UNIVERSAL DOCK AND CABLE

• US 20130225096A1
• Filed: 02/28/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Elter, James, Andrada, Mauricio, Hwang, Yeharn
• Granted Patent: US 9,167,064 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/74.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72 Mobile telephones; Cordless telephones, i.e. devices for establishing wireless links to base stations without route selection

Abstract

A docking station, method, and system are disclosed including a universal dock and connection cable to establish a network connection between a mobile device and a local data network such as an enterprise Private Branch Exchange (PBX). The cable connection is reconfigurable within so that the docking station can receive a mobile communications device in different orientations. Sliding tiles within the universal dock may be repositioned for different locations of the connection cable. USB and micro-USB cable connections are described.

Claims

1. A docking station configured to establish a connection between a mobile communications device and a network, the docking station comprising:

a housing with a universal dock configured to receive a mobile communications device in a plurality of orientations, wherein the universal dock includes a plurality of movable tiles; and

a cable connection movably disposed within the universal dock and configured to provide a physical interface with the mobile communications device, wherein the physical interface is suitable for a network connection.

2. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the cable connection comprises a USB connection.

3. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the cable connection comprises a micro-USB connection.

4. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tiles are slideably disposed within the universal dock.

5. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the cable connections comprise a connection cable having first and second ends, each end having a cable connection.

6. The docking station of claim 1, further comprising a cradle disposed adjacent the universal dock and configured to support a mobile communications device positioned within the universal dock.

7. The docking station of claim 1, further comprising a second cable connection moveably disposed within the universal dock.

8. A method comprising:

positioning a cable connection at a desired location within a docking station;

configuring a mobile communications device having a cable connection, corresponding to the cable connection in the docking station, at a desired orientation; and

connecting the mobile communications device to the docking station by the respective cable connections.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising establishing a network connection between the mobile communications device and a local network.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the cable connection comprises a USB connection.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the cable connection comprises a micro-USB connection.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

disconnecting the mobile communications device from the docking station by the respective cable connections;

repositioning the cable connection at a different location within the docking station;

reconfiguring the mobile communications device in a different orientation; and

reconnecting the mobile communications device in the different orientation to the docking station by the respective cable connections.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising establishing a network connection between the mobile communications device and a local network.

14. A system comprising:

a docking station housing with a universal dock configured to receive a mobile communications device in a plurality of orientations, wherein the universal dock includes a plurality of movable tiles;

a cable connection movably disposed within the universal dock and configured to provide a physical interface with the mobile communications device, wherein the physical interface is suitable for a network connection; and

a mobile communications device a having a cable connection, corresponding to the cable connection in the docking station.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the cable connection comprises a USB connection.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the cable connection comprises a micro-USB connection.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the mobile communications device is configured to use the Android operating system.