# US 8,542,818 B2 · Vehicle call device, call system, center, and calling method

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- Number: US 8,542,818 B2
- Document ID: US8542818B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/252,130
- Filed: 2008-10-15
- Published: 2009-04-30
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2007-10-26
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Shinichi Yamamoto
- Inventors: Shinichi Yamamoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8542818B2

## CPC

- G08B 25/016: {Personal emergency signalling and security systems (emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12)}
- H04M 9/082: {using echo cancellers (echo cancellers per se H04B3/23)}
- G08B 25/001: {Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation}
- G08B 25/006: {Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance}
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

A vehicle call device, a call system, a center, and a calling method capable of detecting a problem while controlling the cost increase are disclosed. The vehicle call device includes a speaker mounted in a vehicle, the speaker outputting a received voice of an opposite communication party; a microphone mounted in the vehicle; an echo canceller unit removing the received voice that has been output from the speaker and input into the microphone; a detecting unit detecting an emergency situation of the vehicle; and a remove preventing unit preventing the eco canceller unit from removing the received voice when the detecting unit detects the emergency situation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle call device comprising:
a speaker mounted in a vehicle, the speaker outputting a received voice of an opposite communication party;
a microphone mounted in the vehicle;
an echo canceller unit removing the received voice that has been output from the speaker and input into the microphone;
a detecting unit detecting an emergency situation of the vehicle; and
a remove preventing unit preventing the echo canceller unit from removing the received voice when the detecting unit detects the emergency situation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle call device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a receiving unit receiving an preventing signal for preventing the removal of the received voice; wherein
when the receiving unit receives the preventing signal, the remove preventing unit prevents the echo canceller unit from removing the received voice.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle call device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a voice level detecting unit detecting a voice level collected by the microphone; wherein
when the voice level detected by the voice level detection unit is less than a prescribed value, the remove preventing unit prevents the echo canceller unit from removing the received voice.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle call device of claim 1, further comprising:
a sound outputting unit outputting a prescribed sound when the detecting unit detects the emergency situation.

### Claim 5

A call system comprising:
a vehicle call device;
a telephone network; and
a center connected with the vehicle call device through the telephone network; wherein the vehicle call device includes
a speaker mounted in a vehicle, the speaker outputting a received voice of an opposite communication party;
a microphone mounted in the vehicle;
an echo canceller unit removing the received voice that has been output from the speaker and input into the microphone;
a detecting unit detecting an emergency situation of the vehicle; and
a remove preventing unit preventing the echo canceller unit from removing the received voice when the detecting unit detects the emergency situation; and
the center determines whether the vehicle call device has a problem based on whether the received voice transmitted by the center is echoed back.

### Claim 6

A center communicating with a vehicle call device through a telephone network, wherein
the vehicle call device includes
a speaker mounted in a vehicle, the speaker outputting a received voice of an opposite communication party;
a microphone mounted in the vehicle;
an echo canceller unit removing the received voice that has been output from the speaker and input into the microphone;
a detecting unit detecting an emergency situation of the vehicle; and
a remove preventing unit preventing the echo canceller unit from removing the received voice when the detecting unit detects the emergency situation; wherein
the center determines whether the vehicle call device has a problem based on whether the received voice transmitted by the center is echoed back.

### Claim 7

A calling method for a vehicle call device, the method comprising the steps of:
outputting a received voice from a speaker mounted in a vehicle;
removing the received voice that has been output from the speaker and input into a microphone in the vehicle;
detecting an emergency situation of the vehicle; and
preventing removing the received voice when the emergency situation is detected.