Vehicular communications system

• US 5,553,117 A
• Filed: 01/03/1994
• Issued: 09/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 51 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Danny R. Peterson
• Inventors: George, Clement A. III, Peterson, Danny R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, CHEUKFAN
• Application Number:
  US08/176,827
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/61, 379/63, 455/76, 455/77
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Disclosed is a communications device which includes an integral cellular telephone and two-way radio. The cellular telephone and the two-way radio controlled from a common handset unit. The device has the range and relative transmission security of a cellular telephone while allowing radio transmissions to be monitored.

Claims

1. A vehicular communications system comprising a cellular telephone unit and a two-way radio unit having a common control unit, wherein:

(a) the common control unit is a handset having means for selectively activating either the cellular telephone unit or the two-way radio unit and the handset has an integral microphone and receiver; and

(b) the cellular telephone unit comprises a logic unit, a frequency synthesizer, a transmitting amplifier, a duplexer, a serial number module, and a receiver, and the cellular telephone unit receives frequencies in the range from about 870 MHz to about 890 MHZ, and the cellular telephone units receives about 666 channels, and the frequency synthesizer at the direction of the logic unit generates a signal which is amplified at the direction of the logic unit to a required transmitting strength; and

(c) the two-way radio comprises a frequency demodulator, at least one RF amplifier, a receiving oscillator and a low pass filter, and the handset is connected in circuit with the logic unit if the cellular telephone and the frequency modulator and frequency demodulator, and the two-way radio unit is an FM radio operating at a frequency of from about 26.965 MHz to about 27.405 MHz, and the two-way radio unit operates on about 40 channels, and transmitted voice signals from the handset are modulated in the frequency modulator of the two-way radio unit, and in the two-way radio unit the transmitting oscillator creates a frequency for a selected channel, and the signal from the frequency modulator is amplified in one of the RF amplifiers after which the signal is sent through the low pass filter, and signals received in the two way radio unit are applied to a second RF amplifier and then to the mixer which operates at a frequency determined by the receiving oscillator after which they are buffered by a third RF amplifier after which they are demodulated by the frequency demodulator and then heard by means of the speaker in the handset, and the handset is equipped with and a power ON-OFF switch, a cellular telephone and two-way radio switch and a push button switch for transmitting on the two-way radio.

2. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the cellular telephone unit is equipped with an antenna having an airwound phasing coil.

3. The communications system of claim 2 wherein cellular telephone unit antenna is about 1 foot or less in length.

4. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the two-way radio unit have a quarter wave length whip antenna.

5. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the two way radio unit antenna has a length in feet of about the number 469 divided by the operating frequency in MHz.

6. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the handset is equipped with a dialed number/channel display and dialing pushbuttons.