Incoming call restriction device and incoming call restriction method

Abstract

The purpose of the present disclosure is to appropriately restrict hands-free incoming calls at a telephone terminal installed on a vehicle in accordance with the travel situation of the vehicle. An incoming call restriction device (101) restricts hands-free incoming calls at a telephone terminal (201) installed on a vehicle. The incoming call restriction device (101) comprises: an information acquisition unit that acquires the steering angle and speed of the vehicle; a threshold setting unit (13) that sets a steering angle threshold, which is a threshold for the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle, such that the steering angle threshold is decreased in correspondence with an increase in the speed of the vehicle; and an incoming call restriction unit (14) that restricts hands-free incoming calls if the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle is at or above the steering angle threshold. The incoming call restriction unit (14) performs incoming call processing that outputs incoming call audio from the telephone terminal (201) to a speaker (24) installed on the vehicle when not restricting hands-free incoming calls but does not perform the incoming call processing when restricting hands-free incoming calls.

Description

Incoming call restriction device and incoming call restriction method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technique for restricting hands-free incoming calls from a telephone terminal mounted in a vehicle.

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses a configuration for restricting calls made to a mobile phone via a hands-free unit with a call partner when the driving condition corresponds to a predetermined unsuitable state for calls. The unsuitable state for calls includes a state in which the steering angle change amount per unit time is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

[0003] JP 2009-232073 A

[0004] However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the threshold value related to the steering angle, i.e., the steering angle change amount, is constant regardless of the vehicle's driving state, which causes the following problems. For example, if the threshold value for restricting calls is set small to ensure safety during high-speed driving, excessive call restrictions will occur during low-speed driving. Also, if the threshold value for restricting calls is set large based on safety during low-speed driving, calls will be allowed during high-speed driving despite the risk of safety being compromised.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to appropriately restrict hands-free incoming calls on a telephone terminal mounted in a vehicle according to the driving conditions of the vehicle.

[0006] The incoming call restriction device disclosed herein restricts hands-free incoming calls from a telephone terminal mounted on a vehicle. The incoming call restriction device includes an information acquisition unit that acquires the steering angle and speed of the vehicle, a threshold setting unit that sets a steering angle threshold, which is a threshold for the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle, so that the steering angle threshold decreases as the vehicle speed increases, and an incoming call restriction unit that restricts hands-free incoming calls when the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the steering angle threshold. When hands-free incoming calls are not restricted, the incoming call restriction unit performs incoming call processing to output the incoming voice of the telephone terminal to a speaker mounted on the vehicle, and does not perform incoming call processing when hands-free incoming calls are restricted.

[0007] According to the incoming call restriction device of the present disclosure, the steering angle threshold, which is the criterion for determining whether to restrict hands-free incoming calls from a telephone terminal, is set smaller as the vehicle speed increases. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately restrict hands-free incoming calls according to the vehicle's driving conditions. Objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an incoming call restriction device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a threshold value for the steering angle when the vehicle is traveling at a low speed. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a threshold value for the steering angle when the vehicle is traveling at a high speed. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the call restriction device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the release time for incoming call restriction. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the release time according to the vehicle speed. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the incoming call restriction device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of an incoming call restriction device according to embodiment 3. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the incoming call restriction device according to embodiment 3. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the incoming call restriction device. FIG.

[0009] <A. Embodiment 1> <A-1. Configuration> Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an incoming call restriction device 101 according to embodiment 1. Incoming call restriction device 101 is connected to a telephone terminal 201 mounted on a vehicle.

[0010] Telephone terminal 201 is connected to telephone network 301 and receives an incoming call via telephone network 301. When telephone terminal 201 receives an incoming call while the vehicle is traveling, the incoming call audio is output from telephone terminal 201 to speaker 24 via incoming call restriction device 101. This allows a vehicle occupant to receive an incoming call on telephone terminal 201 without having to hold telephone terminal 201 in their hand, i.e., hands-free. This type of incoming call is referred to in this specification as a hands-free incoming call. Alternatively, information indicating that telephone terminal 201 is receiving an incoming call may be output from telephone terminal 201 to display 23 via incoming call restriction device 101. In FIG. 1, incoming call restriction device 101 and telephone terminal 201 are shown as separate devices, but they may also be provided as an integrated unit.

[0011] The incoming call restricting device 101 is connected to a steering angle sensor 21, a speed sensor 22, a display 23 and a speaker 24, and is configured to be able to use these.

[0012] The steering angle sensor 21 measures the steering angle of the vehicle and outputs it to the incoming call restriction device 101 .

[0013] The speed sensor 22 measures the speed of the vehicle, that is, the vehicle speed, and outputs it to the incoming call restriction device 101 .

[0014] Display 23 is mounted on the vehicle and is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic electroluminescence (EL) display, or a head-up display (HUD). If hands-free incoming calls are not restricted by incoming call restriction device 101, when there is an incoming call to telephone terminal 201, information to that effect, information about the caller, etc. is displayed on display 23. Vehicle occupants recognize that there is an incoming call to telephone terminal 201 by looking at the display 23.

[0015] The speaker 24 is mounted on the vehicle. When the telephone terminal 201 receives an incoming call, the voice of the caller is output into the vehicle cabin from the speaker 24. The passengers in the vehicle can hear the voice of the caller to the telephone terminal 201 through the voice from the speaker 24.

[0016] The incoming call restriction device 101 comprises a steering angle acquisition unit 11 , a speed acquisition unit 12 , a threshold setting unit 13 , an incoming call restriction unit 14 and a connection unit 16 .

[0017] The steering angle acquisition unit 11 acquires the steering angle of the vehicle from the steering angle sensor 21 and outputs it to the incoming call restriction unit 14. In this specification, the steering angle when the vehicle is traveling straight is defined as 0°, a steering angle to the right is defined as positive, and a steering angle to the left is defined as negative. Note that the steering angle may be either an actual steering angle or a steering angle.

[0018] The speed acquisition unit 12 acquires the vehicle speed from the speed sensor 22 and outputs it to the threshold setting unit 13. The steering angle acquisition unit 11 and the speed acquisition unit 12 function as an information acquisition unit that acquires information about the vehicle.

[0019] The threshold setting unit 13 acquires the vehicle speed from the speed acquisition unit 12, determines the steering angle threshold based on the speed, and outputs the steering angle threshold to the incoming call restriction unit 14.

[0020] The incoming call restriction unit 14 compares the steering angle of the vehicle acquired from the steering angle acquisition unit 11 with the steering angle threshold acquired from the threshold setting unit 13, and when the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle exceeds the steering angle threshold, restricts hands-free incoming calls on the telephone terminal 201. For example, when the steering angle threshold is 40°, the incoming call restriction unit 14 restricts hands-free incoming calls when the steering angle of the vehicle is −40° or less and 40° or more.

[0021] The connection unit 16 is a communication device that transmits and receives signals to and from the telephone terminal 201. The connection unit 16 is connected to the telephone terminal 201 by a communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), USB (Universal Serial Bus), LAN (Local Area Network), or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). When the telephone terminal 201 receives an incoming call, the connection unit 16 acquires incoming call information including the incoming call voice from the telephone terminal 201 and outputs the information to the incoming call restriction unit 14.

[0022] <A-2. Operation> The threshold setting unit 13 determines the steering angle threshold according to the vehicle speed. Fig. 2 shows the steering angle threshold when the vehicle 31 merges onto an ordinary road. Fig. 3 shows the steering angle threshold when the vehicle 31 merges onto an expressway.

[0023] The speed v of the vehicle 31 in Fig. 2 is, for example, 40 km / h, and the speed v of the vehicle 31 in Fig. 3 is, for example, 70 km / h. As shown in these figures, the steering angle threshold θt is set to a larger value as the speed v of the vehicle 31 increases. For example, in Fig. 2, the steering angle threshold θt is 60° when the speed v of the vehicle 31 is 40 km / h, and in Fig. 3, the steering angle threshold θt is 30° when the speed v of the vehicle 31 is 70 km / h.

[0024] 2 and 3, the steering angle θ of the vehicle 31 is set to -45°. As shown in Fig. 2, when the speed v of the vehicle 31 is 40 km / h, the absolute value of the steering angle θ, 45°, is less than the steering angle threshold θt = 60°, so hands-free incoming calls are not restricted. In this way, when the vehicle 31 is traveling at a low speed, the steering angle threshold θt is set to a large value, so hands-free incoming calls are not restricted, ensuring convenience for passengers.

[0025] On the other hand, when the speed v of the vehicle 31 is 70 km / h as shown in Figure 3, the absolute value of the steering angle θ of 45° is equal to or greater than the steering angle threshold θt = 30°, so hands-free incoming calls are restricted. In this way, when the vehicle 31 is traveling at high speed, the steering angle threshold θt is set to a small value, so hands-free incoming calls are restricted and the safety of passengers is ensured.

[0026] The steering angle threshold θt may increase continuously in proportion to the speed v of the vehicle 31, or may increase in a stepwise manner as the speed v increases.

[0027] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the incoming call restriction device 101. The flow of Fig. 4 starts when the vehicle starts to move, and is repeated while the vehicle is moving.

[0028] First, in step S101 , the steering angle acquisition unit 11 acquires the steering angle of the vehicle from the steering angle sensor 21 , and the speed acquisition unit 12 acquires the vehicle speed from the speed sensor 22 .

[0029] Next, in step S102, the threshold setting unit 13 acquires the vehicle speed from the speed acquisition unit 12, and sets the steering angle threshold value according to the vehicle speed.

[0030] Thereafter, in step S103, the incoming call restriction unit 14 acquires the steering angle of the vehicle from the steering angle acquisition unit 11, acquires the steering angle threshold from the threshold setting unit 13, and determines whether the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the steering angle threshold. If the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle is less than the steering angle threshold in step S103, the processing of the incoming call restriction device 101 returns to step S101. That is, hands-free incoming calls to the telephone terminal 201 are not restricted. If the telephone terminal 201 receives an incoming call, the incoming call restriction unit 14 acquires from the connection unit 16 a message indicating that an incoming call has been received and information about the caller, and displays these on the display 23. The incoming call restriction unit 14 acquires the incoming call audio from the connection unit 16 and outputs it from the speaker 24.

[0031] If the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the steering angle threshold in step S103, then in step S104 the incoming call restriction unit 14 restricts hands-free incoming calls to the telephone terminal 201. When the telephone terminal 201 receives an incoming call, the incoming call restriction unit 14 acquires from the connection unit 16 a message indicating that there has been an incoming call and information about the caller, and displays these on the display 23. The incoming call restriction unit 14 acquires the incoming call audio from the connection unit 16 and outputs this from the speaker 24. Even if the telephone terminal 201 receives an incoming call, the incoming call restriction unit 14 does not display a message indicating that there has been an incoming call and information about the caller on the display 23, and does not output the incoming call audio from the speaker 24.

[0032] After step S104, the process of the incoming call restriction device 101 proceeds to step S105. In step S105, the steering angle acquisition unit 11 acquires the steering angle of the vehicle from the steering angle sensor 21 again.

[0033] Next, in step S106, the incoming call restriction unit 14 acquires the steering angle of the vehicle from the steering angle acquisition unit 11 and determines whether the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the steering angle threshold value. If the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the steering angle threshold value in step S106, the processing of the incoming call restriction device 101 returns to step S104, and the restriction on hands-free incoming calls continues.

[0034] If the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle is less than the steering angle threshold in step S106, the incoming call restriction unit 14 cancels the restriction on hands-free incoming calls in step S113.

[0035] After step S113, the process of the incoming call restriction device 101 returns to step S101. The flow of Fig. 4 is repeated until the vehicle stops traveling.

[0036] <A-3. Effects> Incoming call restriction device 101 according to embodiment 1 restricts hands-free incoming calls from a telephone terminal mounted on a vehicle. Incoming call restriction device 101 includes steering angle acquisition unit 11 and speed acquisition unit 12 that acquire the steering angle and speed of the vehicle, threshold setting unit 13 that sets a steering angle threshold, which is a threshold for the absolute value of the vehicle's steering angle, so that the steering angle threshold decreases as the vehicle speed increases, and incoming call restriction unit 14 that restricts hands-free incoming calls when the absolute value of the vehicle's steering angle is equal to or greater than the steering angle threshold. When hands-free incoming calls are not restricted, incoming call restriction unit 14 performs incoming call processing to output the incoming call audio from telephone terminal 201 to speaker 24 mounted on the vehicle, but does not perform incoming call processing when hands-free incoming calls are restricted. With the above configuration, incoming call restriction device 101 can achieve both the convenience of hands-free incoming calls when the vehicle is traveling at low speeds and the safety when the vehicle is traveling at high speeds.

[0037] <B. Second Embodiment> <B-1. Configuration> The configuration of incoming call restriction device 102 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of incoming call restriction device 101 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG.

[0038] <B-2. Operation> When the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle becomes less than the steering angle threshold, incoming call restriction device 101 according to embodiment 1 immediately releases the restriction on hands-free incoming calls on telephone terminal 201. In contrast, incoming call restriction device 102 according to embodiment 2 waits for the lapse of first release time T after the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle becomes less than the steering angle threshold before releasing the restriction on hands-free incoming calls.

[0039] FIG. 5 shows a state in which vehicle 31 turns right at an intersection. At point P1 when starting to turn right, the absolute value of the steering angle θ of vehicle 31 is less than steering angle threshold θt, and hands-free incoming calls are not restricted. At point P2 after starting to turn right, the absolute value of the steering angle θ of vehicle 31 becomes equal to or greater than steering angle threshold θt, and hands-free incoming calls are restricted. Thereafter, at point P3, the absolute value of the steering angle θ of vehicle 31 becomes less than steering angle threshold θt, but the restriction on hands-free incoming calls is not immediately lifted at this point. After that, the absolute value of the steering angle θ of vehicle 31 continues to be less than steering angle threshold θt, and when a first lift time T (seconds) has elapsed since point P3, vehicle 31 reaches point P4. If the absolute value of the steering angle θ of vehicle 31 is less than steering angle threshold θt at point P4, the restriction on hands-free incoming calls is lifted. The section from point P2 to point P4 is an incoming call restriction section in which hands-free incoming calls of telephone terminal 201 are restricted.

[0040] In this way, by providing the first release time T until the restriction on hands-free incoming calls is released, the driver of the vehicle 31 can concentrate on driving until he or she has completed turning right at the intersection.

[0041] The first release time T may be determined based on the vehicle speed at the time when the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle becomes less than the steering angle threshold. Fig. 6 shows the difference in the first release time T depending on the vehicle speed at the time when the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle becomes less than the steering angle threshold.

[0042] At time t1, the steering angle θ becomes equal to or greater than the steering angle threshold θt1, and the restriction on hands-free calls begins. After that, at time t2, the steering angle θ becomes less than the steering angle threshold θt1, but the restriction on hands-free calls is maintained at this point. The first release time T is determined to be T1 (seconds) based on the vehicle speed v1 at time t2. If the steering angle θ remains less than the steering angle threshold θt1 at time t2, which is T1 (seconds) after time t2, the restriction on hands-free calls is released.

[0043] Subsequently, from time t5 to time t6, the vehicle speed decreases from v1 to v2, and the steering angle threshold increases from θt1 to θt2 accordingly. At time t7, the absolute value of the steering angle θ becomes equal to or greater than the steering angle threshold θt2, and the restriction on hands-free calls begins again. At time t8, the absolute value of the steering angle θ becomes less than the steering angle threshold θt2, but the restriction on hands-free calls remains in place at this point. The first release time T is determined to be T2 (seconds) based on the vehicle speed v2 at time t8. Because the speed v2 at time t8 is lower than the speed v1 at time t1, the first release time T2 starting at time t8 is shorter than the first release time T1 starting at time t2.

[0044] At time t9, when the first release time T2 has elapsed since time t8, if the absolute value of the steering angle θ remains less than the steering angle threshold θt1, the restriction on hands-free incoming calls is released.

[0045] In addition, the first release time T may decrease in proportion to the vehicle speed v as the vehicle speed v increases at the time when the absolute value of the steering angle θ becomes less than the steering angle threshold value θt, or may decrease in a stepwise manner as the speed v increases.

[0046] Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the incoming call restriction device 102. The flow in Fig. 7 starts when the vehicle starts moving and is repeated while the vehicle is moving. The flow in Fig. 7 is the same as the flow in Fig. 4 described in the first embodiment, except that steps S107 to S109 are added between steps S106 and S113.

[0047] If the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle becomes less than the steering angle threshold value while hands-free incoming calls are being restricted (No in step S106), the process of the incoming call restriction device 102 proceeds to step S107. In step S107, the speed acquisition unit 12 acquires the vehicle speed from the speed sensor 22. Next, in step S108, the incoming call restriction unit 14 sets the first release time based on the vehicle speed.

[0048] Thereafter, in step S109, the incoming call restriction unit 14 determines whether the first release time has elapsed since the absolute value of the vehicle's steering angle became less than the steering angle threshold in step S106. If the first release time has not elapsed in step S109, the incoming call restriction unit 14 repeats the process of step S109. If the first release time has elapsed in step S109, the incoming call restriction unit 14 releases the restriction on hands-free incoming calls in step S113. After step S113, the process of the incoming call restriction device 102 returns to step S101. The flow of FIG. 7 is repeated until the vehicle stops traveling.

[0049] <B-3. Effects> In incoming call restriction device 102 according to embodiment 2, incoming call restriction unit 14 releases the restriction on hands-free incoming calls after a predetermined release time has elapsed since the absolute value of the vehicle's steering angle became less than the steering angle threshold. This improves the safety of vehicle driving compared to when the restriction on hands-free incoming calls is released immediately after the absolute value of the vehicle's steering angle becomes less than the steering angle threshold.

[0050] In addition, in the incoming call restriction device 102, the safety of the vehicle traveling at high speeds can be improved by lengthening the release time as the vehicle speed increases at the time when the absolute value of the vehicle's steering angle becomes less than the steering angle threshold.

[0051] <C. Embodiment 3> <C-1. Configuration> Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of incoming call restriction device 103 according to embodiment 3. In addition to the configuration of incoming call restriction devices 101 and 102, incoming call restriction device 103 includes a history acquisition unit 17. When telephone terminal 201 receives an incoming call, history acquisition unit 17 acquires the incoming call history from the call recipient and the outgoing call history to the call recipient from storage device 25, and outputs the acquired history to incoming call restriction unit 14.

[0052] When telephone terminal 201 receives an incoming call, connection unit 16 acquires specific information such as a telephone number that identifies the call recipient and information on the date and time of the incoming call from telephone terminal 201, and stores these in storage device 25. In addition, when telephone terminal 201 makes an outgoing call, connection unit 16 acquires specific information such as a telephone number that identifies the call recipient and information on the date and time of the outgoing call from telephone terminal 201, and stores these in storage device 25.

[0053] The storage device 25 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), magnetic disk, flexible disk, optical disk, compact disk, mini disk, DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) and its drive device, or any storage medium that will be used in the future.

[0054] After the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle becomes less than the steering angle threshold, the incoming call restriction unit 14 waits for the passage of not only the first release time T but also the second release time α before lifting the restriction on hands-free incoming calls. The second release time α is determined according to the priority of the call recipient.

[0055] The priority of the caller is determined based on at least one of the call history from the caller and the call history to the caller. For example, the more times a caller has received calls from the caller, the higher the priority may be set and the shorter the second release time α may be set. Also, the more times a caller has received calls within the past 30 minutes, the higher the priority may be set and the shorter the second release time α may be set. The second release time α may be 0 for callers with a high priority.

[0056] Furthermore, a high priority may be set in advance for a specific caller, such as a specific telephone number being set in advance to a high priority.

[0057] <C-2. Operation> Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of incoming call restriction device 103. The flow in Figure 9 starts when the vehicle starts moving and is repeated while the vehicle is moving. The flow in Figure 9 is the same as the flow in Figure 7 described in embodiment 2, with steps S110 to S112 added between steps S109 and S113.

[0058] When the first release time has elapsed since the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle became less than the steering angle threshold (No in step S109), the process of the incoming call restriction device 103 proceeds to step S110. In step S110, the history acquisition unit 17 acquires specific information of the call recipient from the storage device 25. It is assumed here that an incoming call was received by the telephone terminal 201 between steps S104 and S109.

[0059] Thereafter, in step S111, the incoming call restriction unit 14 determines the priority from the call recipient's identification information and sets a second release time based on the priority. Next, in step S112, the incoming call restriction unit 14 determines whether the second release time has elapsed after the first release time elapsed in step S109. If the second release time has not elapsed in step S112, the incoming call restriction unit 14 repeats the process of step S112. If the second release time has elapsed in step S112, the incoming call restriction unit 14 releases the restriction on hands-free calls in step S113. After step S113, the process of the incoming call restriction device 103 returns to step S101. The flow of FIG. 9 is repeated until the vehicle stops traveling.

[0060] In the above description, the incoming call restriction unit 14 waits for the total time of the first and second release times after the absolute value of the steering angle becomes less than the steering angle threshold before lifting the restriction on hands-free calls. However, the incoming call restriction unit 14 may wait for the second release time after the absolute value of the steering angle becomes less than the steering angle threshold before lifting the restriction on hands-free calls.

[0061] <C-3. Effects> In incoming call restriction device 103 according to the third embodiment, the higher the priority of the caller who called telephone terminal 201 while hands-free incoming calls were restricted, the shorter the release time. This makes it possible to release the restriction on hands-free incoming calls early when the caller has a high priority. By quickly releasing the restriction on high-priority calls, the convenience of hands-free incoming calls can be provided.

[0062] <D. Hardware Configuration> The steering angle acquisition unit 11, speed acquisition unit 12, threshold setting unit 13, incoming call restriction unit 14, connection unit 16, and history acquisition unit 17 in the above-described incoming call restriction devices 101-103 are realized by a processing circuit 81 shown in FIG. 10. That is, the processing circuit 81 includes the steering angle acquisition unit 11, speed acquisition unit 12, threshold setting unit 13, incoming call restriction unit 14, connection unit 16, and history acquisition unit 17 (hereinafter referred to as the "steering angle acquisition unit 11, etc."). The processing circuit 81 may be implemented by dedicated hardware, or may be implemented by a processor that executes a program stored in memory. Examples of the processor include a central processing unit, a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc.

[0063] When the processing circuit 81 is dedicated hardware, the processing circuit 81 may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. The functions of each unit, such as the steering angle acquisition unit 11, may be realized by multiple processing circuits 81, or the functions of each unit may be realized together by a single processing circuit.

[0064] When the processing circuit 81 is a processor, the functions of the steering angle acquisition unit 11 and the like are realized by a combination of software, etc. (software, firmware, or software and firmware). The software, etc. is written as a program and stored in memory. As shown in FIG. 11, the processor 82 applied to the processing circuit 81 realizes the functions of each unit by reading and executing a program stored in memory 83. In other words, the incoming call restriction device 101-1031 includes a memory 83 for storing a program that, when executed by the processing circuit 81, results in the processing of the steering angle acquisition unit 11 and the like. In other words, this program can be said to cause a computer to execute the procedure or method of the steering angle acquisition unit 11 and the like. Here, the memory 83 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) and its drive device, or any storage medium that will be used in the future.

[0065] The above describes a configuration in which each function of the steering angle acquisition unit 11 and the like is realized either by hardware or software, etc. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which part of the steering angle acquisition unit 11 and the like is realized by dedicated hardware and another part is realized by software, etc. For example, the function of the incoming call restriction unit 14 can be realized by a processing circuit as dedicated hardware, and the other functions can be realized by the processing circuit 81 as the processor 82 reading and executing programs stored in the memory 83.

[0066] As described above, the processing circuit can realize each of the above-described functions by hardware, software, or a combination of these.

[0067] The incoming call restriction devices 101-103 are typically in-vehicle devices, but can also be applied to a system constructed as a system by appropriately combining a PND (Portable Navigation Device), a communication terminal (for example, a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet), the functions of applications installed thereon, a server, etc. In this case, the functions or components of the incoming call restriction devices 101-103 described above may be distributed among the devices that construct the system, or may be centrally located in one of the devices.

[0068] It should be noted that the embodiments can be freely combined, and each embodiment can be modified or omitted as appropriate. The above description is an example in all respects. It is understood that countless variations not illustrated can be envisioned.

[0069] 11 steering angle acquisition unit, 12 speed acquisition unit, 13 threshold setting unit, 14 incoming call restriction unit, 16 connection unit, 17 history acquisition unit, 21 steering angle sensor, 22 speed sensor, 23 display, 24 speaker, 25 storage device, 31 vehicle, 81 processing circuit, 82 processor, 83 memory, 101-103 incoming call restriction device, 201 telephone terminal, 301 telephone network.

Claims

1. An incoming call restriction device that restricts hands-free incoming calls of a telephone terminal mounted in a vehicle, comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires the steering angle and speed of the vehicle; a threshold setting unit that sets a steering angle threshold, which is a threshold for the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle, so that the steering angle threshold becomes smaller the faster the vehicle speed is; and an incoming call restriction unit that restricts the hands-free incoming calls when the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the steering angle threshold, wherein the incoming call restriction unit performs incoming call processing to output the incoming call voice of the telephone terminal to a speaker mounted in the vehicle when the hands-free incoming calls are not restricted, and does not perform the incoming call processing when the hands-free incoming calls are restricted.

2. The incoming call restriction device according to claim 1, wherein the incoming call restriction device is a device separate from the telephone terminal that communicates with the telephone terminal.

3. The incoming call restriction device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the incoming call restriction unit releases the restriction on the hands-free incoming calls after a predetermined release time has elapsed since the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle became less than the steering angle threshold value.

4. The incoming call restriction device according to claim 3, wherein the release time is longer as the speed of the vehicle increases at the point in time when the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle becomes less than the steering angle threshold value.

5. The incoming call restriction device according to claim 3, wherein the release time is shorter the higher the priority of the caller who called the telephone terminal while the hands-free incoming call was restricted.

6. The incoming call restriction device according to claim 5, wherein the priority of the called party is determined based on at least one of an incoming call history and an outgoing call history for the called party of the telephone terminal.

7. The incoming call restriction device according to claim 5, wherein said incoming call restriction unit determines the priority of said incoming call destination based on the telephone number of said incoming call destination obtained from said telephone terminal.

8. An incoming call restriction method for restricting hands-free incoming calls of a telephone terminal mounted in a vehicle, comprising: an information acquisition unit acquires the steering angle and speed of the vehicle; a threshold setting unit sets a steering angle threshold, which is a threshold for the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle, so that the steering angle threshold decreases as the vehicle speed increases; an incoming call restriction unit restricts the hands-free incoming call when the absolute value of the steering angle of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the steering angle threshold; when the hands-free incoming call is not restricted, performs incoming call processing to output the incoming call voice of the telephone terminal to a speaker mounted in the vehicle; and when the hands-free incoming call is restricted, does not perform the incoming call processing.