HK1023025B - Interface system and method - Google Patents

Description

Interface system and method

Background

1. Field of the invention

The present invention relates generally to cellular radiotelephones and apparatus for mobile communications using cellular radiotelephones, and more particularly to connection of a portable computer to a cellular radiotelephone via a modem.

2. Description of the related Art

The increasing use of cellular radiotelephones and their accessories (such as telephones with speakers, laptops, portable facsimile machines) has enabled more people to work away from homes and offices. In particular, the use of cellular data modems in conjunction with laptop computers enables people to send and receive facsimiles and access local area networks in a mobile office environment.

A disadvantage of sending and receiving a fax via a cellular radiotelephone is that when a user attempts to send and receive a fax or a voice call, respectively, the modem must be repeatedly connected and disconnected accordingly. In addition, the user must maintain the modem connection to the cellular radiotelephone in the event that he does not know when the incoming facsimile was sent. Maintaining this connection disables the voice call, thereby preventing the user of the cellular radiotelephone from receiving and transmitting voice calls through the cellular radiotelephone. Repeated connection and disconnection of the modem is particularly troublesome when the user is driving a car and the hands are not freely available. In addition, this distraction is also dangerous for the user driving the vehicle.

There is currently no reasonable way for a cellular radiotelephone user to make and receive voice calls without physically connecting and disconnecting the modem to the cellular radiotelephone. Cellular radiotelephone users typically must use separate and separate phones with different numbers to avoid connecting and disconnecting the modem while conducting a voice call. There is a need, therefore, for an interface system that can connect various accessories, including at least one modem, to a radiotelephone and coordinate access between these devices and the radiotelephone's audio channel without requiring manual intervention by the cellular radiotelephone user. It would also be an advance in the art of such an interface system to enable a cellular radiotelephone user to prioritize the operation of various accessories connected to the cellular radiotelephone.

Summary of The Invention

One embodiment of the present invention includes an interface system for connecting a variety of accessory devices to a radiotelephone. The bi-directional audio channel of each accessory is connected to a switch in the interface system. Each accessory is also connected to the controller within the interface device by its individual request line. When an accessory device requires access to the audio channel of the radiotelephone, the accessory device issues a request to the controller of the interface device over the request line. If more than one device simultaneously makes access requests to the radiotelephone, the controller makes a decision between the competing access devices after determining which accessory is to be allowed access, and the controller instructs the switch to connect the selected accessory to the radiotelephone.

In further embodiments, the interface system also allows a user of the interface to input operational settings. These settings are used to select the hierarchical scheme of the various accessories and to control the operation of the interface system.

Brief Description of Drawings

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B show practical representations of two embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 1A including a centrally located interface system, and FIG. 1B including a centrally located interface system and an external portion external to the centrally located interface system;

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an interface system of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a logical table of control functions for a preferred embodiment of the interface system;

FIG. 4 shows a discrete logic circuit principle to implement the control function of FIG. 3; and

figure 5 illustrates one embodiment of the control switch function shown in figure 2.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1A and 1B, there is shown a practical representation of two embodiments of the present invention. Fig. 1A shows a first embodiment of the present invention, comprising a centrally located interface system 100 to which a radiotelephone 110 is connected via a communication link 120. The connection to the communication line 120 is made by a connector 140. The docking station 130 is used to secure a wireless telephone. Although the radiotelephone is shown in fig. 1A and 1B as being connected to the communication line 120 by the connector 140, the connector may be incorporated into a docking station.

A first accessory is a telephone 170 with a speaker, which is connected to the interface system 100 via a communication line 145, and which includes a microphone 150 and a speaker 160. A second accessory is a handheld handset 180 that is connected to the interface system 100 via a communication line 175. When interface system 100 is placed in a vehicle, handset 180 may be placed anywhere in the vehicle, including in the vehicle for use by any occupant, including the driver. While the present invention still enables a user to directly use the cellular radiotelephone 110, it is preferable to place the cellular radiotelephone 110 on the docking station 130 so that connections can be made with other devices, such as higher power transmitters and external antennas. Thus, the handheld handset 180 allows convenient access to the audio channel of the radiotelephone 110.

Modem 190 is also connected to interface system 100 via communication line 185. The modem 190 is also connected to a portable or laptop computer in a convenient manner. For example, under current technology, the connection may employ an "international personal computer memory card organization (PCMCIA) card". Although the embodiment of the present invention shows only three types of accessories connected to the interface device 100 in fig. 1A, the present invention is applicable to any number of accessories connected to the interface device 100 to effect connection to the audio channel of the radiotelephone 110. The communication lines 120, 145, 175, and 185 that connect the interface device 100 to the wireless telephone 110, the speakerphone 170, the handheld handset 180, and the modem 190, respectively, i.e., everything shown in fig. 1A, are shown as physical connections. The connections may be made using electrical cables for transmitting electrical signals or optical cables for transmitting optical signals, and they may also be made using wireless communication in the electromagnetic spectrum.

FIG. 1B shows a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the interface system 100 of FIG. 1A includes a centralized portion of the interface system 250 and an external portion of the interface system 260 external to the centralized portion of the system 250. The centralized placement portion 250 and the circumscribed placement portion 260 constitute the interface system 100 of fig. 1A. The circumscribed portion 260 is connected to the central portion 250 via a communication line 270. Similarly, the communication link 270 may be an electrical cable for transmitting electrical signals, an optical cable for transmitting optical fiber signals, or a wireless link using electromagnetic spectrum. While the external portion of the interface system 260 is remote from the centralized portion of the interface system 250, one embodiment of the external portion 260 is controlled by the centralized portion 250 and another embodiment is controlled by the cellular radiotelephone user.

The external portion of the interface system 260 is external to the hub 250 to simplify the connection of external accessories to the hub of the interface system 250. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1B, handset 180 is coupled to an external portion of interface system 250 via a communication line 280, and modem 190 is coupled to an external portion of interface system 250 via a communication line 290. Likewise, communication lines 280 and 290 may be implemented using any of the media previously described.

Referring to fig. 2, a functional block diagram of an interface system of the present invention is shown. The interface system 100 includes a controller 300 and a control switch 310. The controller 300 may enable a user of the interface system 100 to input operational settings via the user operational settings function 320. Any convenient method may be used to enter the settings including, but not limited to, physically operating a switch on the face of the interface device 100 or using voice commands from the handset 180 or speaker phone 170. Another way to enter these user-selected settings is to use the keypad of the wireless telephone 110 or the handheld handset 180. The user selects to set the prioritization operation for the various accessories and controls the operation of the interface device 100.

Based on the user selection settings and the accessory access request, the control switch 310 of the interface system 100, under the management of the controller 300, connects the audio channel of the accessory device with the audio channel of the wireless telephone 110. The audio channels of the handheld handset 180, modem 190, telephone 170 with speaker, and accessory "n" 340 are connected to the control switch 310 via bi-directional communication lines 180A, 190A, 170A, and 340A, respectively. Under the control of the controller 300, the control switch 310 connects the audio channel of the selected accessory to the audio channel of the radiotelephone 110 via the bi-directional communication line 330.

Requests from the handheld handset 180, modem 190, speakerphone 170 and accessory "n" 340 to the controller are transmitted via request lines 180B, 190B, 170B and 340B, respectively. As with all communication lines of the present invention, all request lines may employ electrical cables for transmitting electrical signals, optical cables for transmitting optical fiber signals, and wireless connections using electromagnetic wave spectrum. Access requests issued by the accessory to the audio channel of the radiotelephone 110 enter the controller 300 as input signals C1, C2, C3 and Cn over request lines 180B, 190B, 170B and 340B, respectively. The controller 300 judges access requests of various accessories by using the requests and the user selection operation settings, and controls the operation of the control switch 310 through output signals C01, C02, C03 and C0 n. Based on the controller output signal, the control switch 310 selects one of the accessories to be connected to the audio channel of the radiotelephone 110.

The request for access by the accessory to the radiotelephone 110 may be made in any number of ways. Although complex systems with interrupt and timed interrogation schemes may be used, the preferred embodiment of the present invention simply sends a logical "0" or "1" status code to the controller 300 via the request line of the associated accessory device. Requests sent by the accessories are received by the controller 300 via control input lines C1-C3. It is easy to generate logic signal "0" and "1" states that request access to the radiotelephone 110. For example, most telephone handsets are equipped with a lockout switch that turns on the phone when the handset is lifted from the cradle. The lock switch may be connected to the request line 180B so that the corresponding status code is transmitted to the controller input line C1 when the handset is lifted. Similarly, the user can operate a switch on the speakerphone 170 and can issue voice commands via voice recognition to enable the speakerphone to activate the request line 170B. With respect to modem 190, request line 190B may be activated by a request signal already present on the PCMCIA modem.

The various accessories may be notified after being granted access to the audio channel of the radiotelephone 110. To communicate access grants from the controller 300 to the various accessory devices, separate grant lines may be used, and the same request line may be used to provide access grant notifications to the PCMCIA modem. Although cellular radiotelephones do not provide a dial tone, another way to provide notification of access permission is to provide an analog dial tone. For a handset 180 or a telephone 170 with a speaker, the user of the cellular radiotelephone can hear the analog dial tone to know that access has been granted. While PCMCIA modems currently cannot detect a dial tone, other modems can detect a dial tone to determine that access to the audio channel of radiotelephone 110 has been granted.

The bidirectional audio channel communication line of each accessory device shown in fig. 2 and the access request line of each accessory device together constitute the communication lines in fig. 1A and 1B. For example, the bi-directional communication line 180A of the handset 180 and the request line 180B together comprise the communication line 175 of FIG. 1A and 280 of FIG. 1B. By analogy, the bi-directional communication line 190A of modem 190 and request line 190B constitute communication line 185 of FIG. 1A and 290 of FIG. 1B. Similarly, the bidirectional communication line 170A of the speaker-equipped phone 170 and the access request line 170B constitute the communication line 145 in fig. 1A and 1B.

In addition to fig. 2, the following description will further refer to fig. 3, wherein a logic table is shown depicting a control function 300 of a preferred embodiment of the interface system. The logic table includes input fields entitled C1, C2, and C3, and output fields entitled C01, C02, and C03. These input and output items correspond to the homonymous input and output signals of the controller 300 of fig. 2. The logic table is divided laterally into sections S1, S2, S3 and S4, corresponding to one of the accessories connected to the audio channel of the radiotelephone 110. In the input fields C1-C3, a valid request by an accessory to the radiotelephone 110 is represented by a logical "0". The S1 section contains possible input volume combinations and the only output volume to connect the handheld handset to the audio channel of the wireless telephone 110. The S2 section contains the possible input volume combinations and the only output volume to connect the modem 190 to the audio channel of the wireless telephone 110. The S3 section includes the various inputs and the only output to connect the telephone with speaker 180 to the audio channel of the radiotelephone 110. The final S4 section includes the various input quantities, and the only output quantity to disconnect all accessories from the radiotelephone 110.

Under the prioritization scheme of the preferred embodiment, the operation of the handset 180 has priority. Thus, whenever the input control C1 is a logic "0" indicating that the handset has a request, the controller 300 provides the control output C01 ═ 0 ", C02 ═ 0" and C03 ═ 0 "to the control switch 310, and the control switch 310 connects the audio channel of the handset to the audio channel of the wireless telephone 110. Since the handset 180 is given priority over other devices, the modem 190 and speakerphone 170 request (which is represented as a logic "0" for the control input quantities C2 and C3 items) has no effect on controlling the output quantities C01-C03.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention gives a second priority to the operation of modem 190. The S2 portion of the logic table represents this situation, where a logic "1" in column C1 indicates that handset 180 is not requesting access and a logic "0" in column C2 indicates that modem 190 is requesting access. In this case, the controller 300 provides the control switch 310 with the control output C01 being "0", C02 being "1", and C03 being "0", and the control switch 310 connects the audio channel of the modem 190 with the audio channel of the wireless telephone 110.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention gives a third priority to the operation of the phone with speaker 170. This is shown in part S3, where a logic "1" in columns C1 and C2 indicates that neither handset 180 nor modem 190 is requesting access, respectively, and a logic "0" in column C3 indicates that a telephone with a speaker is requesting access. In this case, the controller 300 provides a control output C01 of "1", C02 of "1" and C03 of "0" to the control switch 310, which control switch 310 connects the audio channel of the speakerphone with the audio channel of the radiotelephone.

The final section S4 represents the situation where the logic value of each of the inputs C1-C3 is "1" indicating that no accessory is requesting access to the audio channel of the radiotelephone 110. In which case the radiotelephone 110 is disconnected from all accessories.

Although only three accessories are included in the logic table of fig. 3, the controller 300 and interface system 100 can be extended to include any number of accessories. Similarly, the user selection operation setting as the control input amount is not shown in the logic table. Additional accessories and user-selected operational settings may be added to the logic table as additional inputs, and the number of controller inputs may be expanded to include additional accessories, so that any number of accessories and priority combinations may be implemented.

Referring to fig. 4, a schematic diagram of discrete logic circuitry for implementing the control function of fig. 3 is shown. The schematic shows inputs C1-C3 representing controller inputs C1-C3 of FIGS. 2 and 3, and outputs C01-C03 representing controller outputs C01-C03 of FIGS. 2 and 3. The discrete logic circuit includes three and gates 500, 510 and 520, and not gates 530 and 540. The gates are connected as shown in the schematic so that when the inputs shown in columns C1-C3 of fig. 3 are added to the inputs C1-C3 of the discrete logic circuit, the outputs C01-C03 of the discrete logic circuit produce outputs corresponding to C01-C03 of fig. 3.

Although discrete logic is used in fig. 4 to implement the functionality of the controller 300 of fig. 2, other methods of implementing this functionality exist. These methods include, but are not limited to, a look-up table that is fixed in read-only memory and use a programmed general-purpose computer that provides controller outputs C01-C03 based on the controller inputs C1-C3. Other inputs and outputs may be added to include additional accessories and user-selected operational setting inputs, as described in the logic table of fig. 3.

Referring to fig. 5, an embodiment of the control switch 310 of the interface system 100 of fig. 2 is shown. The diagram depicts the audio path from the radiotelephone 110 to the different accessory devices and the switching required to connect the different accessory devices to the audio channel of the radiotelephone 110. The control switch 310 in fig. 2 is depicted in fig. 5 as including six discrete switches. Switches 600, 610 and 620 form a switching path from audio processor 630 of radiotelephone 110, and switches 640, 650 and 660 form a switching path to audio processor 670. The path from audio processor 630 and the path to audio processor 670 together form a bi-directional audio channel for radiotelephone 110.

The switches 600 and 640 are controlled by the control output C03 of the controller 310 of fig. 2, which can either place the radiotelephone 110 off or turn it on an accessory device. Switches 610 and 650 are controlled by control output signal C01 of controller 310 in fig. 2, which connects speakerphone 170 with audio processing paths 630 and 670 of radiotelephone 110. Switches 620 and 660 are controlled by control output signal C02 of controller 310 in fig. 2, which connects either handset 180 or modem 190 to audio processing paths 630 and 670 of wireless telephone 110.

Although the embodiment of the control switch 310 in fig. 5 is described as including six discrete switches to implement the switching function, it is possible to implement this function in other ways, such as using a monolithic multiplexer. Although discrete switches may also be used to operate the external portion 260 of the interface system in the external position depicted in fig. 1B.

Further, the switches may be controlled and connected in various ways other than the methods described in fig. 3 and 5, and it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to these described methods.

Although a preferred embodiment of the method and apparatus of the present invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the principles of the invention as set forth and defined by the following claims.

Claims (9)

1. An interface system for determining between and facilitating access to a plurality of accessory devices competing for access to an audio channel of a radiotelephone, comprising:

a controller for controlling operation of an interface system;

a switch responsive to the controller for enabling access to the audio channel of the radiotelephone by a plurality of accessory devices;

at least one accessory device for making an access request to the controller for the audio channel of the radiotelephone; and

an optical cable for connecting a plurality of accessories to a switch and a controller, the optical cable for transmitting optical signals.

2. An interface system for determining between and facilitating access to a plurality of accessory devices competing for access to an audio channel of a radiotelephone, comprising:

a controller for controlling operation of an interface system;

a switch responsive to the controller for enabling access to the audio channel of the radiotelephone by a plurality of accessory devices; and

at least one accessory device for making an access request to the controller for the audio channel of the radiotelephone; and

a wireless link for coupling a plurality of accessories and a switch to a controller, the wireless link for transmitting wireless signals.

3. An interface system for determining between and facilitating access to a plurality of accessory devices competing for access to an audio channel of a radiotelephone, comprising:

a controller for controlling operation of an interface system;

a switch responsive to the controller for enabling access to the audio channel of the radiotelephone by a plurality of accessory devices; and

at least one accessory device for making access requests to the controller for the radiotelephone audio channels from a plurality of accessory devices; and

wherein the switch includes:

a switch arranged in a centralized manner; and

a switch provided at a remote end other than the switches provided collectively.

4. The interface system of claim 3 further comprising an input device for inputting a user selected setting of the operating mode, the setting of the operating mode being communicated to the controller and altering the operation of the controller.

5. A method for determining between and facilitating access to a plurality of accessories of an audio channel of a radiotelephone, comprising the steps of:

connecting a radiotelephone audio processor to a bi-directional endpoint on a first side of the switch;

connecting a plurality of accessory devices to a plurality of bidirectional terminals on a second side of the switch;

connecting a plurality of accessory devices to the controller via request lines;

generating a request by at least one of the plurality of accessory devices;

transmitting the request to the controller via a request line;

determining, by the controller, to select among requests issued by a plurality of accessory devices for contention for access to the radiotelephone audio channel;

directing the switch by the controller to connect the selected accessory device to the audio processor of the radiotelephone; and

the switch is switched to connect the first side of the switch associated with the selected accessory device to the second side of the switch.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of inputting a user selected operating mode setting, the operating mode setting being communicated to the controller and altering the operation of the controller.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the following steps are performed using a cable for transmitting electrical signals: connecting a radiotelephone audio processor to the bi-directional terminal on the first side of the switch; connecting a plurality of accessory devices to the bi-directional terminal on the second side of the switch; the plurality of accessories are connected to the controller.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the following steps are performed using an optical cable for transmitting optical signals: connecting a radiotelephone audio processor to the bi-directional terminal on the first side of the switch; connecting a plurality of accessory devices to the bi-directional terminal on the second side of the switch; the plurality of accessories are connected to the controller.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the following steps are implemented using electromagnetic radiation for transmitting the wireless signal: connecting a radiotelephone audio processor to the bi-directional terminal on the first side of the switch; connecting a plurality of accessory devices to the bi-directional terminal on the second side of the switch; the plurality of accessories are connected to the controller.