Cellular portable telephone battery pack and programmer interface

• US 5,155,860 A
• Filed: 10/12/1990
• Issued: 10/13/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GTE Mobilnet Service Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellular Communications Corporation
• Inventors: McClure, Dana W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Charouel, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US07/596,418
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 455/186, 455/89, 455/90, 455/347, 455/348, 455/349, 455/127, 455/343, 307/542, 307/343, 307/570, 361/15, 361/90, 361/111, 361/58, 379/412, 379/415, 379/61, 379/58
• US Class Current: 455/409
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment

Abstract

An apparatus that includes various connectors, a battery compartment, and a circuit card is disclosed. The apparatus serves as a battery pack and programmer interface unit (BP/PIU) which mates with a cellular portable telephone (CPT) transceiver to form a CPT assembly. The CPT assembly is specifically adapted for use in connection with an automated registration and registration cancellation system, such as that utilized in the management of rental CPTs. The battery compartment is enlarged so that rental CPT assemblies may be used for a reasonable rental period without requiring a battery recharge. Electrical circuits protect various ones of signals provided at a communications port of the CPT transceiver. Connectors are arranged to permit a CPT programmer to read and program CPT parameters without disassembling the CPT assembly.

Claims

1. A cellular portable telephone ("CPT") assembly having component parts capable of being assembled together and to a CPT programmer for providing an automated system which manages registration and registration cancellation of said CPT assembly by means of said CPT programmer, said CPT assembly comprising a programmable CPT transceiver and a battery pack and programmer interface unit ("BP/PIU"), said CPT transceiver and said BP/PIU including interface means by which said CPT transceiver and said BP/PIU are readily mechanically and electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to each other, and by which said BP/PIU and said CPT programmer are readily mechanically and electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to each other, said CPT transceiver being readily electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to said CPT programmer by being readily electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to said BP/PIU which is readily electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to said CPT programmer, said interface means for reading and reprogramming of said CPT transceiver by said CPT programmer through said BP/PIU and for routing a TRU DATA signal and a CMP DATA signal from said CPT transceiver through said BP/PIU to said CPT programmer.

2. The cellular portable telephone assembly of claim 1 wherein said BP/PIU includes unit walls having opposing sides configured to form, between said opposing sides, a compartment for batteries, and wherein said interface means includes a circuit board having an electrical interface circuit residing thereon, said circuit board being located between said opposing sides, out of said compartment, first connector means, extending through said unit walls, for electrically coupling said electrical interface circuit to said CPT transceiver, and second connector means, extending through said unit walls, for electrically coupling said electrical interface circuit to said CPT programmer.

3. The cellular portable telephone assembly of claim 2 wherein said BP/PIU further includes terminal means, located in said compartment, for receiving a positive and a negative voltage;

and

means, coupled to said terminal means and said circuit board, for electrically supplying said positive voltage to said circuit board.

4. The cellular portable telephone assembly of claim 3 wherein said interface means comprises an external communications port provided in a first predetermined number of connector pins which are arranged in a predetermined orientation on a back side of said CPT transceiver, said first connector means comprises said first predetermined number of connector pins arranged in said predetermined orientation and protruding outward from said unit walls, and said second connector means comprises a connector having fewer than said first predetermined number of connector pins.

5. The cellular portable telephone assembly of claim 4 wherein a first portion of said first connector means connector pins couples to said second connector means, and a second portion of said first connector means connector pins couples to said circuit board.

6. The cellular portable telephone assembly of claim 5 wherein said electrical interface circuit comprises:

first and second terminals adapted to receive positive and negative battery voltages, respectively;

a first active device having a first control input coupled to said first connector means and an output coupled to said second connector means;

a first protection means, coupled to said first active device output and to said first and second terminals to interface said TRU DATA signal to said CPT programmer, for preventing voltages experienced at said first active device output from becoming significantly greater than and from becoming significantly less than said positive and negative voltages, respectively;

a second active device having a second control input coupled to said first connector means and an output coupled to said second connector means; and

second protection means, coupled to said second active device output and to said first and second terminals to interface said CMP DATA signals to said CPT programmer, for preventing voltages experienced at said second active device output from becoming significantly greater than and from becoming significantly less than said positive and negative voltages, respectively.

7. The cellular portable telephone assembly of claim 6 wherein said electrical interface circuit additionally comprises:

two first capacitors each coupled between a respective one of said first and second active device outputs and one of said first and second terminals;

two second capacitors each coupled between a respective one of said first and second active device outputs and one of said first and second terminals;

two current limiting devices each coupled between a respective one of said first and second active device control inputs and said first connector means.

8. In an automated rental system which manages registration and registration cancellation of a cellular portable telephone ("CPT") assembly along with a multiplicity of like ones of said assembly wherein the improvement comprises, a CPT programmer, a programmable CPT transceiver and a battery pack and programmer interface unit ("BP/PIU"), said CPT transceiver, said BP/PIU and said CPT programmer including interface means by which said CPT transceiver and said BP/PIU are readily mechanically and electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to each other, and by which said BP/PIU and said CPT programmer are readily mechanically and electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to each other, said CPT transceiver being readily electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to said CPT programmer by being readily electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to said BP/PIU which is readily electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to said CPT programmer, said interface means for reading an electronic serial number and transmission call timers of said CPT transceiver, and for reprogramming a mobile identification number and system identification number of said CPT transceiver, by said CPT programmer through said BP/PIU, and for routing a TRU DATA signal and a CMP DATA signal from said CPT transceiver through said BP/PIU to said CPT programmer.

9. The automated rental system of claim 8 wherein said BP/PIU comprises a compartment for housing batteries, said compartment including a positive terminal for coupling to a positive voltage;

and further wherein said BP/PIU comprises;

first and second terminals adapted to receive positive and negative battery voltages, respectively, said first terminal being coupled to said positive terminal,

a first active device having a first control input adapted to receive a signal generated by a communications port of said CPT transceiver and having an output,

a first protection means, coupled to said first active device output and to said first and second terminals to interface said TRU DATA signals to said CPT programmer, for preventing voltages experienced at said first active device output from becoming significantly greater than and from becoming significantly less than said positive and negative voltages, respectively;

a second active device having a second control input adapted to receive a second signal generated by said communications port of said CPT transceiver and having an output; and

second protection means, coupled to said second active device output and to said first and second terminals to interface said CMP DATA signals to said CPT programmer, for preventing voltages experienced at said second active device output from becoming significantly greater than and from becoming significantly less than said positive and negative voltages, respectively.

10. The automated rental system of claim 9 wherein said BP/PIU additionally comprises:

two first capacitors each coupled between a respective one of said first and second active device outputs and one of said first and second terminals; and

two second capacitors each coupled between a respective one of said first and second active device control inputs and one of said first and second terminals.

11. A cellular portable telephone ("CPT") assembly having component parts capable of being assembled together and to a CPT programmer for providing an automated system which manages registration and registration cancellation of said CPT assembly along with multiplicity of like ones of said CPT programmer, said CPT assembly comprising a programmable CPT transceiver and a battery pack and programmer interface unit ("BP/PIU"), said CPT transceiver and said BP/PIU including interface means by which said CPT transceiver and said BP/PIU are readily mechanically and electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to each other, and by which said BP/PIU and said CPT programmer are readily mechanically and electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to each other, said CPT transceiver being readily electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to said CPT programmer by being readily electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to said BP/PIU which is readily electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to said CPT programmer, said interface means for reading and electronic serial number and transmission call timers of said CPT transceiver, and for reprogramming a mobile identification number and system identification number of said CPT transceiver, by said CPT programmer through said BP/PIU, and for routing a TRU DATA signal and a CMP DATA signal from said CPT transceiver through said BP/PIU to said CPT programmer.

12. The cellular portable telephone assembly of claim 11 wherein said CPT transceiver includes, at a back side thereof, an outwardly protruding antenna connector, an external communications port, and a set of electrical power contacts distally located from said external communications port;

and further wherein said ("BP/PIU") is coupled to said CPT transceiver at said back side thereof and comprises

unit walls having first and second opposing sides and having third and fourth opposing sides disposed between said first and second sides, said unit walls being configured to form, between said first, second, third, and fourth sides, a compartment for housing batteries,

terminal means, located in said compartment, for receiving a positive and a negative voltage, and

first connector means, extending through said first side, for electrically coupling said terminal means to said set of electrical power contacts;

a circuit board having an electrical interface circuit residing thereon, said circuit board being located between said first, second, third, and fourth sides,

second connector means, extending through said first side, for electrically coupling said electrical interface circuit to said CPT transceiver external communication port, and

third connector means, extending through one of said second, third, and fourth sides, for electrically coupling said electrical interface circuit to said CPT programmer.

13. The cellular portable telephone assembly of claim 12 wherein said BP/PIU additionally comprises means, coupled to said terminal means and to said circuit board, for electrically supplying said positive voltage to said circuit board.

14. In an automated rental system which manages registration cancellation of a cellular portable telephone ("CPT") assembly along with a multiplicity of like ones of said CPT assembly wherein the improvement comprises a CPT programmer, a programmable CPT transceiver and a battery pack and programmer interface unit ("BP/PIU"), said CPT transceiver, said BP/PIU and said CPT programmer including interface means by which said CPT transceiver and said BP/PIU are readily mechanically and electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to each other, and by which said BP/PIU and said CPT programmer are readily mechanically and electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to each other, said CPT transceiver being readily electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to said CPT programmer by being readily electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to said BP/PIU which is readily electrically connectable and disconnectable relative to said CPT programmer through said BP/PIU said interface means for reading and reprogramming of said CPT transceiver by said CPT programmer through said BP/PIU and for routing a TRU DATA signal and a CMP DATA signal from said a CPT transceiver through said BP/PIU to said CPT programmer.

15. The automated rental system of claim 14 wherein said interface means comprises an external communications port provided by a first predetermined number of connector pins which are arranged in a predetermined orientation on a back side thereof;

further wherein said BP/PIU is coupled to said CPT transceiver at said back side thereof and comprises unit walls having first and second opposing sides and having third and fourth opposing sides disposed between said first and second sides, said unit walls being configured to form, between said first, second, third, and fourth sides, a compartment for housing batteries;

further wherein said interface means comprises a circuit board having an electrical interface circuit residing thereon, said circuit board being located between said first, second, third, and fourth sides, first connector means, extending through said first side, for electrically coupling said electrical interface circuit to a first portion of said first predetermined number of connector pins of said CPT transceiver external communications port, and second connector means, extending through one of said second, third, and fourth sides, for electrically coupling said electrical interface circuit to said CPT programmer; and

further wherein said BP/PIU comprises means, coupled to said first connector means and to said second connector means, for routing a second portion of said first predetermined number of connector pins of said CPT transceiver external communications port to said CPT programmer.

16. The automated rental system of claim 15 wherein said first connector means comprises said first predetermined number of connector pins arranged in said predetermined orientation and protruding outward from said BP/PIU;

and

said second connector means comprises a connector having fewer than said first predetermined number of connector pins.

17. The automated rental system of claim 16 wherein said BP/PIU additionally comprises:

terminal means, located in said battery-housing compartment, for receiving a positive and a negative voltage; and

means, coupled to said terminal means and said circuit board, for electrically supplying said positive voltage to said circuit board.

18. The automated rental system of claim 17 wherein said interface means comprises:

first and second terminals adapted to receive positive and negative battery voltages, respectively;

a first active device having a first control input coupled through said first connector means to said first portion of said CPT transceiver external communications port connector pins and having an output coupled to said second connector means; and

first protection means, coupled to said first active device output and to said first and second terminals to interface said TRU DATA signals to said CPT programmer, for preventing voltages experienced at said first active device output from becoming significantly greater than and from becoming significantly less than said positive and negative voltages, respectively.

19. The automated rental system of claim 18 wherein said interface means additionally comprises:

a second active device having a second control input coupled through said first connector means to said first portion of said CPT transceiver external communications port connector pins and having an output coupled to said second connector means; and

second protection means, coupled to said second active device output and to said first and second terminals to interface said CMP DATA signals to said CPT programming, for preventing voltages experienced at said second active device output from becoming significantly greater than and from becoming significantly less than said positive and negative voltages, respectively.

20. The automated rental system of claim 19 wherein said interface means additionally comprises:

two first capacitors each coupled between a respective one of said first and second active device outputs and one of said first and second terminals;

two second capacitors each coupled between a respective one of said first and second active device control inputs and one of said first and second terminals; and

two current limiting devices each coupled between a respective one of said first and second active device control inputs and said first connector means.