GB2282939A

GB2282939A - Circuit for control of peripheral equipment of wireless communication appliance

Info

Publication number: GB2282939A
Application number: GB9324469A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen Chen
Original assignee: LEAD ELECTRONIC CO Ltd; E Lead Electronic Co Ltd
Current assignee: LEAD ELECTRONIC CO Ltd; E Lead Electronic Co Ltd
Priority date: 1993-10-15
Filing date: 1993-11-29
Publication date: 1995-04-19
Also published as: GB9324469D0

Abstract

A control circuit for use in a wireless communication appliance is equipped with an antenna 10 which can receive magnetic waves sent off from the appliance when it is in use so as to generate a current which is further processed by a wave detector 20 to obtain a voltage which is implified 30 and used to control peripheral equipment 50 operationally connected to the appliance, such as the speaker switch of a handfree phone retainer, an alarm device or an automatic phone recorder. <IMAGE>

Description

CONTROL CIRCUIT FOR CONTROL OF PERIPHERAL SOUIPMENT OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATION APPLItCE E BACKGROUND CF T INVENT TON The present invention relates to a control circuit tor use n control of peripheral equipment in operational association with a wireless communication appliance, such as a cellular phone, and particularly to a circuit which can function to distinguish the phone being used or not by way of pickling up the electromagnetic waves produced by a cellular phone; and further to improve or extend the use of the peripheral equipment thereof.

tireless communication appliance such as cellular phones have been prevailantly used in recent years in modern cities all over the world. However, there are still some disadvantages associated with such mobile phones. For instance, the general cellular phones must be held by one hand while driving on the road, making the driving rather dangerous. The use of a handfree retainer on which a cellular phone is secured facilitates a driver to use the phone in driving, the phone is usually put in a stand-by state so as to make the use of the phone ready and safe without turning on and off repeatedly the on/off switch, but the noise produced by the voice amplifying circuit and the speaker of the retainer is annoying to a driver.The ringing of a celluar phone in a public place such as a conference rcom, a theater, or a music hall, or places of the like, is annoying to other people. moreover, in case a cellular phone is not tarried along with the user, ringing of the same will not be heard, especially in a noisy working place.

Generally speaking, a wireless ccmmunication appliance such as a cellular phone will automatically send off high frequency signals to a base station on receiving a phcne call signal ror that station to effect a two-way communication. When not used and in a stand-by mode, the cellular phone will not tend off such signal. Based on such feature, the present nventor designed a control circuit which can distinguish if a wireless communicaticn appliance such as a cellular phone is being connected or in use or in a stand-by mode.

SUMMARY F THE INVENTION Therefore, the primary object of the present nvention is LO provide a control circuit for use in a wireless communicaticn appliance which can actuate the peripheral equipment operationally associated with such wireless appliance to perform its individual function.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a control circuit equipped with an antenna which zan pick up electromagnetic waves sent off from a wireless communication appliance and accordingly establish electric current in the control circuit; and the current is processed by a wave detector so as to obtain a rather minimal potential difference which is then amplified into a workable voltage by a voltage amDlifierEto actuate differnt or a voltage comparator devices.

3RIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Fig. -1 is a diagram showing the circuit of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the circuit of another embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 ls a diagram showing the circuit of one further embodiment thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIFTON CF PREFEFFED EMBODI;lENTS Referring to Fig. 1, the first embodiment is an application oi the control circuit to a hand-free phone speaker. The control circuit is provided with an antenna 10 which can be replaced with a metallic rod, a coil, a conducting wire, or the copper coating on a circuit board or a connecting ifl of a component. The antenna 10 can pick up electromagnetic waves sent off from a wireless communication appliance , on being inducted by electromagnetic wavers, between the two ends of the antenna 10, an alternat ng potential difference will be produced.

Since the potential difference is in an alternating form and the positive and negative values of the respective voltages at each end ot the antenna are nearly identical, the average potential of the same wil be approximately zero.

The antenna 10 is connected to one end 22 of a diode 20 which is grounded to CON at the other end 21. The diode 20 can only be one way actuate. As the antenna 10 is of a negative potential relative to the ground line COM, this potential is a forward bias relative to the diode 20, so a cuurent from the ground COM will be led to the diode 20. In the meanwn.:e, the potential at point 0 will be kept at a value approximate to zero.

As the antenna 10 is of a positive potential relative to the grounded line COM, this positive potential constitutes a reverse bias wih respect to the diode 20, preventing current from flowing to CON via the diode 20. At the point 0, the average voltage thereat will be a half of that positive voltage.

In summary, as the antenna 10 detects electromagnetic waves at point 0 there is a minimal voltage created, this voltage is amplified by 3 voltage amplifier 30 c suc. - degree that it can controllably q 1taè comparator actuate the power connecting pin 51 of a voice amplifier 50 in connection to a phone retainer or to actuate a switch 40 in control of the input or output of voice signals. In other words, this voltage produced by electromagnetic waves received by the antenna 10 will put the voice amplifier 50 in work. As long as the wireless communication appliance such as a cellular phone is working, it will continuously send off electromagnetic waves, making the voice amplifier 50 function.Once the communication stops, or the appliance is put in a stand-by mode, the antenna 10 will receive no electromagnetic waves at all, resulting in disappearance of a current and the induced voltage in the control circuit, making the switch 40 return to an open loop and there is no output from the speaker of the phone retainer.

The above described control circuit employs an antenna 10, a diode 20 , a voltage amplifier 30 and a switch 40 to effect the muting of a speaker cf a phone retainer when not used and the hand free operation of a cellular phone.

As shown in Fig. 2, another embodiment is given wherein the preceeding control circuit is connected to an emitter 60 at the output terminal 31 of the voltage amplifier^30. When the communication appliance is in use, or voltage comparator as previously described, a voltage is established at the output terminal 31 of the amplifier 30, actuating the 'or comparator emitter 60 to send off a signal which will be received by a receiver 70 so as to actuate an alarm means 80 ( a vibration motor, a buzzer or a light emitter ) carried along by a person who puts the wireless communication appliance a certain distance away to get access to the same when a call comes in.

Referring to Fig. 3, a third embodiment is given wherein the output terminal 31 of the amplifier 30 is or comparator directly connected to the alarm means 80 or a phone recorder 90. As the appliance is in a receiving mode, there is a voltage generated at the output terminal 31 of the amplifier 30 which is used to actuate directly the alarm or comparator means 80 or the phone recorder 90 so as to enable the phone to receive message in a mute manner ( the " mute " button of the phone is pressed down ), preventing the income call from disturbing others, but the receiver can be alarmed of an income call or the phone recorder 90 can be turned on or off accordingly.

Claims

1. A circuit for use in the control of equipment associated with but peripheral to a wireless communication appliance such as a cellular phone, the circuit being capable of distinguishing whether the said appliance is in use or in a stand-by mode, the circuit comprising antenna means for use in picking up electromagnetic waves given off by the wireless communication appliance, wave detecting means connected both to said antenna means and to ground such that a voltage is generated at the interconnection of said antenna means and said wave detecting means upon the detection of electromagnetic waves and means for amplifying the said voltage such that said amplified voltage is capable of controlling said peripheral equipment.

2. A control circuit for use in control of the peripheral equipment in association with a wireless communication appliance such as a cellular phone being able to distinguish the appliance being in use or in a stand-by mode, said circuit being characterised by that an antenna means is mounted to said control circuit and is used to pick up electromagnetic waves sent off from said wireless communication appliance; said antenna is connected to one end of a wave detecting means which is grounded at the other end; a voltage is generated in said control circuit in correspondence to said detected electromagnetic waves and said voltage is amplified by a voltage amplifier to such an extent that said peripheral equipment can be controlled.

3. A control circuit for use in control of the peripheral equipment in association with a wireless communication appliance such as a cellular phone being able to distinguish the appliance being in use or in a stand-by mode, said circuit being characterised by that an antenna means is mounted to said control circuit and is used to pick up electromagnetic waves sent off from said wireless communication appliance; said antenna is connected to one end of a wave detecting means which is grounded at the other end; a voltage is generated in said control circuit in correspondence to said detected electromagnetic waves and said voltage is amplified by a voltage comparator to such an extent that said peripheral equipment can be controlled.

4. The circuit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said wave detecting means is a diode.

5. The circuit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said antenna means comprises a metallic rod.

6. The circuit as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said antenna means comprises a coil.

7. The circuit as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said antenna means comprises a copper coating on a circuit board.

8. The circuit as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said antenna means comprises a connecting pin of a component.

9. A circuit for use in the control of equipment associated with but peripheral to a wireless communication appliance such as a cellular phone substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.