External control unit with reduced keypad integrated in voice activated vehicular telephone system with call-in-process voice-to-tones and voice to-memory conversion facilities
US6198947A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 9, 1996 |
| Grant date | Mar 6, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 9, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02D30/70
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An external control unit (ECU) with a reduced keypad is tightly integrated in a voice activated vehicular telephone system which further includes a voice adapter (VA) providing an intelligent interface between the ECU and a portable telephone removably coupled to a portable telephone holder. By taking full advantage of the voice recognition capabilities of the VA, the ECU is able to effectively harness the extensive power of the vehicular telephone system while requiring a very small amount of vehicle space through the combination of an internal microphone and a keypad with a very few number of keys. The remaining keys are specifically chosen for their unique value in the integrated system and are further defined to support multiple mode-specific functions. Accordingly, use of a voice activated dialer key causes the system during an idle mode to prompt the user to speak a number to be dialed, yet also causes the system during a call-in-process mode to activate a voice-to-tones conversion facility for operating, for example, voice mail systems, without the need for a conventional keypad. Likewise, use of a directory key during the idle mode results in a prompt for the user to speak …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.