A METHOD FOR OPERATING A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a communication system, comprising the steps: Providing a chip card, in particular a SIM card, in a communication device of a motor vehicle, said chip card including a user identification for dialing into at least one mobile communication network; storing a device identification of a mobile phone in the communication device of the motor vehicle; establishing a mobile communication link between the mobile phone and the communication device of the motor vehicle using the user identification stored on the chip card if a predetermined activation action has been detected on the mobile phone and it has been determined that the device identification of the mobile phone is stored in the communication device of the motor vehicle. The invention furthermore relates to a communication system.

Claims

1-6. (canceled)

7. A method for operating a communication system, the method comprising: providing a chip card in a communication device of a motor vehicle, wherein the chip card is a SIM card and wherein the chip card comprises a user identification for dialing into at least one mobile communication network; storing a device identification of a mobile phone in the communication device of the motor vehicle; establishing a mobile communication link between the mobile phone and the communication device of the motor vehicle using the user identification stored on the chip card when it is determined that (i) a predetermined activation action has been detected on the mobile phone and (ii) the device identification of the mobile phone is stored in the communication device of the motor vehicle; establishing, automatically, a voice connection between the mobile phone and the communication device when the mobile communication link has been established for a predetermined period of time, wherein the established voice connection is only terminated if an appropriate termination action has been detected on the mobile phone so a driver of the motor vehicle cannot terminate the voice connection, and wherein if the mobile communication link cannot be established between the mobile phone and the communication device, an audio recorder is activated to record a message, the recorded message is transmitted to the communication device and output at the motor vehicle when the mobile communication link between the audio recorder and the communication device is be established.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile communication link between the mobile phone and the communication device is initiated in response to a detected user input on an application installed on the mobile phone.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein an acoustic signal is output by the mobile phone and the communication device when the mobile communication link has been established.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile communication link between the mobile phone and the communication device is established via a server.

11. A communication system comprising: a motor vehicle; a mobile phone comprising a device identification; a communication device integrated into the motor vehicle and configured to store the device identification of the mobile phone; a chip card comprising a user identification for a mobile communication network, wherein the chip card is a SIM card and wherein the chip card is at least partially contained in the communication device; wherein the communication system is configured to establish a mobile communication link between the mobile phone and the communication device using the user identification stored on the chip card when it is determined that (i) a predetermined activation action has been detected on the mobile phone and (ii) the device identification of the mobile phone is stored in the communication device; wherein communication system is further configured to automatically establish a voice connection between the mobile phone and the communication device when the mobile communication link has been established for a predetermined period of time, wherein the established voice connection is terminated when an appropriate termination action has been detected on the mobile phone so a driver of the motor vehicle cannot terminate the voice connection, and wherein, when the mobile communication link cannot be established between the mobile phone and the communication device, the communication system is further configured to activate an audio recorder to record a message, transmit the recorded message to the communication device, and output the recorded messages at the motor vehicle when the mobile communication link between the audio recorder and the communication device is established.

12. A communication system according to claim 11, wherein the communication device is configured to automatically report a traffic accident of the motor vehicle to an emergency call center via the mobile communication network.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING/FIGURE

[0021] The accompanying drawing, is incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the embodiments and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the embodiments.

[0022] The drawing shows in the single FIGURE (FIG. 1) a schematic representation of a communication system comprising a motor vehicle, a mobile phone, and an emergency call center.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] A communication system denoted overall by 10 comprises a motor vehicle 12, a mobile phone 14, a server 16, and an emergency call center 18. The motor vehicle 12 comprises a communication device 20 integrated into said motor vehicle, which communication device is designed to store a device identification of the mobile phone 14. In the communication device 20 is accommodated a chip card 22, which in the present case is a SIM card with an appropriate user identification for a mobile communication network.

[0024] The communication system 10 is designed to establish a mobile communication link 24 between the mobile phone 14 and the communication device 20 using the user identification stored on the chip card 22 only if a predetermined activation action has been detected on the mobile phone 14 and it has been determined that the device identification of the mobile phone 14 is indeed stored in the communication device 20. The device identification of the mobile phone 14 is preferably a so-called international mobile station equipment identity referred to as IMEI for short.

[0025] The communication device 20 is additionally designed to automatically report a traffic accident of the motor vehicle 12 via the mobile communication network to the emergency call center 18, which can also take place using the user identification stored on the chip card 22.

[0026] A method for operating the communication system 10 is explained in more detail below. First, the chip card 22 is provided in the communication device 20 of the motor vehicle 12, wherein the chip card 22 includes a user identification for dialing into at least one mobile communication network. The device identification of the mobile phone 14 is furthermore stored in the communication device 20. On the mobile phone 14 can be installed an application, a so-called app for short, via which the IMEI, for example, is queried, forwarded to the server 16, and forwarded again by the server 16 to the communication device 20, whereupon the IMEI is then stored in the communication device 20. Alternatively or additionally, it can, for example, also be provided that the motor vehicle 12 has an appropriate user interface with an appropriate graphic user interface, via which the IMEI of another unambiguous device identification of the mobile phone 14 can be inputted so that said device identification is stored in the communication device 20.

[0027] By means of said app, the possibility is provided to establish the mobile communication link 24 between the mobile phone 14 and the communication device 20. It is, for example, brought about via the app that a virtual button is displayed on a touch display device of the mobile phone 14. As soon as a user presses this virtual button, the mobile communication link 24 between the mobile phone 14 and the communication device 20 is established via the server 16 using the user identification stored on the chip card 22 if the device identification of the mobile phone 14 matches the device identification stored in the communication device 20 of the motor vehicle 12.

[0028] As soon as the mobile communication link 24 has been established, it rings within the motor vehicle 12 so that a driver is sent a signal that it is currently being attempted to put a call through. At the same time, an acoustic signal is output by means of the mobile phone 14, said signal notifying a user of the mobile phone 14 that the mobile communication link 24 as such has already been established and the motor vehicle 12 is currently being called.

[0029] According to a first alternative, it can be provided in the process that a voice connection between the mobile phone 14 and the communication device 20 is automatically established as soon as the mobile communication link 24 has been established for a predetermined period of time, for example if it has rung three times. A driver of the motor vehicle 12 thus does not have the possibility of refusing the incoming call; the call is automatically put through instead. In this context, it can also be provided that the established voice connection, i.e. the call put through, is only terminated if an appropriate termination action has been detected on the mobile phone 14, for example via said app again. The user of the mobile phone 14 can thus very easily force the putting through of his call. This may, for example, be advantageous if the motor vehicle 12 has been stolen and the user of the mobile phone 14 would like to be put through to the unlawful taker of the motor vehicle 12. It is, for example, also conceivable that a child of the user of the mobile phone 14 is on the road with the motor vehicle 12 and is late. In this case, it can also be advantageous if the user of the mobile phone 14 can force a putting through of the voice call.

[0030] According to a second alternative, it can also be provided that a voice connection between the mobile phone 14 and the communication device 20 is only established if an acceptance of the voice connection has been confirmed on the part of the vehicle. The app installed on the mobile phone 14 is preferably designed such that the user of the mobile phone 14 can choose which type of voice call he would like, i.e. whether he wants a forced voice call or a traditional voice call.

[0031] If the variant is chosen that the voice connection between the mobile phone 14 and the communication device 20 is only established if an acceptance of the voice connection has been confirmed on the part of the vehicle, it is preferably also provided that the voice connection can be terminated both on the part of the mobile phone and on the part of the vehicle.

[0032] Situations can also arise, in which the mobile communication link 24 between the mobile phone 14 and the communication device 20 cannot be established, for example because a condition “Terminal 15 off” exists or because the motor vehicle 12 is currently in a dead zone. In the case that the mobile communication link 24 cannot be established, an audio recorder 26 integrated in the present case into the server 16 is activated and a message recorded by said audio recorder is transmitted to the communication device 20 as soon as the mobile communication link 24 can be established between the audio recorder 26 and the communication device 20, i.e. between the server 16 and the communication device 20. In other words, the recorded message is then put through to the motor vehicle 12 as soon as the mobile communication link 24 can be established by means of the server 16.

[0033] In this respect, there can, for example, also be two alternatives. The first alternative would be such that the recorded message is automatically transmitted to the communication device 20 and output by means of the motor vehicle 12 without a driver of the motor vehicle 12 being able to prevent it. According to a second alternative, it can however also be provided that it is, for example, only indicated to a driver of the motor vehicle 12 by means of an optical or acoustic signal that a recorded message has been received, wherein said message is only played if a confirmation on the part of the vehicle, in particular on the part of the driver, has been detected.