Hands Free Phone: Notes
DESCRIPTION
The Hands Free Phone system includes the following major components that are used with a Bluetooth® compatible phone:
| 1. | Refer to BODY CONTROL MODULE (BCM) . |
| 2. | Refer to MICROPHONE . |
| 3. | Refer to SOS SWITCH - The ASSIST switch is a soft button on the radio touchscreen. |
| 4. | Refer to BLUETOOTH®/WI-FI ANTENNA . |
| 5. | Refer to COMBINATION ANTENNA . |
| 6. | Refer to RADIO . |
| 7. | Refer to STEERING WHEEL SWITCHES . |
A Uconnect® Hands Free Phone system is factory-installed standard equipment. This system allows connection of compatible mobile phones for hands free use in sending and receiving phone calls and text messages as well as for streaming audio from those devices through the audio system in the vehicle.
The radio also contains a microcontroller and programming that allows it to communicate with other electronic modules in the vehicle over the Controller Area Network - Interior High Speed (CAN-IHS) data bus. Refer to COMMUNICATION, DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION .
The Uconnect® Hands Free Phone system components cannot be adjusted or repaired. If any Hands Free Phone system component is damaged or ineffective, that component must be replaced. The Hands Free Phone system software is flash programmable through the Universal Serial Bus (USB) port.
OPERATION
The Uconnect® Hands Free Phone system relies upon Bluetooth® technology to enable wireless connectivity between Bluetooth® compatible, paired and turned ON mobile devices and the on-board entertainment system components. This system also relies upon Advanced Speech Recognition (ASR) software to enable verbal commands to control the mobile device as well as the components and features of some other on-board systems.
The system will recognize up to ten Bluetooth® compatible devices, each of which is identified within the system by the name acquired from the device during the pairing process. The Hands Free Phone system will communicate with a paired device that is anywhere within the vehicle. However, covering the paired device with a metal object may block the signal.
The Hands Free Phone system is operated in one of two ways: actively or passively. Active operation begins with the vehicle operator pressing a push button on the left steering wheel switch pod on the left side of the Driver AirBag (DAB) trim cover in the center of the steering wheel. The Uconnect® Voice Recognition (VR ) button is pressed for hands free voice activated access to available features other than the phone, or the Uconnect® Phone (Phone identified by a phone handset icon) button is pressed for hands free phone access.
The VR or Phone button press provides a resistor multiplexed input to the BCM. The BCM is a gateway to the CAN-IHS data bus and sends an electronic switch press message over the CAN-IHS data bus to the radio.
When the radio receives the electronic switch press message, the radio suppresses any current audio output and issues an audible beep to indicate that the VR hardware is prepared to receive a verbal command. Part of the Uconnect® Hands Free Phone system hardware includes the VR microphones mounted in the headliner just above the driver and front passenger, one to each side of the headliner. The microphones provide a hardwired input of verbal commands to the VR engine within the radio, and the ASR software converts that input into an electronic instruction message broadcast over the CAN-IHS data bus to invoke the appropriate system response. If no appropriate verbal command is received within a few seconds following the audible beep , the system will provide an audible verbal output listing a menu of the available voice activation options.
Passive operation begins when an incoming cellular call is received. If the Bluetooth® phone is Short Message Service (SMS) text message capable and compatible with the Uconnect® Access system (see the Uconnect® web site), passive operation will also begin when an SMS text message is received. The call or SMS text message is relayed to the Bluetooth® transceiver embedded within the radio. The Bluetooth® transceiver then instructs the radio to announce the incoming call or message. The vehicle operator presses the Uconnect® Phone button in the steering wheel switch pod or the soft button that will appear in the radio display to accept the call or to accept the message.
The Bluetooth® transceiver connects the voices of the two phone parties using outputs through the audio system speakers and inputs through the Uconnect® hands free microphones. In the case of a text message, the Bluetooth® transceiver sends the message to the VR hardware and the ASR software converts the message from text to voice and plays it through the audio system speakers. The text message can then be replied to by pressing the Uconnect® VR button and giving an SMS verbal command to select from several predetermined short text phrase responses.
The Hands Free Phone system operates on battery current received through a fused B(+) circuit, but also monitors the ignition switch status through electronic messages received over the CAN-IHS data bus. If a call is in progress when the status of the ignition switch transitions to OFF, the system will continue to operate until the call has been completed.
The radio receives electronic message inputs over the CAN-IHS data bus related to the Hands Free Phone system. The radio is also connected to the CAN-C data bus; however, the radio is not a CAN gateway. All electronic message outputs of the radio are carried over the CAN-IHS data bus. When the radio monitors a problem in any of the audio system circuits and components, or in any of the Bluetooth® transceiver circuits, it stores a fault code or Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) in its memory circuit.
Bluetooth® Phone
A compatible, customer-supplied and paired Bluetooth® phone is a required component of the hands free phone system. A list of suggested phones and providers is available at: https://www.driveuconnect.com