WO1996002997A1 - A cellular telephone for hands-free conversation - Google Patents

A cellular telephone for hands-free conversation Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1996002997A1
WO1996002997A1 PCT/IT1995/000118 IT9500118W WO9602997A1 WO 1996002997 A1 WO1996002997 A1 WO 1996002997A1 IT 9500118 W IT9500118 W IT 9500118W WO 9602997 A1 WO9602997 A1 WO 9602997A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
cellular telephone
battery containing
containing case
telephone according
housed
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IT1995/000118
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Marco Caracciolo Del Leone
Giuseppe Ugge'
Carmelo Luzzio
Original Assignee
Marco Caracciolo Del Leone
Ugge Giuseppe
Carmelo Luzzio
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Marco Caracciolo Del Leone, Ugge Giuseppe, Carmelo Luzzio filed Critical Marco Caracciolo Del Leone
Priority to AU28981/95A priority Critical patent/AU2898195A/en
Publication of WO1996002997A1 publication Critical patent/WO1996002997A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
    • H04M1/60—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers including speech amplifiers
    • H04M1/6033—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers including speech amplifiers for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets
    • H04M1/6041—Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
    • H04M1/6075—Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
    • H04M1/60—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers including speech amplifiers
    • H04M1/6033—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers including speech amplifiers for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets
    • H04M1/6041—Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a cellular telephone adapted for a hands-free conversation.
  • a cellular telephone comprising a battery containing case and additionally comprising electronic means for receiving and emitting amplified voice signals for a live voice and hands-free conversation.
  • said electronic means are housed in the same battery containing case.
  • the arrangement according to this invention is such that it enables avoiding the need to provide for additional loudspeakers and environment microphones; in particular it provides for achieving in a single, very compact and cost effective apparatus the same results as obtained by a complex scarcely cost effective and cumbersome item assembly as in the prior art.
  • said receive electronic means comprise a microphone connected to a circuit exploiting the function to amplify the signals generated by said microphone.
  • this amplifier circuit provides for resetting the signal strength to a level such that said signal can be transmitted to the receiver apparatus without difficulties deriving from it cleanliness, strength and clearness.
  • the sound diffusion means comprise a loudspeaker connected to an amplifier circuit which amplifies the electric signal coming from the cellular telephone itself. This loudspeaker performs the functions that are conventionally performed by an environment loudspeaker, externally arranged to said cellular telephone. Said amplifier circuit are designed and manufactured in quite conventional way and are therefore easily available.
  • a further advantage of a cellular telephone according to this invention is that it can have an outlet port for a low frequency line for connection to loudspeakers arranged outside the telephone itself as well as an inlet port for an electric power supply line.
  • the battery containing case of a cellular telephone houses a battery set which enables the telephone to be self-substainingly used with respect to an external power source, for a predetermined time period.
  • a portion of the room previously housing the batteries is utilized for housing those electronic items and circuits providing for amplifying the signals.
  • the battery containing case has a base surface and at least an oblique surface with respect to said base surface, wherein there are preferably provided two oblique surfaces and wherein both the microphone and the loudspeaker emerge in one of these oblique surfaces, preferably, the microphone and the loudspeaker emerge in two different oblique surfaces, so as to minimize the possibility of mutual interferences.
  • This approach namely the arrangement of oblique surfaces and providing therein suitable apertures for extemal communication of said microphone and loudspeaker, enables the concerned cellular telephone to be laid down by any one of these surfaces, without jeopardizing or attenuating the transmission or the reception of the sound signals.
  • said electronic means are divided into an amplifying section, which is housed in the cellular telephone itself, and a transducer section, which is housed in said battery containing case.
  • connections between said telephone and said electronic means housed in said battery containing case are made by means of internal couplings that are automatically established when the battery containing case is attached to the telephone.
  • Figure 1 shows a block diagram of the item assembly which the cellular telephone according to this invention is provided with
  • Figure 2 is a perspective view of the battery containing case which the cellular telephone according to this invention is provided with, as already shown in block diagram view of Figure 1.
  • the cellular telephone 9 and particularly its circuitry section is materially connected to a battery containing case 10, having a base surface B and two side oblique surfaces A and C.
  • a grill 11 is shown on surface A and a loudspeaker 21 is arranged under said grill 11.
  • Loudspeaker 21 is connected to an amplifier block 23 which amplifies the low frequency electric signal coming from said cellular telephone 9.
  • an outlet aperture is provided for a microphone 22 to be communicated with the environment; the electric signals generated by this microphone 22 on the base of the acoustic signals coming from the extemal environment and received therein are pre-amplified by a pre ⁇ amplifier 24 before entering into a transmitter section (not shown) of said cellular telephone 9.
  • the concerned battery containing case is further provided, as a completion of its accessories, with a jack socket 15 for extemal power supply and with a jack socket 14 for possible connection of extemal loudspeakers 16, if desired, by means of a low frequency line.
  • the concerned battery containing case 10 is attached to the rear side of the cellular telephone 9; in particular, surface B is the surface upon which said telephone rests when it is laid down, for instance, upon a table.
  • surface B is the surface upon which said telephone rests when it is laid down, for instance, upon a table.
  • the slopes of surfaces A and C with respect to surface B enable also in this case the hands-free operation mode to be exploited in standard and effective manner, without any attenuation or damp of the transmitted signals.
  • the cellular telephone according to this invention can also be advantageously provided with a switch (not shown) by which the operation mode in respect of the signal reception and transmission can be switched over from a standard mode to a hands-free mode and vice versa.
  • a cellular telephone according to this invention can also be used in a car by the driver himself, who by simply acting on said switch over device is enabled to talk in live voice in hands-free mode through said telephone, without any further precaution or particular provisions being needed.

Abstract

A cellular telephone comprising a battery containing case (10) and further comprising electronic means (22, 24; 21, 23) for reception and diffusion of amplified voice signals for a live voice hands-free conversation. In an advantageous embodiment said electronic means are housed in said battery containing case and in particular said electronic reception means comprise a microphone (22) connected to an amplifier circuit (24) and said diffusion means comprise a loudspeaker (21) connected to a second amplifier circuit (23).

Description

A CELLULAR TELEPHONE FOR HANDS-FREE CONVERSATION
This invention relates to a cellular telephone adapted for a hands-free conversation.
The use of the well known cellular telephone in vehicles, which is presently becoming popular and popular, meets with some difficulties connected with the requirements set forth by the Circulation Rules, according to which the driver ought not to remove his/her hands from the driving wheel, unless exceptional circumstances are involved. As far as this latter operation mode is concerned, the need has arisen to design so-called "live voice" apparatuses, which enable the user to talk and to listen in "hands-free" condition: these apparatuses provide for using the hardware arrangements already existing in a vehicle, such as, for instance, the loudspeaker assemblies, the pre-amplification and amplification sections, the power supply source, or provide the vehicle with some additional elements, such as a microphone, additional pre-amplification sections, plastics or metal support structures, and so on. For instance, the possibility to use the car radio set already existing in a vehicle can be mentioned: in this case, however, the problem of the increase in costs is to be solved, due to the fact that it will be necessary to provide for arranging the whole electronic section needed for processing the low frequency telephone signal.
Furthermore, since the above mentioned electronic items are not always, present, it will be necessary to provide for their arrangement, which will entail an additional cost.
It is an object of this invention to realize a cellular telephone designed so as to be used in a hands-free mode, in particular for use in vehicles, without the installation and operation above mentioned problems and difficulties.
This object is achieved according to this invention by means of a cellular telephone comprising a battery containing case and additionally comprising electronic means for receiving and emitting amplified voice signals for a live voice and hands-free conversation.
In particular and most advantageously, said electronic means are housed in the same battery containing case. The arrangement according to this invention is such that it enables avoiding the need to provide for additional loudspeakers and environment microphones; in particular it provides for achieving in a single, very compact and cost effective apparatus the same results as obtained by a complex scarcely cost effective and cumbersome item assembly as in the prior art.
In particular, said receive electronic means comprise a microphone connected to a circuit exploiting the function to amplify the signals generated by said microphone. In this way, even if the sound source is noticeably spaced from the microphone, this amplifier circuit provides for resetting the signal strength to a level such that said signal can be transmitted to the receiver apparatus without difficulties deriving from it cleanliness, strength and clearness. The sound diffusion means, on the other hand, comprise a loudspeaker connected to an amplifier circuit which amplifies the electric signal coming from the cellular telephone itself. This loudspeaker performs the functions that are conventionally performed by an environment loudspeaker, externally arranged to said cellular telephone. Said amplifier circuit are designed and manufactured in quite conventional way and are therefore easily available.
A further advantage of a cellular telephone according to this invention is that it can have an outlet port for a low frequency line for connection to loudspeakers arranged outside the telephone itself as well as an inlet port for an electric power supply line.
As a conventional practice, the battery containing case of a cellular telephone houses a battery set which enables the telephone to be self-substainingly used with respect to an external power source, for a predetermined time period. In a construction according to this invention, a portion of the room previously housing the batteries is utilized for housing those electronic items and circuits providing for amplifying the signals. In stead of conventional batteries, it is advantageously suggested to use slim type batteries. Since, in any case, the power supply available to the cellular telephone is in this approach lower than the power supply provided by a battery containing case according to the conventional approach, it is a further advantage of a battery containing case according to this invention that it is provided with a solar cell array on at least one of its extemal surfaces. Aiming at assuring a sufficient light energy flux to said solar cell array, it is preferably suggested to arrange them on a side surface of said case.
The battery containing case has a base surface and at least an oblique surface with respect to said base surface, wherein there are preferably provided two oblique surfaces and wherein both the microphone and the loudspeaker emerge in one of these oblique surfaces, preferably, the microphone and the loudspeaker emerge in two different oblique surfaces, so as to minimize the possibility of mutual interferences. This approach, namely the arrangement of oblique surfaces and providing therein suitable apertures for extemal communication of said microphone and loudspeaker, enables the concerned cellular telephone to be laid down by any one of these surfaces, without jeopardizing or attenuating the transmission or the reception of the sound signals.
In a favorable embodiment, said electronic means are divided into an amplifying section, which is housed in the cellular telephone itself, and a transducer section, which is housed in said battery containing case.
Both in the embodiment wherein the electronic means are housed in the battery containing case and in the embodiment wherein said electronic means are divided between the cellular telephone and the battery containing case, the connections between the cellular telephone and those electronic means housed in said battery containing case are made by means of extemal cables.
In a different approach, however, the connections between said telephone and said electronic means housed in said battery containing case are made by means of internal couplings that are automatically established when the battery containing case is attached to the telephone.
In a further embodiment, when it is desired to avoid using mechanical couplings, it is suggested to use a coil with annexed pre- amplifier circuit housed in said battery containing case to pick up the field modulations of the telephone speaker and to send the resulting signal to the loudspeaker housed therein. When it is desired to avoid all those noises generated, as those skilled in the art easily understand, in cellular telephones operating in full duplex mode, an anti-larsen circuit is also arranged in said battery containing case. Furthermore, for applying the teachings of this invention to telephone operating under the GSM system, which, as it is well known, operates at very high frequencies and consequently generates noises that could jeopardize the operation of the battery containing case as a hands-free device, said battery containing case is shielded.
Further features and advantages of this invention will be more exhaustively apparent from the following description by referring to the annexed drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the cellular telephone is shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 shows a block diagram of the item assembly which the cellular telephone according to this invention is provided with, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the battery containing case which the cellular telephone according to this invention is provided with, as already shown in block diagram view of Figure 1.
By referring to the above noted Figures, it can be observed that the cellular telephone 9 and particularly its circuitry section (not shown) is materially connected to a battery containing case 10, having a base surface B and two side oblique surfaces A and C. A grill 11 is shown on surface A and a loudspeaker 21 is arranged under said grill 11. Loudspeaker 21 is connected to an amplifier block 23 which amplifies the low frequency electric signal coming from said cellular telephone 9.
In surface C, on the other hand, an outlet aperture is provided for a microphone 22 to be communicated with the environment; the electric signals generated by this microphone 22 on the base of the acoustic signals coming from the extemal environment and received therein are pre-amplified by a pre¬ amplifier 24 before entering into a transmitter section (not shown) of said cellular telephone 9. The concerned battery containing case is further provided, as a completion of its accessories, with a jack socket 15 for extemal power supply and with a jack socket 14 for possible connection of extemal loudspeakers 16, if desired, by means of a low frequency line.
The concerned battery containing case 10 is attached to the rear side of the cellular telephone 9; in particular, surface B is the surface upon which said telephone rests when it is laid down, for instance, upon a table. The slopes of surfaces A and C with respect to surface B enable also in this case the hands-free operation mode to be exploited in standard and effective manner, without any attenuation or damp of the transmitted signals.
The cellular telephone according to this invention can also be advantageously provided with a switch (not shown) by which the operation mode in respect of the signal reception and transmission can be switched over from a standard mode to a hands-free mode and vice versa.
A cellular telephone according to this invention can also be used in a car by the driver himself, who by simply acting on said switch over device is enabled to talk in live voice in hands-free mode through said telephone, without any further precaution or particular provisions being needed.
The subject matter of this invention as disclosed can be implemented with a number of changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the annexed claims. All details can be substituted by technically equivalent items.

Claims

CLAIMS !. A cellular telephone comprising a battery containing case (10), characterized in that it further comprises electronic means ( 22, 24; 23, 21) for reception and diffusion of amplified voice signals for a live voice hands-free conversation.
2. A cellular telephone according to claim 1 , characterized in that said electronic reception means (22, 24) comprise a microphone (22) connected to a circuit (24) designed so as to amplify the signals generated by said microphone (22).
3. A cellular telephone according to claim 1 , characterized in that said diffusion means (21 , 23) comprise a loudspeaker (21) connected to a circuit (23) designed so as to amplify the electric signals coming from the cellular telephone itself.
4. A cellular telephone according to claim 1 , characterized in that it further comprises an outlet port (14) for a low frequency line for connection to loudspeakers (16) arranged outside the telephone itself.
5. A cellular telephone according to claim 1 , characterized in that said telephone has an inlet port (15) for an electric power supply line.
6. A cellular telephone according to claim 1 , characterized in that said battery containing case (10) houses batteries of slim type.
7. A cellular telephone according to claim 1 , characterized in that said battery containing case (10) has a base surface (B) and at least an oblique surface (A, C) with respect to said base surface (B) and in that both said microphone (22) and said loudspeaker (21) externally emerge through said oblique surface (A, C).
8. A cellular telephone according to claim 1 , characterized in that said battery containing case (10) is also provided with a solar cell array.
9. A cellular telephone according to claim 8, characterized in that said solar call array is arranged on a side surface of said battery containing case (10).
10. A cellular telephone according to any one of claims 1 to
9, characterized in that said electronic means (21, 23; 22, 24) are housed in said battery containing case (10).
11.- A cellular telephone according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said electronic means (21 , 23; 22, 24) are divided into an amplifying section (23; 24), housed in the cellular telephone itself, and a transducer section (21 ; 22), housed in said battery containing case (10).
12.- A cellular telephone according to claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the electric connections between said cellular telephone and said electronic means housed in said battery containing case (10) are made by means of extemal cables.
13.- A cellular telephone according to claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the electric connections between said cellular telephone and said electronic means housed in said battery containing case (10) are made by means of internal mechanical couplings that are automatically established by attaching said battery containing case (10) to said cellular telephone.
14.- A cellular telephone according to claims 10 or 11 , characterized in that a coil with a preamplifier circuit housed in said battery containing case (10) is used to pick up the field modulations of the telephone speaker and to send the resulting signal to said loudspeaker (21 ) housed therein.
15.- A cellular telephone according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, for cellular telephones operating in full duplex mode, an aπti-larsen circuit is also arranged in said battery containing case (10).
16.- A cellular telephone according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, for cellular telephones operating under the GSM system, said battery containing case (10) is shielded.
PCT/IT1995/000118 1994-07-19 1995-07-18 A cellular telephone for hands-free conversation WO1996002997A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU28981/95A AU2898195A (en) 1994-07-19 1995-07-18 A cellular telephone for hands-free conversation

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITMI941501A IT1273647B (en) 1994-07-19 1994-07-19 HANDS-FREE DIALOGUE MOBILE PHONE
ITMI94A001501 1994-07-19

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1996002997A1 true WO1996002997A1 (en) 1996-02-01

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ID=11369304

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/IT1995/000118 WO1996002997A1 (en) 1994-07-19 1995-07-18 A cellular telephone for hands-free conversation

Country Status (3)

Country Link
AU (1) AU2898195A (en)
IT (1) IT1273647B (en)
WO (1) WO1996002997A1 (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2770352A1 (en) * 1997-10-27 1999-04-30 Sagem Hands free speaker phone
GB2374237A (en) * 2001-04-03 2002-10-09 Long Ja Electronic Ind Co Ltd Multifunction battery pack for a radiotelephone
WO2004082331A1 (en) * 2003-03-13 2004-09-23 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Built-in device for a mobile terminal

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0313776A2 (en) * 1987-10-29 1989-05-03 Telenorma Gmbh Charging unit for cordless telephone
US4845738A (en) * 1988-06-07 1989-07-04 Bohsei International Co., Ltd. Hands-free type automobile telephone and general-purpose telephone
GB2214008A (en) * 1987-12-16 1989-08-23 Technophone Ltd Rechargeable battery pack
EP0494780A2 (en) * 1991-01-11 1992-07-15 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba An adapter unit for adaptively supplying a portable radio telephone with power
GB2252478A (en) * 1990-11-13 1992-08-05 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Mobile telephone apparatus
WO1993013604A1 (en) * 1991-12-23 1993-07-08 Motorola, Inc. Cellular phone battery packs with and without integral microphone
EP0560446A2 (en) * 1992-03-10 1993-09-15 Philips Patentverwaltung GmbH Telecommunication apparatus with a hands-free telephone device

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0313776A2 (en) * 1987-10-29 1989-05-03 Telenorma Gmbh Charging unit for cordless telephone
GB2214008A (en) * 1987-12-16 1989-08-23 Technophone Ltd Rechargeable battery pack
US4845738A (en) * 1988-06-07 1989-07-04 Bohsei International Co., Ltd. Hands-free type automobile telephone and general-purpose telephone
GB2252478A (en) * 1990-11-13 1992-08-05 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Mobile telephone apparatus
EP0494780A2 (en) * 1991-01-11 1992-07-15 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba An adapter unit for adaptively supplying a portable radio telephone with power
WO1993013604A1 (en) * 1991-12-23 1993-07-08 Motorola, Inc. Cellular phone battery packs with and without integral microphone
EP0560446A2 (en) * 1992-03-10 1993-09-15 Philips Patentverwaltung GmbH Telecommunication apparatus with a hands-free telephone device

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2770352A1 (en) * 1997-10-27 1999-04-30 Sagem Hands free speaker phone
GB2374237A (en) * 2001-04-03 2002-10-09 Long Ja Electronic Ind Co Ltd Multifunction battery pack for a radiotelephone
WO2004082331A1 (en) * 2003-03-13 2004-09-23 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Built-in device for a mobile terminal

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ITMI941501A1 (en) 1996-01-19
AU2898195A (en) 1996-02-16
ITMI941501A0 (en) 1994-07-19
IT1273647B (en) 1997-07-09

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