Communication apparatus and system for communication

• US 7,907,929 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Matsuda, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu; Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hong; Dung
• Application Number:
  US11/699,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20070178838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: 455/574, 455/343, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/41.2, 455/127.1, 455/127.5, 455/266, 4553431-3435
• US Class Current: 455/343.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC

Abstract

A communication apparatus uses a short range communication function for displaying a decrease of remaining battery power of a cellular phone that is in communication with the communication apparatus based on a report from the cellular phone when the remaining battery power decreases to a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus having a function of short range wireless communication according to plural instances of communication protocol with a cellular phone being operable on a battery, the communication apparatus for use in a vehicle comprising:

a communication unit for communicating information by the short range wireless communication according to at least one of the plural instances of the communication protocol with the cellular phone, wherein the information includes information on remaining battery power of the battery in the cellular phone;

a notification unit for notifying a user of the information in a directly recognizable form for the user, wherein the information includes warning information on the remaining battery power of the battery in the cellular phone; and

a control unit for controlling notification of the warning information for the user by the notification unit, wherein

the notification of the warning information by the notification unit is provided for the user under control of the control unit after a determination that the remaining battery power is equal to or less than a predetermined amount when the communication unit and the cellular phone are having the short range wireless communication established therebetween according to the plural instances of communication protocol;

based on the determination that the remaining battery power is equal to or less than the predetermined amount, the control unit automatically controls the notification unit for notifying the user of a query information that queries the user about an intention of disconnection of the short range wireless communication according to one of the plural instances of the established communication protocol with the cellular phone after the notification of the warning information on the remaining battery power when the short range wireless communication between the communication unit and the cellular phone has been established according to the plural instances of the communication protocol,

the control unit controls the communication unit to disconnect the short range wireless communication with the cellular phone according to the one of the plural instances of the established communication protocol when the user chooses to disconnect the short range wireless communication according to the one of the plural instances of the established communication protocol in response to the query information for disconnection; and

the control unit maintains the short range wireless communication according to the plural instances of the communication protocol without the disconnection of the short range wireless communication by the communication unit when a response of the user to the query information for disconnection does not indicate the disconnection of the short range wireless communication according to any of the plural instances of the communication protocol.

2. The communication apparatus as in claim 1,

wherein, when the short range wireless communication between the communication unit and the cellular phone has been established according to a specific instance of the communication protocol, the control unit controls the notification unit for notifying the user of the query information that queries the user about the intention of disconnection of the short range wireless communication according to the specific instance of the communication protocol with the cellular phone after the notification of the warning information on the remaining battery power for the user, and

the control unit disconnects the short range wireless communication with the cellular phone according to the specific instance of the communication protocol when the user affirmatively responds to the query information for disconnection of the short range wireless communication according to the specific instance of the communication protocol.

3. The communication apparatus as in claim 2,

wherein the control unit maintains the short range wireless communication according to the specific instance of the communication protocol without the disconnection of the short range wireless communication by the communication unit when a response of the user to the query information for disconnection does not indicate the disconnection of the short range wireless communication.

4. The communication apparatus as in claim 1,

wherein the control unit forcefully controls the communication unit to disconnect the short range wireless communication with the cellular phone according to the specific instance of the communication protocol on the condition that the remaining battery power is equal to or less than the predetermined amount when the short range wireless communication between the communication unit and the cellular phone has been established according to the specific instance of the communication protocol.

5. The communication apparatus as in claim 1,

wherein the control unit forcefully controls the communication unit to disconnect the short range wireless communication with the cellular phone according to the one of the plural instances of the communication protocol on the condition that the remaining battery power is equal to or less than the predetermined amount when the short range wireless communication between the communication unit and the cellular phone has been established according to the plural instances of the communication protocol.

6. A communication system for a short range wireless communication comprising:

a cellular phone having a function of the short range wireless communication as in claim 1; and

the communication apparatus having the function of the short range wireless communication as in claim 1.

7. A communication apparatus having a function of short range wireless communication according to plural instances of communication protocol with a cellular phone being operable on a battery, the communication apparatus for use in a vehicle comprising:

a communication unit for communicating information by the short range wireless communication according to at least one of the plural instances of the communication protocol with the cellular phone, wherein the information includes information on remaining battery power of the battery in the cellular phone;

a notification unit for notifying a user of the information in a directly recognizable form for the user, wherein the information includes warning information on the remaining battery power of the battery in the cellular phone; and

a control unit for controlling notification of the warning information for the user by the notification unit, wherein

the notification of the warning information by the notification unit is provided for the user under control of the control unit after a determination that the remaining battery power is equal to or less than a predetermined amount when the communication unit and the cellular phone are having the short range wireless communication established therebetween according to the plural instances of communication protocol;

based on the determination that the remaining battery power is equal to or less than the predetermined amount, the control unit automatically controls the notification unit for notifying the user of a query information that queries the user about an intention of disconnection of the short range wireless communication according to one of the plural instances of the established communication protocol with the cellular phone after the notification of the warning information on the remaining battery power when the short range wireless communication between the communication unit and the cellular phone has been established according to the plural instances of the communication protocol,

the control unit controls the communication unit to disconnect the short range wireless communication with the cellular phone according to the one of the plural instances of the established communication protocol when the user chooses to disconnect the short range wireless communication according to the one of the plural instances of the established communication protocol in response to the query information for disconnection;

when the short range wireless communication between the communication unit and the cellular phone has been established according to a specific instance of the communication protocol, the control unit controls the notification unit for notifying the user of the query information that queries the user about the intention of disconnection of the short range wireless communication according to the specific instance of the communication protocol with the cellular phone after the notification of the warning information on the remaining battery power for the user,

the control unit disconnects the short range wireless communication with the cellular phone according to the specific instance of the communication protocol when the user affirmatively responds to the query information for disconnection of the short range wireless communication according to the specific instance of the communication protocol; and

the control unit maintains the short range wireless communication according to the specific instance of the communication protocol without the disconnection of the short range wireless communication by the communication unit when a response of the user to the query information for disconnection does not indicate the disconnection of the short range wireless communication.

8. The communication apparatus as in claim 7,

wherein the control unit forcefully controls the communication unit to disconnect the short range wireless communication with the cellular phone according to the specific instance of the communication protocol on the condition that the remaining battery power is equal to or less than the predetermined amount when the short range wireless communication between the communication unit and the cellular phone has been established according to the specific instance of the communication protocol.

9. The communication apparatus as in claim 7,

wherein the control unit forcefully controls the communication unit to disconnect the short range wireless communication with the cellular phone according to the one of the plural instances of the communication protocol on the condition that the remaining battery power is equal to or less than the predetermined amount when the short range wireless communication between the communication unit and the cellular phone has been established according to the plural instances of the communication protocol.

10. A communication system for a short range wireless communication comprising:

a cellular phone having a function of the short range wireless communication as in claim 7; and

the communication apparatus having the function of the short range wireless communication as in claim 7.