Automotive hands-free apparatus

• US 20050202852A1
• Filed: 03/15/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Wada, Hironori
• Granted Patent: US 7,515,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/569.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface

Abstract

An automotive hands-free apparatus, connectable via wireless connection with a portable phone, has the capability of temporarily disconnecting a wireless communication line to this portable phone in response to a user'"'"'s input instructing disconnection of the communication line to this portable phone.

Claims

1. An automotive hands-free apparatus installed in an automotive vehicle and connectable via wireless connection with a portable phone, for inputting a received voice signal via said wireless connection from other telephone terminal equipment communicating with said portable phone and outputting the received voice signal as audible voice, and further for inputting a transmitted voice signal to be transmitted to said other telephone terminal equipment based on voice of a user in said automotive vehicle and transmitting the transmitted voice signal via said wireless connection to said portable phone,

said automotive hands-free apparatus comprising:

input accepting means for receiving an input from said user; and

disconnecting means for disconnecting said wireless connection when input accepting means receives a user'"'"'s input instructing disconnection of said wireless connection.

2. The automotive hands-free apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising reconnecting means for restoring said wireless connection to said portable phone when said input accepting means receives a user'"'"'s input instructing reconnection of the wireless connection to said portable phone whose wireless connection has been disconnected by said disconnecting means.

3. The automotive hands-free apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein said input accepting means requires one or two-step action of user'"'"'s input operation for accepting said user'"'"'s input instructing reconnection of the wireless connection to said portable phone whose wireless connection has been disconnected by said disconnecting means.

4. The automotive hands-free apparatus in accordance with claim 2, further comprising a display unit which displays reconnection information together with other information, wherein said reconnection information indicates the presence of the portable phone whose wireless connection has been disconnected by said disconnecting means, and said portable phone is a candidate of reconnection performed by said reconnecting means.

5. The automotive hands-free apparatus in accordance with claim 4, further comprising connection request accepting means for causing said display unit to erase said reconnection information in response to a connection request received from other portable phone under a condition that said display unit is displaying said reconnection information, and for establishing wireless connection to said other portable phone sending said connection request.

6. The automotive hands-free apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein the reconnection information displayed by said display unit is a predetermined image, said input accepting means accepts a touch input from said user through a touch panel superimposed on a display screen of said display unit, and said reconnecting means restores the wireless connection to said portable phone whose wireless connection has been disconnected by said disconnecting means when said input accepting means confirms that said user touches a predetermined portion on said touch panel corresponding to said predetermined image.