Combined rear view mirror and telephone

A combined rear view mirror and telephone apparatus for a vehicle having a steering wheel spaced below a windshield to enable a hands-free operation of the telephone apparatus by the driver of the vehicle when operating the steering wheel, comprising

• a vehicle interior rear view mirror assembly, said assembly comprising
• a mirror housing,
• a reflective mirror element attached to the exterior of the housing for viewing by the operator, and
• electronic telephonic circuitry for transmitting and receiving signals to and from a source remote to the mirror housing,
• said mirror housing having an interior chamber for receiving at least in part said electronic telephonic circuitry, said circuitry including a wireless radio receiver chip, and an RF communication link operating under a short range wireless communication Bluetooth protocol for transferring information between the receiver chip and a complementary wireless radio chip disposed in a paired apparatus separate and remote to the mirror housing, wherein said paired apparatus is a wireless mobile telephone, and a socket having an inlet opening on said housing exterior, said socket extending into the housing interior and sized to receive and end portion of said mobile telephone, and
• a key pad for actuating said mobile telephone when said telephone is disposed in said socket and in electrical circuit relation with said telephonic circuitry.

A wireless telephone apparatus for a mobile vehicle to enable hands-free operation of the telephone by a driver, the apparatus comprising:

• a rear-view mirror housing including a reflective mirror positioned next to the vehicle windshield for viewing by the driver when in the vehicle,
• a portable cellular telephone in the vehicle, said cellular telephone being separate from said mirror housing and including cellular telephone circuitry for transmitting and receiving voice and data between said cellular telephone and a service provider remote to said vehicle,
• electronic means operably integrated into said mirror housing and in electrical circuit relation with an electrical power source in said vehicle, said electronic means including a speaker element and a microphone element, and
• wireless communicating means for wirelessly communicating said voice and data between said telephone circuitry and said electronic means, said wireless communicating means comprising a short range wireless communication channel that operates under the Bluetooth protocol to enable said voice and data transmission from the remote service provider to be received by and placed in operable relation with the electronic means in said mirror housing.

A cellular telephone integrated into the interior rear view mirror of a vehicle wherein to enable the hands free operation of the phone by a driver while operating the vehicle, comprising:

• (a) a rear view mirror frame positioned against the windshield of the vehicle, said mirror frame including a rear view mirror,
• (b) cellular telephone means carried by said mirror frame,
• (c) dialing means for dialing and answering the telephone integrated into the mirror frame, and wherein said driver can selectively voice dial and answer a call while monitoring road conditions in both a forward and rearward field of view, and push dial from the cellular telephone mirror frame while the vehicle is stationary or moving;
• (d) a wireless video communication SIM card processor disposed within the rear view mirror frame;
• and
• (e) means for enabling said driver to receive or send caller images and road images by sending a forward field of view through said SIM card processor.