Mobile phone and interface configuration in a mobile phone

• US 5,903,850 A
• Filed: 05/22/1997
• Issued: 05/11/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Huttunen, Timo, Lonka, Pekka
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, DORIS HA
• Application Number:
  US08/849,085
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550, 455/557, 455/566, 455/567, 455/568, 455/569, 455/571, 455/572, 455/575, 455/90, 455/95, 455/127, 455/128, 455/99, 455/344, 455/345, 455/346, 455/347, 455/349, 455/35 1, 379/455, 379/454, 379/449, 379/446, 379/431, 379/432, 379/428
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241

Abstract

The invention relates to a mobile phone (1) and specifically to an interface for connecting external signals received from and transmitted to external devices to the mobile phone, and to an interface configuration for connecting the mobile phone to external signals. In the mobile phone of the invention, external digital signals are basically received and transmitted over a coaxial line (6) connected to an RF signal connector (3). In the interface configuration of the invention an interface unit (31) is provided at one end of the coaxial line (6), the interface unit controlling the transmission of external signals connected to connectors (35, 60, 61a, 61b, 61c) over the coaxial line (6) between the mobile phone (1) and the external devices. In one embodiment of the invention power supply to the mobile phone also takes place over the RF connector (3) and the coaxial line (6) connected to this.

Claims

1. A mobile phone comprising:

an RF signal interface containing a connector (3), over which input and output RF signals pass on a single coaxial conductor (6) connected to the connector (3), and

one or more interfaces for at least some of digital input and output signals, comprising audio signals, control signals and data signals,

characterised in that digital signal interfaces are connected to the RF signal interface such that the digital input and output signals are received and transmitted through the connector (3) also over said same coaxial conductor (6) over which said input and output RF signals pass,

further characterised in that the digital input and output signals, when transferred on the coaxial conductor (6), are modulated onto a second carrier wave that is separate from first carrier waves that comprise said input and output RF signals.

2. A mobile phone as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the frequency of the second carrier wave is within the range of 1 to 5 MHz.

3. A mobile phone as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the digital input and output signals are transferred on the coaxial conductor (6) in a message form.

4. A mobile phone as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising:

means (21, 22, 23, 24,

     25) for separating RF signals from digital signals passing to the connector (3) on the coaxial conductor and

means (13) for receiving and separating digital signals and for transmitting digital signals.

5. A mobile phone as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the means for separating RF signals from the digital signals comprise a quarter-wave transmission line (21) and a capacitor (25) to prevent RF signals from reaching the line (10) for digital signals.

6. A mobile phone as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the means (13) for receiving and separating digital signals and for transmitting digital signals include:

control means (71) for controlling transmission and reception,

modulating means (73) for modulating digital signals to be transmitted onto the second carrier wave,

demodulating means (74) for demodulating received digital signals,

buffer means (72,

     75), respectively, for digital signals to be transmitted and for digital signals to be received, and

means (76) for sensing the state of the interface for the purpose of controlling transmission and reception.

7. A mobile phone as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising a DC interface for providing a direct current supply to the mobile phone, characterised in that the DC interface is also connected to the RF signal interface such that direct current is supplied through the connector (3) included in the RF signal interface and the coaxial conductor (6) connected to the connector.

8. A mobile phone as claimed in claim 7, and further comprising means (26, 27) for separating supplied direct current from RF signals and digital signals.

9. An interface configuration for connecting a mobile phone to external output and input signals, comprising external RF signals and external audio signals, control signals and data signals, characterised in that an interface unit (31) is connected to an end of a single coaxial conductor (6) opposite to the mobile phone, the interface unit comprising:

means (51, 52, 53, 54,

     55) for separating RF signals and digital signals both of which are received on the same coaxial conductor (6),

means (43) for receiving and separating digital signals coming from the coaxial conductor (6) and for transmitting digital signals to the coaxial conductor,

a physical interface (35) for RF signals,

physical interfaces (61) for external input and output signals, comprising output and input audio signals, control signals and data signals corresponding to the digital signals, and

means (42) for processing and controlling external input signals passing between the physical interfaces (61), and the means (43) for transmitting and receiving digital signals, into corresponding digital input signals, and for processing digital output signals into corresponding external output signals,

wherein the digital input and output signals, when transferred on the coaxial conductor (6), are modulated onto a second carrier wave that is separate from first carrier waves that comprise said RF signals.

10. An interface configuration as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that the interface unit (31) further comprises:

a physical interface (60) for receiving supply current for current fed into the mobile phone,

means (58,

     41) for processing received supply current into direct current to be supplied to the mobile phone and

means (56,

     57) for filtering direct current supplied to the mobile phone and for also feeding the filtered direct current into the same coaxial conductor (6) that conveys the RF signals and the digital signals.

11. A mobile phone, comprising:

an external RF signal interface through which input and output RF signals pass over an external RF conductor, the RF signals having frequencies within a transmission and reception band of the mobile phone; and

an external digital interface for inputting and outputting digital signals, said digital signals being input and output over said same external RF conductor as said RF signals, and being modulated onto a carrier having a frequency that differs from frequencies within said transmission and reception band, said digital signals being modulated onto said carrier for the purpose of transmission through said RF conductor.

12. A mobile phone as in claim 11, and further comprising a power interface for coupling DC operating power into said mobile phone, the DC operating power being input to said mobile phone over said same external RF conductor as said RF signals and said digital signals.

13. A mobile phone as in claim 11, wherein said external RF conductor is comprised of a coaxial cable.