GB2304487A

GB2304487A - Hand-free communication system for a cellular phone

Info

Publication number: GB2304487A
Application number: GB9517320A
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: 1995-08-14
Filing date: 1995-08-21
Publication date: 1997-03-19
Also published as: JP3022876U; GB9517320D0; FR2738096B3; FR2738096A1

Abstract

The system has a unit 3 having a speaker and an operation circuit housed therein and a microphone 351 connected to the unit by a cord and a cellular phone is coupled 34 to the unit by a cord as well. The unit 3 is connected to a plug 33 by a flexible coupler 32 so that the unit with a speaker can be directly adjustably secured to a cigarette lighter socket of a vehicle. The microphone can be replaced by a cordless one in practice. The flexible coupler 32 my be replaced by a hinged member (fig. 6).

Description

HAND-FREE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR A CELLULAR PHONE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improved handfree communication system adapted for a cellular phone, and particular to a system having a unit equipped with a speaker and an operation circuit, the unit being adjustably engaged with the cigarette lighter socket of a vehicle directly and firmly retained in place and being also coupled to a cellular phone and a microphone integrally so that a driver can operate his or her cellular phone hand-freely.

Referring to Fig.l, the common and conventional hand-free communication system for a cellular -phone is provided with a mount 11 having two external cords 121, 131, the cord 121 is connected to a speaker 12 which is further coupled to a microphone 14 by way of a cord 141; the cord 131 is connected to a plug 13 which is inserted into a lighter socket of a vehicle so as to permit electric power of a vehicle to be transmitted to the phone mount 11 and further to the cellular phone by the plug 13. The mount 11 must be secured to the interior 2 of a vehicle by screws 111. Such prior art has the following disadvantages: 1. The mount 11 is relatively bulky in size and is not easy to find a proper place to get it fixed inside a compact vehicle.

2. The speaker 12 is separated from the mount 11 and is further connected to the mount 11 by a cord, taking up extra room in disposition.

3. The cords are relatively so many and lengthy that it hinders a driver to freely move inside a vehicle.

4. The mount 11 ss fixedly secured to a vehicle, making it difficult to be dismounted when the vehicle is sold or disposed. Thus, the range of practical application of such mount is limited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An advantage of the present invention is the provision of an improved hand-free communication system for a cellular phone which is provided with a unit having a speaker and an operation circuit housed therein and further having a plug means at one end so that the unit can be directly engaged with an electric lighter socket of a vehicle and be firmly retained in place accordingly.

Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of an improved hand-free communication system for a cellular phone having a unit which is directly engaged with an electric lighter socket by way of a coupler which is adjustably pivoted.

One further advantage of the present invention is the provision of an improved hand-free communication system for a cellular phone having a unit which is directly engaged with a cigarette lighter socket by way of a coupler which is randomly bended in adjustment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a prior art hand-free communication system for a cellular phone adapted for use on a vehicle; Figs.2 2A are diagrams showing the mounting of such prior art onto a vehicle; Fig. 3 is a perspective diagram showing the hand-free communication system of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the practical mounting of the present invention onto a vehicle; Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention; Figs. 6, 6A are diagrams showing a second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the exploded components of the second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the installation of the second embodiment of the present invention on a vehicle;; Fig. 9 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of an emitter of the second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 10 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of a receiver of the second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 11 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the charging circuitry of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to Fig. 3, the hand-free communication system for a cellular phone of the present invention is comprised of a unit 31 and a microphone 35 in connection to the unit 31, and a phone plug-in connector 34 coupled to a cellular phone T.

The unit 31 is equipped with an operation circuit (not shown) including mainly a sonic frequency amplifying circuitry, a speaker and a charging circuitry, and is connected to a cellular phone T by way of an external cord 36 having the plug-in unit 34 disposed at the other end thereof. A microphone 35 is further coupled to the unit 31 by way of a cord 352. To one end of the unit is connected a power plug 33 by means of a coupler 32 which is flexibly bended and fixedly retained in position.

The microphone 35 having a clamping means 351 disposed at one end thereof is connected to the unit 31 by way of a cord 352 which is provided with a plug means 353. The plug means 351 has a plug pin 353a which is engagable with a socket hole (not shown) on the unit 31 so as to connect the microphne 35 to the operation circuit in the unit 31.

The phone plug-in connector 34 has a plug-in piece 341 at one end for connection to a cellular phone T and the other end is connected to a cord 36 which is coupled to the unit 31.

As shown in Fig. 4, to get the present invention mounted onto a vehicle so as to permit a person to operate a cellular phone hand-freely, the power plug 33 of the unit 31 is first engaged with the lighter socket of the vehicle to get electric power. The clamping means 351 of the microphone 35 enables a driver to secure the microphone 35 to a position adjacent to his or her mouth, such as to the dashboard or sunshade of a vehicle, so as to transmit the voice of the operator effectively. Then, the cord 36 connected to the unit 31 at one end is coupled to a cellular phone T by the plug-in piece 341 of the phone plug-in connector 34. Thus the mounting of the present invention is completed.

Since currently manufactured cellular phones T are compact in size and can be readily placed on any flat surface 22 of a dashboard of a vehicle or any other proper places as one preferred without taking up too much room, as shown in Fig. 8. When a call comes in, a driver using the present invention can hear the voice of the person calling on the other end of the line by way of a speaker housed in the unit 31, and the voice of the driver can be transmitted by way of the microphone 35 to the other end of the phone whereby the driver can drive the vehicle without holding the cellular phone in hand, thus enhancing driving safety on road.

Moreover, the unit 31 is engaged with the cigarette lighter socket 21 of a vehicle and is rigidly supported in place by the power plug 33. In view of the space between the cigarette lighter socket and the gear shift stick varying vehicle from vehicle,the mounting of the unit 31 may interface with the gear shifting operation of a vehicle if it is not properly adjustable.

So, a flexible coupler 32 is disposed between the unit 31 and the power plug 33, permitting the unit 31 randomly bended and rigidly retained in place after proper adjustment, as shown in Fig. 5.

In another example of application as shown in Fig.

6, the flexible coupler 32 is replaced by a pivotal coupler by providing a U-shaped portion 331 at the end of the power plug 33 which can be engaged with a protrusion rod 311 extending from the unit 31 by a pin 312, as shown in Fig. 6A so as to permit the unit 31 to be pivotally moved with respect to the plug 33. Thus, the unit 31 can be pivotally adjusted to a preferred position so as to prevent the unit 31 from interfering with gear shift operation in driving.

Referring to Fig. 7, in another example of the present invention, the microphone 35 can be replaced by a cordless microphone 37 having a clamp 371. Such cordless microphone 37 can save a person from the trouble of wiring the microphone 37 to the unit 31. The microphone 37 can be secured to any place preferred by a driver, to a place identical to the location of microphone 35 as shown in Fig. 8.

The operation circuit of the present invention is not shown in the specification because it is not the major concerns of the present invention and only the block diagrams corresponding to the second example of application are provided. The operation circuit housed in the unit 31 has an emitter, a receiver (including a speaker) and a charging circuit. The cordless microphone 37 is induced by an induction circuitry to pick up signals produced by the cellular phone itself when a call comes in and the emission circuitry of the cordless microphone can be actuated manually or automatically.As conversation is proceeding in the cellular phone, the voice of a speaker is transmitted via the microphone and processed via low frequency amplification and FM modulating oscillation of an oscillator and further via a frequency tripling conversion and power amplification and impedance matching and etc., and the tranformed signals obtained from the speaker's voice are transmitted by way of an antenna, effecting the transmission of voice signals. The receiving circuitry housed in the unit 31 receives the transmitted frequency signals by an antenna and the frequency signals are high frequency amplified, intermediate frequency (mixed frequency) amplified, modulated and sonic frequency amplified and sonic frequency output; and the sonic frequency generated by the receiver of the cellular phone T is amplified and broadcasted via the speaker, as shown in Fig. 10.

Referring to Fig. 11, the charging circuitry of the present invention is electrically connected to the cigarette lighter socket 21 by way of the plug 33 so as to obtain electric power from the battery of a vehicle, and the battery of the cellular phone T can be charged at the same time. The quantity of charging current to the cellular phone can be controlled by a voltage detecting circuitry by monitoring voltage variation thereof so as to permit the cellular phone and the communication system of the present invention to be properly powered.

Claims

CLAIM I claim:

1. An improved hand-free communication system for a cellular phone comprising a unit and a microphone connected to said unit, and a cellular phone coupled to said unit; said unit having an operation circuit including a charging circuitry and a sonic frequency amplifying circuitry set and a speaker housed therein; one end of said unit being provided with a power plug which can be removably engaged with a cigarette lighter socket of a vehicle; said power plug and said unit being connected to each other by means of a flexible coupler whereby said unit can be adjustably positioned when used.

2. An improved hand-free communication system for a cellular phone as claimed in claim 1 wherein said coupler has a pivot means having a U-shaped section connected to said plug with a pair of holes disposed thereon and a protruded rod extending from said unit that are joined together by a pin member led through said holes of said U-shaped section whereby said unit can be pivotally adjusted.

3. An improved hand-free communication system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said microphone is a cordless one.