Handsfree device and mobile phone handset

• US 7,519,399 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2005
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew D
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUANG, WEN WU
• Application Number:
  US11/201,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20060040714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41, 455/569, 455/567, 348/14.02
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6083 by interfacing with the vehicle audio system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

By executing a ring-tone determination program and so on, a handsfree device transmits range information to a mobile phone handset connected with the handsfree device. When the handsfree device receives information of frequency ranges used by ring-tone signals in the handset, it makes a determination according to the received information. If the received information indicates that the handset is compatible with the range information, it transmits a signal for directing not to restrict a frequency range. If the received information indicates that the handset is not compatible with the range information, it transmits either of a signal for directing to restrict a frequency range or a denial signal denying the reception of ring-tone sound, depending on a setting in the handsfree device.

Claims

1. A handsfree device, comprising:

a communication circuit for simultaneously maintaining a plurality of connections with a mobile phone handset, through a plurality of wireless channels;

ring-tone sound output controlling means for making a speaker output a sound depending on a received ring-tone signal, after receiving the ring-tone signal from the mobile phone handset connected with the communication circuit;

reception controlling means for receiving, by means of the communication circuit, information on the mobile phone handset transmitted from the mobile phone handset;

transmission controlling means for transmitting selection information to the mobile phone handset by means of the communication circuit, according to a state of the connections through the channels and the information on the mobile phone handset received by the reception controlling means, for selecting the ring-tone signal to be transmitted from the mobile phone handset; and

range information transmission controlling means for transmitting range information to the mobile phone handset by means of the communication circuit, the range information being information on a restriction to a frequency range used by the ring-tone signal to be received by the ring-tone sound output controlling means, the range information being changed depending on the state of the connections through the channels.

2. The handsfree device according to claim 1, wherein the information on the mobile phone handset received by the reception controlling means is information on the frequency range used by the ring-tone signal which the mobile phone handset is capable of transmitting.

3. The handsfree device according to claim 2, wherein:

the information on the mobile phone handset received by the reception controlling means is transmitted by the mobile phone handset as a response to the range information transmitted from the range information transmission controlling means.

4. The handsfree device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission controlling means transmits the selection information to the mobile phone handset by means of the communication circuit, according to the information on the mobile phone handset received by the reception controlling means, wherein the selection information is for selecting the ring-tone signal to be transmitted from the mobile phone handset among a plurality of ring tone signals which the mobile phone handset stores.

5. The handsfree device according to claim 1, wherein the communication circuit is for wirelessly maintaining the connections based on a protocol of the Bluetooth, and the transmission of the ring-tone signal is an in-band transmission defined by the Bluetooth.

6. The handsfree device according to claim 1, wherein the frequency range always includes frequencies above 50 Hz.

7. The handsfree device according to claim 1, wherein the frequency range always includes frequencies between 50 Hz and 7000 Hz.

8. A handsfree device, comprising:

a communication circuit for simultaneously maintaining a plurality of connections with a mobile phone handset, through a plurality of wireless channels;

ring-tone sound output controlling means for making a speaker output a sound depending on a received ring-tone signal, after receiving the ring-tone signal from the mobile phone handset connected with the communication circuit, when the mobile phone handset receives a phone call;

range information transmission controlling means for transmitting range information to the mobile phone handset by means of the communication circuit, the range information being information on a restriction to a frequency range used by the ring-tone signal to be received by the ring-tone sound output controlling means, and the range information further being changed depending on a state of the connections through the channels;

reception controlling means for receiving, by means of the communication circuit, information on the mobile phone handset transmitted from the mobile phone handset as a response to the range information transmitted by the range information transmission controlling means; and

transmission controlling means for transmitting selection information to the mobile phone handset by means of the communication circuit, according to the information on the mobile phone handset received by the reception controlling means, the selection information being for selecting whether to receive the ring-tone signal from the mobile phone handset when the mobile phone handset receives a phone call.

9. The handsfree device according to claim 8, wherein the frequency range always includes frequencies above 50 Hz.

10. The handsfree device according to claim 8, wherein the frequency range always includes frequencies between 50 Hz and 7000 Hz.

11. A mobile phone handset, comprising:

a storage medium for storing a ring-tone dataset;

a handsfree communication circuit for maintaining a plurality of connections through a plurality of wireless channels at a time with a handsfree device, which receives a ring-tone signal from the mobile phone handset and outputs a ring-tone sound depending on the ring-tone signal to the speaker, when the mobile phone handset receives a phone call;

range information reception controlling means for receiving, by means of the handsfree communication device, a range information transmitted from the handsfree device, the range information being information on a restriction to a frequency range used by the ring-tone signal to be received by the handsfree device and the range information being changed depending on the state of the connections through the channels;

ring-tone compatible/incompatible transmission control means for transmitting presence/absence information to the handsfree device by means of the handsfree communication circuit, according to comparison between the range information which the range information reception controlling means received and a frequency range used by the ring-tone dataset stored by the storage medium, the presence/absence information being information on the presence or absence of the ring-tone signal transmittable to the handsfree device;

ring-tone acceptance/denial reception control means for receiving, by means of the handsfree communication circuit, acceptance/denial information transmitted by the handsfree device, as a response to the presence/absence information transmitted by the ring-tone compatible/incompatible transmission control means, the acceptance/denial information being information on whether the handsfree device receives the ring-tone signal when the mobile phone handset receives a phone call; and

ring-tone transmission controlling means for transmitting, by means of the handsfree communication circuit, the ring-tone signal depending on the ring-tone dataset stored by the storage medium to the handsfree device, based on that the acceptance/denial information received by the ring-tone acceptance/denial reception control means indicates that the handsfree device receives the ring-tone signal when the mobile phone handset receives a phone call.

12. The mobile phone handset according to claim 11, wherein the handsfree communication circuit is for wirelessly maintaining the connections based on a protocol of the Bluetooth, and the transmission of the ring-tone signal is an in-band transmission defined by the Bluetooth.