(12) United States Patent
`Chennakeshu et al.
`
`(10) Patent N0.:
`
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 6,542,758 B1
`Apr. 1, 2003
`
`US006542758B1
`
`6/2000 Wilson ..................... .. 455/569
`6,081,724 A *
`6,131,042 A * 10/2000 Leiet all.
`4;;/:56
`6,216,018 B1 *
`4/2001 Na anis ieta.
`4
`/ 69
`:
`g“;1“°‘:t‘:1- ------
`>
`>
`? “ 6 a~
`6,272,359 B1 *
`8/2001 Kivela et al.
`............. .. 455/567
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`
`
`(54) DISTRIBUTED RADIO TELEPHONE FOR
`USE INAVEHICLE
`Inventors: Sandeeep Chennakeshu, Cary, NC
`(US); David Townsend, Chapel Hill,
`NC (US); David R. Irvin, Raleigh, NC
`(US); Nils Rydbeck, Cary, NC (US)
`
`(75)
`
`(73) Assignee: Ericsson Inc., Research Triangle Park,
`NC (US)
`
`EP
`GB
`W0
`
`0920170 A2
`2264613 A
`WO 96/32783
`
`6/1998
`9/1993
`10/1996
`
`( * ) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`§§§'Z§?§Z3‘fZ§i?f§fllZELl12212322
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Coats & Bennett, P.L.L.C.
`
`ABSTRACT
`(57)
`Avehicle mounted communication system comprises a hand
`held mobile phone and a handS_free unit The hand_he1d unit
`.
`.
`.
`'
`.
`.
`includes a wide area transceiver for station outside of the
`
`vehicle and a short-range radio transceiver the hands-free
`unit includes a microphone and speaker and is mounted in a
`fixed locatlon In the vehlcle. A shert range radlo hnk
`operatively connects the hand-held unit and the hands-free
`unit
`to enable voice and data signals to be exchanged
`between the hand-held unit and the hands-free unit. The
`
`hands-free unit may include a programmable memory unit to
`store a user table containing user identification data and
`configuration data. The hands-free unit control logic con-
`figures the hands-free unit based. on the user identification
`received from the hand-held unit, thus allowing multiple
`users to have their preferences recognized by an individual
`hands-free unit. The programmable memory unit and control
`logic may be incorporated into the vehicle’s internal net-
`work for control of things like electric seats, stereo controls
`and the like
`'
`
`17 Claims, 16 Drawing Sheets
`
`<21) AvP1~N°~= 09/359551
`(22)
`Ffled;
`Ju]_ 22, 1999
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`(63)
`
`Continuation—in—part of application No. 08/989,115, filed on
`Dec. 11, 1997, now abandoned.
`
`
`
`. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. H04B 1/38
`Int. Cl.7 . . . . .
`(51)
`455/569; 455/575; 455/557
`(52) U.S. Cl.
`............. ..
`(58) Field of Search ............................... .. 455/557, 556,
`455/90, 575, 568, 566, 564, 565, 571, 569,
`426
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`Us’ PATENT DOCUMENTS
`4,847,887 A *
`7/1989 Suzuki et a1. ................ N 45/90
`9/1989 Dayton ........ ..
`4,868,888 A *
`455/90
`
`6/1994 Allen .... ..
`5,319,803 A *
`455/89
`---------------------- -- 455/90
`5,418,836 A *
`5/1995 Yalaki
`.
`5559594 A
`8/1997 T9da
`1715522 A
`2/1998 Vlmpan et al‘
`5,896,375 A
`4/1999 Dent et al.
`5,913,163 A *
`6/1999 Johnsson .................. .. 455/426
`5,918,180 A *
`6/1999 Dimino .................... .. 455/456
`5,974,332 A * 10/1999 Chung ...................... .. 455/569
`
`110
`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 1
`
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`115
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`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 1
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Apr. 1, 2003
`
`Sheet 1 of 16
`
`US 6,542,758 B1
`
`10
`
`22
`
`FIG. 1
`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 2
`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 2
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Apr. 1, 2003
`
`Sheet 2 of 16
`
`US 6,542,758 B1
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`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 3
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`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 3
`
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Apr. 1, 2003
`
`Sheet 3 of 16
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`US 6,542,758 B1
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`52
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`LOGIC
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`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Apr. 1, 2003
`
`Sheet 4 of 16
`
`US 6,542,758 B1
`
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`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 5
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`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 5
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Apr. 1, 2003
`
`Sheet 5 of 16
`
`US 6,542,758 B1
`
`FIG. 5
`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 6
`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 6
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`

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`Apr. 1, 2003
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`Sheet 6 of 16
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`US 6,542,758 B1
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`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 7
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`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 7
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`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Apr. 1, 2003
`
`Sheet 7 of 16
`
`US 6,542,758 B1
`
`FIG. 7
`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 8
`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 8
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Apr. 1,2003
`
`Sheet 8 of 16
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`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 9
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`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 9
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`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Apr. 1, 2003
`
`Sheet 9 of 16
`
`US 6,542,758 B1
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`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 10
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`Apr. 1, 2003
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`Sheet 11 of 16
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`US 6,542,758 B1
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`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Apr. 1, 2003
`
`Sheet 12 of 16
`
`US 6,542,758 B1
`
`FIG. 12
`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 13
`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 13
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Apr. 1, 2003
`
`Sheet 13 of 16
`
`US 6,542,758 B1
`
`TRANSMITTER
`
`LOCAL—AREA
`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 14
`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 14
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Apr. 1, 2003
`
`Sheet 14 of 16
`
`US 6,542,758 B1
`
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`
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`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 15
`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 15
`
`

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`U.S. Patent
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`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 16
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`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 16
`
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`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Apr. 1, 2003
`
`Sheet 16 of 16
`
`US 6,542,758 B1
`
`110
`
`IS USER
`
`105
`
`AUTHORIZED
`
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`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 17
`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 17
`
`

`
`US 6,542,758 B1
`
`1
`DISTRIBUTED RADIO TELEPHONE FOR
`USE IN A VEHICLE
`
`This application is a continuation-in-part of previously
`filed application Ser. No. 08/989,115 filed Dec. 11, 1997,
`now abandoned.
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`
`The present invention relates generally to mobile radio
`telephones and, more particularly, to a distributed mobile
`radio telephone for use in a vehicle.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`At present, there are three generally accepted ways to
`provide cellular telephone service to the driver of a vehicle.
`First, a standard, handheld cellular telephone may be used
`by the driver. The power for the handheld cellular telephone
`can be provided by the handheld unit’s own battery pack or
`by an adapter which plugs into the vehicle’s cigarette lighter.
`Second, a standard handheld cellular telephone can be held
`by a cradle mounted within the interior of the vehicle. The
`cradle may include an external speaker and microphone to
`permit hands-free operation once a call is established. Third,
`the vehicle may be provided with a built-in cellular tele-
`phone which is permanently fixed to the vehicle.
`Each of the aforementioned solutions makes undesired
`
`include
`tradeoffs among various design goals that
`ergonomics, aesthetics,
`functional versatility, phone
`performance, expandability, and ease of installation and
`maintenance. For example, the first solution—using a stan-
`dard handheld terminal—provides versatility and ease of
`installation and maintenance at the expense of ergonomics,
`aesthetics, and phone performance. In brief, using a hand-
`held cellular telephone requires awkward exertion on the
`part of the driver to position the phone next to a window.
`Even if the phone can be, positioned near a window, the
`vehicle’s body often obscures the RF path between the
`phone’s antenna and the cellular base station thereby limit-
`ing the phone’s performance. Also, the only functions avail-
`able to the driver are those provided by the handheld phone.
`The second solution—mounting a handheld cellular tele-
`phone in a cradle—is an improvement over the first solution.
`Nevertheless, this solution also has drawbacks, primarily
`concerning ergonomics, aesthetics, and phone performance.
`Since the cradle is normally mounted outside the driver’s
`normal line of sight, the driver must shift his or her field of
`vision in order to use the cellular telephone. Further, cradles
`are normally sold as after-market devices whose appearance
`is not necessarily harmonious with the vehicle’s interior
`decoration. Cradles often suffer from dangling power cables,
`microphones, and control buttons. As in the first solution, the
`driver is limited to the functions provided by the handheld
`phone. Also, unless an external booster is used—which
`brings its own problems regarding expense, installation, and
`aesthetics—the phone’s performance is limited by its power
`amplifier, which is designed to meet the battery constraints
`of a handheld terminal.
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`30
`
`35
`
`40
`
`45
`
`50
`
`55
`
`The third solution—a built in cellular phone—provides
`improved aesthetics since it
`is normally designed to be
`harmonious with the vehicle’s interior. The trade off is in
`
`60
`
`ergonomics, versatility, ease of maintenance, and ease of
`modification. Even in built in phones, the phone’s controls
`are normally placed outside the driver’s field of vision. Thus,
`the driver is required to shift his or her field of vision in order
`to operate the phone. Moreover, the freedom of having a
`detachable handheld telephone is lost. The phone cannot be
`
`2
`removed from the vehicle when the driver departs from the
`vehicle. Furthermore, new features and functions cannot be
`readily added to a built in phone, nor can a built in phone be
`readily returned to its manufacturer for maintenance or
`upgrade.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`The present invention relates to a radiotelephone for use
`in a vehicle. The radiotelephone includes a base unit
`mounted within the vehicle having a wide area transceiver
`for communicating with a station outside the vehicle, a
`control unit disposed in the vehicle remotely from the base
`unit, and a local area network for establishing a communi-
`cation link between the base unit and the control unit. The
`
`local area network is adapted to transmit control and data
`signals between the base unit and the control unit. The
`control unit includes a keypad for entering commands and
`data which are transmitted to the base unit via the local area
`
`network, and a display for displaying information to the
`user. The control unit may also include a speaker and
`microphone. Alternatively, the speaker and microphone may
`be contained in a remote audio unit which is linked to the
`
`base unit via the local area network. In a preferred embodi-
`ment of the invention, a first local area transceiver is located
`with the control unit, and a second local area transceiver is
`located with the base unit to provide wireless communica-
`tion between the base unit and the control unit. If a remote
`audio unit is used, a third local area transceiver would be
`located in the remote audio unit.
`
`The control unit is typically mounted on the steering
`wheel of the vehicle. The control unit may be fully inte-
`grated into the steering column of the vehicle or,
`alternatively, may be a self-contained unit which attaches to
`the steering wheel of the vehicle. Power for the control unit
`may be provided by the vehicle’s battery, by a solar panel
`disposed within the vehicle, or by its own batteries.
`In one embodiment of the invention, the base unit is a
`closed box which is concealed within the vehicle. For
`
`example, the base unit may be mounted in a console or in a
`trunk of the vehicle. User interaction with the base unit is
`
`strictly through the control unit. In this embodiment, certain
`components of the base unit, such as the wide area
`transceiver, may be embodied in cards which plug into the
`base unit. This allows for easy upgrading and repair of the
`base unit.
`
`The base unit could comprise a standard hand-held radio-
`telephone. In this embodiment, the local area transceiver
`could be incorporated into the radiotelephone, or may reside
`in removable battery pack which attaches to the radiotele-
`phone. Athird option is to place the transceiver in a separate
`adapter which connects to the radiotelephone. With regard to
`the third option, the adapter may consist of a cradle for
`receiving and holding the hand-held radiotelephone. One
`advantage of locating the transceiver within either a.remov-
`able battery pack or an adapter is that
`the transceiver
`becomes an accessory which can be offered as an option to
`the user.
`
`In another embodiment of the invention, the distributed
`components of the radiotelephone may communicate over a
`LAN which is inherent
`to the vehicle. Oftentimes,
`the
`vehicle’s manufacturer will include a local area network in
`
`65
`
`a vehicle which ties together various systems of the vehicle.
`The control unit, base unit, and audio units of the present
`invention may use the excess capacity of the vehicle’s own
`LAN to communicate with one another. Because the radio-
`
`telephone shares the LAN with various components of the
`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 18
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`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 18
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`

`
`US 6,542,758 B1
`
`3
`vehicle, the radiotelephone may be used to augment or work
`with the inherent systems on the vehicle. For example, the
`vehicle’s security system could be programmed to place a
`telephone call notifying local law enforcement authorities if
`the vehicle is stolen. This notification may include the
`position of the vehicle if the vehicle also has an on-board
`GPS receiver.
`
`These and other aspects of the present invention will
`become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of
`the following description of the preferred embodiments
`when considered with the drawings.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing the distributed
`radiotelephone of the present invention.
`FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the control unit of
`the radiotelephone.
`FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the base unit of the
`radiotelephone.
`FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an optional audio
`unit for the radiotelephone.
`FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a hand-held radiotelephone
`for use in the distributed radiotelephone system of the
`present invention.
`FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the hand-held radiotelephone
`wherein the modem is contained in the radiotelephone
`housing.
`FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the hand-held radiotele-
`phone with a modem adapter in the form of a detachable
`module.
`
`FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the hand-held radiotelephone
`with modem adapter.
`FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the hand-held radiotele-
`phone with a modem adapter in the form of a cradle.
`FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a distributed radiotelephone
`using an inherent vehicle-based network for communication
`between separate physical units.
`FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a distributed radiotelephone
`having a base unit connected to a vehicle-based network,
`and a control unit which communicates with the base unit by
`wireless link.
`
`FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a remote dialing unit for
`a distributed radiotelephone.
`FIG. 13 is a block diagram of the remote dialing unit.
`FIG. 14 is a block diagram of a control unit having a
`memory for storing identification and configuration data.
`FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a hands-free unit having a
`memory for storing identification and configuration data.
`FIG. 16 is a flow diagram illustrating the operation of the
`control unit and hands-free unit of FIGS. 14 and 15.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`INVENTION
`
`Referring now to the drawings, the mobile phone system
`of the present
`invention is shown therein and indicated
`generally by the numeral 10. The mobile phone system 10 is
`particularly adapted for use in a vehicle. The mobile phone
`system 10 is distributed over a number of separate and
`distinct physical units which are positioned at different
`locations within the vehicle. The separate physical units
`communicate with one another through a local wireless
`communications link. The preferred embodiment of the
`invention includes two physical units: a base unit 20 and a
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`30
`
`35
`
`40
`
`45
`
`50
`
`55
`
`60
`
`65
`
`4
`control unit 40. The base unit 20 includes a fully functional
`transceiver capable of sending and receiving radio signals to
`and from a station located outside of the vehicle. The control
`unit 40 includes the interface elements needed by the user to
`control the transceiver. In the preferred embodiment of the
`invention, the base unit 20 is located in the trunk or console
`of the vehicle, or under the seat of a vehicle. The control unit
`40 is preferably integrated into the vehicle’s steering wheel
`or, alternatively, may be attached to the steering wheel.
`Referring now to FIG. 2, a block diagram of the base unit
`is shown. The base unit 20 includes an RF transceiver 24,
`control logic 26, volatile memory (RAM) 28, non-volatile
`memory (ROM) 30, and an interface module 32. The RF
`transceiver 24 may be, for example, a class 1 mobile phone
`transceiver capable of transmitting and receiving radio sig-
`nals to and from stations outside of the vehicle. The control
`
`logic 26 controls the operation of the transceiver 24 and
`modem 32 according to instructions stored in the non-
`volatile memory 30. The volatile memory 28 provides
`memory for temporarily storing data which is needed by the
`control
`logic 26 during operation of the mobile phone
`system 10. The interface module 32 provides a communi-
`cations link between the base unit 20 and the control unit 40.
`
`In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the base unit
`20 includes a housing 22 which contains the electronic
`components of the base unit 20. The control logic 26 is
`contained in a main circuit board. The RF transceiver 24 and
`
`non-volatile memory 30 are contained in separate cards
`which plug into sockets on the main circuit board. The RF
`transceiver 24 and non-volatile memory 30 may be con-
`tained in a single card or may be on separate cards. By
`placing the RF transceiver 24 and non-volatile memory 30
`on removable cards,
`these components may be readily
`replaced or upgraded. For example, a transceiver 24 that
`operates according to one cellular standard may be replaced
`by a transceiver 24 operating according to a different cellular
`standard. Similarly, upgrades or enhancements to the func-
`tionality of the phone system 10 can be made by replacing
`a memory card.
`FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the control unit 40. The
`control unit 40, as previously mentioned,
`is preferably
`integrated into the vehicle’s steering wheel. The control unit
`40 includes a keypad 44, display 46, microphone 48, and
`speaker 50 which serves as the interface elements between
`the user and the base unit 20. The keypad 44 is used to enter
`data and commands by the user. For example, a common use
`for the keypad 44 would be to enter a telephone number and
`“send” command to establish an outgoing call. The display
`46 is used to display information, such as the number dialed
`and call status information,
`to the user. Microphone 48
`converts the user’s voice into audio signals which are to be
`transmitted by the base unit 20 to a remote station located
`outside the vehicle. The speaker 50 converts audio signals
`received by the base unit 20 into audible sounds which can
`be heard by the user. Control logic 52 controls the operation
`of the control unit 40 according to instructions stored in its
`internal memory. An interface module 54 contained within
`the control unit 40 provides a communications link between
`the control unit 40 and the base unit 20.
`
`In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the inter-
`face modules 32 and 54 that provide the communications
`link between the base unit 20 and control unit 40 are short
`
`range RF transceivers which transmit and receive signals
`over a limited distance. An example of one such interface is
`the Bluetooth interface. The Bluetooth interface operates in
`the license free RF band authorized internationally at 2.4
`GHZ. Slow frequency hopping is used to combat interfer-
`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 19
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`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 19
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`

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`US 6,542,758 B1
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`5
`ence and fading. Abinary, frequency modulation scheme is
`used for transmissions. The physical layer of the link pro-
`vides a gross data rate of 1 mbs with a frame period of 1.25
`ms. The Bluetooth interface is described in an article pub-
`lished in Ericsson Review, No. 3, 1988, entitled
`“Bluetooth—The Universal Radio Interface For Ad Hoc
`Wireless Connectivity,” which is incorporated herein by
`reference.
`
`A packet switching, link control protocol is used wherein
`each packet is transmitted in a different frequency hop. Two
`full duplex logical channels are derived from the flow of
`packets—a synchronous voice channel that is used to carry
`64 kbs sampled audio signals with robust source and channel
`encoding, and an asynchronous data channel with ARQ error
`recovery and a capacity of 170 to 200 kbs. Referring now to
`FIG. 4, a block diagram of a remote audio unit 60 is shown.
`The remote audio unit 60 is an accessory whose primary
`purpose is to enhance audio performance by providing
`multiple microphones for noise cancellation and external
`speakers for superior voice output fidelity. As shown in FIG.
`4, the remote audio unit 60 includes a pair of speakers 62,
`each with its own power amplifier, and a microphone 64.
`Alternatively, the speakers 62 and microphone 64 may be
`placed in separate audio units 60 so that
`they may be
`positioned within the vehicle independently of one another.
`The remote audio unit 60 includes an interface module 68
`
`for communicating with the base unit 20. Control logic 66
`controls the operation of the remote audio unit 60.
`In use, the driver of a vehicle may initiate a telephone call
`by entering a telephone number using the keypad 44 and
`pressing a “send” key. The “send” instruction is transmitted
`via modems 32 and 54 from the control unit 40 to the base
`
`unit 20 along with the number to be dialed. The base unit 20
`then initiates the call according to normal cellular telephony
`practices. Once the call is established, audio signals received
`by the base unit 20 are transmitted to either the control unit
`40 or to a remote audio unit 60 and are converted to audible
`
`sounds by the speaker 50 or 64. The microphone 48 in the
`control unit 40 converts the driver’s voice into audio signals
`which are transmitted to the base unit 20 for further trans-
`mission to a remote station outside of the vehicle.
`
`The division of the phone into separate physical units that
`communicate through a wireless,
`local area network, as
`shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, solves a long standing problem
`in vehicular telephony: how to integrate the cellular phone
`into the vehicle’s steering wheel. In the past, attempts have
`been made to locate a keypad in the steering wheel.
`Nevertheless, meaningful integration of the phone’s func-
`tion into the steering wheel have failed, mainly because
`galvanic clock springs have been the only robust way of
`providing connection to electronic devices that are inte-
`grated into the steering wheel. However, clock springs
`cannot efficiently provide the large bundle of connections
`needed to support
`the wide spectrum of cellular phone
`functions which are demanded by consumers. Furthermore,
`clock springs have high self-inductance and are therefore
`unsuitable for transmitting VHF and UHF signals that arise
`from radio communication. In particular, VHF and UHF
`signals cannot be passed through a clock spring to or from
`an antenna. Thus, in the past, the special needs of a cellular
`telephone’s RF path have blocked the integration of a phone
`into a steering wheel hub.
`The present invention overcomes the limitations of the
`prior art by eliminating the need to pass either RF signals or
`wires through the clock springs in the steering wheel.
`Instead, control information and audio signals are transmit-
`ted from the control unit 40 in the steering wheel to the base
`
`6
`unit 20 by RF without passing through the clock springs of
`the steering wheel. The clock spring is used only to provide
`operating power to the control unit 40 in the steering wheel.
`Referring now to FIG. 5 and 6, a hand-held radiotele-
`phone 100 is shown that may be used as a base unit 20 in a
`distributed phone system 10. The radiotelephone 100
`includes a main housing 102 and a removable battery pack
`130. The main housing 102 contains an RF transceiver 103,
`memory 104, control logic 106, keypad 108, display 110,
`audio processing circuits 112, microphone 114 and speaker
`116. The main housing 102 may also include a GPS receiver
`120 for receiving position data from satellites. The battery
`pack 130 includes a power source 132 which may comprise
`either rechargeable batteries or an adapter which plugs into
`a power source.
`
`To the extent thus far described, the hand-held telephone
`100 is no different than a conventional hand-held radiotele-
`
`phone. However, the hand-held telephone 100 of the present
`invention includes a built-in interface module 118, such as
`a Bluetooth module, for communicating with a built-in
`control unit 40 in a vehicle and/or a separate hands-free unit
`60, as shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 6, the interface module 118
`is shown in the main housing 102 of the hand-held telephone
`100. However,
`the interface module 118 could also be
`contained in the removable battery pack 130 as shown in
`dotted lines in FIG. 6. One advantage to the latter approach
`is that the interface module 118 is detachable and therefore
`
`may be offered as an optional accessory to the hand-held
`phone 100 rather than as an integral part of the phone 100.
`The embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 could eliminate the,
`control unit 40, since the mobile unit serving as a base unit
`20 would provide the necessary controls. Thus, the distrib-
`uted telephone system 10 could comprise the mobile phone
`100 serving as a base unit 20 and a vehicle hands-free unit
`serving as the remote unit 60. The wireless link between the
`hand-held mobile telephone 20 and the hands-free unit 60
`eliminates the need to insert the hand-held into the hands-
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`free unit 60 as required in prior art devices. One benefit is
`that the hands-free unit 60 can be located anywhere in the
`vehicle and does not need to be within reach of the vehicle
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`driver. This would allow the hands-free unit to be placed in
`a concealed location, such as under a seat, if desired.
`FIGS. 7-9 illustrate a hand-held radiotelephone for a
`distributed phone system that uses an interface adapter 150.
`In FIG. 7, the interface adapter 150 is in the form of a
`detachable module that plugs into a system interface on the
`hand-held telephone 100. The interface adapter 150 includes
`an RF interface module 152 to allow communication with a
`control unit 40 or a hands-free unit such as a remote unit 60
`
`and a power adapter 154 to provide power to the hand-held
`telephone 100. The interface adapter 150 may also be in the
`form of a cradle that mounts in a vehicle as shown in FIG.
`9
`
`The hand-held radiotelephone 100 of the present inven-
`tion may be operated in a conventional manner. That is, the
`hand-held telephone’s own keypad 108, display 110, micro-
`phone 114 and speaker 116 operate in a conventional manner
`to provide a user interface. When placed in a vehicle mode,
`the hand-held radiotelephone’s interface elements may be at
`least partially disabled, and control passes instead to the
`control unit 40 which is integrated into the vehicle’s steering
`wheel (or a hands-free unit such as a remote unit 60). The
`hand-held radiotelephone 100 communicates with the con-
`trol unit 40 via interface module 118.
`
`The embodiments of the distributed radiotelephone sys-
`tem 10 of the present invention described above rely on a
`
`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 20
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`Samsung Ex. 1105 p. 20
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`

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`US 6,542,758 B1
`
`7
`low power, limited distance RF link to provide communi-
`cation between a base unit 10, control unit 40, and audio unit
`60. Those skilled in the art will recognize, however, that
`other types of communication links may also be used in
`connection with the present invention. For example, one
`alternative would be to use a fiber optic network to link the
`distinct physical units of the distributed radiotelephone
`system 10. Often times, a fiber optic network is installed in
`the vehicle at the time of its manufacture to link the vehicle’s
`ignition, charging, securing, and accessory systems. The
`physical units of the distributed radiotelephone 10 of the
`present invention, may communicate with one another using
`such an inherent vehicle network. The physical units of the
`distributed phone system 10 thus become attachments to the
`vehicle’s inherent network.
`
`FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a distributed radiotelephone
`system 10 which uses an inherent vehicle network 200 to
`communicate among the various physical units. The radio-
`telephone system includes a base unit 20, control unit 40,
`and optionally, an audio unit 60 which connect via an RF
`interface module to an inherent vehicle network indicated
`generally at 200. The vehicle network 200 includes a com-
`munications network 202 such as a fiber optic network.
`Attached to the communications network 202 are the vehi-
`cle’s ignition system 204, charging system 206, security
`system 208, positioning system 210, diagnostic system 212,
`and various accessories 214. Since these inherent vehicle
`systems attach to the same network 202 as the distributed
`radiotelephone 10 of the present invention, the radiotele-
`phone 10 of the present invention may operate in conjunc-
`tion with the vehicle systems to augment such systems. For
`example,
`the vehicle security system 208 could be pro-
`grammed to place a telephone call notifying local
`law
`enforcement authorities if the vehicle is stolen. This notifi-
`cation may include the position of the vehicle if either the
`vehicle or radiotelephone 10 has a GPS receiver. In another
`example,
`the radiotelephone 10 may be used to provide
`telemetry that carries diagnostic information concerning the
`vehicle itself, or software upgrades to various microproces-
`sor functions for various vehicle systems.
`FIG. 11 shows an alternate method for connecting the
`radiotelephone 10 of the present
`invention to a vehicle
`network 200. As shown on FIG. 11, the base unit 20 is
`connected to the on-board communications network 202 in
`the vehicle by means of a bridge, gateway, router, packet
`switch, or similar device. The base unit 20 then communi-
`cates with the control unit 40 and audio unit 60 via wireless
`link as previously described. In the preferred embodiment,
`the bridge, gateway, or router resides in the base unit 20, but
`can also be a separate unit.
`the
`In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 and 11,
`problem associated with connecting to a steering wheel hub
`are solved by sending control
`information in baseband
`digital form over one strand of a multi-strand clock-spring
`path, or by modulating control information onto a clock-
`spring path that it used as well for another purpose, such as
`the clock-spring that powers other electronic devices that are
`integrated with the steering wheel hub. The path so derived
`is then interconnected to the communications network 202
`
`by a standard modem.
`Referring now to FIG. 12, another embodiment of the
`present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the control
`unit 40 is replaced by a remote dialing unit 80 having a
`housing 82 which attaches to the steering wheel of a vehicle
`by straps, clips, or other suitable fastening means 84. The
`remote data unit 80 is preferably located at the front of the
`steering wheel. Thus, the user can keep both hands on the
`steering wheel (at the 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock positions)
`while driving.
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`FIG. 13 is a functional diagram of the remote dialing unit
`80. The remote dialing unit 80 includes a keypad 86 for
`enteri