Claims
- 1. A method of determining the presence of a signal output from a wireless communications device, comprising:
receiving a received signal by signal determining circuitry from a wireless communications device; analyzing said received signal related to determining whether said received signal comprises at least a first predetermined signal that includes an audible frequency.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said audible frequency comprises at least one of a ring signal, a voice signal, a dial tone, and a key press signal.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said audible frequency comprises a signal having a frequency that is within the range of human hearing.
- 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising interconnecting said wireless communications device to said signal determining circuitry using a holding member of a first type if said wireless communications device is of a first type, wherein said holding member of a first type is adapted to interconnect to a wireless communications device having at least a first set of physical characteristics, and wherein said holding member of a first type is incapable of interconnecting to a wireless communications device of a second type having a second set of physical characteristics.
- 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising using said received signal to control an audio system if said received signal includes said first predetermined signal
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein if said received signal is determined to comprise at least a first predetermined signal that includes an audible frequency, said method further comprises:
generating a second signal; and providing said second signal to an audio system.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of analyzing said received signal comprises determining whether said received signal includes predetermined audible frequencies.
- 8. The method of claim 6, wherein said generating step comprises asserting an audio mute signal to control at least a first input to said audio system.
- 9. The method of claim 6, wherein said generating step comprises asserting an audio mute signal to reduce an amplitude of at least a first input to at least a first speaker of said audio system.
- 10. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless communications device is a portable cellular telephone.
- 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of filtering, amplifying and squaring said received signal.
- 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing to an in-call mode when said received signal includes said first predetermined signal and determining that said wireless communications device is in use if an in-call status signal is received from said wireless communications device.
- 13. The method of claim 12, further including detecting that said in-call status signal is not present and controlling an audio system after said detecting step.
- 14. The method of claim 1, wherein said first predetermined signal includes a voice signal and said voice signal is continuously checked and, when said voice signal is not present for a predetermined time interval, controlling an audio system.
- 15. An apparatus for determining the presence of a signal output from a wireless communications device to control an audio system, comprising:
determining circuitry for receiving a received signal from the wireless communications device and processing said received signal to provide an output signal, said received signal including an audible signal; and control circuitry in operative communication with said determining circuitry that receives said output signal and generates a control signal to control an audio system located in a vehicle.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said audible signal includes at least one of a ring signal, a voice signal, a dial tone and a key press signal.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said determining circuitry and said control circuitry are supported by a holding member of a first type and in which said holding member of said first type is compatible with a wireless communications device of a first type and is not compatible with a wireless communications device of a second type.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said control signal is used to at least attenuate a signal from the audio system in the vehicle.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said determining circuitry is used in at least one of filtering, amplifying and squaring said received signal.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said determining circuitry is operatively associated with in-call status circuitry and in which said control signal is generated when at least one of a first predetermined signal and a signal provided by said in-call status circuitry is present.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said first predetermined signal includes a voice signal and said control signal is present when said voice signal is continuously present.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein:
said voice signal is continuously present when said voice signal is absent for less than 5 seconds.
- 23. A method for detecting audio signals from a wireless communications device, comprising:
receiving at a docking station at least a first signal from a wireless communications device; processing said at least a first signal; and analyzing said at least a first signal, wherein in response to determining that said at least a first signal contains at least a first audible frequency, an in-call mode is entered.
- 24. The method of claim 23, wherein said at least a first audible frequency comprises at least one of a ring signal, a voice signal, a dial tone and a key press signal.
- 25. The method of claim 23, wherein said docking station comprises an adaptor.
- 26. The method of claim 23, wherein said in-call mode comprises generating an audio system control signal.
- 27. The method of claim 26, wherein said in-call mode is maintained for at least a first period of time after it has been entered.
- 28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:
receiving at said docking station at least a second signal from at least a one of said wireless communications device and a user; processing said signal; and analyzing said at least a second signal, wherein in response to determining that said at least a second signal contains at least a first audible frequency said first period of time is reset.
Parent Case Info
[0001] The present application is a continuation in part of, and claims priority in, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/507,175 filed Feb. 18, 2000, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09507175 |
Feb 2000 |
US |
Child |
09866420 |
May 2001 |
US |