Mobile telephone unit which combines operation of a portable mobile telephone and a vehicle telephone

• US 5,450,471 A
• Filed: 03/05/1993
• Issued: 09/12/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kurebayashi, Hideki, Fudemoto, Isao, Suzuki, Hideharu, Watanabe, Kunio, Nishiyama, Akihide, Hanawa, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US08/026,684
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 379/56, 379/58, 379/61, 379/454, 379/59, 379/63, 379/57, 358/404, 370/100.1
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A mobile telephone unit which combines operation of a respective portable mobile telephone and a communication unit. The mobile telephone unit includes at least one portable telephone, a communication unit and a buffer unit. The communication unit includes an external connection terminal, a radio transmitter/receiver, a baseband processor, a communication controller and a handset. The buffer unit mounts at least one portable mobile telephone. The buffer unit includes a first buffer unit connector which is connectable to the external connection terminal of the communication unit, a second buffer connector which connects to a connector of a respective portable mobile telephone mounted on the buffer unit, an identifying mechanism for identifying the communication conditions of a respective portable mobile telephone mounted on the buffer unit, and a control signal transmitting mechanism for transmitting the communication conditions identified by the identifying mechanism to the communication controller of the communication unit. The communication controller is responsive to the transmitted communication conditions and adjusts the communication conditions of the communication unit so that a respective portable mobile telephone mounted on the buffer unit can communicate through the communication unit.

Claims

1. A mobile telephone unit comprising:

a portable mobile telephone comprising a respective connector and operating under a set of communication conditions which includes a radio frequency and service conditions;

a communication unit operating under a set of communication conditions which includes a radio frequency and service conditions and is different from the set of communication conditions of the portable mobile telephone, the communication unit comprising an external connection terminal, a radio transmitter/receiver, a baseband processor, a communication controller which controls the set of communication conditions of the communication unit, and a handset; and

a buffer unit which mounts the portable mobile telephone and comprising

a first buffer unit connector which is connectable to the external connection terminal of the communication unit to electrically connect the buffer unit to the communication unit,

a second buffer unit connector which is connectable to the connector of the portable mobile telephone mounted on the buffer unit to electrically connect the buffer unit to the portable mobile telephone,

identifying means for identifying a communication condition of the set of communication conditions of the portable mobile telephone mounted on the buffer unit, and

control signal transmitting means for transmitting the communication condition identified by the identifying means to the communication controller of the communication unit, wherein the communication controller is responsive to the transmitted communication condition to adjust the set of communication conditions of the communication unit to allow the portable mobile telephone mounted on the buffer unit to communicate through the communication unit.

2. The mobile telephone unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein portable mobile telephones having different, respective shapes are mountable on the buffer unit to allow a plurality of kinds of portable mobile telephones to be electrically connectable to the communication unit via the buffer unit.

3. The mobile telephone unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication unit forms a part of a vehicle telephone, and the portable mobile telephone mounted on the buffer unit communicates through the vehicle telephone via the buffer unit.

4. The mobile telephone unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the communication unit communicates using a subscriber'"'"'s number of the portable mobile telephone mounted on the buffer unit, based on the communication condition transmitted by the control signal. transmitting means of the buffer unit.

5. The mobile telephone unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the portable mobile telephone further comprises a storage device which stores a subscriber'"'"'s number of the portable mobile telephone,

the buffer unit further comprises a storage device, and

the control signal transmitting means comprises means for transferring the subscriber'"'"'s number stored in the storage device of the portable mobile telephone into the storage device of the buffer unit and for automatically transferring the subscriber'"'"'s number stored in the storage device of the buffer unit to the communication controller of the communication unit when the portable mobile telephone is mounted on the buffer unit and the buffer unit is connected to the communication unit.

6. The mobile telephone unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication unit further comprises a battery for supplying power to the radio transmitter/receiver, the baseband processor and the communication controller of the communication unit, and the buffer unit further comprises means for supplying power from the battery to the portable mobile telephone when the portable mobile telephone is mounted on the buffer unit and the buffer unit is electrically connected to the communication unit.

7. The mobile telephone unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second buffer unit connector of the buffer unit is connectable, at the same time, to the respective connectors of a plurality of portable mobile telephones.

8. A mobile telephone unit comprising:

a portable mobile telephone capable of communicating with a first communication system;

a vehicle telephone comprising

control circuit means for communicating with a second communication system, the first communication system being independent from the second communication system,

modem circuit means for communicating with the second communication system, and

transmitter/receiver circuit means for communicating with one of either the first communication system and the second communication system;

signal line interface means for exchanging data and audio signals between said portable mobile telephone and the control circuit means of the vehicle telephone and between the portable mobile telephone and the modem circuit means of the vehicle telephone; and

radio frequency interface means for exchanging radio frequency signals between the portable mobile telephone and the transmitter/receiver circuit means of the vehicle telephone, wherein

the portable mobile telephone comprises an antenna, a man-machine interface for allowing a person to interact with the portable mobile telephone through at least one of voice and input data, a baseband circuit, a modem circuit, a transmitter/receiver circuit, a first switch and a second switch, the first switch coupling the man-machine interface to the baseband circuit and the modem circuit or to the signal line interface means, the second switch coupling the transmitter/receiver circuit to the antenna when using the portable mobile telephone by itself and to the radio frequency interface means when using the portable mobile telephone coupled to the vehicle telephone, and

the vehicle telephone further comprises a switch for coupling the transmitter/receiver circuit means to the control circuit means and the modem circuit means or to the radio frequency interface means.

9. The mobile telephone unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

when the portable mobile telephone is electrically coupled to the vehicle telephone and the mobile telephone unit communicates with the first communication system, the baseband circuit, the modem circuit and the transmitter/receiver circuit of the portable mobile telephone are active, the first switch couples the man-machine interface to the baseband circuit and the modem circuit within the portable mobile telephone, the transmitter/receiver circuit means of the vehicle telephone is active and the third switch couples the transmitter/receiver circuit means to the radio frequency interface means; and

when the portable mobile telephone is electrically coupled to the vehicle telephone and the mobile telephone unit communicates with the second communication system, the man-machine interface within the portable mobile telephone is active, the first switch couples the man-machine interface to the signal line interface means, the control circuit means, the modem circuit means and the transmitter/receiver circuit means within the vehicle telephone are active and the third switch couples the control circuit means and the modem circuit means within the vehicle telephone to the transmitter/receiver circuit means.