Mobile telephone holding device

Details Mobile telephone holding device Mobile telephone holding device

1999-11-09

2002-11-05

Bost, Dwayne (Department: 2681)

Telecommunications

Transmitter and receiver at same station

Radiotelephone equipment detail

C455S090300, C455S557000, C359S199200

Reexamination Certificate

active

06477391

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile telephone holding device for holding a portable telephone having an infrared optical communication interface.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in
FIG. 1
, an earlier mobile telephone holding device (not prior art) comprises a telephone holder
555
for holding a portable telephone
551
thereon. The telephone holder
555
has a connector
557
connected to a connector
553
provided on the portable telephone
551
. In the telephone holder
555
, signals from the telephone
551
are distributed to respective signal lines, for example, a power line, an antenna cable, an aural signal line, etc. and finally connected to electronic instruments on a vehicle. For example, the aural signal line is connected to an audio unit of a “hands-free” apparatus in the vehicle. While, on the telephone holder
555
, the portable telephone
551
is securely interposed between closing plate-shaped stays
557
slidably arranged on the holder
555
.
Meanwhile, there is recently established IrDA (Infrared Data Communication Association) standard for carrying out a method of associating the portable telephone with the exterior instruments in a non-contact manner. Under such a situation, as shown in
FIG. 2
, a portable telephone
505
for adopting an infrared communication system is proposed (not prior art).
This portable telephone
505
is provided, on a lower side thereof, with an infrared communication interface
513
. In case of holding such a portable telephone
505
on the telephone holder, it is also provided with another infrared communication interface for executing the infrared communication against the telephone
505
, thereby effecting the association of the telephone
505
with the exterior “on-board” instruments in a non-contact manner.
In detail, as shown in
FIG. 3
, respective IrDA elements
527
used for this infrared communication interface each has a communication area
569
radiating within a range of approx. ±15 degrees to the front. Especially in case that one element
527
is distant from the other one as shown in the figure, it is necessary that the IrDA element
527
is contained in the communication area
569
of the mating IrDA element
527
.
The above-mentioned holding devices have the following drawbacks.
First, in the mobile telephone holding device of
FIG. 1
, an user has to attach and detach the connector
557
to and from the portable telephone
551
every time he gets on and off the vehicle, being accompanied with a burdensome task. In addition, since the connector
557
itself is remarkably compact, there is a possibility of imperfect connection between the connectors
557
,
553
due to their damage or deformation in handling the connector
557
.
Next, in case of connecting the portable telephone
505
of
FIG. 2
with the exterior “on-board” instruments in the non-contact manner, it is required to adjust the positions of the elements
527
so that the light-receiving area of each light-receiving (incident) element
565
contains a light-emitting element of the mating IrDA element
527
as shown in FIG.
3
.
Therefore, as shown in
FIG. 4
, there is a possibility that, under a condition that the IrDA elements
527
are close to each other, a light-receiving area
567
L of the incident element
565
L of the left IrDA element
527
L does not overlap with a light-emitting area
563
R of the light-emitting element
561
R of the right IrDA element
527
R perfectly. Consequently, there is caused a problem of impossibility in the infrared communication despite that an off-set distance T (
FIG. 4
) between the respective centers of both IrDA elements
527
L,
527
R is smaller than the off-set distance S (
FIG. 3
) between the respective centers of both IrDA elements
527
,
527
(S>T).
Further, in case that the positions of the IrDA elements are different for every types of portable telephones, then it is necessary to alter the position of the IrDA element on the telephone holder in accordance with the sort of portable telephone, inducing the deteriorated operability.
Additionally, it should be noted that the IrDA element on the telephone holder's side directs to the inside of the telephone holder in view of the requirement of non-contact communication with the portable telephone. Therefore, there is a problem of impossible communication between the portable telephone being accommodated in the “on-board” telephone holder and a portable communication tool, such as PDA (Personal Digital Assistants) each having an infrared optical communication interface, a “notebook” type personal computer, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Under such a circumstance, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile telephone holding device which is capable of establishing a stable communication between a portable telephone and electronic instruments and also between the telephone and a portable communication tool without adjusting the positions of respective infrared optical communication interfaces precisely.
According to the invention, the above-mentioned object is accomplished by a mobile telephone holding device for detachably holding a portable telephone and transferring optical signals between a first infrared optical communication interface arranged on a surface of the portable telephone and a second infrared optical communication interface connected to electronic instruments, the mobile telephone holding device comprising:
an optical path changing member disposed between a plane containing the surface of the portable telephone having the first infrared optical communication interface thereon and another plane containing the second infrared optical communication interface, for changing a direction of an optical path of the optical signal entering through one of the planes to a direction toward the other plane.
With the above-mentioned arrangement, owing to the provision of the optical path changing member, the simple operation to abut the first infrared optical communication interface arranged on the portable telephone on a surface of the optical path changing member allows to carry out the transmitting/receiving of optical signal between the portable telephone and electronic instruments through the optical path changing member.
The above and other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent, and the invention itself will best be understood, from a study of the following description and appended claims, with reference to the attached drawings showing one preferred embodiment of the invention.


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