On-vehicle handsfree system and mobile terminal thereof

• US 20020032048A1
• Filed: 09/10/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Mitsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: Hatakeyama, Takeshi, Kitao, Mitsuru, Tomoda, Masaaki, Kurosaki, Toshihiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,251,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN

Abstract

A handsfree video phone system that includes a video phone terminal 106 and a car device in which a microphone 101, a speaker 102, a camera 103 are connected with an instrument panel 105 via a cable 104. The video phone terminal 106 is connected with the instrument panel 105 via a wireless communication medium 107. When the video phone terminal 106 is brought into the vehicle, the instrument panel 105 informs the video phone terminal 106 of the attribute information on the system structure. According to the attribute information, the video phone terminal 106 switches the paths of multiplexed audio-video data so as to replace a microphone, a speaker, a camera, and a display that have been built in the video phone terminal 106 with the microphone 101, the speaker 102, the camera 103, and a display of the instrument panel 105 when the status changes to the communication status.

Claims

1. An on-vehicle handsfree system comprising:

a car device that includes,

at least one of a microphone, a speaker, a camera, and a display as car peripheral units,

first communication means that holds wireless communication with the mobile terminal, and

attribute information notification means that notifies the mobile terminal of attribute information via the first communication means, the attribute information for identifying the car peripheral units; and

a mobile terminal for at least one of wireless video communication and wireless audio communication via a communication network, the mobile terminal includes,

at least one of a microphone, a speaker, a camera, and a display as mobile terminal peripheral units,

second communication means that holds the wireless communication with the car device,

attribute information obtaining means that obtains the attribute information from the car device via the second communication means, and

replacement control means that has the car peripheral units replace corresponding mobile terminal peripheral units according to the obtained attribute information when the mobile terminal holds the wireless communication via the communication network.

2. The on-vehicle handsfree system according to claim 1, wherein the replacement control means cuts off a first data path that connects a channel of the wireless communication with the peripheral units and establishes a second data path through the first and second communication means that connects the wireless communication channel with the car device.

3. The on-vehicle handsfree system according to claim 2, wherein the first and second data paths transmit multiplexed audio-video data.

4. The on-vehicle handsfree system according to claim 2, wherein the first and second data paths transmit one of audio data and video data.

5. The on-vehicle handsfree system according to claim 1, wherein

the car device includes the camera,

the mobile terminal further includes:

storage means that stores camera set information on a shot condition for the camera; and

camera set information notification means that transmits the camera set information to the car device via the second communication means, and

wherein the car device further includes camera control means that controls the camera according to the shot condition in the camera set information.

6. The on-vehicle handsfree system according to claim 1, wherein

the car device includes the camera,

the car device further includes:

storage means that stores camera set information on a shot condition for the camera, the camera set information which each corresponds to a different one of a plurality of mobile terminals; and

camera control means that reads a piece of camera set information corresponding to one of the mobile terminals that has been brought into a vehicle, and controls the camera according to the shot condition in the camera set information.

7. The on-vehicle handsfree system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal further includes status switching means that switches between a handsfree video phone operation status in which the replacement control means functions and a stand alone operation status in which no replacement control means functions according to operation of an engine key.

8. The on-vehicle handsfree system according to claim 1, further comprising status switching means that switches between a handsfree video phone operation status in which the replacement control means functions and a stand alone operation status in which no replacement control means functions according to user operation of one of the mobile terminal and the car device.

9. The on-vehicle handsfree system according to claim 1, further comprising status switching means that switches between a handsfree video phone operation status in which the replacement control means functions and a stand alone operation status in which no replacement control means functions according to a communication link status between the car device and the mobile terminal by the first and second communication means.

10. The on-vehicle handsfree system according to claim 1, further comprising:

holding means that holds the mobile terminal; and

status switching means that switches between a handsfree video phone operation status in which the replacement control means functions and a stand alone operation status in which no replacement control means functions according to whether the holding means holds the mobile terminal.

11. An on-vehicle handsfree system comprising:

a car device that includes,

at least one of a microphone, a speaker, a camera, and a display as car peripheral units,

first communication means that holds wireless communication with the mobile terminal, and

attribute information notification means that notifies the mobile terminal of attribute information via the first communication means, the attribute information for identifying the car peripheral units; and

a mobile terminal for at least one of wireless video communication and wireless audio communication via a communication network, the mobile terminal includes,

one to three of a microphone, a speaker, a camera, and a display as mobile terminal peripheral units,

second communication means that holds the wireless communication with the car device,

attribute information obtaining means that obtains the attribute information from the car device via the second communication means, and

complement control means that has each mobile terminal peripheral unit that is not included in the mobile terminal be complemented by a corresponding car peripheral unit according to the obtained attribute information when the mobile terminal holds the wireless communication via the communication network.

12. The on-vehicle handsfree system according to claim 11, wherein

the car device includes the camera,

the mobile terminal further includes:

storage means that stores camera set information on a shot condition for the camera; and

camera set information notification means that transmits the camera set information to the car device via the second communication means, and

wherein the car device further includes camera control means that controls the camera according to the shot condition in the camera set information.

13. The on-vehicle handsfree system according to claim 11, wherein

the car device includes the camera,

the car device further includes:

storage means that stores camera set information on a shot condition for the camera, the camera set information which each corresponds to a different one of a plurality of mobile terminals; and

camera control means that reads a piece of camera set information corresponding to one of the mobile terminals that has been brought into a vehicle, and controls the camera according to the shot condition in the camera set information.

14. The on-vehicle handsfree system according to claim 11, wherein the mobile terminal further includes status switching means that switches between a handsfree video phone operation status in which the complement control means functions and a stand alone operation status in which no complement control means functions according to operation of an engine key.

15. The on-vehicle handsfree system according to claim 11, further comprising status switching means that switches between a handsfree video phone operation status in which the complement control means functions and a stand alone operation status in which no complement control means functions according to user operation of one of the mobile terminal and the car device.

16. The on-vehicle handsfree system according to claim 11, further comprising status switching means that switches between a handsfree video phone operation status in which the complement control means functions and a stand alone operation status in which no complement control means functions according to a communication link status between the car device and the mobile terminal by the first and second communication means.

17. The on-vehicle handsfree system according to claim 11, further comprising:

holding means that holds the mobile terminal; and

status switching means that switches between a handsfree video phone operation status in which the complement control means functions and a stand alone operation status in which no complement control means functions according to whether the holding means holds the mobile terminal.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 18, wherein the car device includes the camera, further comprising:

storage means that stores camera set information on a shot condition for the camera; and

camera set information notification means that transmits the camera set information to the car device via the communication means, wherein

the car device controls the camera according to the shot condition in the camera set information.

18. A mobile terminal for at least one of wireless video communication and wireless audio communication via a communication network, the mobile terminal comprising:

at least one of a microphone, a speaker, a camera, and a display as mobile terminal peripheral units;

communication means that holds the wireless communication with a car device that includes at least one of a microphone, a speaker, a camera, and a display as car peripheral units;

attribute information obtaining means that obtains attribute information for identifying the car peripheral units from the car device via the communication means; and

replace control means that has the car peripheral units replace corresponding mobile terminal peripheral units according to the obtained attribute information when the mobile terminal holds the wireless communication via the communication network.

20. A mobile terminal for at least one of wireless video communication and wireless audio communication via a communication network, the mobile terminal comprising:

one to three of a microphone, a speaker, a camera, and a display as mobile terminal peripheral units;

communication means that holds the wireless communication with a car device that includes at least one of a microphone, a speaker, a camera, and a car display as car peripheral units;

attribute information obtaining means that obtains attribute information for identifying the car peripheral units from the car device via the communication means; and

complement control means that has each mobile terminal peripheral unit that is not included in the mobile terminal be complemented by a corresponding car peripheral unit according to the obtained attribute information when the mobile terminal holds the wireless communication via the communication network.

21. The mobile terminal according to claim 20, wherein the car device includes the camera, further comprising:

storage means that stores camera set information on a shot condition for the camera; and

camera set information notification means that transmits the camera set information to the car device via the communication means, wherein

the car device controls the camera according to the shot condition in the camera set information.