Cellular telephone

• US 6,366,787 B1
• Filed: 04/13/1999
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Iwamoto, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US09/289,978
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550, 455/561, 455/575, 455/555, 455/557, 455/558, 455/553, 455/428, 455/420, 455/426, 455/556
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Providing a cellular telephone which does not use a digital cellular adapter and permits direct connection to an information processing apparatus for data communications. A serial data communication connection unit is directly connected to an information processing apparatus. A digital data communication processing unit interprets a command from the information processing apparatus for applying a control command to a controlling unit. Responding to the control command, the controlling unit controls a radio communication unit for issuing a call while controlling a switching unit for connection between the radio communication unit and the digital data communication processing unit thereby establishing a data communication channel. Communication data sent from the information processing apparatus is encoded by the digital data communication processing unit to be transmitted through the switching unit from the radio communication unit. Thus, the data communications are provided by directly connecting the cellular telephone to the information processing apparatus without using the digital cellular adapter.

Claims

1. A cellular telephone comprising:

a radio communication unit for carrying out radio communications with a base station;

a serial data communication connection unit directly connected to an information processing apparatus, for transmitting/receiving a signal to/from the information processing apparatus;

a controlling unit;

a digital data communication processing unit for encoding/decoding input/output communication data and for interpreting a command from the information processing apparatus into a command recognizable by the controlling unit; and

a switching unit interposed between the radio communication unit and the digital data communication processing unit,

wherein the controlling unit controls the radio communication unit and the switching unit and is responsive to the command interpreted by the digital data communication processing unit to control the radio communication unit to issue a call for line request, and

wherein the digital data communication processing unit provides a result code indicative of successful line connection to the information processing device, thereby establishing a data communication channel between the radio communication unit and the information processing device via a communication path including the serial data communication connection unit, the digital data communication processing unit, and the switching unit.

4. The cellular telephone of claim 1, further comprising:

an operation unit for inputting a voice communication control signal in the controlling unit based on an operation by a user;

a voice input/output unit for carrying out voice communications; and

a conversion unit interposed between the voice input/output unit and the switching unit and performing digital/analog conversion or analog/digital conversion on a signal to be inputted/outputted,

wherein the controlling unit responds to the voice communication control signal inputted from the operation unit to control the radio communication unit and the switching unit for establishment of a voice communication channel, and responds to the command interpreted by the digital data communication processing unit to establish the data communication channel and then sustaining the data communication channel during the establishment thereof, despite an input of the voice communication control signal from the operation unit.

7. The cellular telephone of claim 4, further comprising:

a preference operation unit for inputting a priority signal in the controlling unit in response to an operation by a user,

wherein the controlling unit responds to the inputted priority signal to establish the voice communication channel based on the voice communication control signal from the operation unit, despite the command supplied thereto.

10. The cellular telephone of claim 1, further comprising:

voice circuitry for voice communication,

wherein the controlling unit controls the switching unit to couple either voice communication or data communication to/from the radio communication unit.

11. The cellular telephone of claim 10, wherein the voice circuitry comprises:

a voice input/output unit; and

a conversion unit for analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversions.

12. The cellular telephone of claim 1, further comprising:

an operation unit operable to input information to the controlling unit.

13. The cellular telephone of claim 12, wherein the controlling unit is disabled from responding to input from the operation unit during data communication.

14. The cellular telephone of claim 1, further comprising:

a preference operation unit operable to input a priority signal for switching from data communication to voice communication.

2. A cellular telephone comprising:

a radio communication unit for carrying out radio communications with a base station;

a first serial data communication connection unit directly connected to an information processing apparatus for transmitting/receiving a signal to/from the information processing apparatus;

a digital data communication processing unit for encoding/decoding input/output communication data and for interpreting a command from the information processing apparatus so as to apply the command to a controlling unit;

a second serial data communication connection unit indirectly connected to the information processing apparatus via an adapter for encoding/decoding input/output communication data and for interpreting a command;

a data judging unit for determining whether the signal from the second serial data communication connection unit represents the command or the communication data and applying the command to the controlling unit but allowing the communication data to pass therethrough;

a switching unit connected to the radio communication unit, the digital data communication processing unit and the data judging unit; and

the controlling unit for, when the information processing apparatus is directly connected to the first serial data communication connection unit, responding to the command from the digital data communication processing unit to control the radio communication unit and the switching unit for establishment of a data communication channel and for, when the information processing apparatus is connected to the second serial data communication connection unit via the adapter, responding to the command from the data judging unit to control the radio communication unit and the switching unit for establishment of the data communication channel.

5. The cellular telephone of claim 2, further comprising:

an operation unit for inputting a voice communication control signal in the controlling unit based on an operation by a user;

a voice input/output unit for carrying out voice communications; and

a conversion unit interposed between the voice input/output unit and the switching unit and performing digital/analog conversion or analog/digital conversion on a signal to be inputted/outputted,

wherein the controlling unit responds to the voice communication control signal inputted from the operation unit to control the radio communication unit and the switching unit for establishment of a voice communication channel, and responds to the command from the digital data communication processing unit or the data judging unit to establish the data communication channel and then sustains the data communication channel during the establishment thereof, despite an input of the voice communication control signal from the operation unit.

8. The cellular telephone of claim 5, further comprising:

a preference operation unit for inputting a priority signal in the controlling unit in response to an operation by a user,

wherein the controlling unit responds to the inputted priority signal to establish the voice communication channel based on the voice communication control signal from the operation unit, despite the command supplied thereto.

15. The cellular telephone of claim 2, further comprising:

voice circuitry for voice communication,

wherein the controlling unit controls the switching unit to couple either voice communication or data communication to/from the radio communication unit.

16. The cellular telephone of claim 15, wherein said voice circuitry comprises:

a voice input/output unit; and

a conversion unit for analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversions.

17. The cellular telephone of claim 15, wherein the switching unit comprises a first switching section and a second switching section,

the first switching section being connected to the voice circuitry and the second switching section, and

the second switching section being connected to the digital data communication processing unit and the data judging circuit.

18. The cellular telephone of claim 2, further comprising:

an operation unit operable to input information to the controlling unit.

19. The cellular telephone of claim 18, wherein the controlling unit is disabled from responding to input from the operation unit during data communication.

20. The cellular telephone of claim 2, further comprising:

a preference operation unit operable to input a priority signal for switching from data communication to voice communication.

3. A cellular telephone comprising:

a radio communication unit for carrying out radio communications with a base station;

a serial data communication connection unit directly connected to an information processing apparatus or indirectly connected to the information processing apparatus via an adapter for encoding/decoding input/output communication data and interpreting a command;

a data analyzing unit for analyzing a signal from the serial data communication connection unit for determining whether the signal is directly inputted from the information processing apparatus or indirectly inputted therefrom via said adapter and further determining whether the inputted signal represents the command or the communication data so as to apply the command to the controlling unit and to allow the communication data to pass therethrough;

a digital data communication processing unit for encoding/decoding the input/output communication data and interpreting the command so as to apply the command to a controlling unit;

a first switching unit connected to the radio communication unit;

a second switching unit connected to the first switching unit, the digital data communication processing unit, and the data analyzing unit; and

the controlling unit for, when the signal subjected to the data analyzing unit is determined to be the direct input from the information processing apparatus, responding to the command interpreted by the data analyzing unit to control the second switching unit for connection between the digital data communication processing unit and the data analyzing unit while responding to the command interpreted by the digital data communication processing unit to control the radio communication unit and the first switching unit for establishment of a data communication channel and for, when the signal subjected to the data analyzing unit is determined to be the indirect input via the adapter, responding to the command from the data analyzing unit to control the radio communication unit, the first switching unit and the second switching unit for direct connection between the first switching unit and the second switching unit thereby establishing a data communication channel.

6. The cellular telephone of claim 3, further comprising:

an operation unit for inputting a voice communication control signal in the controlling unit based on an operation by a user;

a voice input/output unit for carrying out voice communications; and

a conversion unit interposed between the voice input/output unit and the first switching unit, for performing digital/analog conversion or analog/digital conversion on a signal to be inputted/outputted,

wherein the controlling unit responds to the voice communication control signal inputted from the operation unit to control the radio communication unit and the first switching unit for establishment of a voice communication channel, and responds to the command from the data analyzing unit or the digital data communication processing unit to control the radio communication unit, the first switching unit and the second switching unit to establish the data communication channel, and then sustains the data communication channel during the establishment thereof despite an input of the voice communication control signal from the operation unit.

9. The cellular telephone of claim 6, further comprising:

a preference operation unit for inputting a priority signal in the controlling unit in response to an operation by a user,

wherein the controlling unit responds to the inputted priority signal to establish the voice communication channel based on the voice communication control signal from the operation unit, despite the command supplied thereto.

21. The cellular telephone of claim 3, further comprising:

voice circuitry for voice communication,

wherein the controlling unit controls the first switching unit to couple either voice communication or data communication to/from the radio communication unit.

22. The cellular telephone of claim 21, wherein said voice circuitry comprises:

a voice input/output unit; and

a conversion unit for analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversions.

23. The cellular telephone of claim 3, further comprising:

an operation unit operable to input information to the controlling unit.

24. The cellular telephone of claim 23, wherein the controlling unit is disabled from responding to input from the operation unit during data communication.

25. The cellular telephone of claim 3, further comprising:

a preference operation unit operable to input a priority signal for switching from data communication to voice communication.