Cordless telephone set having a warning signal representing that a storage battery is not being charged

• US 5,479,486 A
• Filed: 03/14/1994
• Issued: 12/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Saji, Mitsuroh
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US08/212,713
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 307/11, 320/2, 379/38, 379/58, 379/61, 379/62, 455/34.1, 455/54.1, 455/73, 455/343
• US Class Current: 455/573
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/19 Charger status, e.g. voltmeter

Abstract

When the contacts are electrically disconnected under a condition where a handset is set in a concave of a charging stand, the output of a connection condition detecting circuit is of low level. Then, an inverted output thereof, that is, a high-level output is provided through an inverter to one input terminal of an AND circuit, and a switch is closed by the weight of the handset, so that a high-level output is provided also to the other input terminal of the AND circuit. Then, a logical product output of the AND circuit is of high level. As a result, a warning buzzer generates a warning sound to attract the user'"'"'s attention.

Claims

1. A cordless telephone set comprising:

a cordless telephone apparatus having a storage battery and a first contact to which the storage battery is connected;

a charging apparatus having a portion for setting the cordless telephone apparatus, said charging apparatus charging the storage battery of the cordless telephone apparatus set in the portion;

a second contact provided at the setting portion so as to correspond to the first contact of the cordless telephone apparatus;

setting detecting means provided at the setting portion for detecting whether the cordless telephone apparatus is set in the setting portion or not;

connection condition detecting means for detecting whether the first contact and the second contact are electrically connected or not;

charging detecting means for detecting whether the storage battery is being charged or not based on a detection output of the setting detection means and a detection output of the connection condition detecting means;

a circuit for outputting a warning signal when a signal representing that the storage battery is not being charged is outputted from the charging detecting means under a condition where the cordless telephone apparatus is set in the setting portion; and

warning providing means for providing a warning based on the warning signal.

2. A cordless telephone set according to claim 1, wherein said charging apparatus functions as a stand for setting the cordless telephone apparatus.

3. A cordless telephone set according to claim 2, wherein said setting portion is a concave which admits a bottom of the cordless telephone apparatus.

4. A cordless telephone set according to claim 3, wherein said setting detecting means includes a switch which projects from and retracts into the concave.

5. A cordless telephone set according to claim 1, wherein said warning providing means is a buzzer.

6. A cordless telephone set according to claim 1, wherein said warning providing means is a warning indicating lamp.

7. A cordless telephone set according to claim 1, further comprising:

charging condition detecting means for detecting whether charging is being performed or completed by sensing a value of a charging current;

charging condition displaying means; and

controlling means for causing the charging condition displaying means to provide different displays between when charging is being performed and when charging is completed based on an output of the charging condition detecting means.

8. A cordless telephone set according to claim 7, wherein said charging condition displaying means blinks when charging is being performed, and is continuously on when charging is completed.

9. A cordless telephone set where a storage battery incorporated in a cordless telephone apparatus is charged by setting the cordless telephone apparatus in a predetermined portion of a charging apparatus, wherein said cordless telephone apparatus comprising a pair of first contacts connected to two electrodes of the storage battery and said charging apparatus comprises:

a pair of second contacts corresponding to the pair of first contacts so as to come into contact with the pair of the first contacts, said second contacts being connected to a power source;

a connection condition detecting circuit connected between the pair of the second contacts for detecting whether the pair of the second contacts are electrically connected or not;

a setting detecting switch connected to one of the second contacts, said setting detecting switch being driven by the cordless telephone apparatus when the cordless telephone apparatus is set in the charging apparatus;

a logic circuit for generating a predetermined output when the cordless telephone apparatus is set and the second contacts are not electrically connected based on an output of the connection condition detecting circuit and an output of the setting detecting switch; and

a warning indicator driven based on an output of the logic circuit.