Device for lifting a handset

Details Device for lifting a handset Device for lifting a handset

2000-09-11

2003-02-25

Chiang, Jack (Department: 2642)

Telephonic communications

Terminal accessory or auxiliary equipment

Attachable to terminal housing

C379S448000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06526143

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for the automatic lifting of a handset on conventional telephone apparatus.
Today, so-called headsets are most often used in connection with conventional telephone apparatus, whereby the user can speak into the telephone without having to use his/her hands to hold the handset.
In the years to come, on the headset market it is quite certain that an increasing use will be seen of wire-less headsets, e.g. based on the DECT standard which gives the user extensive freedom of movement within a smaller local area.
Such wire-less headsets will in many cases be configured to be able to be coupled to a given traditional telephone apparatus via a stationary base station, whereby the headset and the base station are inserted between the handset and the telephone apparatus.
The telephone apparatus hereby serves to enable the user to carry out the necessary calling procedure over the keypad of the telephone apparatus, and by means of a changeover switch the user has the possibility of being able to use the “original” handset or headset of the telephone apparatus.
Presumably, the wire-less headset will in many cases be used in the immediate vicinity of the telephone apparatus, i.e. within operational reach.
The operation of the headset takes place by lifting the handset from the telephone apparatus, either in order to answer a call or to make a call from the telephone.
In this connection it can be impractical to have to lift the handset from the telephone apparatus and possibly place it somewhere else for as long as the telephone call lasts.
A known lifting device which solves the above-mentioned problem is “Cradle Mate”, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 358 594. This involves a purely mechanical arrangement which lifts the handset from the telephone at that end which activates the line establishing switch of the telephone, while the other end of the handset rests on the telephone. The device comprises a plate part which is fastened on the side of the telephone apparatus, said plate part housing a lifting part which can be rotated by a knob or handle, whereby the handset can be lifted mechanically from the switch.
In many cases, however, the headsets of the wire-less type will not be used in the immediate vicinity of the telephone, and thus the user does not have the possibility of answering an incoming call without first having to move to the apparatus.
It will become immediately obvious that the base station could be configured in such a manner that calls could be detected electrically over the telephone line and control the telephone.
Unfortunately, at present there are a great many different national standards for telephone connections, connectors and ringing signals. Therefore, for a given telephone apparatus it is technically difficult to effect an electrical detection of whether a call is made to the apparatus. However, there is one clear indication of the extent to which a call is made to a given telephone apparatus, and this is in the form of an acoustic ringing tone emitted from the telephone apparatus.
Precisely this condition is used by a known lifting device, which is illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
. The device is produced by “Hello Direct Inc.”, San Jose, Calif. 95138, and is sold under the name “Readiline”.
The above-mentioned handset lifting apparatus, which is also called a “hook switch”, automatically lifts the handset from the telephone and thus activates the built-in switch of the telephone for establishing the line.
The apparatus, which is intended to be connected to a base station for a wire-less headset, detects the acoustic ringing tone from the telephone, upon which the apparatus transmits a signal to the wire-less headset to indicate that there is an incoming call.
If the person wearing the headset wants to answer the call, he/she must activate a button on the headset, whereby a signal is sent back to the base station which, upon receipt of this signal, results in the handset being lifted by the lifting device. The telephone connection is hereby established without the wearer of the headset having to be in the vicinity of the telephone apparatus itself.
The apparatus described above comprises a base-plate on which the telephone is placed, and an activator part which extends upwards in relation to the base-plate, and with which the side of the telephone is placed in abutment. The activator part houses an electric motor, control and signal electronics and a microphone. On the activator part there is a swivel-mounted, movable arm which engages with the underside of the handset, and which when activated turns upwards and herewith lifts the handset.
The apparatus described above suffers the disadvantage that it occupies a relatively large amount of space and is not as flexible as could be desired, in that certain telephone apparatus on the present market are unable to function in connection with this apparatus.
An apparatus for the lifting of the handset from a telephone is also known from European publication EP A 680 188. The publication relates to the use of mobile telephones, i.e. telephones of the kind which have a fixed part and a portable part which can be in radio contact with each other within smaller distances, in connection with conventional telephone apparatus which are coupled to a normal network and especially a local net. The technique which is disclosed in this publication makes it possible to use analogue portable telephones in connection with conventional telephones, e.g. telephones which are coupled to a digital local network.
For this purpose, the publication describes a lifting device of the kind as disclosed in the preamble to claim 1, and which can lift the handset from the conventional telephone when calls are made or when incoming calls are received, e.g. controlled by a changeover switch on the portable telephone or a microphone which is built into the conventional telephone.
In one embodiment (shown by way of example in FIGS.
6
and
7
), this lifting device is mounted on the side of the conventional telephone, in that e.g. it is mounted by velcro tape. In this embodiment, the lifting device consists of a housing containing, among other things, a drive unit and an activator part which can be moved into and out of the housing by the drive unit. The activator part is bar-shaped, and at its outer end it has a bend which can engage in under the handset so that this is lifted by the outwards-directed movement of the activator part. With this embodiment, the lifting device must be adapted to the shape of the individual telephone apparatus, in that among other things the activator part must be configured depending of the shape of the handset and its distance from the side of the telephone apparatus. Consequently, this known lifting device does not lend itself to universal application. Moreover, with certain telephone apparatus configurations it can be difficult or even impossible to find a side surface which is suitable for the mounting of the lifting device, in that such a side surface must have a suitable angle in relation to the vertical plane and/or in relation to the handset and be suitably disposed in relation to the position of the handset.
In a second embodiment (shown by way of example in FIGS. 13 and 14 of the publication), the lifting device is configured as a relatively flat, box-shaped part which is placed between the handset and the fixed part of the conventional telephone at the place where the changeover switch of the conventional telephone is located, and where in the idle state the built-in switch is pressed down by a part of the handset. In this embodiment, the lifting device has an activation bar which extends between the activation button for the built-in switch and the handset, so that when an incoming call is received the handset is lifted at the same time that the activation button is free to move upwards, hereby establishing the connection. Like the embodiment described above, this embodiment suffers the disadvantage that it must be adapted to suit the type of telephone

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