Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at same station – Having particular housing or support of a transceiver
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-06
2002-01-22
Trost, William (Department: 2683)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at same station
Having particular housing or support of a transceiver
C455S575100, C455S351000, C455S569200, C379S433010, C379S428010, C379S420010, C379S420040
Reexamination Certificate
active
06341218
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to portable electronic device interfacing systems and processes. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and system for providing a mechanical and electrical interface between a universal interface module and a plurality of portable electronic devices having different physical configurations. The interface module can be located in an automobile, at home, in an office or in any other location where a power supply is available to allow access to features not offered by the portable electronic device alone. The portable electronic device may be a portable phone, portable computer, wireless data terminal or other wireless communication device or personal data assistant.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Portable telephone systems have gained widespread acceptance as an efficient means of voice and data communications. While early mobile units were large and complex, miniaturization has made possible hand-held units with full functional telephony capabilities allowing the user freedom to use a phone in a mobile environment, such as in a vehicle or at a location remote from a hard wired connection to an existing telephony system. In addition, the cost of purchasing and using a portable phone has substantially declined and the quality and clarity of communication over a portable phone has increased causing increased and widespread demand for portable phones by the public and resulting in the proliferation of multiple configurations of portable phones by many different manufacturers.
Unfortunately, the mobility and miniaturization of portable phones, together with the widespread adoption by the general public, has created practical issues for use of such phones. For example, the very use of the phone itself by the driver of a moving vehicle, i.e., dialing and conversing while holding the phone proximate his ear and mouth, raises safety issues for not only the driver but any passenger in the driver's vehicle as well as the occupants of other vehicles. In an attempt to solve this safety and convenience problem, portable phone manufacturers have made available car kits to allow for partial hands-free use of the phone. These kits include physical hardware to retain or mount the phone in the vehicle and a power cord to access the electrical system of the car for power rather than use the phone's battery and, in some instances, may also include attachments for connecting between the phone and a user headset or the car's audio speakers, a microphone and antenna. However, while these kits allow hands-free conversation, they do not allow hands-free dialing or operation of the phone and, unless a headset is being used by the driver, even the communication may be difficult if the phone is mounted in a location sufficiently removed from the driver that the internal microphone and speaker of the phone are inadequate. Moreover, if a headset is being used, the driver may be unable to hear emergency vehicle sirens, car horns or other important audible noises that contribute to safe driving.
Additionally, because there is a large variety of portable telephones in existence, each with its own unique mechanical, electrical and control interface, no single car kit can provide any form of universal connection among different phones and the power supply offered by the electrical system of a vehicle. Thus, consumers must have a different kit for every different phone, a problem which is occurring with greater frequency due to rapidly increasing technical capabilities and performance in new phones and the decreasing cost of portable phones, and as different members of the same family acquire portable phones for their individual use. Similarly, automobile fleet users, such as large corporations, cannot provide a universal car kit connection for the variety of phones their employees may use and car rental companies cannot provide users with means to use their portable phones, or any other type of portable electronic device, in rented vehicles. Thus, users are forced to abandon their investment in the car kit when purchasing new models of telephones or users operate hand-held electronic devices while driving rather than purchasing an inadequate car kit for their car; an unsafe condition which is subject to increasing governmental concern and regulation.
Yet another issue raised by currently available phone mounting kits for cars is the adequacy of the mounting mechanism. Because space is a premium commodity in the passenger compartment of a vehicle, a phone mounting mechanism cannot be too large or too cumbersome. Depending upon where the mounting mechanism may be installed, i.e., on or under the dashboard or on the console between the front seats, space constraints may preclude certain types of mounting mechanisms. Moreover, vehicle safety requirements, such as have been promulgated by governmental agencies and telephone industry associations, require that any mechanism for mounting a portable phone in a vehicle be able to withstand impact forces up to twenty-five pounds in order to minimize the danger of the phone being dislodged in an accident and causing damage to an occupant of the vehicle. Additionally, the mounting mechanism, whatever its configuration, must be able to withstand normal road vibrations without failure.
One attempt to address the foregoing problems is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,274 entitled Universal Connection For Cellular Telephone Interface. Therein, the inventors describe a mounting kit for a car which includes a common interface module and a pocket adapter. A portable phone mounts in the pocket and the pocket attaches to the interface module with a sliding movement along the longitudinal axis of the interface module. The pocket further includes an electrical connector which connects the internal electronics of the phone to the pocket. The interface module is electrically connected to the pocket by a flexible cord. Power for operating the phone and charging its battery is provided through the cord as is a connection to an external antenna. In addition, the interface module may include a microprocessor for managing communications with the phone and a memory device for storing operating parameters relating to the phone being used with the device. While this invention addresses certain of the foregoing issues, the interconnection between the pocket and the interface module can be improved. The sliding action for engagement of the retaining clip on the interface module by the latching assembly on the pocket member uses too much space. Moreover, it is unlikely that this mechanism dampens road vibrations or adequately secures the phone and pocket to the interface module during an impact.
Other efforts have been made to provide a latching mechanism that will withstand impact as well as road vibration, but these devices are also lacking. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,358, entitled Adapter For Mounting Portable Radio Apparatus To Moving Body And Charger For Portable Radio Apparatus, describes a portable phone mount for use in a vehicle where a retaining slot in the base of the phone first engages a lug in the adapter device and the phone is then rotated clockwise until the upper portion of the phone body engages a pair of ratchets in the mounting mechanism. While this mechanism may adequately secure the phone in the mount, the motion required to mount the phone is inefficient. It fails to minimize the use of space in the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved mounting system for use with portable electronic devices, as well as an enhanced support system which not only facilitates use of the portable electronic device, but advantageously expands the features available to the user via the portable electronic device. As used herein, the term portable electronic device is intended to refer to not only portable phones, but portable computers, ham radio devices, other types of wireless communication devices, wireless data terminals and other types of personal da
Delianides Kathryn D.
Poplawsky Ralph C.
Wilkinson James T.
CellPort Systems, Inc.
Ferguson Keith
Sheridan & Ross P.C.
Trost William
LandOfFree
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