Hands free vehicle mounted mobile telephone with audio

• US 7,020,499 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2001
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moffi, Diane C., Meadows, Vernon
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Application Number:
  US10/013,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20030109290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/561, 455563-565, 455/567, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/575.9, 455/344, 455/345, 455/352, 455/41.2, 379/88.01, 379/354, 379/355.02, 379/88.02, 379/88.03
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface

Abstract

A hands-free vehicle mounted mobile telephone system with audio that enables the user of the phone to dial and operate the phone without taking the user'"'"'s hands off of the steering wheel of a car or other motor-operated vehicle. The user may select the party to be called using an audio selector and, when the party to be called has been selected, the user may then have the number automatically dialed using voice activation or by pressing a button. The controls for the system are designed to be placed on or near the steering wheel/column of the motor-operated vehicle such that the user of the phone may manipulate the controls using the user'"'"'s fingers without the need to remove either hand from the steering wheel. The device may be used with any type of mobile telephone.

Claims

1. A method of making a hands-free mobile telephone call with a mobile telephone having an electronic directory, comprising:

providing a base unit for removably receiving the mobile telephone unit;

accessing the electronic telephone directory using a satellite remote unit separate from the base unit;

searching the electronic telephone directory using the satellite remote unit separate from the base unit;

sending a wireless signal from the satellite remote unit to the mobile telephone in the base unit to select an entry in the electronic telephone directory;

generating an audible announcement of at least one of the number and name of the selected entry in the electronic telephone directory; and

sending a wireless signal from the satellite remote unit to the mobile telephone in the base unit to make the mobile telephone call, wherein the satellite remote unit is used to access the electronic telephone directory, to search the electronic telephone directory, to select an entry in the electronic telephone directory, and to send the wireless signal to the mobile telephone to make the mobile telephone call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the satellite remote comprises a pad that is located such that a user may operate the satellite remote using the user'"'"'s foot.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the electronic directory comprises sending the wireless signal from a scrolling device on the satellite remote unit for searching through the electronic telephone directory and sending the wireless signal from the remote unit to select an entry in the electronic telephone directory of the mobile telephone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein searching from the satellite remote unit comprises searching through the electronic telephone directory by name.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein searching from the satellite remote unit comprises searching through the electronic telephone directory by telephone number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein searching from the satellite remote unit comprises searching through the electronic telephone directory by one entry at a time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein searching from the satellite remote unit comprises searching through the electronic telephone directory by multiple entries at one time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the multiple entries are grouped by a letter of the alphabet and searching from the satellite remote unit comprises searching through the electronic telephone directory by the letters of the alphabet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein searching from the satellite remote unit comprises searching through the electronic telephone directory by one entry at a time and by multiple entries at one time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the electronic telephone directory and sending the wireless signal to select an entry in the electronic telephone directory is accomplished using an infrared signal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the electronic telephone directory and sending the wireless signal to select an entry in the electronic telephone directory is accomplished using a radio frequency signal.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a signal from the satellite remote unit to the mobile telephone to answer an incoming mobile telephone call using the satellite remote unit.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a signal from the satellite remote unit to the mobile telephone to activate a call-waiting feature using the satellite remote unit.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein generating an audible announcement of the entry in the electronic telephone directory includes using a speaker or earphone to permit a user to hear the audible announcement.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein generating an audible announcement of the entry in the electronic telephone directory includes using a mobile telephone speakerphone or earphone to permit a user to hear the audible announcement.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein generating an audible announcement of the entry in the electronic telephone directory includes using a motor-vehicle speaker or earphone to permit a user to hear the audible announcement.

17. Mobile communication system for hands-free use with a mobile telephone having an electronic directory, comprising:

a base unit for removably receiving the mobile telephone in a location of intended hands-free use;

a satellite remote unit separate from the base unit and operative for a wireless signal communication with the mobile telephone received in the base unit;

the satellite remote unit having at least one means operative to access the electronic directory of the mobile telephone received in the base unit with a search device so as to search through the electronic directory and select from that directory a party to be called;

means for audibly announcing at least one of the name and number of the selected party to be called; and

the satellite remote unit having means operative to signal the mobile telephone received in the base station to place a call to the selected party, so that a user can access the mobile telephone to select a party from the electronic directory, hear an audio announcement of the selected party, and place a call to the selected party, using the satellite remote unit and without physical contact with the mobile telephone.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the scrolling device of the satellite remote unit is constructed and arranged to search through the electronic telephone directory by name.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the scrolling device of the satellite remote unit is constructed and arranged to search through the electronic telephone directory by telephone number.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the search device of the satellite remote unit is constructed and arranged to search through the electronic telephone directory by one entry at a time.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the search device of the satellite remote unit is constructed and arranged to search through the electronic telephone directory by multiple entries at one time.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the search device of the satellite remote unit comprises a scroll device operative to search through the telephone directory by one entry at a time and the satellite remote unit further includes means operative for searching through the telephone directory by multiple entries at one time.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for audibly announcing a party to be called comprises a speaker or earphone.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for audibly announcing a party to be called comprise a mobile telephone speakerphone or earphone.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for audibly announcing a party to be called comprises a motor-vehicle speaker or earphone.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for sending the wireless signal from the satellite remote unit to the mobile telephone comprises an infrared signal.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for sending the wireless signal from the satellite remote unit to the mobile telephone comprises a radio frequency signal.