INFORMATION SYSTEM WITH DETACHABLE INFORMATION MODULE

• US 20110077050A1
• Filed: 12/10/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Infanti, James C., Postma, Jessica, Lazaridis, Mihal, Griffin, Jason T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,099,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• 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: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/006 Call diverting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/02 Constructional features of telephone sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0289 Telephone sets for operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0295 Mechanical mounting details of display modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2471 Configurable and interactive telephone terminals with subscriber controlled features modifications, e.g. with ADSI capability [Analog Display Services Interface] systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers H04M3/42; administration or customization of services H04M3/42136; by downloading data to substation equipment H04M3/42178
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/275 implemented by means of portable electronic directories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/656 for recording conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 : Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A unitary handheld portable module includes a keypad for entering data and a display for displaying data. A base module is configured to be coupled with and communicate through a telephone line and includes a keypad for dialing a telephone number and a display for displaying information. The portable and base modules are configured to have a mounted configuration in which the portable module is removably mounted on the base module and covers the base module'"'"'s display, and the modules communicate with each other for the portable module'"'"'s display to display information relating to operation of the base module.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a unitary handheld portable module including a keypad for entering data and a display for displaying data; and

a base module configured to be coupled with and communicate through a telephone line and including a keypad for dialing a telephone number and a display for displaying information;

the portable and base modules being configured to have a mounted configuration in which the portable module is removably mounted on the base module and covers the base module'"'"'s display, and the modules communicate with each other for the portable module'"'"'s display to display information relating to operation of the base module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, in the mounted configuration, the portable module covers the base module'"'"'s keypad

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, in the mounted configuration, the portable module controls operation of the portable module'"'"'s display.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, in the mounted configuration, the portable module has access to functions and features of the base module.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, in the mounted configuration, the base module has access to functions and features of the portable module.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, in the mounted configuration, the base module controls operation of the portable module'"'"'s display

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, in the mounted configuration, the base module is configured to place phone calls based on contact data stored in the portable module.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base module is configured to automatically return a call received by the portable module when the portable module is mounted on the base telephone.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the portable module is a cell phone.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, in the mounted configuration, the modules communicate with each other wirelessly and can communicate with each other wirelessly even when the portable module is not mounted on the base module.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, in the mounted configuration, the modules communicate with each other through a coupled serial connection.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base module includes a cavity in which the base module'"'"'s display is located and which receives the portable module in the mounted configuration.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a base telephone configured for wired communication through a telephone line; and

a portable telephone configured for wireless communication through a wireless network;

the telephones being configured such that when a call is in progress through the portable telephone, mounting the portable telephone on the base telephone redirects the call to the base telephone for a user to continue the in-progress call using the base telephone.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein, as the redirected call is continued through the base telephone, the redirected call is communicated over the wireless network through the portable telephone to the base telephone.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said mounting of the portable telephone on the base telephone yields a mounted configuration in which the portable telephone covers a display of the base telephone and a display of the portable module displays information relating to operation of the base module.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

a telephone network for handling base-telephone-directed calls, which are calls directed by callers to the base telephone, and a wireless network for handling portable telephone directed calls, which are calls directed by callers to the portable telephone; and

a gateway through which the networks communicate with each other;

the telephones and the networks and the gateway being together configured;

to direct the base telephone directed calls to the base telephone;

to route the portable telephone directed calls to the portable telephone when the portable telephone is not mounted on the base telephone;

in response to receiving a wireless control signal indicating the portable telephone is mounted on the base telephone, to re-route the portable telephone directed calls to the base telephone; and

to switch from routing a portable-telephone-directed call to the portable telephone to re-routing it to the base telephone even while the call is in progress in response to the network receiving the control signal indicating the portable telephone has been mounted on the base telephone while the call is in progress.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the control signal is transmitted by the portable telephone to the network.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the control signal is transmitted by the base telephone to the network.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a base telephone configured for wired communication through a telephone line; and

a portable telephone configured for wireless communication through a wireless network;

the telephones being configured such that mounting the portable telephone on the base telephone enables a wireless phone call to be communicated through both the wireless network and the portable telephone to the base telephone, for a user to conduct the wireless phone call using the base telephone.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said mounting of the portable telephone on the base telephone yields a mounted configuration in which the portable telephone covers a display of the base telephone and a display of the portable module displays information relating to operation of the base module.