In-car telephone system, hands-free unit and portable telephone unit

• US 6,993,367 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2002
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Kitao, Hideki, Iwamoto, Shinichi, Yamato, Toshitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONTEE, JOY KIMBERLY
• Application Number:
  US10/233,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/557, 455/556.1, 455/575.1, 455/572, 455/573, 455/151.2, 455/412.1, 455/570, 379/55.1, 379/433.01, 379/433.02, 379/432
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

An in-car telephone system of great convenience is provided when switching between a hands-free conversation and a conversation using a handset of a portable telephone (a handset conversation), which has a portable telephone conducting wireless telephone communication and a hands-free unit, being connected to the portable telephone, which outputs a receiving voice from the portable telephone through a speaker arranged in a car and outputs an aural signal input from a microphone arranged in the car to the portable telephone as a transmitting signal. The in-car telephone system includes a connection detector to detect the communicative connection between the portable telephone and the hands-free unit during a handset conversation using a microphone and a speaker included in the portable telephone, and a mode switching device to switch from a handset conversation condition to a hands-free conversation condition using the microphone and the speaker arranged in the hands-free unit when the connection between the portable telephone and the hands-free unit during a handset conversation is detected by the connection detector.

Claims

1. An in-car telephone system having:

a portable telephone unit conducting wireless telephone communication; and

a hands-free unit, being connected to the portable telephone unit, which outputs a receiving voice from the portable telephone unit through a speaker arranged in a car, and outputs an aural signal input from a microphone arranged in the car to the portable telephone unit as a transmitting signal, said in-car telephone system comprising;

a connection detector operable to detect that the portable telephone unit and the hands-free unit are communicatively connected; and

a mode switching device operable to switch from a handset conversation condition to a hands-free conversation condition when the connection between the portable telephone unit and the hands-free unit is detected by the connection detector,

wherein the mode switching device switches to a combination mode in which both a handset conversation and a hands-free conversation can be held for a prescribed period after detecting the connection between the portable telephone unit and the hands-free unit.

2. An in-car telephone system according to claim 1, wherein the prescribed period of the combination mode is a prescribed length of time.

3. An in-car telephone system according to claim 2, comprising a combination time setting device to set the prescribed time defining the prescribed period of the combination mode.

4. An in-car telephone system according to claim 1, wherein a conclusion of the prescribed period of the combination mode is based on the instant when the portable telephone unit is placed on a mounting device arranged in the car.

5. An in-car telephone system according to claim 1, wherein conclusion of the prescribed period of the combination mode is based on the instant when the wire connection between the portable telephone unit and the hands-free unit is established using a connector.

6. An in-car telephone system according to claim 1, wherein a conclusion of the prescribed period of the combination mode is based on the instant when an ignition switch is turned on.

7. An in-car telephone system according to claim 1, wherein a conclusion of the prescribed period of the combination mode is based on the instant when a hands-free conversation starting switch included in the hands-free unit is operated.

8. An in-car telephone system according to claim 3, wherein an upper limit of the prescribed time of the combination mode is a predetermined upper limit time.

9. An in-car telephone system according to claim 1, wherein the connection detector detects the communicative connection using a taking-a-seat sensor to detect an occupant taking a seat.

10. An in-car telephone system according to claim 1, wherein the connection detector detects the communicative connection by reason of a door of the car being unlocked and opened.

11. An in-car telephone system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an off-operation detector to detect an off operation of an ignition switch during the hands-free conversation condition; and

a mode return device to switch from the hands-free conversation condition to the handset conversation condition when the off operation of the ignition switch is detected by the off-operation detector.

12. An in-car telephone system according to claim 11, wherein the mode return device switches to a return combination mode in which both a handset conversation and a hands-free conversation can be held for a prescribed period after detecting the off operation of the ignition switch.

13. An in-car telephone system according to claim 12, wherein the prescribed period of the return combination mode is a prescribed time.

14. An in-car telephone system according to claim 13, further comprising a return combination time setting device to set the prescribed time defining the prescribed period of the return combination mode.

15. An in-car telephone system according to claim 12, wherein a conclusion of the prescribed period of the return combination mode is based on the instant when a handset conversation starting switch included in the portable telephone unit is operated.

16. An in-car telephone system according to claim 12, wherein a conclusion of the prescribed period of the return combination mode is based on the instant when it is detected that an occupant left the seat using a taking-a-seat sensor to detect an occupant taking a seat.

17. An in-car telephone system according to claim 12, wherein a conclusion of the prescribed period of the return combination mode is based on the instant when a door of the car is opened, closed again, and then locked.

18. An in-car telephone system according to claim 12, wherein a conclusion of the prescribed period of the return combination mode is based on the instant when wireless communication between the portable telephone unit and the hands-free unit becomes impossible.

19. An in-car telephone system according to claim 12, wherein a conclusion of the prescribed period of the return combination mode is based on the instant when it is detected that a connector through which wire connection between the portable telephone unit and the hands-free unit is established is unhooked.

20. An in-car telephone system according to claim 15, wherein an upper limit of the prescribed period of the return combination mode is a predetermined upper limit time.

21. An in-car telephone system according to claim 1, wherein the hands-free unit is connected so that full time power is supplied from a battery independently of the operation of the ignition switch.

22. An in-car telephone system according to claim 21, further comprising:

a battery capacity detector to detect the capacity of the battery; and

a restriction device to restrict a hands-free conversation when a low capacity of the battery is detected by the battery capacity detector.

23. An in-car telephone system according to claim 22, further comprising a restriction inhibiting device to inhibit the restriction of a hands-free conversation by the restriction device during working of the engine of the car.

24. An in-car telephone system according to claim 22, further comprising an announcing device to announce the restriction of a hands-free conversation when a hands-free conversation is restricted by the restriction device.

27. An in-car telephone system according to claim 23, further comprising an announcing device to announce the restriction of a hands-free conversation when a hands-free conversation is restricted by the restriction device.

25. A hands-free unit, which is connected to a portable telephone unit conducting wireless telephone communication, and which outputs a receiving voice from the portable telephone unit through a speaker arranged in a car and outputs an aural signal input from a microphone arranged in the car to the portable telephone unit as a transmitting signal, said hands-free unit comprising:

a connection detector operable to detect the communicative connection with the portable telephone unit; and

a hands-free-unit-side mode switching device operable to start the hands-free conversation processing when the communicative connection with the portable telephone unit is detected by the connection detector,

wherein the hands-free-unit-side mode switching device starts a timer defining a combination mode period during which both a hands-free conversation and a handset conversation can be held when the communicative connection with the portable telephone unit is detected by the connection detector, and

wherein the hands-free-unit-side mode switching device transmits a hands-free conversation mode switching signal to the portable telephone unit indicating that a condition is changed to a hands-free conversation condition when the hands-free-unit determines that the combination mode period has ended.

26. A portable telephone unit, which is connectable to a hands-free unit which outputs a receiving voice from a portable telephone unit conducting wireless telephone communication through a speaker arranged in a car and outputs an aural signal input from a microphone arranged in the car to the portable telephone unit as a transmitting signal, said portable telephone unit comprising:

a switching signal receiving device operable to receive a hands-free conversation mode switching signal showing that a condition is changed to a hands-free conversation condition from the hands-free unit; and

a portable-telephone-side mode switching device to stop the handset conversation processing and start the hands-free conversation processing, when the switching signal receiving device receives the hands-free conversation mode switching signal,

wherein the portable telephone unit receives the hands-free conversation mode switching signal from the hands-free unit indicating that a condition is changed to a hands-free conversation condition when the hands-free unit determines that a combination mode period has ended, and

wherein the combination mode period is a period of time during which both a hands-free conversation and a handset conversation can be held.