Method for operating a communication system, and communication system

• US 9,866,665 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2015
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Badouin, David Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): GONZALES, APRIL GUZMAN
• Application Number:
  US15/523,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20170324854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 4555759
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• 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: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6083 by interfacing with the vehicle audio system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a communication system, comprising the steps: Providing a chip card, in particular a SIM card, in a communication device of a motor vehicle, said chip card including a user identification for dialing into at least one mobile communication network; storing a device identification of a mobile phone in the communication device of the motor vehicle; establishing a mobile communication link between the mobile phone and the communication device of the motor vehicle using the user identification stored on the chip card if a predetermined activation action has been detected on the mobile phone and it has been determined that the device identification of the mobile phone is stored in the communication device of the motor vehicle. The invention furthermore relates to a communication system.

Claims

1. A method for operating a communication system, the method comprising:

providing a chip card in a communication device of a motor vehicle, wherein the chip card is a SIM card and wherein the chip card comprises a user identification for dialing into at least one mobile communication network;

storing a device identification of a mobile phone in the communication device of the motor vehicle;

establishing a mobile communication link between the mobile phone and the communication device of the motor vehicle using the user identification stored on the chip card when it is determined that (i) a predetermined activation action has been detected on the mobile phone and (ii) the device identification of the mobile phone is stored in the communication device of the motor vehicle;

establishing, automatically, a voice connection between the mobile phone and the communication device when the mobile communication link has been established for a predetermined period of time,

wherein the established voice connection is only terminated if an appropriate termination action has been detected on the mobile phone so a driver of the motor vehicle cannot terminate the established voice connection, and

wherein if the mobile communication link cannot be established between the mobile phone and the communication device, an audio recorder is activated to record a message, the recorded message is transmitted to the communication device and output at the motor vehicle when the mobile communication link between the audio recorder and the communication device is to be established.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication link between the mobile phone and the communication device is initiated in response to a detected user input on an application installed on the mobile phone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein an acoustic signal is output by the mobile phone and the communication device when the mobile communication link has been established.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication link between the mobile phone and the communication device is established via a server.

5. A communication system comprising:

a motor vehicle;

a mobile phone comprising a device identification;

a communication device integrated into the motor vehicle and configured to store the device identification of the mobile phone;

a chip card comprising a user identification for a mobile communication network, wherein the chip card is a SIM card and wherein the chip card is at least partially contained in the communication device;

wherein the communication system is configured to establish a mobile communication link between the mobile phone and the communication device using the user identification stored on the chip card when it is determined that (i) a predetermined activation action has been detected on the mobile phone and (ii) the device identification of the mobile phone is stored in the communication device;

wherein the communication system is further configured to automatically establish a voice connection between the mobile phone and the communication device when the mobile communication link has been established for a predetermined period of time,

wherein the established voice connection is terminated when an appropriate termination action has been detected on the mobile phone so a driver of the motor vehicle cannot terminate the established voice connection, and

wherein, when the mobile communication link cannot be established between the mobile phone and the communication device, the communication system is further configured to;

activate an audio recorder to record a message,

transmit the recorded message to the communication device, and

output the recorded messages at the motor vehicle when the mobile communication link between the audio recorder and the communication device is established.

6. The communication system of claim 5, wherein the communication device is configured to automatically report a traffic accident of the motor vehicle to an emergency call center via the mobile communication network.