U.S. patent application number 09/098147 was filed with the patent office on 2001-08-23 for integrated cellular telephone with programmable transmitter.
Invention is credited to KING, JOSEPH D..
Application Number | 20010016501 09/098147 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 22267496 |
Filed Date | 2001-08-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010016501 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KING, JOSEPH D. |
August 23, 2001 |
INTEGRATED CELLULAR TELEPHONE WITH PROGRAMMABLE TRANSMITTER
Abstract
The inventive cellular telephone includes a telephone for
transmitting outgoing telephone call signals and receiving incoming
telephone call signals and a transmitter for producing a wireless
control signal to operate a remote device. The remote device may be
a remote keyless entry system, a garage door opener, an estate gate
opener, a home security system, a home lighting system, or some
other system. To reduce cost, a single transmitter may produce both
the control signal and the outgoing telephone call signals. In a
preferred embodiment, the transmitter may be programmed to
reproduce one or more unique control signals to operate several
remote devices.
Inventors: |
KING, JOSEPH D.; (ANN ARBOR,
MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TIMOTHY J. HALLER
NIRO, SCAVONE,HALLER & NIRO
181 WEST MADISON STREET
SUITE 4600
CHICAGO
IL
60602
US
|
Family ID: |
22267496 |
Appl. No.: |
09/098147 |
Filed: |
June 16, 1998 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
455/556.1 ;
455/352; 455/419; 455/557; 455/88 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07C 9/00857 20130101;
H04M 1/72415 20210101; G08C 2201/93 20130101; H04M 11/007 20130101;
G07C 2009/00793 20130101; G08C 17/02 20130101; B60R 2325/205
20130101; G07C 2009/00928 20130101; B60R 25/24 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
455/556 ;
455/557; 455/88; 455/419; 455/352 |
International
Class: |
H04M 001/00; H04B
001/38 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A wireless telephone comprising: a telephone for transmitting
outgoing telephone call signals and receiving incoming telephone
call signals; and a transmitter for producing a wireless control
signal to operate a remote device.
2. A wireless telephone as set forth in claim 1 wherein a single
transmitter produces both said control signal and said outgoing
telephone call signals.
3. A wireless telephone as set forth in claim 2 wherein said
transmitter consists of a wide band voltage controlled
oscillator.
4. A wireless telephone as set forth in claim 1 wherein said remote
device consists of at least one of a remote keyless entry system, a
garage door opener, an estate gate opener, a home security system,
and a home lighting system.
5. A wireless telephone as set forth in claim 1 including a
receiver for receiving both said control signal and said incoming
telephone call signals.
6. A wireless telephone as set forth in claim 5 wherein said
receiver consists of a frequency independent receiver.
7. A wireless telephone as set forth in claim 5 wherein said
receiver consists of a diode detector.
8. A wireless telephone as set forth in claim 5 including a
controller for controlling said transmitter to produce said control
signal and said outgoing telephone call signals.
9. A wireless telephone as set forth in claim 8 wherein said
controller includes a memory for learning said control signal and
controls said transmitter to reproduce said learned control
signal.
10. A wireless telephone as set forth in claim 8 including a
plurality of input switches for producing input signals providing
operational information to said controller.
11. A combination radio frequency transmitter and receiver
comprising: an oscillator circuit for producing wireless control
signal and outgoing telephone call signals; a receiver circuit for
receiving incoming telephone call signals; and a microprocessor for
controlling said oscillator circuit to modulate said control signal
and said outgoing telephone call signal and for demodulating said
incoming telephone call signals from said receiver.
12. A combination transmitter and receiver as set forth in claim 11
wherein said receiver circuit consists of a diode detector.
13. A combination transmitter and receiver as set forth in claim 11
wherein said oscillator circuit consists of a voltage controlled
oscillator controlled by said microprocessor.
14. A combination transmitter and receiver as set forth in claim 11
wherein said microprocessor includes a memory circuit for learning
said control signal and controls said oscillator circuit to
reproduce said learned control signal.
15. A combination transmitter and receiver as set forth in claim 11
including a plurality of input switches for producing input signals
providing operational information to said microprocessor.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to an integrated cellular telephone
with a programmable transmitter.
[0002] A programmable transmitter, sometimes referred to as a
universal transmitter, is a device which may be "trained" to
reproduce the control signals of one or more remotely controlled
systems. All-in-one, programmable, infrared remote control
transmitters for televisions, videocassette recorders, and stereos
combine the functions of several remotely controlled systems into a
single transmitter. Similarly, several radio frequency (RF)
controlled systems, such as garage door openers, security lighting,
estate gates, and alarm systems, may be operated with a single
transmitter that has the ability to "learn" and reproduce the
unique RF messages employed by various manufacturers. Thus, a
single programmable transmitter can eliminate the need to carry
several separate RF transmitters. As a result, programmable
transmitters provide a convenient way to consolidate the functions
of several hand-held transmitters into a single device.
[0003] Cellular telephones, sometimes referred to as personal
communication systems (PCS), provide a convenient way to place and
receive telephone calls. A cellular telephone is a wireless radio
transmitter and receiver which communicates through any of a number
of antenna towers, each serving a particular "cell" within a given
region. Over the past decade, the use of cellular phones and the
number of cellular antenna towers have dramatically increased. Due
to recent advancements in technology, most cellular phones are of a
portable, hand-held size. As a result, many people now routinely
carry a cellular phone. Further, most people must carry several
hand-held transmitters to operate devices such as remote keyless
entry systems, garage door openers, home security systems, etc.
[0004] Accordingly, there is a desire to integrate the functions of
a cellular phone and several hand-held transmitters into a single
portable, hand-held device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In a disclosed embodiment of this invention, a cellular
telephone includes a telephone for transmitting outgoing telephone
call signals and receiving incoming telephone call signals and a
transmitter for producing a wireless control signal to operate a
remote device. Preferably, the remote device is a remote keyless
vehicle entry system, a garage door opener, an estate gate opener,
a home security system, or a home lighting system. To reduce cost,
the transmitter may produce both the control signal and the
outgoing telephone call signals.
[0006] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the transmitter
may be programmable to reproduce one or more unique control signals
to operate several remote devices.
[0007] These and other features of the present invention will be
best understood from the following specification and drawings, the
following of which is a brief description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is an electrical schematic diagram of a cellular
telephone including a programmable transmitter feature in
accordance with the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 shows a schematic of the types of systems which may
be controlled by this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0010] FIG. 1 is an electrical schematic diagram of a cellular
telephone 10 including a programmable transmitter feature in
accordance with the present invention. The cellular telephone 10
transmits outgoing telephone call signals and receives incoming
telephone call signals. The cellular telephone 10 includes a
transmitter 12 for producing a wireless control signal. An antenna
14 is connected to the transmitter 12 for broadcasting the wireless
control signal. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
the transmitter 12 produces both the wireless control signal and
the outgoing telephone call signals. Typically, the wireless
control signal and the incoming telephone call signals are airwave
signals having different radio frequencies. Accordingly, in one
embodiment of the present invention, the transmitter 12 consists of
a wide band voltage controlled oscillator capable of producing both
the wireless control signal and the outgoing telephone call
signals.
[0011] As shown in FIG. 2, the wireless control signal has a unique
frequency and code to operate a remote device 15 such as a remote
keyless vehicle entry system 15A, a garage door opener 15B, an
estate gate opener 15C, a home security system 15D, a home lighting
system 15E or any other system operated with a wireless control
signal.
[0012] Referring back to FIG. 1, cellular telephone 10 further
includes a receiver 18 for receiving wireless control signals and
the incoming telephone call signals. As explained below, telephone
10 will receive wireless control signals in a learning mode to
"learn" appropriate signals to actuate one of the systems 15A-15E.
The receiver 18 includes an antenna 20 for collecting local
airborne signals such as the wireless control signal and the
incoming telephone call signals. Typically, the wireless control
signal and the incoming telephone call signals are airwave signals
having different radio frequencies. Therefore, to receive both the
wireless control signal and the incoming telephone call signals, a
portion of the receiver 18 is preferably frequency independent. In
a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the
receiver 18 is a conventional diode detector.
[0013] The cellular telephone 10 also includes a controller 22 for
controlling the transmitter 12 to produce the wireless control
signal and the outgoing telephone call signals. Typically, the
controller 22 is a microprocessor. In a preferred embodiment of the
present invention, the controller 22 includes memory 24 for
learning the wireless control signal. The controller may then
control the transmitter 12 to reproduce the "learned" wireless
control signal. In this manner, the cellular telephone may be
programmed to reproduce one or more unique wireless control signals
to operate several remote devices 14. As a result, the functions of
the cellular telephone 10 and several hand-held transmitters are
integrated into a single portable, hand-held device.
[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
cellular telephone 10 includes plurality of input switches 26 and
28 for producing input signals providing operational information to
the controller 22.
[0015] The cellular telephone 10 also includes a conventional
microphone 30 connected to the controller 22 for converting audible
sound waves from a user into electrical waves and a conventional
speaker 32 for converting electrical waves from the controller 22
into an audible sound waves.
[0016] Switches 26, 28 may be actuated in some manner to send a
signal to actuate systems 15A-15E. As an example, switch 26 could
actuate remote entry system 15A. While switch 28 actuates garage
door opener 15B. A combination of switches 26 and 28 can be
actuated to control the other systems 15C-15E. Preferably, the
switches would be actuated in some combination to move the system
into a "learning" mode at which it can receive and then store an
appropriate control signal.
[0017] While preferred switches are shown, many distinct switch
sequences or designs can be used to achieve the goals of this
invention. Thus, as an alternative, the normal telephone keyboard
can be utilized to control the actuation by pushing the keys in
some predetermined sequences.
[0018] The controller 22 is disclosed somewhat schematically and a
worker in the appropriate art would be able to design an
appropriate control, given the basic functions disclosed in this
application.
[0019] While this invention is described as relating to a cellular
phone, it should be understood that it relates to any type of
wireless telephone. As an example, it extends to radio-frequency
telephones, or PCS systems, which incorporate telephone functions
in addition to several other functions such as paging, etc.
[0020] Further, as to the trainable system for teaching the
inventive telephone the signals for the systems to be actuated by
its transmitters, a system such as described in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/027,323 filed Feb. 20, 1998 and entitled
"Multiple Frequency Programmable Transmitter" should be
referenced.
[0021] Preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed,
however, a worker of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that
certain modifications would come within the scope of this
invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied
to determine the true scope and content of this invention.
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