Communication system for vehicle

Abstract

A system for communicating information includes a transceiver provided within a vehicle that is configured for wireless communication with a cellular phone and with a portable computing device. The wireless communication between the transceiver and the cellular phone utilizes a Bluetooth communications protocol.

1 . A system for communicating information comprising: 
 a transceiver provided within a vehicle and configured for wireless communication with a cellular phone and with a portable computing device;    wherein the wireless communication between the transceiver and the cellular phone utilizes a Bluetooth communications protocol.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is coupled to at least a portion of a vehicle.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein information is communicated from the cellular phone to the transceiver and the transceiver communicates at least a portion of the information to the portable computing device.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the information comprises at least one of a facsimile transmission and an electronic mail message.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein information is transmitted from the computing device to the transceiver.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , at least a portion of the information is transmitted from the transceiver to the cellular phone.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the information comprises a phone number.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication between the transceiver and the portable computing device utilizes a Bluetooth communications protocol.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication between the transceiver and the portable computing device utilizes an infrared communications link.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the portable computing device is a laptop computer.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the portable computing device is a hand-held computing device.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a communications link is automatically established when the cellular phone comes within a predetermined distance of the transceiver.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a microphone coupled to the transceiver, wherein sounds input at the microphone may be transmitted from the transceiver to the cellular phone.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is a trainable transceiver.  
   
   
       15 . A wireless communications system for use in a vehicle comprising: 
 a transceiver provided within a vehicle;    a cellular phone in wireless communication with the transceiver, the wireless communication utilizing a Bluetooth communications protocol; and    a computing device in wireless communication with the transceiver;    wherein information received by the cellular phone is communicated to the transceiver and at least a portion of the information is communicated from the transceiver to the computing device.    
   
   
       16 . The communications system of  claim 15 , wherein the computing device is at least one of a laptop computer and a hand-held computing device.  
   
   
       17 . The communications system of  claim 15 , wherein the information is selected from a facsimile transmission and an electronic mail message.  
   
   
       18 . The communications system of  claim 15 , wherein the computing device communicates with the transceiver using a Bluetooth communications protocol.  
   
   
       19 . The communications system of  claim 15 , wherein the computing device communicates with the transceiver using an infrared communications link.  
   
   
       20 . The communications system of  claim 15 , wherein the transceiver is a trainable transceiver configured to interface with a garage door opener system.  
   
   
       21 . A communications system for a vehicle, the communications system comprising: 
 means for receiving signals transmitted by a cellular phone, the signals being transmitted in accordance with a Bluetooth communications standard and including information; and    means for transmitting signals wirelessly to a computing device;    wherein the signals transmitted to the computing device include at least a portion of the information; and    wherein at least one of the means for receiving signals and the means for transmitting signals are provided within a vehicle.    
   
   
       22 . The communications system of  claim 21 , wherein the means for receiving signals and the means for transmitting signals are included in a transceiver coupled to a vehicle.  
   
   
       23 . The communications system of  claim 21 , wherein the means for transmitting signals communicates with the computing device using a Bluetooth communications protocol.  
   
   
       24 . The communications system of  claim 21 , wherein the means for transmitting signals communicates with the computing device using an infrared communications link.  
   
   
       25 . The communications system of  claim 21 , wherein the information comprises at least one of a facsimile transmission and an electronic mail message.  
   
   
       26 . The communications system of  claim 21 , further comprising means for receiving information from the computing device and means for transmitting at least a portion of the information received from the computing device to the cellular phone.  
   
   
       27 . The communications system of  claim 26 , wherein the computing device is one of a laptop computer and a hand-held computing device.  
   
   
       28 . A method of transferring information to a computing device comprising: 
 receiving information at a transceiver provided in a vehicle, the information transmitted from a cellular phone using a Bluetooth communications protocol; and    communicating at least a portion of the information from the transceiver to the computing device using a wireless communications link.    
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the step of receiving information at the transceiver comprises receiving at least one of a facsimile transmission and an electronic mail message.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the computing device is at least one of a laptop computer and a hand-held computing device.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the wireless communications link is an infrared communications link.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the wireless communications link utilizes a Bluetooth communications protocol.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the transceiver is a trainable transceiver that is also configured to transmit signals to at least one of a garage door opener system and a home security system.