Secure electronic communication devices

• US 10,236,929 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hank Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Hank Technology LLC
• Inventors: Hangsleben, Dave W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US15/842,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20180167099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 73/0082 for office machines, e.g. PC's, portable computers, typewriters, calculators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/18 Telephone sets specially adapted for use in ships, mines, or other places exposed to adverse environment H04M1/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/667 Preventing unauthorised calls from a telephone set H04M1/677 takes precedence

Abstract

Secure electronic communication devices can, for example, include a baseplate, a base coupled to the baseplate, a housing disposed at least partially within a volume defined by the base, where the housing includes at least a portion of a cavity to house an electronic communication device, and a housing coupling member that rotatably couples the housing to the base.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a baseplate;

a base coupled to the baseplate;

a housing disposed at least partially within a volume defined by the base, wherein the housing includes at least a portion of a cavity to house an electronic communication device;

a housing coupling member that couples the housing to the base; and

an integral handset receiver formed of a depression in a material of the base to receive a handset.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing coupling member rotatably couples the housing to the base.

3. The device of claim 2, including a tensioner to impart a force disposing the housing against the base, and wherein the tensioner is adjustable to vary an amount of the force disposing the housing against the base.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the housing is rotatable along an axis of rotation relative to the base, and wherein the housing includes a travel stop to limit a degree of rotation of the housing along the axis of rotation.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the base includes a plurality grooves forming predetermined set points of rotation positioned along the axis of rotation, and wherein a portion of a spring plunger included in the housing is to contact a respective groove of the plurality of grooves when the spring plunger is disposed adjacent to the respective groove.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing coupling member non-rotatably couples the housing to the base.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein a handset holding strength of the integral handset receiver is less than four pounds of force.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the integral handset receiver does not include an electrical component.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the handset is coupled by a cable to the baseplate to couple the cable to the baseplate and transfer a force on the handset to the baseplate, wherein the cable passes through a slot in the baseplate to couple the cable to the baseplate.

10. A secure electronic communication system, comprising:

a secure electronic communication device including;

a baseplate;

a base coupled to the baseplate;

a housing at least partially disposed within the base, wherein the housing includes a cavity;

a housing coupling member extending through an opening in the housing into a receiver in the base to couple the housing to the base; and

an integral handset receiver formed of a depression in a material of the base to receive a handset; and

an electronic communication device disposed within the cavity of the housing.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the baseplate includes a pivot, wherein the housing coupling member is in contact with the pivot and extends through the opening in the housing into the receiver in the base to rotatably couple the housing to the base, and wherein the housing is to rotate at least 30 degrees along an axis of rotation relative to the baseplate.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the housing coupling member comprises a pin, and wherein the pin extends through an opening in the housing into an opening of a receiver included in the base to rotatably couple the housing to the base.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the base and the housing together form at least a portion of an external housing of the secure electronic communication device to securely house the electronic communication device disposed within the cavity of the housing, and wherein the external housing of the secure electronic communication device has rounded edges and corners formed by the base and the housing.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the electronic communication device is a tablet, and wherein an opening in the base permits access to a home button of the tablet.

15. The device of claim 10, including a faceplate, wherein some but not all of a graphical user interface of the electronic communication device disposed in the cavity is accessible via an opening in the faceplate.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein a diameter of the opening is comparatively less than a dimension of a handset coupled to the secure electronic communication device.

17. The device of claim 16, including a gasket positioned entirely around a periphery of the opening to seal a portion of the electronic communication device from an environment external to the secure electronic communication device.

18. A method of forming a secure electronic communication device, comprising:

positioning a housing at least partially within a volume of a base, wherein the base includes an integral handset receiver formed of a depression in a material of the base to receive a handset and wherein the housing includes a cavity to house an electronic communication device;

coupling the base to the housing via a housing coupling member; and

coupling the base to the baseplate via a baseplate coupling member to form the secure electronic communication device.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising disposing an electronic communication device within the cavity.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising coupling an end of a cable to a slot in the baseplate, wherein the end of the cable coupled to the slot in the baseplate is at an opposite end of the cable from a handset coupled to the cable.