Personal telematics device

1. A personal telematics device couplable externally to a wireless device having access to a wireless network, the personal telematics device comprising:

a voice command actuator that can be selectively activated by a user;

a controller in communication with the actuator, wherein the controller sends an instruction signal to the wireless device in response to activation of the actuator;

a microphone for converting a speech signal received from the user into an analog audio signal; and

an audio processing module for converting the analog audio signal into a digital audio signal, wherein the digital audio signal is sent to the wireless device,

wherein the wireless device wirelessly connects the personal telematics device to an answering entity in response to receiving the instruction signal, wherein the answering entity performs a user service corresponding to the actuator activated by the user, wherein the answering entity comprises a voice-activated-dialing server accessed by the wireless device via the wireless network, and wherein the digital audio signal includes a telephone number for a terminal device.

2. The personal telematics device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless device sends the digital audio signal to the voice-activated-dialing server in response to receiving the instruction signal, and the voice-activated-dialing server connects the personal telematics device to the terminal device in response to recognizing the telephone number included within the digital audio signal.

3. The personal telematics device of claim 1 , wherein the answering entity performs the user service at least in part by sending an audio information signal to the personal telematics device via the wireless device.

4. The personal telematics device of claim 3 further comprising a speaker for playing to the user sound encoded within the audio information signal.

5. The personal telematics device of claim 1 , wherein the user service comprises at least one of a voice command service, an information service, a roadside assistance service, a traffic service, an emergency service, a voice mail service, and a navigation service.

6. The personal telematics device of claim 1 , wherein the personal telematics device is portable and locatable within a vehicle.

7. The personal telematics device of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a processor, a memory, and a set of machine language instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor.

8. The personal telematics device of claim 7 , wherein the controller determines an action to be taken by the wireless device based on a status of the wireless device and activation of the actuator, and the controller generates the instruction signal.

9. The personal telematics device of claim 1 further comprising a data port for communicating with an ancillary device.

10. The personal telematics device of claim 9 , wherein the data port comprises at least one of a Universal Serial Bus port and a Recommended Standard 232 port that receives configuration data from the ancillary device.

11. The personal telematics device of claim 9 , wherein the ancillary device comprises at least one of a computer, an electronic gaming machine, a personal digital assistant, and a media player.

12. The personal telematics device of claim 9 , wherein the answering entity performs a user service for the ancillary device via the personal telematics device and the wireless device.

13. The personal telematics device of claim 12 , wherein the user service comprises enabling access to a data network.

14. The personal telematics device of claim 1 further comprising a power port for receiving electricity from a power source, and a wireless device port for communicating with the wireless device via a device connection mechanism.

15. The personal telematics device of claim 14 , wherein the device connection mechanism provides electricity to charge the wireless device, and the device connection mechanism has a form corresponding to a type of the wireless device.

16. The personal telematics device of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a headset port for connecting to a headset for at least one ear, and a microphone port for connecting to the microphone.

17. The personal telematics device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a spring-loaded pushbutton device that can be pressed by the user.

18. The personal telematics device of claim 1 further comprising means for stowing the wireless device.

19. A method carried out at a personal telematics device couplable externally to a wireless device having access to a wireless network, the method comprising:

initiating an instruction signal in response to a user activating a voice command actuator;

sending the instruction signal to the wireless device;

accessing a voice-activated-dialing server via the wireless network using the wireless device;

receiving a voice command from a user via a microphone;

encoding the voice command within a digital audio signal; and

sending the digital audio signal to the voice-activated-dialing server via the wireless device,

whereby the personal telematics device connects to a terminal device via the wireless device in response to the voice-activated-dialing server recognizing the voice command encoded within the digital audio signal.

20. The wireless communication method of claim 19 , wherein the voice command comprises an audio recitation of a telephone number of the terminal device.

21. The wireless communication method of claim 19 further comprising carrying out the method in a vehicle.

22. The wireless communication method of claim 19 further comprising providing electricity to the wireless device for charging the wireless device.

23. The wireless communication method of claim 19 further comprising receiving ancillary data from an ancillary device for communication, in turn, to the terminal device.

24. The wireless communication method of claim 19 further comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processor to execute the steps of the method of claim 19 .