Patent Application
20050181848
The present invention relates to an automotive telephone system.
Mobile telephones are becoming more and more popular. They have particular application for use in automobiles. Some mobile telephone systems are not strictly dedicated to automotive use. On the other hand, there are presently in the marketplace many telephone systems which are specifically designed for use in an automobile. These systems include a handset which is typically connected by a handset cord to a base unit permanently mounted within the automobile. The base unit, which provides a resting area for the handset is generally positioned in the console region of the automobile.
These automotive dedicated telephone systems as described immediately above can be difficult to use. The handset because of its corded connection to the base unit can be difficult to maneuver. Furthermore, it is usually relatively large and heavy.
As an assist to avoid having to use the handset these telephone systems also include a hands-free mode of operation. In the hands-free mode the handset is placed on the base unit and an incoming telephone call then goes through a speaker to the person taking the call. The base unit also has a receiver so that the person taking the call can respond in a hands-free mode to the person making the call.
The hands-free mode of operation as described immediately above suffers from the drawback that there is no privacy with respect to the conversation between the person taking the call in the car and the person making the call to the car. This can be a problem if there is confidential material to be discussed and if there is a passenger riding with the driver of the automobile.
Even in view of lack of privacy issue noted immediately above the hands-free mode of operation for existing automotive dedicated telephone systems is going to be the only way that they can be used in the future. For safety purposes, legislation is now being put into effect that requires hands-free use of automobile telephone systems.
The present invention provides an automotive telephone system which enables telephone systems of the type having a fixed base unit and an associated handset to be used in a hands-free mode without losing the privacy of a telephone conversation on the telephone system.
More particularly, the present invention provides an automotive telephone system comprising of telephone assembly including a handset removable from a base unit permanently fixed within the telephone system. Also included is a headset with a speaker and a transmitter provided at the headset. The headset is located remotely of the base unit. A switch is provided which switches incoming telephone calls from the handset to the headset of the system. The switch also allows the headset to be used when making outgoing calls.
According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the headset is secured by a flexible attachment member to a recoil device which provides automatic winding of the attachment member to pull the headset to a storage position. The flexible attachment member is also unwindable from the recoil device and lockable in different unwound positions when the headset is in use.
The above as well as other advantages and features of the present invention will be described in greater detail according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention in which;
Although not shown in the drawings, in some automobiles the handset 9 is secured by a flexible cord to the base unit. In more up to date setups, the handset may be electronically linked without cord to the base unit.
The system thus far described is no different from what is presently available in the marketplace. According to known technology, incoming calls to the automobile are picked up by the base unit 7 and answered using some type of an incoming call button on the handset. The handset can then be picked up to be used in a conventional handheld telephone manner or it may be left on the base unit and the incoming call can be transferred through a speaker and receiver provided on either the base unit or the handset as a hands-free call.
If the handset is picked up for handheld use it quickly becomes relatively heavy in ones hand and necessitates one hand driving of the vehicle while the vehicle is in motion. According to driving regulations currently being put into force this is becoming an illegal method of driving the automobile because of the loss of vehicle control and distraction resulting from the use of the handset.
When the telephone call is not taken by using the handset but rather is taken using the remote speaker and transmitter feature as described above, other negative forces come into effect. Usually, there are extraneous noises within the automobile making it difficult to hear from both ends of the conversation. Furthermore, if there is a passenger riding with the driver of the vehicle the conversation is no longer private which is of particular concern when the incoming call provides anything in the way of confidential information. This confidential information is then undesirably heard by the vehicle passenger.
In accordance with the present invention telephone system 3 can be taken not only in the above two manners but also in a third manner unknown to the prior art and unique to the present invention. More specifically, in addition to the normal handheld use of handset 9, the remote use of the handset and base unit, the present invention also provides a headset use of telephone system 3.
The headset use of the telephone system as shown in
The operation of headset 19 as provided in the
Wiring 13 is preferably hidden beneath the automotive upholstery and runs along both the console and up the side of the driver seat of the automobile. Provided at the upper end of the driver seat e.g., on the side of the headrest is a recoil device 15. A spool of wire 17 is located within recoil device 15. Wiring 13 feeding from the base unit penetrates into the recoil device and electrically connects with the wiring 17 on the spool inside the recoil device. Wiring 17 then connects directly to the headset 19. In the embodiment shown in
More specifically, the wiring 17 to headset 19 exits recoil device 15 through a mouth region 20 of the recoil device. Switch 21 include a switch arm 23. A bulb 25 is provided on wiring 17 behind the headset 19.
When the call is first received by the telephone system it will generally be answered by the driver pushing the incoming call button provided on either the base unit or the handset. At this point the driver of the automobile has the option of using the telephone in any one of its three modes of operation. If it is determined that the call should be taken by the headset, the driver of the automobile will then pull the headset from its normally stored position as shown in solid lines in
When the head piece is in its storage position bulb 25 locates to the left of switch 21. Switch arm 23 which is pivotal between an up position shown in
By pulling the headset to its use position where the speaker of the headset is located in the driver's ear bulb 25 is pulled to the left in
When the headset is recoiled back to its storage position bulb 25 clears past switch arm 23 in its up position. This relocates the bulb to the left of the switch. At the same time the trailing arm 20 which is provided on the headset and which is of larger diameter than bulb 25 impacts with switch 23. This forces the switch back to its down position turning the headset off. The headset is now stored and ready for further switching operation with the next incoming call.
In the immediately above described embodiment, the headset is in a particularly useful position very close to the head of the driver of the vehicle. Furthermore, other than the recoil device and the actual headset the extension of the telephone system to the headset i.e., wiring 13 is completely hidden by the vehicle upholstery.
In some cases it may not be easy to mount the recoil device with the headset in the location as described above.
In both of the above embodiments the switch to switch the call from the base unit to the headset is provided at and automatically operated by the headset. In the alternative the switch can be provided directly at the base unit or the handset. In either of these cases the switch is nothing more than a push button as indicated at 10 and 10a in
When working with the radio wave transmission as described immediately above and in order for the person using the headset to speak back or to place an outgoing call the base unit of the system will still be used. The base unit is switched to a hands-free mode which allows the person inside the automobile, wearing the headset, back to talk back to the person on the other end of the call. However, as earlier described the speaker or receiver part of the system is not audible to anyone other than the person using headset 43.
In the description above the recoil system operates based on a quick tug or jerk of the headset to wind the headset flexible wire or other attachment into the recoil device. As a further alternative as shown in
When a call comes in on the system shown in
If desired the headset can be left in its use position in which case the next incoming call is taken directly at the headset.
It is to be understood that the switch for transferring the call to the headset in the
Although various preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.
