MOBILE PHONE MULTI-MEDIA CRADLE

• US 20070021148A1
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mahini, Hassan
• Granted Patent: US 7,330,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

A multi-media cradle adapted to receive a mobile phone comprises a housing and a cradle mounted to the housing for seating the mobile phone. When seated, the multi-media cradle is electrically coupled with the mobile phone via a system bus line. A display is included for viewing text and images originally intended for the mobile phone'"'"'s display. Similarly, a speaker and microphone is included for reproducing audio input/output of the mobile phone. In addition, a QWERTY type keyboard is included for text and character entry. Data ports allow the multi-media cradle to be coupled with a variety of peripheral devices and removable storage media ports receive removable storage media such that data can be stored, retrieved, and exchanged between a removable storage media and the mobile phone. Also included are one or more short range RF transceivers for exchanging data from the mobile phone with an external device.

Claims

1. A multi-media cradle adapted to receive a mobile phone, comprising:

a housing;

a cradle mounted to the housing for seating the mobile phone such that the multi-media cradle is electrically coupled with the mobile phone via a system bus line and the mobile phone will re-charge its battery when seated in the cradle;

a display mounted to the housing for viewing text and images originally intended for the mobile phone'"'"'s display;

a speaker mounted to the housing for reproducing audio output originally intended for the mobile phone'"'"'s speaker;

a microphone mounted to the housing for picking up audio input originally intended for the mobile phone'"'"'s microphone;

a QWERTY type keyboard mounted to the housing for entering text and characters to be used by the mobile phone;

a plurality of data ports mounted to the housing that allow the multi-media cradle to be coupled with a variety of peripheral devices; and

a plurality of removable storage media ports mounted to the housing and adapted to receive removable storage media such that data can be stored, retrieved, and exchanged between a removable storage media and the mobile phone.

2. The multi-media cradle of claim 1 further comprising an enhanced numeric keypad mounted to the housing for accessing the mobile phone'"'"'s call control features including dialing numbers, sending calls, and receiving calls.

3. The multi-media cradle of claim 1 wherein the plurality of data ports include one or more of an Ethernet port, a USB port, an IEEE 1394 port, and a mouse port.

4. The multi-media cradle of claim 1 wherein the plurality of removable storage media ports include one or more of a Memory Stick™

port and a compact flash card port.

5. The multi-media cradle of claim 1 further comprising a short range RF transceiver for broadcasting audio output from the mobile phone to an external device.

6. The multi-media cradle of claim 5 wherein the short range RF transceiver for broadcasting audio output from the mobile phone to an external device is a tunable transmitter that can broadcast audio signals over the frequency spectrum associated with FM band radio.

7. The multi-media cradle of claim 1 further comprising a short range RF transceiver for exchanging data from the mobile phone with an external device.

8. The multi-media cradle of claim 7 wherein the short range RF transceiver is a 802.11x Wi-Fi transceiver.

9. The multi-media cradle of claim 7 wherein the short range RF transceiver is a Bluetooth™

transceiver.

10. A music broadcasting accessory adapted to receive and seat a mobile phone containing a plurality of songs wherein the music broadcasting accessory broadcasts the audio output from the mobile phone to an external playback device, comprising:

a housing adapted to receive the mobile phone via a system bus line that electrically couples the mobile phone with the music broadcasting accessory; and

a short range RF transceiver encased within the housing for broadcasting audio output from the mobile phone to an external device is a tunable transmitter that can broadcast audio signals over the frequency spectrum associated with FM band radio.

11. The music broadcasting accessory of claim 10 further comprising:

a display mounted to the housing for displaying song titles and the current frequency in the FM band that the music broadcasting accessory is broadcasting over.