Communication system for controlling data processing according to a state of a communication terminal device

• US 6,122,682 A
• Filed: 03/23/1998
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Andrews, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cao, Chun
• Application Number:
  US09/045,644
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 701/211, 701/220, 340/995, 340/996, 710/38, 710/65, 710/69, 710/106, 710/131, 710/14
• US Class Current: 710/65
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/667 Preventing unauthorised calls from a telephone set H04M1/677 takes precedence

Abstract

A subject is to select a type of an output depending on a user'"'"'s state. A file type recognizer (14) recognizes whether an incoming file has audio data, graphic data, or text data, and informs a command processor (26) of it. The command processor (26) determines whether a vehicle is in motion or not by a detection result from a motion/speed sensor (28), and controls a graphic/audio converter (20) and a text/audio converter (24). If a vehicle is in motion, text data is converted to audio data by the text/audio converter (24) and output from a speaker (18). Graphic data is converted into an audio summary by a graphic data converter and output from the speaker (18).

Claims

1. A communication terminal device used in a communication system, comprising:

a receiver for receiving data;

a data type detector for detecting the data type of the received data;

a state detector for detecting a state of the communication terminal device;

a converter for converting the received data to an appropriate data type in accordance with the data type detected by the data type detector and the state detected by the state detector;

an output device for outputting the data converted;

an input device for inputting data;

a composer composing outgoing data in a plurality of data types in accordance with a data input by the input device;

an inferring device for inferring the data type of the outgoing data which is suitable for a transmitter of the communication terminal device; and

a transmitter for transmitting the outgoing data composed by the composer, wherein the outgoing data in a data type inferred by the inferring device is composed by the composer and transmits the composed outgoing data by the transmitter.

2. A communications terminal device according to claim 1, wherein

the communications terminal device is located in a vehicle and the state detector detects the motion state of the vehicle.

3. A communications terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a table for storing relationships between states and data types suitable for each state;

a comparator for comparing a data type which is determined by the state detector to be suitable for the state and a data type of the received data detected by the data type detector;

whereby the convertor converts the data type of the received data into another type if the comparison result of both data types detected by the comparator is different.

4. A communications terminal device according to claim 3, wherein

the communications terminal device is located in a vehicle and the state detector detects the motion state of the vehicle.

5. A communications terminal device according to claim 4, wherein

types of data to be transmitted include at least a text type and an audio type, and

a convertor that decides, in a case of received data being text data, whether the text data should be output as it is or the text data should be converted into audio data, in accordance with a motion state detected by the state detector.

6. A communication terminal device used in a communication system, comprising:

a receiver for receiving data;

a data type detector for detecting the data type of the received data;

a state detector for detecting whether or not the communication terminal device is moving;

a converter for converting the received data to an appropriate data type in accordance with the data type detected by the data type detector and the state detected by the state detector;

an output device for outputting the data converted;

an input device for inputting data;

a composer composing outgoing data in a plurality of data types in accordance with a data input by the input device;

an inferring device for inferring the data type of the outgoing data which is suitable for a transmitter of the communication terminal device; and

a transmitter for transmitting the outgoing data composed by the composer, wherein the outgoing data in a data type inferred by the inferring device is composed by the composer and transmits the composed outgoing data by the transmitter.

7. A communication apparatus which performs data communications in a plurality of data types wherein a receiver recognizes a pre-determined data type of received data, detects a state of the apparatus, converts the data type of the received data in accordance with the state detected, and outputs the converted data, receives input data from an input device, composes outgoing data in at least one of a plurality of data types in accordance with the input data, infers the data type of the outgoing data so that it is suitable for a transmitter of the apparatus in accordance with the state detected, and transmits the outgoing data composed by the composer.

8. A storing medium for storing a program to control data processing by a communication terminal device, wherein the program detects the data type of the received data and the state of the communication terminal device, and converts the received data to the state of the communication terminal device, receives input data from an input device, composes outgoing data in at least one of a plurality of data types in accordance with the input data, infers the data type of the outgoing data so that it is suitable for the communication terminal device in accordance with the state detected, and transmits the outgoing data composed by the composer.