System for controlling wireless communications from a moving vehicle

• US 7,187,953 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Marmigere, Gerard, Bauchot, Frederic, Secondo, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brandt; Christopher M.
• Application Number:
  US10/978,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20050119002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569.2, 455/441, 455/569.1
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/324 by mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system for controlling, in a moving vehicle, wireless communications between a local and a remote party and more particularly to prevent any conversation in vehicles travelling above a predefined speed without cutting off wireless communication. If a wireless communication is detected and if the vehicle speed exceeds a first predefined speed limit, the wireless communication is suspended. When the vehicle speed decreases below a second predefined speed limit, the suspended wireless communication is re-established. The system comprises a wireless communication manager unit connected to both a conventional mobile communication system and a conventional free hand kit, the free hand kit being also connected to the mobile communication system.

Claims

1. A system in a moving vehicle for controlling wireless communications between a local party driving the moving vehicle and a remote party, comprising:

a speed control unit for providing information on a speed of the moving vehicle;

a mobile apparatus;

a free hand kit coupled to the mobile apparatus; and

a wireless communication manager unit coupled to the speed control unit, the mobile apparatus, and the free hand kit, comprising;

an answering unit, comprising;

a call detector circuit;

an audio to remote party circuit; and

an audio to local party circuit;

and

a switch unit, coupled to the speed control unit, for selectively disconnecting the mobile apparatus and the free hand kit when the speed of the moving vehicle exceeds a first predefined speed limit, wherein the switch unit connects an audio in signal from the mobile apparatus to the call detector circuit, connects an audio out signal of the mobile apparatus to the audio to remote party circuit, and connects an audio in signal of the free hand kit to the audio to local party circuit, when the speed of the moving vehicle exceeds the first predefined speed limit;

wherein the wireless communication manager unit suspends a wireless communication to the mobile apparatus to prevent conversation between the local and remote party, without cutting off the wireless communication, when the speed of the moving vehicle exceeds a first predefined speed limit.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication manager unit reestablishes the suspended wireless communication when the vehicle speed decreases below a second predefined speed limit.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the call detector circuit further comprises:

a system for detecting a variation of energy in the audio in signal from the mobile apparatus.

4. The system according claim 2, wherein the switch unit suspends the wireless communication to the mobile apparatus by switching off audio signals between the free hand kit and the wireless communication manager unit.

5. The system according claim 2, wherein the switch unit reestablishes the wireless communication to the mobile apparatus by switching on audio signals between the free hand kit and the wireless communication manager unit.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein the audio to remote party circuit informs the remote party that the wireless communication is suspended, and wherein the audio to local party circuit informs the local party that the wireless communication is suspended.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the audio to remote party circuit plays an audio message through the mobile apparatus to inform the remote party that the wireless communication is suspended, and wherein the audio to local party circuit plays an audio message through the free hand kit to inform the local party that the wireless communication is suspended.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the audio to remote party circuit stops playing the audio message through the mobile apparatus when the suspended wireless communication is re-established, and wherein the audio to local party circuit stops playing the audio message through the free hand kit when the suspended wireless communication is re-established.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the audio messages are repeated periodically.

10. The system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a system for starting an internal timer with a predefined amount of time, when the wireless communication is suspended;

a system for stopping the audio message to the local party played through the free hand kit, if a time out event is detected by the internal timer; and

a system for stopping the audio message to the remote party played through the mobile apparatus, if a time out event is detected by the internal timer.

11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a system for disconnecting, for a predefined period of time, the free hand kit from the mobile apparatus, if a time out event is detected by the internal timer.

12. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a system for stopping the internal timer when the suspended wireless communication is re-established.