Bluetooth -passenger pickup

Well, we got a real test last weekend when I received a call for my wife. She was able to talk and be understood without any problem. She's a technophobe (the only control she knows how to use on the Prius is the volume control knob) so she didn't do anything special to make herself heard.

 

I think the second set of slits is only for visual balance, although in hindsight it probably only creates confusion. The manual shows the microphone is only on the driver's side.

I also haven't had a problem, but I suppose your wife could always face the slits on your side of the car when she speaks...

 

A few other random thoughts:

1) "Windows down" or other background sound could cause you issues.
2) This is a half-duplex system, so does she try to talk when the person you are connected to is talking? Think of it as a CB radio -- only one person can talk at a time, and I believe incoming has the priority. As long as you realize that, you should be fine.
3) The last thing is some phones take a second or two to connect, so press the answer button and wait about 2 seconds before saying "Hello".

Some people naturally do these things, some don't...

 

The BT is not half-duplex in the Prius. Finding a Hands-free BT profile that even supports such a thing is super rare. Of course, my experience is with the 05.

 

So then, what does this entry from the manual represent...?

"Talk alternately with your party on the
phone. If you talk at the same time, the
voice may not reach each other. (It is
not a malfunction.)"

 

Maybe the correct term is not "half-duplex", then. I mean, cell phones, as opposed to walkie-talkies, are full-duplex; both parties can talk at the same time. However, in the Prius, at least in my 04, when I'm talking using handsfree the other party cannot be heard and, conversely, when the other party is talking they can't hear me if I talk at the same time.

 

And on which side is the driver in Japan? Ah, visual balance and only one die needed...

Vagabond, you are wrong. Handsfree mobile chats in a Prius are a verbal volley. Only one person at a time is heard, usually the loudest. I can usually hear a difference in the sound when the handsfree is in effect, and it does take a few seconds to connect. The Bluetooth implementation in the Prius is deprecated.

 

I don't understand - I've never had a problem having a convo at the same time in my car. I can have 1 roomie in the car and both of can be yelling at the other roomie who's yelling back. (The conversations between us are pretty simple I admit, usually just "Food?" "Puto!" or "Douglas?" our local burger joint) Just be sure my roomie and I checked it out. Worked fine. I'm seriously betting this is a phone issue; my connection time is fine, as soon as I place a call I can hear the standard Samsung connecting ringer through the car's speaker. No one has ever said to me that I sound bad.

However, like most the dial-pad does not work worth beans and the signal indication I can only get network status, not strength.

 

The "half-duplex" effect is likely to be a limitation of the speakerphone rather than Bluetooth. I'm no expert, but I've had cheap speakerphones at home that don't allow both parties to talk simultaneously and be understood. The "half-duplex" behavior prevents screeching feedback. Eeeeekkk!!! :blink:

BTW, the manual shows the microphone near the overhead light on the driver's side only.

 

Try calling a place with continuous and loud background noise. For example, there's a take-out joint I order from on occasion. The din in the background is unbearable and the person in the place simply can't hear anything I say. It can't be a phone issue because when I drop the BT connection and dial from the handset a minute later, no problem.

 

Like I said before, the Prius has an obsolete BT handsfree model. It should be duplex! My Jabra handsfree earpiece is duplex, and shows the calling number/name from the phone. The Prius BT is just plain poor.

Great for answering incoming calls, just wait for the change in sound after pushing the "off hook" icon before speaking.

 

An earpiece can easily be full duplex, as there is little if any way to get feedback from the earpiece to the microphone.

But in a speakerphone configuration, there has to be a means to prevent feedback. One way is a carefully tuned cancellation circuit that won't let the microphone pick up what the speakers put out. If the microphone and speakers are in known fixed locations, this can be done, but when they are not fixed, that makes it harder, as there is a natural short but finite delay for sound to travel over the air. Even if the distances are fixed, as it really is in the Prius, it can be a problem.

I believe what is really happening is that it is full duplex, until either end of the conversation's volume exceeds a certain level, after which someone has to be cut off.

I am not sure if cellphones really are 100% full duplex, as I have had clients that explain their problem for a good minute, and I can't interject at all. Unless maybe it's not the phone or the technology but rather the clients themselves are not full duplex.

 

Clients are frequently simplex, Dan.

I disagree with you about the Prius hands-free Bluetooth implementation being duplex. It simply is not, and Toyota even tells you you have to take turns speaking. I think you may be right about the direction of communication being switched by volume, but there is no way two people can talk back and forth at the same time, one will always be cut off. The Prius implementation is archaic and primitive. Don't even get me started about the phone book!

As for preventing ring feedback in a full duplex system, if it were installed in a Prius, DSP circuitry can easily subtract the speaker output from the mic input to produce a clear signal. In addition, since the hands-free speaker is down by the driver's calf, and the mic up above his head, the driver and the car interior would tend to absorb the higher frequency sounds which are the main cause of ring.

I can't disagree with your generalization about mobile phones not being full duplex, I'm sure there are some that are not. In addition, the mobile service may not support duplex. My phone, a SE S710a, is full duplex, in my ear or through my Jabra Bluetooth headset, in every area where I have used it. Cingular is the service provider.

 

I suppose this could be tested by having two people on a Prius BT conversation try wispering to each other at the same time.

I am not saying you're wrong. But full duplex is possible below a certain volume. Above a certain threshold, the louder side wins.

Sometimes it seems the client is simplex, but then there would be no way to provide support. Simplex means one way only. Mail is simplex. At least it is per stamp. TV and comercial radio are simplex. You can't talk to the DJ or the newscaster using your radio or TV. They can only talk to you.

A walkie-talkie is half duplex. Conversation can go both ways, but only one way at a time.

 

Email me your mobile number and we'll try whispering to each other. I am sure there will never be a low enough speaking volume to have duplex. We can chat in our parked cars, fan off, windows up, to exclude as much extraneous noise as possible (and make the experiment completely unrealistic.)

 

I admit, I don't have a phone, so I can't prove my position. It is a theory in my book.

 

To tedb's original point. I have also noticed that people cannot hear the front passenger talk, but funny enough, they can hear people from at least the rear driver's seat. I haven't noticed if the rear passenger's seat has any problems or not.

This is also the case with the Prius' voice recognition, if I issue commands from the front passenger seat, they almost never work. If I lean over to the driver's side, they work fine.

I've noticed this while in a parked car with the windows up and no other interior noise.

 

This is the first I've heard this, but it is unlikely it has been tested before. I have noticed the voice recognition seems to be variable depending on the user. I have an easy 95% success rate from my driver's seat, but others aren't as successful. Interesting that you have noticed a relationship between position and success. Others who are unsuccessful should try this. We might learn something!