Hand-free operator capable of infrared controlling a vehicle's audio stereo system

• US 6,397,086 B1
• Filed: 06/22/1999
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: E-Lead Electronic Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: E-Lead Electronic Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Tonny
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRAVER, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US09/337,662
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569,568,565,90,575,563,414,556,557,66,572,79 379/353-361,447-450 704/231-257
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an infrared controlled hand-free operator for cellular phones housed in a vehicle. More particularly, it is concerned with a hand-free operator which can automatically transmit an infrared signal similar to a control signal of a vehicle'"'"'s audio stereo system to turn the stereo system off or mute when income signals are received by a cellular phone mounted to a vehicle. The hand-free operator thus can automatically cut off the noise sound of an audio stereo system in operation so as to make the operation of a cellular phone free of interference in a vehicle on the move.

Claims

1. A hand-free operator coupled to a cellular phone through a signal cable for control of an audio stereo system of a vehicle, the audio stereo system having an infrared receiver, the hand-free operator comprising:

a hand-free operator circuit unlit connected to said signal cable for receiving a signal from the cellular phone indicative of a mode of operation thereof, said hand-free operator circuit unit generating a command corresponding to said mode of operation of said cellular phone;

an infra-red circuit unit coupled to said hand-free operator circuit for receiving said command therefrom and for generating an infra-red signal in response to said command, said infra-red circuit unit transmitting said infra-red signal to said infra-red receiver of said audio stereo system through an optical communication link for controlling the functions of said audio stereo system in response to said mode of operation of said cellular phone;

a phonetic sound identifying unit having signal identification codes stored therein, said vehicle audio stereo system and said cellular phone being controlled by a user by inputting phonetic sound control commands into said hand-free operator.

2. The hand-free operator as claimed in claim 1, further including an infrared signal coding unit and an income signal detecting unit coupled between said cellular phone and said first infrared signal coding unit, said income signal detecting unit detecting variations in a signal received from said cellular phone to activate said hand-free operator.

3. The hand-free operator as claimed in claim 1, further including an infrared signal coding unit and a cellular phone signal decoding unit coupled between said cellular phone and said infrared signal coding unit to enable said hand-free operator to detect variations in a serial signal of a stand-by mode of operation of said cellular phone to activate said hand-free operator.

4. The hand-free operator as claimed in claim 1, further including a dialing unit secured on a steering wheel of said vehicle, said dialing unit having a plurality of dialing buttons and a plurality of functional control buttons actuatable to control said vehicle audio stereo system and said cellular phone.

5. The hand-free operator as claimed in claim 1, further including an adaptor connector comprising said infrared receiver of said audio stereo system, a signal amplifier coupled to said infrared receiver, and a signal decoding unit connected at an input thereof to said signal amplifier, and coupled at an output thereof to said audio stereo system of said vehicle.

6. The hand-free operator as recited in claim 1 wherein a cellular phone signal decoding unit is coupled between said phonetic sound identifying unit and said hand-free operator circuit unit.

7. The hand-free operator as recited in claim 6 wherein an infrared signal coding unit is coupled to said cellular phone signal decoding unit, said infrared signal coding unit having infrared signal codes stored therein.