Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-29
2002-11-19
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C439S142000, C320S113000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06483698
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a cradle for receiving and supporting a portable device. Suitably, the portable device is an electronic device, such as a personal digital assistant or a radio telephone.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cradles or docking stations are known for use with portable electronic devices such as cellular telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs). In general, a cellular telephone cradle receives and supports a cellular telephone in a predetermined upright position. The telephone cradle typically includes charging contacts which electrically couple to corresponding contacts on the telephone for charging a battery of the telephone. A PDA cradle similarly receives and supports a personal digital assistant in a predetermined upright position. The PDA cradle typically includes a data connector which connects with an associated data connector on the PDA for the exchange of electronic information. PDAs are sometimes known as personal organisers.
Typically, the charging contacts and the data connector of a cradle become exposed when the portable electronic device is removed. In this situation, the contacts and the connector are prone to accidental damage which can render the cradle unusable.
FIG. 1
shows a known cradle
10
supporting a personal digital assistant
20
. The PDA
20
may, for example, represent the Palm Pilot™ TM PDA available from 3COM Inc., USA. Accordingly, the PDA cradle
10
may represent the corresponding docking station supplied with the Palm Pilot PDA.
The PDA
20
includes features that are common to most PDAs, such as touch screen display
21
, a set of user operable keys
22
, and a data connector
23
for accessing the central processing unit and memory contained within the housing of the PDA.
The cradle
10
includes a base portion
11
which is designed to sit on a flat surface. The cradle
10
receives and supports the PDA
20
in V-shaped valley which has two supporting surfaces
12
and
13
. One supporting surface
12
supports the bottom end of the PDA
20
, whilst the other supporting surface
12
supports the back of the PDA
20
. The back supporting surface
13
is provided by a planar supporting element
14
which extends upwards at an angle from the base portion
11
. The supporting element
14
is strengthened by a triangular strut
15
which joins the base portion
11
and the supporting element
14
. The base portion
11
, the supporting element
14
, and the triangular strut
15
are formed from a single plastics moulding.
The cradle
10
also provides an data interface between the PDA
20
and a personal computer (not shown). The data interface comprises a data connector
16
, a synchronising button
17
, internal circuitry within the cradle
10
, and a data cable
18
. When the PDA
20
is placed on the cradle
10
, the data connector
16
of the cradle connects to the data connector
23
of the PDA
20
so that electrical signals can be transferred therebetween. These electrical signals, which represent data, are also transferred over the internal circuitry and the data cable
18
to the personal computer (PC). From time-to-time, synchronisation of data between the PC and the PDA
20
can be initiated by a user depressing the synchronisation button
17
.
When the PDA
20
is removed from the cradle
10
, the data connector
16
is left exposed. There is a risk of damage to the data connector
16
when the cradle is in this exposed state.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a cradle with a movable back supporting element. The back supporting element extends in one position to support the back of a portable device when the device is received by the cradle. The cradle also includes a supporting region which supports the end of the portable device. When the portable device is not in the cradle, the supporting element can be moved to a position in which it covers the end supporting region.
A cradle in accordance with the invention has the advantage that it can be configured for receiving and supporting a portable device when the back supporting element is extended, and can provide a more compact configuration when the back supporting element covers the end supporting element. The compact configuration makes the cradle more portable for transporting by a user.
Ideally, the cradle is designed for receiving a portable electronic device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a radio telephone. Suitably, the cradle includes a connector on the end supporting region. Preferably, the cradle includes electrical contacts in the end supporting region for coupling to complementary electrical contacts on the portable electronic device when the device is received by the cradle. In an alternative embodiment the cradle could include optical coupling means for coupling to complementary optical coupling means on the portable electronic device. The optical coupling means could, for example, be an infra-red data interface. A cradle of this kind in accordance with the invention has the advantage that when the back-supporting element is moved to a position in which it covers the end-supporting region, the connector, implemented as electrical contacts, optical coupling means, or otherwise, is less exposed. Thus the connector is less likely to become damaged, particularly when it is transported by a user.
The extent and scope of the present invention is defined in the appended Claim to which reference should now be made.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2304870 (1942-12-01), Yost
patent: 5385479 (1995-01-01), Okada
patent: 5411405 (1995-05-01), McDaniels et al.
patent: 5679013 (1997-10-01), Matsunaga et al.
patent: 5691618 (1997-11-01), Kobayashi et al.
patent: 5795177 (1998-08-01), Hirono
patent: 5822183 (1998-10-01), Kanda et al.
patent: 5941648 (1999-08-01), Robinson et al.
patent: 6045385 (2000-04-01), Kane
patent: 6108200 (2000-08-01), Fullerton
patent: 6127802 (2000-10-01), Lloyd et al.
patent: 6190186 (2001-02-01), Liao
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