Method of pairing a portable device with a communications module of a vehicular, hands-free telephone system

• US 8,306,193 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2010
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Harwood, Jody K., Bauman, Jason G., Rudnick, Kenan Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEZUAYEHU, SOLOMON G
• Application Number:
  US12/837,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20100279612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 379 8801- 8819, 455/151.2
• US Class Current: 379/88.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface

Abstract

A method of pairing Bluetooth™ enabled devices including a portable phone with a Bluetooth™ communications module of a vehicular, hands-free telephone system includes using vocal communications to prompt an operator of the phone to enter a given PIN number into the phone. The presence of any Bluetooth™ enabled devices within the vicinity of the communications module is searched. Vocal communications are used to prompt the operator to vocally state a name for the phone and to vocally state a pairing priority to be assigned to the phone. If the assigned pairing priority is not assigned to another Bluetooth™ enabled device, then the name and the pairing priority are associated with the phone. Communications between the communications module and the phone are then enabled if the phone has the highest pairing priority amongst all of the Bluetooth™ enabled devices present within the vicinity of the communications module.

Claims

1. A hands-free telephone system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a vehicle appliance having a voice recognition module, a voice synthesizer, a communications module, and a controller;

the voice recognition module being operable for receiving vocal communications from an operator of the vehicle;

the voice synthesizer being operable for outputting vocal communications for the operator to hear;

the communications module being operable to wirelessly communicate with a portable phone within the vicinity of the communications module upon the phone being paired with the communications module;

wherein the vehicle appliance is configured to enter a pair state for pairing the phone with the communications module, wherein upon the vehicle appliance entering the pair state the voice synthesizer outputs vocal communications indicative of a given PIN number to the operator and outputs vocal communications to prompt the operator to enter the given PIN number into the phone, the communications module wirelessly searches for the presence of the phone within the vicinity of the communications module, upon the given PIN number being entered into the phone subsequent to the presence of the phone within the vicinity of the communications module being detected by the communications module, the voice synthesizer outputs vocal communications to prompt the operator to vocally state a name for the phone and a pairing priority to be assigned to the phone, and, upon the voice recognition module receiving vocal communications from the operator indicative of the name and the pairing priority, the controller associates the name and the pairing priority with the phone and pairs the phone with the communications module if the pairing priority is not assigned to another portable device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

if the assigned pairing priority is assigned to another device, then the voice synthesizer outputs vocal communications to prompt the operator to vocally state another pairing priority to be assigned to the phone.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the controller enables the communications module to wirelessly communicate with the phone if the phone has the highest pairing priority amongst all devices within the vicinity of the communications module which are paired with the communications module.

3. A method of pairing a portable phone with a vehicle appliance having a voice recognition module, a voice synthesizer, a communications module, and a controller, the method comprising:

outputting, by the voice synthesizer, vocal communications indicative of a given PIN number to an operator of the phone;

outputting, by the voice synthesizer, vocal communications prompting the operator to enter the given PIN number into the phone;

wirelessly searching, by the communications module, for the presence of the phone within the vicinity of the communications module;

upon the given PIN number being entered into the phone subsequent to the presence of the phone within the vicinity of the communications module being detected by the communications module, outputting, by the voice synthesizer, vocal communications prompting the operator to vocally state a name for the phone and a pairing priority to be assigned to the phone;

receiving, by the voice recognition module, vocal communications from the operator indicative of the name and the pairing priority; and

associating, by the controller, the name and the pairing priority with the phone;

pairing, by the controller, the phone with the communications module if the pairing priority is not assigned to another portable device.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

outputting, by the voice synthesizer, vocal communications prompting the operator to vocally state another pairing priority if the pairing priority initially stated by the operator is assigned to another device.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

enabling, by the controller, the communications module to wirelessly communicate with the phone if the phone has the highest pairing priority amongst all devices within the vicinity of the communications module which are paired with the communications module.