Apparatus incorporating a cellular telephone

• US 5,586,168 A
• Filed: 10/05/1994
• Issued: 12/17/1996
• 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: Kash, Peter M., Bucalo, Louis R., Bucalo, Brian D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chernoff, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US08/318,127
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 379/426, 379/449, 379/452, 379/455, 379/428, 379/453, 379/437, 379/438, 379/58, 379/59, 379/61, 455/89, 455/90, 455/54.1, 455/11.1, 455/127, 455/99, 455/20
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• 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 having at least two pieces that are separated or separable such that the cellular antenna may be situated at a distance from the user during use. The cellular telephone apparatus has a cellular antenna which communicates with the user microphone and speaker via either a cordless phone type radio link or a cord. High frequency, electromagnetic radiation emitted from the cellular antenna is thereby substantially diminished by the time it reaches the phone user. The apparatus may include 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, a cellular antenna coupled to the base unit, a dial pad arranged on an exterior wall of the carrying case, and either a speaker phone unit arranged on the exterior wall of the carrying case, a communications unit coupled to the base unit so that the communications unit is positionable during use at a position away from the cellular antenna which is situated at the carrying case. The communications unit may be either a handset/microphone unit or a headset/microphone unit.

Claims

1. Cellular telephone apparatus, comprising:

a portable carrying case including means defining a substantially open 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;

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 dial pad arranged on an exterior wall of said carrying case and connected to said base unit;

a communications unit having an earpiece and a mouthpiece; and

means for coupling said base unit and said communications unit into communication with each other with said communications unit 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 are situated outside of said carrying case.

4. Cellular telephone apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said antenna means are 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 communications unit and said second end being connected to said base unit.

7. 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.

8. Cellular telephone apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said carrying case has an open position in which said interior space is accessible and a closed position, further comprising means for enabling the removal of said communications unit from said carrying case when said carrying case is in said closed position, said means comprising an opening formed in said carrying case communicating between said interior space thereof and the exterior, said communications unit being structured and arranged to pass through said opening.

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

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

11. Cellular telephone apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a cover attached to said exterior wall to cover said dial pad and/or said communications unit.

12. Cellular telephone apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said coupling means comprise a radio link including transmitter and receiver means coupled to said base unit and said communications unit.

13. Cellular telephone apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said communications unit is selected from the group consisting of a handset/microphone unit and a headset/microphone unit.

14. Cellular telephone apparatus, comprising:

a portable carrying case including means defining a substantially open 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;

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 dial pad arranged on an exterior wall of said carrying case and connected to said base unit;

a speakerphone unit comprising voice receiving means and voice transmission means; and

means for coupling said base unit and said speakerphone unit into communication with each other.

15. Cellular telephone apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said speakerphone unit is arranged on said exterior wall of said carrying case.

16. Cellular telephone apparatus as recited in claim 14, further comprising a cover attached to said exterior wall to cover said dial pad and/or said speakerphone unit.