is present.
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14. A method for selecting signals for transducing into audible sound in an entertainment and communications system including a program audio source producing program audio signals and a telephone for conducting a call and producing phone audio signals including dialing tones and ringing tones, said method comprising the steps of:
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selecting only said program audio signals when only said program audio source is in use; selecting only said phone audio signals when only said telephone is in use; selecting said program audio signals, said dialing tones, and said ringing tones for simultaneous transducing into audible sound when both said program audio source and said telephone are in use but a call is not in progress; and deselecting said program audio signals when a call is in progress.
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Specification