In-vehicle hand-free apparatus

• US 7,738,927 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique SA (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA), Honda Access Corp. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Access Corp. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ogura, Eiji, Yamada, Yuko, Yamamoto, Mitsuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard; Patrick N
• Assistant Examiner(s): THIER, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/319,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20060154698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569.1, 455/575.9
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface

Abstract

An in-vehicle hand-free apparatus that is for ensuring hand-free talk by a short-range wireless communication system in compliance with the Bluetooth includes a notification unit which notifies the status of the in-vehicle hand-free apparatus. As the in-vehicle hand-free apparatus notifies the status thereof by the notification unit, the user can easily perceive the status of the in-vehicle hand-free apparatus.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle hand-free apparatus for ensuring hand-free talking in a vehicle using a phone, comprising:

a case body located on a pillar positioned near a front of a head of a user sitting at a driver'"'"'s seat;

a communication processor wirelessly connected to said phone by a radio wave of a short-range wireless communication system, said communication processor being disposed on one end side in said case body;

a microphone for collecting the voice of a user, said microphone being disposed in front of another end side in said case body;

a sound generating device for generating a predetermined notifying sound, said sound generating device being provided near an approximate center of a rear face of said case body containing the pillar;

an operating unit provided on a top face of said case body along a lengthwise direction, said operating unit including an answer switch for talking, talking in response to an incoming call, terminating talk, and turning off power, a volume-up switch for turning up the volume of the voice of a talking party, and a volume-down switch for turning down the volume of the voice of the talking party and shifting said in-vehicle hand-free apparatus from a manual mode to an auto mode or vice versa by pressing said volume-down switch for a predetermined period of time wherein, in the auto mode, said in-vehicle hand-free apparatus automatically answers the incoming calls on the phone and in the manual mode said in-vehicle hand-free apparatus requires pressing said answer switch to answer the incoming calls on the phone; and

a light emitting unit which is disposed on a front of said case body and between said microphone and said answer switch,

wherein said light emitting unit comprises two LEDs each emitting a different color arranged in a widthwise direction of said case body, and said light emitting unit emits light in a predetermined first emission color when said in-vehicle hand-free apparatus is in a status of wireless-connection where synchronization of said communication processor with said phone is established, or in a status capable of voice-talking where a call between said phone and a base station is established, and

wherein said light emitting unit emits light in a second emission color different from said first emission color when the voice-collection by said microphone is terminated in accordance with the operation of said operating unit.

2. The in-vehicle hand-free apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting unit and said sound generating device operate in accordance with an operation of said operating unit performed by a user.

3. The in-vehicle hand-free apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting unit is provided at a back of said operating unit.

4. The in-vehicle hand-free apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said light emitting unit is provided at a back of said operating unit.

5. The in-vehicle hand-free apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting unit changes an emission state to notify the status of said in-vehicle hand-free apparatus.

6. The in-vehicle hand-free apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sound generating device changes a sound state to notify the status of said in-vehicle hand-free apparatus.

7. The in-vehicle hand-free apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said light emitting unit changes an emission state to notify the status of said in-vehicle hand-free apparatus.

8. The in-vehicle hand-free apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said in-vehicle hand-free apparatus is unable to establish synchronization with said phone and is not wirelessly connected thereto, said sound generating device generates a predetermined disconnection-state indicating sound, and said light emitting unit turns out light.

9. The in-vehicle hand-free apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting unit flickers in said first emission color in a first period to notify said user of talking over said phone being in progress when talking over said phone starts, and flickers in said first emission color in a second period to notify said user of an incoming call to said phone when said phone has received that call.

10. The in-vehicle hand-free apparatus according to claim 1, said light emitting unit is provided in a transparent cover in front of said case body, wherein said user sees an emission state of said light emitting unit through said transparent cover.