Portable terminal system, option apparatus for portable terminal unit, and method for connecting portable terminal unit and option apparatus for portable terminal unit

• US 6,208,867 B1
• Filed: 04/17/1998
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRAVER, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US09/062,101
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 455/462, 455/11.1, 455/31.3, 455/74.1, 455/559, 455/568, 455/569, 455/90, 455/575, 455/557, 455/41, 370/277-279, 370/283, 359/109, 359/113, 359/135-7, 379/55.1, 379/56-- 5
• US Class Current: 455/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A portable terminal system is arranged by an option apparatus 1 for a portable terminal unit and a portable terminal unit. The option apparatus 1 for the portable terminal unit communicates with a base station by using electromagnetic waves by a first radio transmitter/receiver circuit 11, and further communicates with the portable terminal unit 2 by using infrared radiation by a first infrared type connection apparatus 16. On the other hand, the portable terminal unit 2 communicates with the option apparatus 1 used with the portable terminal unit by using infrared radiation by a second infrared type connection apparatus. Since the option apparatus 1 for the portable terminal unit is connected to the portable terminal 2 by way of the infrared radiation, the connection works can be readily performed, and further various types of portable terminal units can be mutually connected to various sorts of option apparatuses for portable terminal units.

Claims

1. A portable terminal system comprising:

a portable terminal unit; and

an option apparatus used with said portable terminal unit, wherein said option apparatus is comprised of;

a first infrared receiving unit that receives infrared radiation sent from said portable terminal unit and converts said received infrared radiation into a first electric signal;

a first infrared emitting unit that converts a second electric signal into infrared radiation and transmits said converted infrared radiation to said portable terminal unit;

a first radio transmitter/receiver unit that receives electromagnetic waves transmitted from a base station, derives a second information signal from said received electromagnetic waves and converts a first information signal supplied from a first control unit into electromagnetic waves and transmits said converted electromagnetic waves to the base station; and

said first control unit being operative to produce said second electric signal based on said second information signal and to supply said produced second electric signal to said first infrared emitting unit, and further operative to produce said first information signal based on said first electric signal acquired from said first infrared receiving unit and to supply said produced first information signal to said first radio transmitter/receiver unit; and

wherein

said portable terminal unit is comprised of;

a second infrared receiving unit that receives infrared radiation sent from said option apparatus used with the portable terminal unit and converts said received infrared radiation into a third electric signal;

a second infrared emitting unit that converts a fourth electric signal into infrared radiation and transmits said converted infrared radiation to said option apparatus;

a second control unit that produces a third information signal based on said third electric signal derived from said second infrared receiving unit, produces said fourth electric signal based on said fourth information signal and transmits said produced fourth electric signal to said second infrared emitting unit;

a second radio transmitter/receiver unit that receives electromagnetic waves transmitted from the base station and derives a fourth information signal from said received electromagnetic waves;

said radio transmitter/receiver further being operative to convert said third information signal into electromagnetic waves and to transmit said converted electromagnetic waves to said base station; and

said second control unit being operative to produce said fourth electric signal based on said fourth information signal and to supply said produced fourth electric signal to said second infrared emitting unit, and

further operative to produce said third information signal based on said third electric signal and to supply said third information signal to said second radio transmitter/receiver unit.

2. A portable terminal system according to claim 1, wherein

said portable terminal unit is a portable telephone.

3. A portable terminal system according to claim 2, wherein

said option apparatus used with the portable terminal unit is arranged by a hands-free adapter.

4. A portable terminal system according to claim 3, wherein

said option apparatus used with the portable terminal unit includes:

a housing for said first infrared receiving unit, said first infrared emitting unit, said first radio transmitter/ receiver unit, and said first control unit, and wherein;

said housing includes a concave portion for storing said portable terminal unit.

5. A portable terminal system according to claim 4, wherein said first infrared receiving unit of said option apparatus used with the portable terminal unit is positioned opposite to said second infrared emitting unit of said portable terminal unit, and said first infrared emitting unit of said option apparatus used with the portable terminal unit is positioned opposite to said second infrared receiving unit of said portable terminal unit when said portable terminal unit is stored in said concave portion of said option apparatus housing.

6. A portable terminal system comprising:

a portable terminal unit;

an option apparatus used with said portable terminal unit; and

a cable connecting said portable terminal unit to said option apparatus,

said option apparatus being comprised of;

a first connection circuit coupled to said cable;

a first key switch input unit;

a first infrared receiving unit that receives a first infrared signal from said portable terminal unit and converts said first infrared signal into a first electric signal;

a first infrared emitting unit that converts a second electric signal into a second infrared signal and transmits said second infrared signal to said portable terminal unit;

a first control unit;

a first radio transmitter/receiver unit that receives electromagnetic waves transmitted from a base station, derives a second information signal from said received electromagnetic waves, converts a first information signal supplied by said first control unit into electromagnetic waves and transmits said electromagnetic waves to the base station;

said first control unit being operative to produce said second electric signal based on said second information signal, to supply said second electric signal to said first infrared emitting unit, to produce said first information signal based on said first electric signal, to supply said first information signal to said first radio transmitter/receiver unit and to selectively activate said first connection circuit or said first infrared receiving unit and said first infrared emitting unit in response to an instruction issued from said first key switch input unit;

said portable terminal unit being comprised of;

a second infrared receiving unit that receives said second infrared signal and converts said second infrared signal into a third electric signal;

a second infrared emitting unit that converts a fourth electric signal into said first infrared signal and transmits said first infrared signal to said option apparatus;

a second control unit that produces a third information signal based on said third electric signal, supplies said third information signal to said second radio transmitter/receiver unit, produces said fourth electric signal based on a fourth information signal, and provides said fourth electric signal to said second infrared emitting unit;

a second radio transmitter/receiver unit that receives electromagnetic waves transmitted from the base station, derives said fourth information signal from said received electromagnetic waves, converts said third information signal into electromagnetic waves and transmits said converted electromagnetic waves to the base station;

a second connection circuit coupled to said cable; and

a second key switch input unit;

said second control unit being further operative to selectively activate said second connection circuit or said second infrared receiving unit and said second infrared emitting unit in response to an instruction issued from said second key switch input unit.

7. A portable terminal system according to claim 6, wherein

said portable terminal unit is a portable telephone.

8. A method for connecting a portable terminal unit to an option apparatus used with the portable terminal unit, comprising:

as a first step, transmitting information from said option apparatus to said portable terminal unit; and

as a second step, transmitting information from said portable terminal unit to said option apparatus,

said first step comprising, in said option apparatus;

receiving electromagnetic waves transmitted from a base station;

deriving a first information signal from the received electromagnetic waves;

converting the derived first information signal into a first infrared signal, and

transmitting said first infrared signal to said portable terminal unit; and

, in said portable terminal unit;

receiving said first infrared signal; and

deriving a second information signal from said first infrared signal;

said second step comprising,

in said portable terminal unit;

converting a third information signal into a second infrared signal; and

transmitting the second infrared signal to said option apparatus; and

, in said option apparatus;

receiving said second infrared signal;

deriving a fourth information signal from the received infrared radiation;

converting the fourth information signal into electromagnetic waves; and

transmitting the converted electromagnetic waves to the base station;

said first step further comprising, in said option apparatus;

converting a fifth information signal into a third infrared signal; and

transmitting the fifth infrared signal to said portable terminal unit; and

in said portable terminal unit;

receiving said third infrared signal;

deriving a sixth information signal from said third infrared signal;

converting the sixth information signal into electromagnetic waves, and transmitting said converted electromagnetic waves to the base station;

said second step further comprising, in said portable terminal unit;

receiving electromagnetic waves transmitted from the base station;

deriving a seventh information signal from said received electromagnetic waves;

converting said seventh information signal into a fourth infrared signal; and

transmitting said fourth infrared signal to said option apparatus; and

in said option apparatus;

receiving said fourth infrared signal.