Radio telephone system within a vehicle with enhanced safety features

• US 6,393,301 B1
• Filed: 12/02/1998
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Oda, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US09/203,588
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 455/413, 455/414, 455/417, 455/426, 455/462, 455/464, 455/517, 455/550, 455/575, 455/345, 455/346, 455/567, 455/557, 455/11.1, 455/351
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32

Abstract

A radio telephone system for use in a vehicle is composed of an accessory mounted in the vehicle and a radio telephone that is separated from the accessory. The accessory transmits a mode switch signal indicating an operation state of the vehicle to the radio telephone by wireless means such as radio or infrared. When receiving the mode switch signal from the accessory, the radio telephone changes its operation mode depending on the mode switch signal. The operation state of the vehicle is an on/off state of an ignition key or a speed of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A radio telephone system for use in a vehicle, comprising:

an accessory mounted in the vehicle; and

a radio telephone that is separated from the accessory, wherein the accessory comprises;

a detector for detecting an operation state of the vehicle, and

a wireless transmitter for transmitting a mode switch signal indicating the operation state to the radio telephone, and wherein the radio telephone comprises;

a radio transceiver for telephone communication;

a wireless receiver for receiving the mode switch signal from the accessory, and

a controller for changing an operation mode of the radio telephone depending on the mode switch signal.

2. The radio telephone system according to claim 1, wherein the detector detects an on/off state of an ignition key of the vehicle.

3. The radio telephone system according to claim 2, wherein, when the ignition key is in the on state, the wireless transmitter transmits the mode switch signal indicating a driving state and, when the ignition key is in the off state, the wireless transmitter transmits the mode switch signal indicating a stop state.

4. The radio telephone system according to claim 3, wherein the controller selects one of two predetermined modes as the operation mode of the radio telephone depending on the mode switch signal, wherein the two predetermined modes are selected from a communication mode that makes a normal telephone function active, a phone-answering mode that makes an automatic answering function active, and a suspending mode that makes both the normal telephone function and the automatic answering function inactive.

5. The radio telephone system according to claim 4, wherein the two predetermined modes comprises a first mode and a second mode, wherein the first mode is selected when the mode switch signal indicating the driving state is received, and the second mode is selected when the mode switch signal indicating the stopped state is received, wherein the first mode is one selected from the phone-answering mode and the suspending mode.

6. The radio telephone system according to claim 1, wherein the detector detects a speed of the vehicle.

7. The radio telephone system according to claim 6, wherein, when the speed of the vehicle is not lower than a predetermined speed, the wireless transmitter transmits the mode switch signal indicating a driving state and, when the speed of the vehicle is lower than the predetermined speed, the wireless transmitter transmits the mode switch signal indicating a stop state.

8. The radio telephone system according to claim 7, wherein the controller selects one of two predetermined modes as the operation mode of the radio telephone depending on the mode switch signal, wherein the two predetermined modes are selected from a communication mode that makes a normal telephone function active, a phone-answering mode that makes an automatic answering function active, and a suspending mode that makes both the normal telephone function and the automatic answering function inactive.

9. The radio telephone system according to claim 6, wherein the two predetermined modes comprises a first mode and a second mode, wherein the first mode is selected when the mode switch signal indicating the driving state is received, and the second mode is selected when the mode switch signal indicating the stopped state is received, wherein the first mode is one selected from the phone-answering mode and the suspending mode.

10. The radio telephone system according to claim 1, wherein the controller selects one of two predetermined modes as the operation mode of the radio telephone depending on the mode switch signal, wherein the two predetermined modes are selected from a communication mode that makes a normal telephone function active, a phone-answering mode that makes an automatic answering function active, and a suspending mode that makes both the normal telephone function and the automatic answering function inactive.

11. The radio telephone system according to claim 10, wherein the two predetermined modes comprise a first mode to be selected when the vehicle is in a driving state and a second mode to be selected when the vehicle is in a stopped state, wherein the first mode is one selected from the phone-answering mode and the suspending mode.

12. A radio telephone system for use in a vehicle, comprising:

an accessory mounted in the vehicle; and

a radio telephone that is separated from the accessory, wherein the accessory comprises;

a detector for detecting an operation state of the vehicle;

a wireless transceiver for transmitting a mode switch signal indicating the operation state to the radio telephone and receiving a mode switch completion signal from the radio telephone; and

an accessory controller determining whether the mode switch completion signal is received from the radio telephone after the mode switch signal has been transmitted to the radio telephone and stopping the wireless transceiver transmitting the mode switch signal unless the mode switch completion signal is received from the radio telephone, and wherein the radio telephone comprises;

a radio transceiver for telephone communication;

a wireless transceiver for receiving the mode switch signal from the accessory and transmitting the mode switch completion signal to the accessory; and

a radio telephone controller for changing an operation mode of the radio telephone depending on the mode switch signal before causing the wireless transceiver to transmit the mode switch completion signal to the accessory.

13. The radio telephone system according to claim 12, wherein the detector detects an on/off state of an ignition key of the vehicle.

14. The radio telephone system according to claim 13, wherein, when the ignition key is in the on state, the wireless transmitter transmits the mode switch signal indicating a driving state and, when the ignition key is in the off state, the wireless transmitter transmits the mode switch signal indicating a stop state.

15. The radio telephone system according to claim 12, wherein the detector detects a speed of the vehicle.

16. The radio telephone system according to claim 15, wherein, when the speed of the vehicle is not lower than a predetermined speed, the wireless transmitter transmits the mode switch signal indicating a driving state and, when the speed of the vehicle is lower than the predetermined speed, the wireless transmitter transmits the mode switch signal indicating a stop state.

17. The radio telephone system according to claim 12, wherein the controller selects one of two predetermined modes as the operation mode of the radio telephone depending on the mode switch signal, wherein the two predetermined modes are selected from a communication mode that makes a normal telephone function active, a phone-answering mode that makes an automatic answering function active, and a suspending mode that makes both the normal telephone function and the automatic answering function inactive.

18. The radio telephone system according to claim 17, wherein the two predetermined modes comprises a first mode to be selected when the vehicle is in a driving state and a second mode to be selected when the vehicle is in a stopped state, wherein the first mode is one selected from the phone-answering mode and the suspending mode.

19. A method for switching an operation mode of a radio telephone within a vehicle in a radio telephone system comprising an accessory mounted in the vehicle and the radio telephone that is separated from the accessory, said method comprising:

detecting, at the accessory, an operation state of the vehicle;

transmitting, at the accessory, a mode switch signal indicating the operation state to the radio telephone;

receiving, at the radio telephone, the mode switch signal from the accessory; and

changing, at the radio telephone and depending on the mode switch signal, an operation mode of the radio telephone.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the operation state of the vehicle comprises an on/off state of an ignition key of the vehicle.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein, when the ignition key is in the on state, the mode switch signal indicating a driving state is transmitted and, when the ignition key is in the off state, the mode switch signal indicating a stop state is transmitted.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the operation state of the vehicle comprises a speed of the vehicle.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein, when the speed of the vehicle is not lower than a predetermined speed, the mode switch signal indicating a driving state is transmitted and, when the speed of the vehicle is lower than the predetermined speed, the mode switch signal indicating a stop state is transmitted.

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein one of two predetermined modes is selected as the operation mode of the radio telephone depending on the mode switch signal, wherein the two predetermined modes are selected from a communication mode that makes a normal telephone function active, a phone-answering mode that makes an automatic answering function active, and a suspending mode that makes both the normal telephone function and the automatic answering function inactive.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the two predetermined modes comprises a first mode to be selected when the vehicle is in a driving state and a second mode to be selected when the vehicle is in a stopped state, wherein the first mode is one selected from the phone-answering mode and the suspending mode.

26. A method for switching an operation mode of a radio telephone within a vehicle in a radio telephone system comprising an accessory mounted in the vehicle and the radio telephone that is separated from the accessory, said method comprising:

detecting, at the accessory, an operation state of the vehicle;

transmitting, at the accessory, a mode switch signal indicating the operation state to the radio telephone;

receiving, at the radio telephone, the mode switch signal from the accessory and transmitting the mode switch completion signal to the accessory;

changing, at the radio telephone and depending on the mode switch signal, an operation mode of the radio telephone;

transmitting, at the radio telephone, a mode switch completion signal to the accessory;

determining, at the accessory, whether the mode switch completion signal is received from the radio telephone; and

stopping, at the accessory, transmission of the mode switch signal unless the mode switch completion signal is received from the radio telephone.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the operation state of the vehicle comprises an on/off state of an ignition key of the vehicle.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein, when the ignition key is in the on state, the mode switch signal indicating a driving state is transmitted and, when the ignition key is in the off state, the mode switch signal indicating a stop state is transmitted.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein the operation state of the vehicle comprises a speed of the vehicle.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein, when the speed of the vehicle is not lower than a predetermined speed, the mode switch signal indicating a driving state is transmitted and, when the speed of the vehicle is lower than the predetermined speed, the mode switch signal indicating a stop state is transmitted.

31. The method according to claim 26, wherein one of two predetermined modes is selected as the operation mode of the radio telephone depending on the mode switch signal, wherein the two predetermined modes are selected from a communication mode that makes a normal telephone function active, a phone-answering mode that makes an automatic answering function active, and a suspending mode that makes both the normal telephone function and the automatic answering function inactive.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the two predetermined modes comprises a first mode to be selected when the vehicle is in a driving state and a second mode to be selected when the vehicle is in a stopped state, wherein the first mode is one selected from the phone-answering mode and the suspending mode.

33. A radio telephone separated from an accessory mounted in a vehicle, wherein the accessory transmits a mode switch signal to the radio telephone when a change of an operation state of the vehicle is detected, the radio telephone comprising:

a radio transceiver for telephone communication;

a wireless receiver for receiving the mode switch signal from the accessory; and

a controller for changing an operation mode of the radio telephone depending on the mode switch signal.

34. The radio telephone according to claim 33 wherein the controller selects one of two predetermined modes as the operation mode of the radio telephone depending on the mode switch signal, wherein the two predetermined modes are selected from a communication mode that makes a normal telephone function active, a phone-answering mode that makes an automatic answering function active, and a suspending mode that makes both the normal telephone function and the automatic answering function inactive.

35. The radio telephone according to claim 34, wherein the two predetermined modes consists of a first mode to be selected when the vehicle is in a driving state and a second mode to be selected when the vehicle is in a stop state, wherein the first mode is one selected from the phone-answering mode and the suspending mode.

36. The radio telephone according to claim 33, wherein the mode switch signal indicates a driving state where the ignition key is in the on state and indicates a stop state where the ignition key is in the off state.

37. The radio telephone according to claim 33, wherein the mode switch signal indicates a driving state where a speed of the vehicle is not lower than a predetermined speed and indicates a stop state where the speed of the vehicle is lower than the predetermined speed.