Portable telephone and automobile system

• US 6,570,689 B1
• Filed: 09/14/1999
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kushita, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/395,407
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 359/149, 359/143, 359/145, 359/147, 359/148
• US Class Current: 398/132
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A portable telephone includes an infrared communication processing section, infrared receiving/emitting section, and control section. The control section switches speech communication modes in accordance with a signal received from a distant system through the infrared communication processing section and infrared receiving/emitting section. An automobile system is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A portable telephone comprising:

infrared communication means; and

speech communication mode switching means for switching speech communication modes in accordance with a signal received from a distant system through said infrared communication means.

2. A telephone according to claim 1, wherein said communication mode switching means sets the speech communication mode to a drive mode when the signal received from a distant automobile system through the infrared communication means indicates a door lock OFF state, and cancels the drive mode when the received signal indicates a door lock ON state.

3. A telephone according to claim 1, wherein said speech communication mode switching means sets the speech communication mode to the drive mode upon determining, in accordance with the signal received from said automobile system through said infrared communication means, that the door lock state is switched to an OFF state in the automobile system, and cancels the drive mode upon determining that the door lock state is switched to an ON state.

4. A telephone according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying the current speech communication mode.

5. A telephone according to claim 1, further comprising:

cradle attachment/detachment detection means for detecting attachment/detachment to/from an in-car cradle; and

drive mode setting/canceling means for canceling the speech communication mode set to the drive mode when said cradle attachment/detachment detection means detects attachment to said in-car cradle.

6. A telephone according to claim 5, wherein said drive mode setting/canceling means cancels the speech communication mode set to the drive mode in accordance with a vehicle state signal received from said distant automobile system through said infrared communication means when attachment to said in-car cradle is detected.

7. A portable telephone comprising:

infrared communication means; and

transmission means for, when a predetermined code is received by a radio wave, transmitting a command corresponding to the code to a distant system through said infrared communication means.

8. A telephone according to claim 7, further comprising:

a memory in which prepared speech answering messages are stored; and

means for switching the speech answering messages to be played back in accordance with a signal corresponding to the command and received from said distant system through said infrared communication means.

9. A telephone according to claim 8, further comprising means for restoring the switched speech answering message to an initial message after a lapse of a predetermined period of time.

10. A telephone according to claim 8, further comprising means for restoring the switched speech answering message to the initial message after being played back.

11. A telephone according to claim 7, further comprising:

a memory in which prepared speech answering messages are stored;

cradle attachment/detachment detection means for detecting attachment/detachment to/from an in-car cradle;

means for switching the speech answering messages to be played back in accordance with a signal corresponding to the command and received from said distant system through said infrared communication means only when said cradle attachment/detachment detection means detects attachment to said in-car cradle; and

means for restoring the switched speech answering message to the initial message when detachment from said in-car cradle is detected.

12. A portable telephone comprising:

infrared communication means; and

originating means for receiving a signal indicating an abnormal state and received from a distant automobile system through said infrared communication means, and originating a speech message corresponding to the abnormal state to a predetermined telephone number.

13. An automobile system comprising:

infrared communication means for communicating with a portable telephone having an infrared communication function; and

transmission means for transmitting a detection result corresponding to a command received from said portable telephone through said infrared communication means to said portable telephone by using said infrared communication means.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said system further comprises vehicle information detection means for detecting vehicle information, and

said transmission means transmits a detection result obtained by said vehicle information detection means to said portable telephone.

15. An automobile system comprising:

infrared communication means for communicating with a portable telephone having an infrared communication function; and

control means for performing control processing in accordance with an operation command received from said portable telephone through said infrared communication means.

16. An automobile system comprising:

infrared communication means for communicating with a portable telephone having an infrared communication function; and

vehicle information detection means for detecting vehicle information; and

transmission means for, when said vehicle information detection means detects an abnormal state, transmitting a signal indicating the abnormal state to said portable telephone through said infrared communication means.