System in vehicles for making a telephone call

• US 7,424,309 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2000
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Bengler, Klaus-Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, TUAN A
• Application Number:
  US09/617,754
• Time in Patent Office: 2,976 Days
• Field of Search: 455/427, 455/456, 455/457, 455/556, 455/557, 455 411- 2, 4554561- 6, 455/458, 4555561- 2, 455/575.1, 455/9, 455 901- 3, 455344-345, 455566-567, 4555691- 2, 340/505, 340901-905, 340933-943, 340/995.1, 34099511- 19, 340/995.2, 34099521- 28, 701207-273, 701300-301, 701117-119
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085

Abstract

A system for making a telephone call in a vehicle in which information concerning the traffic situation of a first vehicle is electronically processed and sent to a second vehicle. By apparatuses of further electronic processing, only relevant information concerning the traffic situation, which is in the field of view of the device of the first vehicle, is transmitted to the receiving party together with the telephone conversation. Unimportant details of the environment are able to be suppressed.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between a first party in a vehicle and a second external party, comprising the steps of:

initiating a telephone conversation between said first and second party;

preparing a depiction of an environment surrounding said vehicle;

extracting, from said depiction, relevant information concerning a traffic situation in said environment;

transmitting said relevant information to said second external party together with audio information from said telephone conversation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said depiction is obtained by means of a preexisting navigation system on said vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said depiction is obtained by means of a sensor system on said vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said relevant information is updated periodically.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said periodic update occurs in time increments of several seconds.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of preparing a depiction includes the step of preparing an image of said environment surrounding said vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of preparing a depiction of an environment surrounding said vehicle include the steps of obtaining object information from a sensing system and obtaining map display information from a map database.

8. An arrangement for audio visual communication between a first party in a vehicle and a second external party, said arrangement comprising:

on-board sensory system for providing information of an environment outside of said vehicle;

extracting means for extracting portions of said information which are relevant to a traffic situation in said environment outside of said vehicle;

audio visual communication system for simultaneously transmitting a telephone conversation between said first and second party and said extracted relevant information to said second external party.

9. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said sensory system is an image acquisition system for providing an image of the environment outside of the vehicle.

10. The arrangement according to 8 wherein said extracting means for extracting portions of said information which are relevant to a traffic situation includes a means to provide map information concerning the location of said vehicle and means for combining portions of said map information with said information of said environment outside of said vehicle.

11. An arrangement for communication between a first party in a vehicle and a second external party, said arrangement comprising:

an automobile navigation system with a sensory system in said vehicle for providing traffic information concerning traffic in an environment outside of the vehicle;

a communication device for simultaneously transmitting telephone conversation between said first and second party and said traffic information from said first party to said second party.

12. The arrangement according to claim 11 wherein said automobile navigation system includes a sensor means for providing object information and a navigation device for providing map display information.