Abstract:
The present invention relates to the field of telecommunication and concerns a method and a device that prevent a multimedia mobile terminal, capable of utilizing videophone calls, from transmitting or receiving a videophone call in a certain situation.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to the field of telecommunication and concerns a method and a device that is able to prevent a mobile multimedia terminal, capable of utilizing videophone calls, from transmitting or receiving a videophone call in a certain situation.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART  
       [0002]     It is prepared by certain norms and networks of telecommunications, for example, by the norm and mobile network of the third generation (3G), that a user carrying an appropriate multimedia terminal can communicate by videophone or visiophone with another user who also carries multimedia terminal. The communication that permits simultaneous usage of several types of digital data (image and sound) is likely to monopolize the attention of either one of users. Therefore, in certain situations, this mode of communication appears inappropriate or dangerous, for example, when one of the users drives a car.  
         [0003]     There arises the problem to find a system that prevents the terminal, capable of transmitting and receiving communications by videophone, from communications by depriving partially or totally of this function in a certain situation.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention concerns at first a method for processing the modes of communications of the first mobile communication terminal, capable of exchanging the data with other communication terminals according to one or several cellular communication norms comprising steps of: 
        a) detecting the simultaneous presence of the first mobile communication terminal and an exterior trigger device, and     b) disactivating at least one communication mode of the first terminal depending upon the detection made at least during step a).        
 
         [0007]     The present invention can be applied for example to multimedia terminals, capable of performing communications according to one or several cellular communication norms of the 3rd generation.  
         [0008]     The exterior trigger device can be capable of communicating with the first terminal according to one or several wireless communication norms or standards that are different from the above-described cellular communication, for example, a communication standard or a norm chosen from one of the following communication norms or standards: IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b (WiFi), Bluetooth, Home RF, Hiperlan, IrDA, contactless smart cards.  
         [0009]     Step a) can be the detection of presence or localization of communication terminal performed by the trigger device or the detection of presence or localization of the trigger device performed by the terminal, or possibly reciprocal detection of the terminal and the trigger device.  
         [0010]     In case where step a) of the detection comprises the localization of the trigger device by the first terminal, this localization can be realized at least in part by localizing the terminal of one or several radiofrequency or infrared signals emanating from the trigger device. This detection can be realized for example by recognizing said radiofrequency or infrared signals emanating from the trigger device of an identification number ID 2  associated with the trigger device. According to one variation, this localization can be realized at least in part by detection of the presence of the first terminal having an electrical connection between the trigger device and the first terminal.  
         [0011]     In case where step a) of the detection comprises the localization of the terminal by the trigger device, this localization can be realized at least in part by detection of presence the trigger device of one or several radiofrequency or infrared signals emanating from the first terminal. This detection can be realized for example by recognizing the identification number associated with the first terminal among said radiofrequency or infrared signals emanating from the terminal.  
         [0012]     According to one variation, the localization of the first terminal by the trigger device can be realized at least in part by detecting the trigger device having an electrical connection between the trigger device and the first terminal.  
         [0013]     Concerning the disactivation of said communication mode in step b), this can be triggered by the first terminal following the detection of the simultaneous presence of the trigger device and the first terminal.  
         [0014]     According to one variation, the disactivation in step b) can be triggered by the first terminal following the reception of a disactivation instruction or one or several sets of data emanating from the trigger device, said data comprising at least one or more data in relation to the disactivation order.  
         [0015]     In case where the trigger device is capable of detecting the terminal, said disactivation can be realized by following a disactivation instruction emanating from the trigger device after the detection of the presence of the first terminal is made by the trigger device.  
         [0016]     According to a particular realization mode of the present invention, the trigger device is likely to receive the information emanating from an automotive vehicle and the disactivation in step b) of at least one communication mode from the first terminal can be at least dependent upon the detection function made during step a) and said information emanating from the automotive vehicle. Said information emanating from the automotive vehicle can comprise the information in relation to the ignition system of the vehicle and/or information in relation to the on/off state of the motor and/or information in relation to the speed of the vehicle.  
         [0017]     This particular realization mode of the present invention can have many applications and permit for example inhibition or disactivation of one or several communication modes of communication terminal when the terminal user is driving the vehicle.  
         [0018]     For this particular realization mode, the trigger device can be contained for example in a car kit of a motorized vehicle.  
         [0019]     After step b) of disactivation of at least one communication mode of the first terminal, when the first terminal receives the call emanating from the second terminal related to the communication following the disactivated communication mode, the method according to the present invention can comprise in addition, according to the first variation, a step to establish the communication between the first terminal and the second terminal according to the different communication mode from that of the disactivated one.  
         [0020]     According to a second variation, the method of the present invention can comprise, in addition, after reception of the call, a step to reject the call related to that communication.  
         [0021]     The method according to the present invention can comprise, in addition, before step b), the steps: 
        receiving a call of communication request in accordance with a communication mode emanating from a second terminal,     establishing the communication between said first terminal and said second terminal in accordance with said communication mode, and     then switching said communication mode with said second terminal to a communication mode different from said disactivated communication mode.        
 
         [0025]     According to one variation, the method according to the present invention can comprise, in addition, before step b), the steps: 
        receiving a call of communication request from a second terminal in accordance with one communication mode,     establishing a communication between said first terminal and said second terminal in accordance with the communication mode, and - switching said communication mode to a different communication mode from said disactivated communication mode.        
 
         [0028]     According to one variation in which the first terminal has established, before step b), a communication with a second terminal according to the disactivated communication mode, this method can comprise, after step b), the step of switching said communication into another communication in accordance with another communication mode different from said communication mode.  
         [0029]     According to another variation in which the first terminal has established, before step b), a communication with a second terminal according to a given communication mode, this method can comprise, after step b), the step of switching said given communication mode to another communication mode.  
         [0030]     The present invention concerns also a wireless communication terminal comprising: 
        means of communication according to one or several communication modes,     means for receiving and/or transmitting one or several wireless communication signals emanating from and/or towards a trigger device, and     means of disactivation of one or several of said communication modes at least depending upon the presence of said trigger device.        
 
         [0034]     The communication terminal can be, for example, a multimedia communication terminal capable of communicating according to one or several cellular communication norms among which at least one is a communication mode of the third generation. Among said communication modes of the communication terminal can be considered a communication mode of videophone.  
         [0035]     The present invention concerns also a trigger device of the wireless communication device comprising: 
        means for receiving or/and transmitting one or several wireless communication signals emanating from or/and toward a wireless communication terminal, and     means for generating a disactivation signal, for disactivating one or several communication modes at least depending on the presence of said wireless communication terminal.        
 
         [0038]     The said wireless signals can be the signal according to one of the following norms or the standards: IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b (WiFi), Bluetooth, Home RF, Hiperlan, IrDA, contact less smart cards.  
         [0039]     The trigger device can take many forms. This device can be for example integrated in a car kit of the vehicle, or integrated in an intelligent IC card. The trigger device following the present invention can be used for other applications. For example, it can be used where several communication modes are inhibited, for example, in the place where it is inhibited to film and to perform communication by videophone. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0040]     The present invention will be more clearly understood by reading the following description of the example of the given embodiment, by way of purely illustrating and non-limiting purpose with reference to the figure, in which:  
         [0041]      FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  show respectively a multimedia communication terminal and its associated architecture;  
         [0042]      FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  show respectively communication management logic according to the present invention and call management logic according to the present invention; and  
         [0043]      FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 7 , and  FIG. 8  show different examples of the devices implemented according to the present invention. 
     
    
       [0044]     The same, similar or equivalent parts of the different figure have the same or similar numerals to facilitate understanding from one figure to the other.  
         [0045]     The different parts shown in the figures are not the same scale, to make the figure more legible.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0046]     In the following description, the communication terminals considered are mobile multimedia communication terminals capable of performing communications by visiophone or videophone, during which these terminals are likely to exchange data intended to reproduce images, especially in movement, and also sounds. By multimedia, it means that these terminals are capable of managing simultaneously several types of digital data related to the sounds and the images and provide to a user these sounds and images.  
         [0047]     Communication during which the first terminal and the second terminal exchange the data related to sounds but no digital data related to images are exchanged is called audio communication.  
         [0048]     The visiophone or the videophone is the technology that, by integrating the screen and the camera to the communication terminal, permits the interlocutor using these terminals to see each other at the same time as they talk. We hope to include in the word videophone an entire range of communication for which the terminal produces, among others, the images, in particular the moving images in relation to communication. In this manner, for example, the communication during which we perceive on the screen of the terminal of the multimedia communication a moving manifestation of the interlocutor will be considered in the present description as the communication by the videophone.  
         [0049]     The present invention is applied for example to the multimedia mobile terminal capable of accessing to a cellular telephone network of the third generation and capable of communication in accordance with the norm for which a service of communication by videophone is provided. The invention concerns for example the user equipment (UE: User Equipment) of the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) network.  
         [0050]     An example of such multimedia communication terminal  100  is shown in  FIG. 1 . This communication terminal  100  is equipped with especially a micro  101 , a speaker  102 , a keyboard  103 , screen  104 , a camera  105 , and a power source connector  106  capable of connecting the terminal to a power source.  
         [0051]     An example of architecture of such terminal is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . This architecture comprises especially a first communication module  110  permitting exchange of the data with other communication terminal according to one or several cellular communication norms and to access to one or several cellular communication networks, for example, at least to a network of type UMTS and possibly to the network of type GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications).  
         [0052]     The terminal  100  is equipped with, in addition, a processor  120  and a set of memory  130 , and among them included are at least a program memory, a data memory, and a mass memory. Several memories of this set of memory can belong to a USIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module) card. The terminal  100  can comprise also a second communication module  140  that permits exchange of the data according to one wireless communication norm with other devices, that is different from that provided for the first module, for example, one norm or standard selected among the following: IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b (WiFi), Bluetooth, Home RF, Hiperlan, IrDA, contactless smart cards. The terminal  100  can possibly be equipped in addition with a management module of video data  150 , permitting processing of especially the signals emanating from the camera  105  and processing of other signals intended to the screen  104 .  
         [0053]     Thus, such a terminal  100  can be equipped with the function of videophone, that means, it can be capable of receiving the call in relation to the communication by videophone and of performing the communication by videophone.  
         [0054]     In certain circumstances, or situations, it may become apparent that the usage of this function is inappropriate, for the user of such terminal, for example, when said user finds himself/herself in the place where it is inhibited to film or while driving.  
         [0055]     In this way, a mobile communication terminal according to the present invention can be implemented so that, in certain circumstances, for example, after the terminal detects or receives a signal that we call “disactivation signal”, it can disactivate or inhibit in part or totally its videophone function.  
         [0056]     An example of the communication management logic that can be implemented in the framework of the present invention will now be described in relation with the  FIG. 3 . The integrated means to a terminal of the terminal type  100  described above, such as the processor  120  and one or several memories of memory set  130  can be programmed or especially programmed in order to implement such logic.  
         [0057]     A multimedia communication terminal implemented according to the present invention is in the process of communication C by videophone with a second terminal, when the first terminal receives or detects a signal indicating its videophone function to be disactivated or, as will be explained below, detects one or several conditions, for example, such as the simultaneous presence or the proximity of the certain means, leading also disactivation of videophone function.  
         [0058]     A communication management module of said first terminal receives then a signal relative to this disactivation (step S 100 ). The communication management module can then verify the nature of the communication C being in process (step S 101 ), for example, by using the information exchanged with the second terminal during the establishment phase of said communication C and that could have been saved in the memory of the terminal  100 .  
         [0059]     In case where the communication in process is audio communication, the communication management module keeps the communication C as it is (step S 102 ).  
         [0060]     In case where the communication in process is communication by videophone, the communication management module can then verify the possibility to switch this communication to another communication C′ of audio type (step S 103 ). This verification can be performed for example at first by a first step to send away a request intended especially to the second terminal to establish another communication C′ of different type from the communication C in process (step S 103   a ), for example, a request for the audio communication. Afterwards, a step of waiting for the reply to this request can be provided (step S 103   b ).  
         [0061]     According to a first possibility, switching of the communication in process to another communication C′ of the audio type can be decided (step S 104 ).  
         [0062]     According to another possibility, the communication by videophone in process can become the communication so called “partial videophone” (step S 105 ).  
         [0063]     When the communication by videophone becomes partial, the screen  104  of the terminal  100  stops producing images, especially in movement, but the speaker  102  can continue to produce sounds. The terminal  100  can also stop providing the information relative to the moving image to another terminal with which it is in process of communication.  
         [0064]     The switching of the communication C in process to the communication by partial videophone can be performed with several ways.  
         [0065]     It can be performed according to one variation by turning off the power of the screen  104  and possibly the camera  105  of the first terminal  100 . This or these poweroffs can be managed for example by the processor  120 , especially by means of one or several signals sent to one or several circuits that drive the screen  104  or/and the camera  105  of the terminal  100 . This poweroff of the screen or/and the camera is performed without cutting the communication.  
         [0066]     According to another variation, in the case in which the terminal comprises a management module of the video data  150 , the change from the communication C by videophone to the communication by partial videophone can be performed, with the partial or total disactivation of the management module of the video  150  in the way that the possible signals relative to the moving images intended to the screen  104  do not come to the screen and possibly in the way that the possible signals related to the moving images emanating from the camera  105  are not processed.  
         [0067]     In this manner, we understand by the partial videophone communication that the establishment of the communication between the first terminal and at least one second terminal is similar to that of the classical communication by videophone but that the first or/and the second terminal stop producing the moving images. A telephone communication whose establishment is similar to that of classical videophone communication between the first multimedia terminal and the second multimedia terminal and for which at least one of the two terminals stops transferring the data intended to reproduce the moving image to the other can be considered as the partial videophone communication.  
         [0068]     An example of management logic of call request that can be performed in the framework of the present invention will be described in relation to  FIG. 4 . The integrated means in the terminal of the type of terminal  100  such as the processor  120  and one or several memories of the memory set  130  can be specially programmed to perform this management logic of call.  
         [0069]     A calling terminal wishes to establish communication by visiophone or videophone with an addressed terminal according to the present invention, but the addressed terminal has detected or received beforehand a signal indicating its videophone function to be disactivated, or has, as will be explained below, detected one or several conditions, for example, such as the simultaneous presence or the proximity of certain means, leading also to the disactivation of the videophone function.  
         [0070]     A management module of call request of the addressed terminal receives then a first request R of establishment of communication (step S 110 ), formulated according to the defined protocol, whose analysis (S 111 ) permits the management module of call to determine the type of the requested communication, for example, if it is a communication by videophone or simple audio communication.  
         [0071]     In case where the request R concerns audio-type communication, said module decides to establish this audio communication (step S 112 ). In case where the request concerns the establishment of the communication by videophone, the management module of call request verifies the possibility of establishing the audio-type communication instead of the communication by videophone (step S 113 ).  
         [0072]     This verification can be performed for example at first by the first step of sending another request R′ addressed especially to a calling terminal asking to establish the communication that is different from that of the first request R (step S 113   a ). This other request R′ can concern then for example audio communication or communication by videophone that we call “partial”. A step of waiting the reply to the request R′ (step S 113   b ) can then be provided.  
         [0073]     According to a first possibility, the establishment of audio-type communication can be decided by the management module of call request (step S 114 ); according to another possibility, the establishment of communication by videophone can be decided (S 115 ). In case where communication by videophone is established, the communication management module described above can transform this communication to the communication by partial videophone immediately or in the certain period of time after the establishment of the communication.  
         [0074]     The partial or total disactivation of the videophone function of the multimedia communication terminal such as performed according to the present invention can be provoked by the signals that we call “trigger” emanating from the exterior device that we call “trigger device”. At least some of those signals can be the infrared or radiofrequency signals according to one of the following communication norms or standards: IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b (WiFi), Bluetooth, Home RF, Hiperlan, IrDA, contactless smart cards. Thus at least a fraction of the signals can be transmitted to the second communication module of the terminal  100 .  
         [0075]     Such a trigger device can be provided in the places where we wish to prohibit the user of the multimedia communication terminal to use the videophone, for example, in the place such as a company or a factory which it is forbidden to film.  
         [0076]      FIGS. 5-8  illustrate the variations of performing the example of the device according to the present invention. The device comprises the means  300  permitting to trigger, in the direct or indirect ways and in the certain circumstances, the disactivation of the videophone function of the multimedia communication terminal of the type  100  described above.  
         [0077]     Such a device comprises at first a module  310 , permitting transmission of the data via a wireless connection (said connection being shown in dotted line on  FIG. 5  between the bloc  310  and the bloc  140 ) to the second communication module  140  of communication terminal  100 .  
         [0078]     The module  310  and the second communication module  140  of the terminal  100  can exchange the data, for example, according to the following one or several wireless communication norms or standards: IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.11b (WiFi), Bluetooth, Home RF, Hiperlan, IrDA, contactless smart cards. The module  310  constitutes one part of the means  300  such as, for example, a Bluetooth module of a car kit or an automobile kit of the automobile likely to exchange the data at a frequency near 2.45 GHz with the second communication module  140  of the terminal  100 . The module  310  can be formed by the transmitting and receiving means of a discrete component as well as, for example, by a processor or memory system that can be, for example, assembled by integration on one same chip. According to another example, the module  310  can be for example an intelligent IC card capable to exchange the data with the second communication module  140  of the terminal  100 .  
         [0079]     The second communication module  140  of the terminal  100  and the module  310  can be respectively associated with the first number or identification code ID 1  and the second number or identification code ID 2 . In the case, for example, where these two modules can exchange the data according to the Bluetooth norms, the identification numbers ID 1  and ID 2  can be the Bluetooth identification number encoded by 32 bits.  
         [0080]     A pairing of the terminal  100  and the trigger means  300  can be arranged in advance, so that the second module  140  of the terminal  100  and the module  310  can exchange respectively the numbers or identification codes ID 1  and ID 2  to allow the terminal  100  and the trigger means  300  to identify mutually. This pairing can at least allow the terminal  100  to register in the memory system  130  the identification number ID 2  of the module  310  and possibly the module  310  to register in the memory system the identification number ID 1  of the terminal  100 .  
         [0081]     Once the mutual recognition is performed, the pairing will allow, for example, for the terminal  100 , when the terminal  100  receives the RF signals according to Bluetooth norm, to identify the signals emanating from the module  310  and identify thus the trigger means  300  among the several devices capable of communicating according to the Bluetooth norm.  
         [0082]     This pairing also will allow the module  310  to identify, when it receives for example the RF signals according to Bluetooth norm, the signals emanating from the second module  140  of the terminal  100  and identify thus the terminal  100  among the several devices capable of communicating according to Bluetooth norm.  
         [0083]     The module  310  can be in addition provided to receive the information emanating from a motorized vehicle  400 . We understand with the word of motorized vehicle  400  all types of motorized machines intended to transport or carry persons, object or goods. The motorized vehicle can be, for example, an automobile.  
         [0084]     According to one variation illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the module  310  can be independent of the vehicle  400 . According to another variation illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the module  310  can be integrated or/and loaded in the vehicle  400 .  
         [0085]     In the two cases, said information emanating from the motorized vehicle  400  and supplied to the module  310  are issued from the means marked  410  that are integrated or/and connected to the vehicle  400 . The means  410  can be in the form of, for example, one or several electric circuits or/and an electronic device or/and an information platform loaded in the vehicle  400 .  
         [0086]     The information supplied by the means  410  to the module  310  can be forwarded via a wireless connection, radio frequency or infrared or/and via an electrical connection with the module  310  (the radio frequency connection being presented on  FIG. 5  to  FIG. 7  by the dotted line joining the block marked  410  and the block marked  310 , and the electrical connection being, in its case, presented on the same figure by the solid line joining the same blocks).  
         [0087]     In the case where the information emanating from the vehicle  400  is forwarded via a wireless connection, radio frequency of infrared ray to the module  310 , the means  410  comprises at least a transmitting unit or the transmitting/receiving unit of electromagnetic signals, for example a unit permitting to transmit RF signals according to Bluetooth norm.  
         [0088]     Among said information supplied to the module  310  by the means  410  integrated in the vehicle  400 , there appears at least the information in relation to the on/off state of the switching system. The other information such as, for example, the information in relation to the on/off state of the ignition system or the on/off state of the motor of the vehicle  400 , that means if the motor is on or off, and possibly the information in relation to the speed of the vehicle  400 , can also be transmitted to the module  310  by the means  410 .  
         [0089]     According to one particular realization mode of the device, the trigger means  300  can comprise the means  320  capable of supplying power to the terminal  100  and is likely to connect the power to the power source marked  420  integrated in the vehicle  400  ( FIG. 7 ).  
         [0090]     The means  320  can comprise especially at least a connector  321  likely to be connected directly or through a cable to the connector of the power source  106  of the terminal  100 . The means  320  capable of supplying the power to the terminal  100  can comprise also an adapting circuit  322  to adapt to the terminal  100  the current supplied by said power source  420  of the vehicle  400 . For example, in case where the vehicle  400  is an automobile, said adapting circuit comprised in the means  320  can be the adaptor of cigar lighter.  
         [0091]     According to several possibilities, the means  320  and the module  310  can be independent ( FIG. 8 ) or connected together and belong to the same device ( FIG. 7 ).  
         [0092]     A device such as described above can, according to several variations of the situation, allows disactivating automatically the videophone function of the communication terminal  100 .  
         [0093]     For example, the videophone function of the terminal can be disactivated automatically with the condition that the terminal finds itself near the means  300 , that is the distance between the terminal  100  and the means  300  is less than several meter or several tens of centimeter, for example, less than 5 m or 3 m or 2 m or 1 m or 0.5 m.  
         [0094]     That can be realized if, by “Bluetooth” communication, the means  300  and the means  100  detect their presence reciprocally.  
         [0095]     Consequently, when the means  300  is contained in the automobile vehicle, the videophone function can be disactivated as soon as the terminal  100  finds itself at the proximity of the vehicle, at the distance less than several meter or several tens of centimeter, for example less than 5 m or 3 m or 2 m or 1 m or 0.5 m.  
         [0096]     According to the other example, concerning an automobile vehicle, when the terminal  100  is in the vehicle or at the proximity of the vehicle, the videophone function can be disactivated as soon as the switch of the vehicle  400  is turned on, or for example again under the condition that the motor engine of the vehicle  400  is turned on, and/or, for example, under the condition that the speed of the vehicle is not zero.  
         [0097]     According to another example, the videophone function of the terminal  100  can be disactivated under the condition that the terminal  100  is connected to the means  320  permitting connection of the terminal  100  to the power source  420  integrated to the vehicle  400  or/and under the condition that the terminal  100  finds itself at the proximity of the module  310 .  
         [0098]     An example of the function of the device described above bringing to the disactivation of the videophone function of the terminal  100  will be now described.  
         [0099]     In this example of the function, the videophone function of the terminal  100  can be disactivated on the condition at first that the terminal  100  has detected in advance the presence of or at the proximity of the trigger means  300 .  
         [0100]     In case where the trigger means  300  are provided with the means  320  capable of supplying the power to the terminal  100  described above, the detection can consist of detection of one or several electrical signals S 1  at the position of the power source connecter  106  of the terminal  100 . In the particular mode of realization for example, where the trigger mean  300  is integrated in a car kit, said electrical signal S 1  can be the specific signal of the car kit that the terminal  100  is easily to recognize.  
         [0101]     The module  310  can be designed or programmed to be able to transmit in the periodical manner the signals S 2  of radiofrequency or infrared signals emanated to the terminal  100 , preferably according to one of the wireless communication norms described above, for example, according to Bluetooth norm. The detection of the trigger device  300  by the terminal  100  can then consist of detection of radiofrequency or infrared signals emanating from the module  310  and, for example, detection of the identification code ID 2  among the signals.  
         [0102]     It can also be provided that the detection of the module  310  or/and the module  320  by the terminal  100  is the trigger element of the disactivation of the videophone function. In this case, following the detection of the module  310  or/and the module  320 , the terminal  100  disactivate its videophone function.  
         [0103]     There can also be provided another case where the detection of the trigger means  300  by the terminal  100  is simply an element permitting the inhibition or the disactivation, as explained in relation to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  with regard to the videophone function of the terminal  100 .  
         [0104]     This disactivation or the inhibition can be triggered, after the terminal  100  has in advance detected the trigger means  300 , then for example as soon as the module  310  receives the signals indicating that the contact of vehicle is on or possibly as soon as the module  310  receives the information emanating from the means  410  indicating that the motor of the vehicle is on or/and that the speed of the vehicle is not zero. When the module  310  receives said information, the module  310  can then process this information and send a signal of disactivation addressed to the terminal  100 . According to one variation, when the module  310  receives said information, the module  310  can transmit it to the terminal  100  and the terminal interprets this information and triggers the disactivation of its videophone function.  
         [0105]     According to the second example of the function of the above-described device, the videophone can be disactivated on the condition at first that the trigger means  300  has detected in advance the terminal  100 . In case where the terminal  100  and the trigger means  300  are arranged to be electrically connectable, the detection of the terminal  100  by the trigger means  300  can be performed by detecting the electrical signal S′ 1  emanating from the terminal  100 , for example, the signals emanating from the power connector  106  of the latter, and/or, possibly by detecting one or several other signals S′ 2 , for example, the radiofrequency or infrared signals emanating from the second communication module  140  of the terminal  100  and containing the identification code ID 1 .  
         [0106]     In case where the trigger means  300  and the terminal  100  are not arranged for being able to be connected electrically or/and are not connected electrically, the terminal  100  can be arranged, for example, for being able to transmit in the periodic manner the radiofrequency or infrared signals S′ 2 , emanated to the terminal  300 , preferably the signals according to one of the wireless communication norms described above, for example, according to the Bluetooth norm. The trigger means  300  can then identify the terminal  100  when it detects the identification number ID 1  from the trigger means  300  among the signals S′ 2 .  
         [0107]     It can be provided that the detection of the presence of the terminal  100  by the trigger means  300  is the trigger element of the disactivation of the videophone function.  
         [0108]     Thus, following the detection of the presence of the terminal  100 , the trigger means  300  can, for example, disactivate the videophone function of the terminal  100 , sending to the terminal  100  one or several signals instructing this disactivation.  
         [0109]     The simultaneous presence, or the presence at the proximity with the distance less than several meters, for example, 10 m or 5 m or 2 m or 1 m, can result in the disactivation of the communication mode, especially the disactivation of the communication mode by videophone.  
         [0110]     It can be also provided that the detection of the terminal  100  by the trigger means  300 , therefore the simultaneous presence of the means  30  and the terminal  100 , is one element permitting triggering of the disactivation of the videophone function of the terminal  100 .  
         [0111]     Thus the disactivation of the videophone function of the terminal  100  can be triggered after the detection by the means  300 , for example, as soon as this means  300  receives the signals emanating from the means  410  of the vehicle  400 , indicating that the switch of the vehicle is turned on or possibly indicating that the motor engine of the vehicle is on or/and that the speed of the vehicle is not zero.  
         [0112]     According to a third example of the function of such system, the detection between the means  300  and the terminal  100  can be mutual. This detection can then be performed, for example, as soon as the terminal  100  detects the identification number ID 2  or/and the trigger means  300  detects the identification number ID 1  among the signals that the terminal  100  can emanate. The disactivation of the videophone function can then possibly be performed by the device  250  as soon as the device  250  detects the presence of the terminal  100  or as soon as the terminal  100  detects the presence of the trigger means  300 .  
         [0113]     According to the explanation described above, the disactivation of a communication mode has been described.  
         [0114]     The present invention is not limited to the disactivation of the videophone function, and it can be applied also to the disactivation of one or several other modes of communication, for example, an audio communication mode, in a manner similar to the explanation described above.