Patent Abstract:
A hands-free device for a mobile-phone handset includes: a read unit that detects connection of a mobile-phone handset and reads identifying information of the mobile-phone handset connected; a phone book creation unit that creates a phone book for each piece of the identifying information; and a change unit that changes the identifying information assigned to the phone book to identifying information of another mobile-phone handset.

Full Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a hands-free device for a mobile-phone handset that manages a phone book associated with each mobile-phone handset that is connected thereto and a phone book registration method for the phone book. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0002]    There is a hands-free device for a mobile-phone handset known in the prior art that enables a navigation device and a plurality of phone handset to be connected using wireless communication such as Bluetooth (Registered Trademark) and enables phone book data to be managed for each mobile-phone handset (refer to the patent literature 1). 
       CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
       [0000]    
       
         [PATENT LITERATURE 1] Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 2006-60293 
       
     
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
       [0004]    When a mobile-phone handset is connected with a navigation device using Bluetooth (Registered Trademark) via a vehicle-mounted hands-free device for a mobile-phone handset, the navigation device capable of hands-free call acquires latest phone book data of the mobile-phone handset with mobile-phone handset identifying data including a Bluetooth Device Address, a phone number, or the like as a key. As a result, phone book data of a plurality of mobile-phone handsets can be individually updated, saved, and managed. 
         [0005]    When a mobile-phone handset associated with phone book data is changed to a successor mobile-phone handset, Bluetooth Device Address is also changed. For this reason, if the phone book data have been associated with the successor mobile-phone handset with Bluetooth Device Address as a key as described above, the navigation device deems the successor mobile-phone handset after the change to be a mobile-phone handset that is to be newly registered irrelevantly to the mobile-phone handset before the change. As a result, the phone book data of the mobile-phone handset before the change can not be managed as the phone book data of the successor mobile-phone handset after the change for managing the data by replacing the correspondence between the phone book data and the mobile-phone handset before the change with the correspondence between the phone book data and the successor mobile-phone handset after the change. 
       Solution to Problem 
       [0006]    According to the first aspect of the present invention, a hands-free device for a mobile-phone handset comprises: a read unit that detects connection of a mobile-phone handset and reads identifying information of the mobile-phone handset connected; a phone book creation unit that creates a phone book for each piece of the identifying information; and a change unit that changes the identifying information assigned to the phone book to identifying information of another mobile-phone handset. 
         [0007]    According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the hands-free device for the mobile-phone handset according to the first aspect, it is preferred that the hands-free device for the mobile-phone handset further comprises: an inquiry unit that, when the identifying information of the mobile-phone handset is read by the read unit, inquires of a user as to an intention of the user for change by the change unit of the identifying information assigned to the phone book; an input unit with which the user inputs the intention in response to an inquiry by the inquiry unit; and a control unit that controls the change based upon the intention. 
         [0008]    According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the hands-free device for the mobile-phone handset according to the first or the second aspect, it is preferred that the phone book includes phone book data that includes a phone number, speed dial data that includes a speed dial number, incoming and outgoing call history data that includes an incoming and outgoing call history of the mobile-phone handset connected, and the identifying information. 
         [0009]    According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a phone book registration method comprises: searching a phone book associated with a first mobile-phone handset in a storage in response to a user input; reading identifying information of a second mobile-phone handset, which is different from the first mobile-phone handset, from the second mobile-phone handset; and newly associating the identifying information read from the second mobile-phone handset with the phone book searched and registering the phone book into the storage. 
         [0010]    According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in the phone book registration method according to the fourth aspect, it is preferred that the user input is based upon an intention of a user for newly associating the identifying information with the phone book and registering the phone book into the storage. 
         [0011]    According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in the phone book registration method according to the fourth or the fifth aspect, it is preferred that the identifying information is at least one of a Bluetooth Device Address of a Bluetooth standard, a combination of the Bluetooth Device Address with a Bluetooth Device Name, and a phone number. 
         [0012]    According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, in the phone book registration method according to any one of the fourth through the sixth aspects, it is preferred that the phone book includes phone book data that includes a phone number, speed dial data that includes a speed dial number, incoming and outgoing call history data that includes an incoming and outgoing call history of the first mobile-phone handset, and the identifying information. 
       Advantageous Effect of the Invention 
       [0013]    According to the present invention, a phone book associated with mobile-phone handset unique identifying information can be used successively in association with new mobile-phone handset unique identifying information. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a diagram that shows a structure of a vehicle-mounted hands-free device  100  of an embodiment in terms of the inside and periphery thereof. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a diagram that explains a phone book. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart that explains new registration, update registration, and replacement registration processing procedure of a phone book. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart that explains new registration, update registration, and replacement registration processing procedure of a phone book. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]    The present invention is to be applied to an electronic device such as a navigation device in which a phone book can be registered for each of a plurality of mobile-phone handsets and, if a mobile-phone handset that has been registered in the electronic device is changed, the present invention enables the phone book of the mobile-phone handset before the change to be easily registered as the phone book of the new mobile-phone handset replaced. 
         [0019]    An embodiment of the hands-free device according to the present invention, which is to be used in conjunction with a navigation device, will be explained with reference to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 1  is a diagram that shows a structure of the vehicle-mounted hands-free device for a mobile-phone handset of the present embodiment, i.e., the vehicle-mounted hands-free device  100  in terms of the inside and periphery thereof. 
         [0020]    A CPU  110  controls all processing at the vehicle-mounted hands-free device  100  including replacement registration processing described later in the explanation of  FIG. 4 . Peripheral circuits connected to the CPU  110  via a bus are configured to include a main memory  115 , a display module  140 , an audio module  150 , an auxiliary storage  160 , a communication interface  170 , and the like. The main memory  115  is configured to include a work memory, which is a work area for the CPU  110 , a program memory, in which a control program of the CPU  110  is stored, and the like. 
         [0021]    A user input device  130  is a user interface such as a push-button switch, a remote controller or the like. The display module  140 , which includes a monitor  145 , a monitor drive circuit, and the like, displays on its screen image data such as text, graphics, and the like having been output from the CPU  110 . The audio module  150  performs control to convert a voice signal output from the CPU  110  into a voice to be output via a speaker  155 . 
         [0022]    The auxiliary storage  160  stores information of a phone book and the like whose association with mobile-phone handset individual identifying information is to be replaced and registered. The phone book will be described later in the explanation of  FIG. 2 . While as the auxiliary storage  160 , a hard disk drive is used, it may be a CD, a DVD, a flash memory, or another recording medium, and a readout device for such recording media instead. 
         [0023]    The communication interface  170  is used when the vehicle-mounted hands-free device  100  performs data communication with a mobile-phone handset  500 . The data communication is performed using any of the following methods, wireless communication such as Bluetooth (Registered Trademark), infrared communication, or the like, or wired communication via cable connection. If Bluetooth is used, for example, the communication interface  170  is configured to include an antenna, an RF (Radio Frequency) circuit, which is not shown in the figure, and the like for data transmission and reception. 
         [0024]    The phone book stored in the auxiliary storage  160  will be explained with reference to  FIG. 2 . A phone book  200  whose association with mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210  is to be replaced and registered is configured as a database in an identifiable manner with the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210  as a key. The mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210  is mobile-phone handset unique identifying information (ID). Each phone book is managed by giving a registration name to each of the plurality of mobile-phone handsets  500 . As a registration name for the phone book  200 , for instance, a Bluetooth Device Name, which is defined by the Bluetooth standard, or an arbitrary name according to a user input is used. As the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210 , for example, a Bluetooth Device Address, which is defined by the Bluetooth standard, or a phone number is used. 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  shows the phone books  200  of the n mobile-phone handsets  500 , each of which is managed with the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210 # 1  to #n as a key. In the phone books  200 , for example, speed dial data  251 , phone book data  252 , incoming and outgoing call history data  253 , and the like are managed individually. The example of the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210   n  in the phone book#n shown in  FIG. 2  includes a phone number, a Bluetooth Device Address, and a Bluetooth Device Name of a mobile-phone handset associated with the phone book#n. A speed dial number included in the speed dial data  251  is managed in association with, based upon the user input, a phone number, for instance, that is frequently called among the phone numbers included in the phone book data  252 . The user can make a call by selecting a speed dial number instead of selecting and calling a phone number included in the phone book data  252 . The incoming and outgoing call history data  253  includes, for a predetermined number of latest incoming and outgoing calls, the phone number, date, and time of incoming and outgoing calls from a destination from which those incoming and outgoing calls were made recently, i.e., an incoming and outgoing call history at the vehicle-mounted hands-free device  100  and the mobile-phone handset  500 . 
         [0026]    New registration, update registration, and replacement registration processing procedure for the phone book  200  according to the embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowcharts of  FIG. 3   and    FIG. 4 . These flowcharts show the processing procedure in which the CPU  110  executes a phone book data management program that is stored in advance. Upon connecting the mobile-phone handset  500  to the vehicle-mounted hands-free device  100 , the CPU  110  starts to execute the phone book data management program and then starts a variety of registration processing procedures for the phone book  200 . 
         [0027]    In step S 311 , the CPU  110  makes a decision as to whether or not the mobile-phone handset  500  has been connected. If a positive decision is made, the processing procedure proceeds to step S 313  and, if a negative decision is made, the processing of step S 311  is repeated until the positive decision is acquired. In step S 313 , the CPU  110  reads the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210  described above from the connected mobile-phone handset  500 . 
         [0028]    In step S 315 , the CPU  110  makes a decision as to whether or not connection authentication for the connected mobile-phone handset  500  has been successfully enabled. If a positive decision is made, the processing procedure proceeds to step S 331  described later and, if a negative decision is made, the processing procedure proceeds to step S 317 . 
         [0029]    In step S 317 , the CPU  110  makes a decision as to whether or not new registration for the connected mobile-phone handset  500  is needed. For example, the CPU  110  controls the display module  140  so that an inquiry screen that inquires of the user as to whether or not new registration for the connected mobile-phone handset  500  is needed is displayed on a monitor  145  and, upon the input of the declaration of intention of the user as for the inquiry screen through an operation with the user input device  130 , the CPU  110  makes a decision as to whether or not new registration for the mobile-phone handset  500  is needed. If a positive decision is made, the processing procedure proceeds to step S 319  and, if a negative decision is made, the processing procedure proceeds to step S 345  described later. 
         [0030]    In step S 319 , the CPU  110  makes a decision as to whether or not basic setting required for the new registration described above has been input through an operation with the user input device  130 . The contents of the basic setting are, for instance, the location of a folder in which the phone book  200  is stored in the auxiliary storage  160 , the registration name for the phone book  200 , the phone number given to the mobile-phone handset  500 , and the like. The registration name for the phone book  200  is limited to one that uses an arbitrary name based upon a user input. In this manner, an area of the phone book  200  in association with the mobile-phone handset  500  is ensured in the phone book folder that has been set, and the speed dial data  251 , the phone book data  252 , and the incoming and outgoing call history data  253  are stored in the area with, for example, an input phone number as a key. 
         [0031]    In step S 321 , phone book data are read from the connected mobile-phone handset  500  and set as the phone book data  252  in an area of the phone book  200  ensured in the phone book folder described above. Similarly, in step S 323 , incoming and outgoing call history data are read from the connected mobile-phone handset  500  and set as the incoming and outgoing call history data  253  in an area of the phone book  200  ensured in the phone book folder described above. 
         [0032]    In step S 325 , the CPU  110  makes a decision as to whether or not setting of a speed dial number has been input through an operation with the user input device  130 . More specifically, the CPU  110  makes a decision as to whether or not speed dial number data  251  corresponding to a speed dial number associated with a phone number included in the phone book data  252  that is under the new registration processing have been input. If a positive decision is made, in step S 327 , the speed dial number data  251  having been input are set in the phone book  200  that is under the new registration processing and the processing procedure proceeds to step S 329 . If a negative decision is made, the processing procedure skips step S 327  and proceeds to step S 329 . 
         [0033]    In step S 329 , the CPU  110  controls the display module  140  so that a new registration completion notification screen is displayed on the monitor  145 . In step S 345 , the CPU  110  waits for disconnection of the mobile-phone handset  500  having been connected and, upon disconnection, the processing procedure terminates. In other words, execution of a phone book registration update program when the mobile-phone handset  500  is connected to the vehicle-mounted hands-free device  100  terminates. After that, normal use such as screen display of data of the phone book  200 , an operation of the mobile-phone handset  500 , or the like is enabled. 
         [0034]    As described earlier, as a result of the decision in step S 315 , if a positive decision is made, i.e., if connection authentication is successfully enabled, the processing procedure proceeds to step S 331 . In step S 331 , the CPU  110  makes a decision as to whether or not the phone book  200  associated with the connected mobile-phone handset  500  is designated as the phone book  200  associated with the successor mobile-phone handset, i.e., makes a decision as to whether or not to perform replacement registration of the phone book  200 , the association of which with the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210  is replaced. This decision is made, for instance, by control of the display module  140  by the CPU  110  so that a selection screen as to whether or not to perform replacement registration is displayed on the monitor  145  and by selection of any of the options on the selection screen through an operation with the user input device  130 . Performing the replacement registration is selected when the user of the mobile-phone handset  500  repurchases the successor mobile-phone handset and intends that the phone book  200  that has been associated with the mobile-phone handset  500  is associated with the successor mobile-phone handset from now onwards. In this case, the decision result in step S 331  is a positive decision. If a positive decision is made, the processing procedure proceeds to step S 351  described later and, if a negative decision is made, the processing procedure proceeds to step S 333 . 
         [0035]    In step S 333 , the phone book data are read from the connected mobile-phone handset  500  and the phone book data  252  in the phone book  200  stored in the phone book folder described above are updated. Similarly, in step S 335 , the incoming and outgoing call history data are read from the connected mobile-phone handset  500  the incoming and outgoing call history data  253  in the phone book  200  stored in the phone book folder described above are updated. 
         [0036]    In step S 337 , the CPU  110  makes a decision as to whether or not setting of a speed dial number for a phone number included in the updated phone book data  252  has been input through an operation with the user input device  130 . If a positive decision is made, in step S 339 , based upon setting of the speed dial number having been input, the speed dial number data  251  are updated and the processing procedure proceeds to step S 341 . If a negative decision is made, the processing procedure skips step S 339  and proceeds to step S 341 . 
         [0037]    In step S 341 , the CPU  110  controls the display module  140  so that a phone book update completion notification screen is displayed on the monitor  145  and the processing procedure proceeds to step S 345  described above. 
         [0038]    As described above, in step S 331 , as a result of a decision made by the CPU  110  as to whether or not to perforin replacement registration of the phone book  200 , if a positive decision is made, the processing procedure proceeds to step S 351 . In step S 351 , the phone book  200  whose association with the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210  is to be replaced and registered, i.e., the phone book  200  associated with the connected mobile-phone handset  500 , is searched in the auxiliary storage  160 . After searching the phone book  200 , the CPU  110  makes a decision in step S 353  as to whether or not the connected mobile-phone handset  500  has been disconnected and, if a negative decision is made, waits until a positive decision is acquired and, if a positive decision is made, makes a decision in step S 355  as to whether or not the successor mobile-phone handset has been connected. More specifically, for instance, at the time when the phone book  200  whose association with the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210  is to be replaced and registered is searched, the CPU  110  controls the display module  140  so as to display on the screen of the monitor  145  a message to prompt the user to perform disconnection of the mobile-phone handset  500  from the vehicle-mounted hands-free device  100  and connection of the successor mobile-phone handset to the vehicle-mounted hands-free device  100 . Upon disconnecting the mobile-phone handset  500 , the CPU  110  controls the display module  140  so as to display on the screen of the monitor  145  only the message to prompt the user to perform connection of the successor mobile-phone handset. 
         [0039]    In step S 355 , if a negative decision is acquired, the processing waits until a positive decision is acquired and, when the successor mobile-phone handset is connected, the positive decision is acquired. If the positive decision is acquired, the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210  is read from the successor mobile-phone handset in step S 357 . In step S 359 , the CPU  110  associates the phone book  200  searched in step S 351 , for which the replacement registration is performed, with the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210 , which has been read in step S 357 , and registers the phone book  200  in the auxiliary storage  160 . In other words, the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210 , which has been associated with the phone book  200 , is changed to the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210  of the successor mobile-phone handset and the phone book  200  is registered. Thus, the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210  of the successor mobile-phone handset is used as a new key for managing the phone book  200 . 
         [0040]    In step S 361 , the CPU  110  controls the display module  140  so that a replacement registration completion notification screen of the phone book is displayed on the monitor  145  and the processing procedure proceeds to step S 345  described above. It is to be noted that each processing in steps S 351 , S 357 , and S 359  described above may be executed manually by an input through an operation with the user input device  130  in place of being executed automatically. 
         [0041]    The vehicle-mounted hands-free device  100  according to the embodiment described above achieves the following operations and advantageous effects. (1) The phone book  200 , including the speed dial number data  251 , the phone book data  252 , and the incoming and outgoing call history data  253 , whose association with the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210  is to be replaced and registered is managed for each of the plurality of mobile-phone handsets  500  registered in the vehicle-mounted hands-free device  100  and identified with the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210  as a key. Due to this, when the mobile-phone handset  500 , which has been registered in the vehicle-mounted hands-free device  100 , is replaced with a new mobile-phone handset or the like, management of the phone book  200  can be succeeded smoothly so that the phone book  200  of the registered mobile-phone handset  500  is managed as data that attribute to the new mobile-phone handset. 
         [0042]    (2) Also at the beginning of replacement registration processing procedure to replace association of the phone book  200  with the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210 , connection authentication processing of the mobile-phone handset  500 , which is a data migration source of the phone book  200 , is performed. This can prevent execution of an illegal replacement registration processing procedure regarding association of the phone book  200  with the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210  by a third party pretending to be the user who owns the mobile-phone handset  500 . 
         [0043]    —Examples of Variation— 
         [0000]    (1) In the explanation of  FIG. 2  described above, for example, a Bluetooth Device Name, which is defined by the Bluetooth standard, an arbitrary name based upon a user input, or the like is assumed to be used as a registration name for the phone book  200 . For instance, it may be arranged that a Bluetooth Device Name is selected in preference as an initial setting value of the registration name when Bluetooth is used as a data communication method between the vehicle-mounted hands-free device  100  and the mobile-phone handset  500 . In this case, it may be arranged that when the Bluetooth Device Name is displayed on the screen of the monitor  145  as the initial setting value of registration name, the registration name can be changed to an arbitrary value or string by an operation of the user input device  130 . 
         [0044]    (2) In the explanation of  FIG. 2  described above, for example, a Bluetooth Device Address, which is defined by the Bluetooth standard, a phone number, or the like is assumed to be used as the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210 . For instance, when Bluetooth is used as a data communication method between the vehicle-mounted hands-free device  100  and the mobile-phone handset  500 , individual identifying information in which a Bluetooth Device Name, which is defined by the standard, is associated with a Bluetooth Device Address may be used as the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210 . Individual identifying information in which a phone number is associated with a Bluetooth Device Address may be used as the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210 . Individual identifying information in which a phone number is associated with a combination of a Bluetooth Device Address with a Bluetooth Device Name may be used as the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210 . 
         [0045]    (3) In the explanation of  FIG. 3  described above, the speed dial number setting input in step S 325  and the speed dial number update input in step S 337  are assumed to be performed based upon an operation with the user input device  130 . However, it may be arranged that when reading the phone book data  252  and the incoming and outgoing call history data  253  from the mobile-phone handset  500 , the CPU  110  automatically sets a speed dial number based upon the phone book data  252  and the incoming and outgoing call history data  253 . 
         [0046]    (4) The notification screen display in steps S 329 , S 341 , and S 361  of  FIG. 4  described above may be accompanied by a voice guidance coming from the speaker  155 , which is caused by the CPU  110  actuating the audio module  150 . 
         [0047]    (5) In the vehicle-mounted hands-free device  100  of the present embodiment described above, also at the beginning of the replacement registration processing procedure to replace association of the phone book  200  with the mobile-phone handset individual identifying information  210 , connection authentication processing of the mobile-phone handset  500 , which is a data migration source of the phone book  200 , is performed. If the decision result in step S 331  is a positive decision, security may be improved by a user authentication procedure such as a password in place of the connection authentication processing or in addition to the connection authentication processing. It may be arranged that for the user authentication procedure, in addition to a password, for example, a Bluetooth Device Address and a Bluetooth Device Name, which are defined by the Bluetooth standard, or a phone number is used. 
         [0048]    The embodiments and the examples of variation described above may be combined. In addition, the present invention is not to be limited to any configuration according to the embodiments above described, as long as the functions characterizing the present invention remain intact. 
         [0049]    Although the variety of embodiments and examples of variations are described above, the present invention is not to be limited only to those contents. The scope of the present invention includes other possible embodiments invented within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. 
         [0050]    The disclosure of the following priority application is herein incorporated by reference: Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-17192 (filed on Jan. 28, 2010)

Technology Classification (CPC): 7