Apparatus incorporating a cellular telephone

• US 5,444,778 A
• Filed: 06/25/1993
• Issued: 08/22/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brian D. Bucalo, Louis R. Bucalo, Peter M. Kash
• Original Assignee: Brian D. Bucalo, Louis R. Bucalo, Peter M. Kash
• Inventors: Bucalo, Louis R., Kash, Peter M., Bucalo, Brian D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Application Number:
  US08/083,062
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 379/426, 379/449, 379/451, 379/455, 379/428, 379/453, 379/437, 379/438, 455/89, 455/90
• US Class Current: 379/453
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 15/00 Purses, bags, luggage or other receptacles covered by groups A45C1/00 - A45C11/00, combined with other objects or articles A45C1/08, A45C3/14, A45C11/321, A45C13/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3827 Portable transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/02 Constructional features of telephone sets

Abstract

Cellular telephone apparatus comprise a portable carrying case, such as a conventional attache case to provide the utility of a business briefcase, a cellular telephone base unit situated within an interior space of the carrying case, an antenna coupled to the base unit, a hand-held receiver, and either a cable or radio link coupling the base unit and hand-held receiver with each other so that the receiver is positionable during use at a position which is spaced away from the antenna which is situated at the carrying case. High frequency, electromagnetic radiation emitted from the antenna is substantially attenuated by the time it reaches the user of the cellular telephone.

Claims

1. Cellular telephone apparatus, comprising:

a portable carrying case including means defining an interior space and means for opening and closing said interior space, said means defining said interior space including a back wall, said interior space of said carrying case encompassing substantially the entire interior of said carrying case, said carrying case having an open position in which said interior space is accessible and a closed position;

a cellular telephone base unit including cellular telephone circuitry means and a power source for operating said circuitry means, said cellular telephone base unit being situated and fixed against said back wall or within said means defining said interior space such that said cellular telephone base unit does not occupy a significant portion of said interior space;

antenna means coupled to said base unit at said carrying case;

a hand-held receiver situated in said interior space of said carrying case, said carrying case including means for enabling removal of said receiver from said carrying case when said carrying case is in said closed position, said enabling means comprising an opening formed in said carrying case communicating between said interior space and an exterior of said carrying case, said receiver being adapted to pass through said opening; and

means for spacing and coupling said base unit and said hand-held receiver from and into communication with each other through said opening with said receiver removed from said carrying case through said opening and positionable during use spaced away from said antenna means of said carrying case.

2. Cellular telephone apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said antenna means are situated within said interior space of said carrying case.

3. Cellular telephone apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said antenna means is situated outside of said interior space of said carrying case.

4. Cellular telephone apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said antenna means is situated within a wall of said carrying case.

5. Cellular telephone apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said portable carrying case comprises a business briefcase thereby providing all the utility of a business briefcase and includes a bottom case member and a cover member hingedly connected to said bottom case member.

6. Cellular telephone apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said coupling means comprise an elongate flexible cable having first and second ends, said first end being coupled to said base unit and said second end being connected to said receiver.

7. Cellular telephone apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said flexible cable has a length in the range of about between 3 to 10 feet.

8. Cellular telephone apparatus as recited in claim 6 further including a reel device fixed within said carrying case for storing said flexible cable during non-use of said telephone apparatus and for paying out said flexible cable during use.

9. Cellular telephone apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said receiver is stored in a compartment formed in a wall of said carrying case.

10. Cellular telephone apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said hand-held receiver is situated within said interior space of said portable carrying case during non-use of said telephone apparatus.

11. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said coupling means comprise a radio link including transmitter and receiver means coupled to said receiver and base unit.

12. Cellular telephone apparatus, comprising:

a portable carrying case comprising means defining an interior space, said means defining said interior space including a back wall, said carrying case having an open position in which said interior space is exposed and a closed position, said carrying case further comprising an exterior surface having an aperture therein;

a hand-held receiver, said receiver being removable and separable from said carrying case through said aperture in said exterior surface of said carrying case when said carrying case is in said closed position;

a cellular telephone base unit including cellular telephone circuitry means and a power source for operating said circuitry means, said cellular telephone base unit being situated and fixed against said back wall or within said means defining said interior space such that said cellular telephone base unit does not occupy a significant portion of said interior space;

antenna means coupled to said base unit at said carrying case; and

means for coupling said base unit and said receiver into communication with each other via said aperture with said receiver removed from said carrying case through said opening and positionable during use spaced away from said antenna means of said carrying case.