CHARGING STATION FOR MOBILE DEVICES THAT ALLOWS ACCESS TO DEVICE SERVICES

• US 20090298553A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Buck, Robert, Wang, Winston, Ungari, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/573
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2477 for selecting a function from a menu display H04M1/2474 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A charging station for mobile devices that allows a user to access mobile device services while a mobile device is contacting a charging pad or is otherwise being charged at the charging station. The charging station includes a charging pad where a mobile device is placed to initiate automatic charging without having to connect the mobile device to a charging cable. The charging station also includes a display and communication components for wirelessly linking the charging station with the mobile device. When the mobile device is within proximity of the charging station, the charging station establishes a connection with the mobile device to allow the services offered by the mobile device to be accessed via the charging station. The display on the charging station may be larger than the display of the mobile device or may be configured with different dimensions than the display on the mobile device.

Claims

1. A charging station for charging mobile telecommunications devices, the charging station comprising:

a power supply;

a charging pad coupled to the power supply, the charging pad configured to charge a mobile telecommunications device in proximity to the charging station via a cordless connection;

a communication component for establishing a wireless communication link with the mobile telecommunications device while the mobile telecommunications device is being charged by the charging pad, the wireless communication link enabling access to services offered by the mobile telecommunications device;

a display for displaying an indication of the services offered by the mobile telecommunications device;

an input component for receiving the selection by a user of one of the displayed services; and

a controller coupled to the communication component and to the input component, wherein the controller receives a selection of a service by the user and allows the user to access the selected service offered by the mobile telecommunications device via the wireless communication link.

2. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the charging pad creates a varying magnetic field to induce a charging current in the mobile telecommunications device.

3. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the charging pad provides a charging current to the mobile telecommunications device when conductive contact is made between the mobile telecommunications device and the charging pad.

4. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the communication component communicates via a protocol selected from a set comprising Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee, ultra-wideband and infrared.

5. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the display is a touchscreen display and the input component detects the location of a touch by the user on the touchscreen display.

6. The charging station of claim 5, wherein the services are depicted as icons on the touchscreen display and the service is selected by detecting a touch of the user on the icon.

7. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the selected service is implemented on the mobile telecommunications device.

8. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the selected service is implemented remote from the mobile telecommunications device and accessed via the mobile telecommunications device.

9. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the selected service is accessed after the mobile telecommunications device has been charged.

10. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the selected service is a voice service.

11. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the selected service is a multimedia service.

12. The charging station of claim 1, wherein a portion of the selected service is implemented by the mobile telecommunications device and a portion of the selected service is implemented by the charging station.

13. A charging station for charging mobile devices, the charging station comprising:

a power supply;

a charging component coupled to the power supply, the charging component configured to charge a mobile device in proximity to the charging station via a cordless connection;

a communication component for establishing a wireless communication link with the mobile device while the mobile device is being charged by the charging component, the wireless communication link enabling access to one or more services offered by the mobile device;

a display for displaying an indication of the one or more services offered by the mobile device;

an input component for receiving the selection by a user of one of the displayed services; and

a controller coupled to the communication component and to the input component, wherein the controller receives a selection of a service from a user and accesses the selected service offered by the mobile device via the wireless communication link.

14. The charging station of claim 13, wherein the charging component is a charging pad.

15. The charging station of claim 14, wherein the charging pad creates a varying magnetic field to induce a charging current in the mobile device.

16. The charging station of claim 15, wherein the charging pad provides a charging current to the mobile device when conductive contact is made between the mobile device and the charging pad.

17. The charging station of claim 13, wherein the communication component communicates via a protocol selected from a set comprising Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee, ultra-wideband and infrared.

18. The charging station of claim 13, wherein the display is a touchscreen display and the input component detects the location of a touch by the user on the touchscreen display.

19. The charging station of claim 18, wherein at least one of the one or more services is depicted as an icon on the touchscreen display and the service is selected by detecting a touch of the user on the icon.

20. The charging station of claim 13, wherein the service is implemented on the mobile device.

21. The charging station of claim 13, wherein the service is implemented remote from the mobile device and accessed via the mobile device.

22. The charging station of claim 13, wherein the display is configured to display the selected service.

23. The charging station of claim 22, wherein the controller receives a selection of a second service from the user and accesses the selected second service on the mobile device via the wireless communication link, and wherein the display is configured to simultaneously display the selected first and second services.

24. The charging station of claim 13, wherein the selected service is accessed after the mobile device has been charged.

25. The charging station of claim 13, wherein the service is a voice communication service.

26. The charging station of claim 13, wherein the service is a multimedia service.

27. The charging station of claim 13, wherein the mobile device is a mobile telecommunications device.

28. The charging station of claim 13, wherein a portion of the selected service is implemented by the mobile device and a portion of the selected service is implemented by the charging station.

29. An apparatus for the remote access of a service offered by a mobile device while the mobile device is being charged, the apparatus comprising:

a charging component configured to charge a mobile device;

a communication component for establishing a wireless communication link with the mobile device while the mobile device is being charged by the charging component, the wireless communication link enabling access to a service offered by the mobile device; and

an interface component for receiving from a user a selection of a service offered by the mobile device, the interface component accessing the selected service on the mobile device via the wireless communication link and providing the service to the user, wherein the service is accessed from the apparatus using the mobile device.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the charging component is a charging pad.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the charging pad creates a varying magnetic field to induce a charging current in the mobile device.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the charging pad provides a charging current to the mobile device when conductive contact is made between the mobile device and the charging pad.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the communication component communicates via a protocol selected from a set comprising Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee, ultra-wideband and infrared.

34. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the interface component includes a touchscreen display and the touchscreen display is used by the user to select a service offered by the mobile device.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the service is depicted as an icon on the touchscreen display and the service is selected by detecting a touch of the user on the icon.

36. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the selected service is accessed after the mobile device has been charged.

37. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the service is a voice communication service.

38. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the service is a multimedia service.

39. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the mobile device is a mobile telecommunications device.

40. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the interface component further receives from the user one or more commands for controlling the service and transmits the commands to the mobile device via the wireless communication link.

41. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein a portion of the selected service is implemented by the mobile device and a portion of the selected service is implemented by the apparatus.