MOBILE DEVICE DOCK

• US 20140173155A1
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: SLATTERY, Ethan
• Granted Patent: US 8,996,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/303
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer

Abstract

A transportation system includes a passenger vehicle, a mobile device, and a mobile device dock that couples the mobile device to the passenger vehicle. The mobile device dock includes a base coupled to the passenger vehicle and a cradle configured to receive the mobile device. The cradle is coupled to the base to move relative to the base.

Claims

1. A mobile device dock comprising

a base,

a cradle formed to include a compartment sized to receive a mobile device, the cradle coupled to the base for movement from a home position to a first input position relative to the base in response to a user input force being applied to the cradle,

a sensor unit coupled to the base and configured to detect movement of the cradle from the home position to the first input position, and

return means for creating a haptic feedback force, opposite the user input force, in response to the user input force being applied to the cradle so that a user applying the user input force feels the haptic feedback force during movement of the cradle from the home position to the first input position and so that the cradle moves back to the home position from the first input position when the user input force is removed from the cradle.

2. The mobile device dock of claim 1, wherein the return means includes a bias member coupled to the base and to the cradle.

3. The mobile device dock of claim 2, wherein the base includes a floor and a plurality of side walls arranged to extend up from the floor to form a base cavity, and the bias member is arranged inside the base cavity.

4. The mobile device dock of claim 3, wherein the cradle includes a lower panel and a plurality of side panels arranged to extend up from the lower panel to form the compartment, and the bias member extends from at least one of the side walls of the base to at least one of the side panels of the cradle.

5. The mobile device dock of claim 4, wherein the bias member includes an elastic flange that extends from the side walls of the base to the side panels of the cradle.

6. The mobile device dock of claim 1, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement about a first pivot axis, and the cradle rotates about the first pivot axis to move from the home position to the first input position.

7. The mobile device dock of claim 6, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement along a translation axis, the cradle slides along the translation axis from the home position to a second input position, and the sensor unit is configured to detect movement of the cradle from the home position to the second input position.

8. The mobile device dock of claim 7, wherein the bias member is coupled to the base and to the cradle and is arranged to bias the cradle to the home position from the second input position to the home position.

9. The mobile device dock of claim 6, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement about a second pivot axis, orthogonal to the first pivot axis, the cradle rotates about the second pivot axis from the home position to a second input position, and the sensor unit is configured to detect movement of the cradle from the home position to the second input position.

10. The mobile device dock of claim 9, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement about a third pivot axis, orthogonal to the first pivot axis and to the second pivot axis, the cradle rotates about the third pivot axis from the home position to a third input position, and the sensor unit is configured to detect movement of the cradle from the home position to the third input position.

11. A mobile device dock comprising

a base to be coupled to a passenger vehicle,

a cradle formed to include a compartment sized to receive a mobile device and coupled to the base for movement from a home position to a first input position, and

a sensor unit that is coupled to the base,

wherein the sensor unit is configured to detect movement of the cradle from the home position to the first input position and to generate a first signal in response to movement of the cradle from the home position to the first input position.

12. The mobile device dock of claim 11, wherein the cradle is biased toward the home position to create haptic feedback in response to movement of the cradle between the home position and the first input position.

13. The mobile device dock of claim 11, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement to a second input position.

14. The mobile device dock of claim 13, wherein the sensor is configured to detect movement of the cradle to the second input position and to generate a second signal in response to movement of the cradle to the second input position.

15. The mobile device dock of claim 14, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement about a first pivot axis relative to the base.

16. The mobile device dock of claim 15, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement about a second pivot axis, orthogonal to the first pivot axis, relative to the base.

17. The mobile device dock of claim 15, wherein the cradle moves about the first pivot axis to move between the home position, the first input position, and the second input position.

18. The mobile device dock of claim 17, wherein the cradle moves in a first direction about the first pivot axis from the home position to the first input position.

19. The mobile device dock of claim 18, wherein the cradle moves in a second direction, opposite the first direction, about the first pivot axis from the home position to the second input position.

20. The mobile device dock of claim 11, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement along a translation axis relative to the base.

21. The mobile device dock of claim 20, wherein the home position and the first input position are spaced apart along the translation axis.

22. The mobile device dock of claim 21, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement to a second input position.

23. The mobile device dock of claim 22, wherein the sensor unit is configured to detect movement of the cradle to the second input position and to generate a second signal in response to movement of the cradle to the second input position.

24. The mobile device dock of claim 23, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement about a first pivot axis relative to the base.

25. The mobile device dock of claim 24, wherein the cradle moves about the first pivot axis to move between the home position and the second input position.

26. The mobile device dock of claim 25, wherein the translation axis is orthogonal to the first pivot axis.

27. The mobile device dock of claim 25, wherein the translation axis is parallel to the first pivot axis.

28. The mobile device dock of claim 27, wherein the translation axis is collinear with the first pivot axis.

29. A mobile device dock comprising

a base to be coupled to a passenger vehicle,

a cradle formed to include a compartment sized to receive a mobile device and coupled to the base for movement relative to the base from a home position to a first input position in response to a force being applied to the cradle, and

a bias element coupled to the base and to the cradle to bias the cradle toward the home position.

30. The mobile device dock of claim 29, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement from the home position to the first input position via rotation about a first pivot axis.

31. The mobile device dock of claim 30, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement from the home position to a second input position via rotation about a second pivot axis orthogonal to the first pivot axis.

32. The mobile device dock of claim 31, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement from the home position to a third input position via rotation about a third pivot axis that is orthogonal to the first pivot axis and to the second pivot axis.

33. The mobile device dock of claim 32, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement from the home position to a fourth input position via translation along a translation axis.

34. The mobile device dock of claim 33, further comprising a sensor unit coupled to the base and configured to detect movement of the cradle to one of the first input position, the second input position, the third input position, and the fourth input position.

35. The mobile device dock of claim 29, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement from the home position to the first input position via translation along a translation axis.

36. The mobile device dock of claim 35, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement from the home position to a second position via rotation about a first pivot axis.

37. The mobile device dock of claim 36, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement from the home position to a third input position via rotation about a second pivot axis orthogonal to the first pivot axis.

38. The mobile device dock of claim 36, wherein the translation axis is parallel to the first pivot axis and is orthogonal to the second pivot axis.

39. The mobile device dock of claim 38, wherein the translation axis is collinear with the first pivot axis.

40. A transportation system comprising

a mobile device dock including a base, a cradle coupled to the base for movement from a home position to a first input position, and a sensor unit coupled to the base, and

and a mobile device received in the cradle and coupled to the sensor unit for communication with the sensor unit,

wherein the sensor unit is configured to detect movement of the cradle from the home position to the first input position and to send a first signal to the mobile device in response to movement of the cradle from the home position to the first input position.

41. The transportation system of claim 40, wherein the cradle is biased toward the home position to create haptic feedback in response to movement of the cradle.

42. The transportation system of claim 41, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement about a first pivot axis relative to the base, and the cradle moves about the first pivot axis to move between the home position and the first input position.

43. The transportation system of claim 41, wherein the cradle is coupled to the base for movement along a translation axis relative to the base, and the cradle moves along the translation axis to move between the home position and the first input position.

44. The transportation system of claim 41, further comprising an auxiliary vehicle system including a device, a controller coupled to the device, and a transceiver coupled to the controller and in communication with the mobile device.