WO2009084746A1

WO2009084746A1 - Telematics having the changable communication module

Info

Publication number: WO2009084746A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/006879
Authority: WO
Inventors: In Hwan Kim; Moo Yong Lee; Ji Hyuck Bae
Original assignee: Jeju Knowledge Industry Promotion Ageny; Jinwoo Soft Innovation; Infomind Co., Ltd.; U-Beat Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2007-12-27
Filing date: 2007-12-27
Publication date: 2009-07-09

Abstract

Disclosed is a communication module-changeable telematics terminal that can allow a com¬ munication module, which realizes an optimal communication state, to be selected from among a CDMA communication module and a TRS communication module, depending on the peripheral environment. The communication module-changeable telematics terminal, the telematics terminal comprising: one or more components functioning as connectors corresponding to slots of a plurality of communication modules so as to allow the plurality of communication modules to be mounted on and removed from a main board substrate of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) of the telematics terminal, and to transmit/receive data using a communication method of a selected communication module from among the plurality of communication modules; and a host for enabling data to be transmitted/received to/from a control unit of the telematics terminal using the communication method of the communication module connected to a component selected from among the plurality of components.

Description

TELEMATICS HAVING THE CHANGABLE COMMUNICATION MODULE

Technical Field

[1] telematics terminal, a communication module-changeable telematics terminal, on which a Trunked Radio System (TRS) communication module or a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) communication module can be selectively mounted, so as to construct a communication path appropriate for the current environment in the case of communication using the telematics terminal.

[2]

Background Art

[3] The development of information and communications technology has brought great changes to the automobile culture. That is, drivers can receive various types of information and services related to finances, culture, and daily life, as well as traffic information, while driving vehicles. Further, with the development of intelligent traffic systems, safety and convenience for drivers have been greatly improved.

[4] According to these trends, in recent times, during which personalization and personal mobile communication have increased, various types of electronic systems, used at home or in offices, have been installed in vehicles, and electronic technologies, such as wireless communication for voice and data communication and a computer platform, for example, a Personal Computer (PC), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), and a computer game machine, have become basic elements used to constitute a so-called connected vehicle.

[5] Telematics has recently begun to make its appearance in order to realize the connected vehicle. Telematics is technology which enables the exchange of information using vehicles based on a Global Positioning System (GPS) using manmade satellites and wireless voice and data communication. Telematics refers to terminals and an operating system that can provide various types of mobile services, such as traffic information, the management of emergency situations, the remote diagnosis of vehicles, and the usage of the Internet (for example, financial transaction, news, and e- mail) to drivers and vehicle occupants using a GPS and a wireless communication network.

[6] That is, telematics is an end-to-end solution that includes all types of content and services as well as wired/wireless and hardware components.

[7] Recently, interest in telematics has increased. The reason for this is the saturation of the personal mobile communication market for individuals and the increase in the demand for wireless communication supporting higher capacity data. Telematics communication provides, using respective terminals equipped in vehicles, a navigation service for giving directions using a GPS, a broadcasting service, such as Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB), and a CDMA mobile communication service.

[8] That is, conventional telematics communication has a problem in that communication expenses are high and in that terminals must be purchased for respective services in order to use the above-described communication services.

[9]

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[10] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a communication module-changeable telematics terminal that can allow a communication module, which realizes an optimal communication state, to be selected from among a CDMA communication module and a TRS communication module, depending on the peripheral environment, and allow the selected communication module to be mounted in the main body of the telematics terminal.

[11] Another object of the present invention is to provide a communication module- changeable telematics terminal that is provided with a switch capable of selecting a communication module, which realizes an optimal communication state, in the state in which both a CDMA communication module and a TRS communication module are mounted in the telematics terminal.

[12]

Technical Solution

[13] The above objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing a communication module-changeable telematics terminal, the telematics terminal including

[14] one or more components functioning as connectors corresponding to the slots of a plurality of communication modules so as to allow the plurality of communication modules to be mounted on and removed from the main board substrate of the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) of the telematics terminal, and to transmit/receive data using a communication method of a selected communication module from among the plurality of communication modules; and a host for enabling data to be transmitted/received to/ from the control unit of the telematics terminal using the communication method of the communication module connected to a component selected from among the plurality of components.

[15] Further, according to the present invention, it is preferable that the components include a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) component to which a CDMA communication module is connected; and a Trunked Radio System (TRS) component to which a TRS communication module is connected.

[16] Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is preferable that the host be connected to a switch, which is formed outside a housing, so as to be selectively connected to the TRS component or the CDMA component, so that any one of the TRS component and the CDMA component is connected to the host by the operation of the switch.

[17]

Advantageous Effects

[18] communication module-changeable telematics terminal according to the present invention can realize a telematics terminal which realizes an optimal communication state by selecting and mounting one of a CDMA communication module and a TRS communication module, depending on the peripheral communication environment.

[19] Further, the communication module-changeable telematics terminal according to the present invention is provided with a switch capable of selecting a desired communication module in the state in which both a CDMA communication module and a TRS communication module are mounted in the telematics terminal, so that a user can easily use a module having higher communication sensitivity by operating the switch without the bother of mounting or separating the communication module by hand.

[20]

Brief Description of Drawings

[21] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall circuit of a communication module- changeable telematics terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[22] FIG. 2 is a view showing the slot of a component mounted on the main board of the communication module-changeable telematics terminal according to the present invention;

[23] FIG. 3 is a view showing a TRS communication module mounted on the main board of FIG. 2;

[24] FIG. 4 is a view showing a CDMA communication module mounted on the main board of FIG. 2; and

[25] FIG. 5 is a view showing the slots of respective components which are exposed outside the housing of the communication module-changeable telematics terminal according to the present invention.

[26] *Detailed description of reference characters of drawings*

[27] 10: host 11 : control unit

[28] 12: speaker 13: display unit

[29] 20: CDMA component 30: TRS component [30] 100: main body 200: CDMA communication module

[31] 300: TRS communication module

[32]

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention

[33] Hereinafter, embodiments of a communication module-changeable telematics terminal according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[34] As shown in FIG. 1, the communication module-changeable telematics terminal according to the present invention includes, a telematics main body 100, which is constructed in a circuit manner so as to realize telematics functions on the substrate of the main board of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), a CDMA component 20 and a TRS component 30, which are formed to function as connectors so as to allow communication modules to be mounted on or removed from the main body 100, and a CDMA communication module 200 and a TRS communication module 300, which are directly connected to or separated from the components.

[35] As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 100 includes the TRS component 30, the CDMA component 20, a host 10, a control unit 11, a speaker 12, and a display unit 13.

[36] The TRS component 30 is a main interface connector having a 70 connector pin 31 , and corresponds to the 70 connector pin of the TRS communication module 300, which will be described later, so that the TRS component 30 is directly connected to or separated from the TRS communication module 300.

[37] In the same manner, the CDMA component 20 is a main interface connector having an 80 connector pin 21, and corresponds to the 80 connector pin of the CDMA communication module 200, which will be described later, so that the CDMA component 20 is directly connected to or separated from the CDMA communication module 200.

[38] The host 10 is connected to any one of the TRS component 30 and the CDMA component 20 in a circuit manner, and is configured to perform functions of transmitting data, transmitted from the TRS component 30 or the CDMA component 20, to the control unit 11, and of transmitting data, transmitted from the control unit 11, to the TRS component 30 or the CDMA component 20.

[39] For this purpose, the host 10 includes an externally constructed switch which can be selectively connected to the TRS component 30 or to the CDMA component 20. One of the TRS component 30 and the CDMA component 20 is connected to the host 10 by the operation of the switch, so that data flows through the selected component.

[40] The control unit 11 is a central processing unit for processing wireless data transmitted through the host 10 and controlling the functions of the telematics terminal. The control unit 11 performs functions of receiving sound/video data, outputting the received sound/video data to the display unit 13 and the speaker 12, and transmitting data, transmitted from a GPS, to the host 10, which is one of the functions of telematics.

[41] Further, the control unit 11 performs signal processing for communication and data connection between telematics terminals.

[42] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the main board of the main body 100 of the telematics terminal selectively performs signal transmission/reception to/from the TRS communication module 300 or the CDMA communication module 200.

[43] That is, the TRS communication module 300 is connected to the TRS component 30, and the CDMA component 20 is connected to the CDMA communication module 200.

[44] The CDMA communication module 200 and the TRS communication module 300 perform serial communication through respective connectors.

[45] As shown in FIG. 3, the CDMA communication module 200 is a general-purposed

CDMA communication module package device configured to have a frequency band of 800 MHz and provided with a CDMA processor so as to transmit sound and data.

[46] Therefore, the CDMA communication module 200 performs functions of transmitting a call signal to the main board via the CDMA component 20 when the CDMA communication module 200 receives the call signal from an external wireless communication network (a CDMA communication network), and of modulating the voice signal of a user into a CDMA signal and transmitting the resulting signal to the wireless communication network when the CDMA communication module 200 receives the voice signal of the user via the control unit.

[47] The TRS communication module 300 is a communication module that enables a plurality of users to share a small number of frequencies assigned to a relay center, and is mounted on the connector pin of the TRS component 31, as shown in FIG. 4.

[48] The communication modules can be connected to the corresponding components of the main board provided in the housing of the telematics terminal in a circuit manner. As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the TRS communication module and the CDMA communication module can be connected to the respective corresponding components 21 and 31, which protrude outside the housing.

[49] In FIG. 5, only one communication module may be connected to the slot of the corresponding component, or both two communication modules may be connected to the respective corresponding components. In the state in which two communication modules are connected to the respective corresponding component slots, only a desired communication-type communication module can be connected in a circuit manner by the operation of a switch 101.

[50] That is, if only the CDMA communication module is connected to the CDMA component 21, the main body of the telematics terminal performs only CDMA com- munication. If only the TRS communication module is connected to the TRS component 31, the main body of the telematics terminal performs only TRS communication.

[51] Further, if the switch is connected to the CDMA component side in the state in which the CDMA communication module is connected to the CDMA component 21 and the TRS communication module is connected to the TRS component 31, the CDMA communication module is operated, so that CDMA communication is performed. If, in this situation, an obstacle arises in CDMA communication, the switch is connected to the TRS communication module side so as to operate the TRS communication module, so that the TRS communication is performed.

Claims

[1] A communication module-changeable telematics terminal, the telematics terminal comprising: one or more components functioning as connectors corresponding to slots of a plurality of communication modules so as to allow the plurality of communication modules to be mounted on and removed from a main board substrate of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) of the telematics terminal, and to transmit/ receive data using a communication method of a selected communication module from among the plurality of communication modules; and a host for enabling data to be transmitted/received to/from a control unit of the telematics terminal using the communication method of the communication module connected to a component selected from among the plurality of components.

[2] The telematics terminal according to claim 1, wherein the components comprise: a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) component to which a CDMA communication module is connected; and a Trunked Radio System (TRS) component to which a TRS communication module is connected.

[3] The telematics terminal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the host is connected to a switch, which is formed outside a housing, so as to be selectively connected to the TRS component or the CDMA component, so that any one of the TRS component and the CDMA component is connected to the host by operation of the switch.