Exchangeable hardware module for radiotelephone
First Claim
1. A mobile telephone adaptable to a variety of specialized capabilities comprising:
- a main unit having a contoured outer surface and including an operating system for operation of the mobile telephone;
an accessory unit including a casing having a contoured outer surface and containing specialized electronic component means, said casing being selectively releasably attachable to said main unit which, when attached to said main unit, generally conforms to said outer surface of said main unit and lies generally within the profile of said main unit when attached thereto;
interface means including an antenna interface on said main unit and on said accessory unit mutually engageable when said accessory unit is attached to said main unit for electrically interconnecting said specialized electronic component means with said operating system;
said specialized electronic component means including;
an antenna sheath integral with said casing projecting in a direction away from said outer surface thereof generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said main unit when said accessory unit is attached thereto;
a helical antenna mounted within said antenna sheath and generally aligned therewith;
an antenna feed in electrical continuity with said helical antenna and engageable with said antenna interface when said casing is attached to said main unit;
an antenna lead electrically connecting said helical antenna to said antenna feed; and
a retractable whip antenna concentrically aligned with said helical antenna and mounted on said casing for movement between a retracted position and an extended position, said whip antenna including a contact member disengaged from said antenna lead when said whip antenna is in the retracted position and engaged with said antenna lead when said whip antenna is in the extended position.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile telephone adaptable to a variety of specialized capabilities comprises a main unit and a plurality of accessory units, each capable of a different specialized function, each being selectively attachable to the main unit. The main unit has a contoured outer surface and an operating system for operation of the mobile telephone and each accessory unit includes a casing having a contoured outer surface containing specialized electronic components. The casing is selectively releasably attachable to the main unit which, when attached to the main unit, generally conforms to the outer surface of the main unit and lies generally within the profile of the main unit when attached to it. Interface contacts on the main unit and on the accessory unit are mutually engageable when the accessory unit is attached to the main unit for electrically interconnecting the specialized electronic components with the operating system. An attachment device is fixed on the outer surface of the casing for releasable attachment to an article of clothing worn by a user. The interface contacts include an antenna interface, an internal data bus, a battery power interface, and a regulated power interface. The accessory units may include an alarm system, a helical antenna with or without a complementary whip antenna, a flat profile antenna with or without a complementary whip antenna, a dual band antenna with or without filtering, a diversity antenna, and an accessory battery module.
87 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A mobile telephone adaptable to a variety of specialized capabilities comprising:
-
a main unit having a contoured outer surface and including an operating system for operation of the mobile telephone; an accessory unit including a casing having a contoured outer surface and containing specialized electronic component means, said casing being selectively releasably attachable to said main unit which, when attached to said main unit, generally conforms to said outer surface of said main unit and lies generally within the profile of said main unit when attached thereto; interface means including an antenna interface on said main unit and on said accessory unit mutually engageable when said accessory unit is attached to said main unit for electrically interconnecting said specialized electronic component means with said operating system; said specialized electronic component means including; an antenna sheath integral with said casing projecting in a direction away from said outer surface thereof generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said main unit when said accessory unit is attached thereto; a helical antenna mounted within said antenna sheath and generally aligned therewith; an antenna feed in electrical continuity with said helical antenna and engageable with said antenna interface when said casing is attached to said main unit; an antenna lead electrically connecting said helical antenna to said antenna feed; and a retractable whip antenna concentrically aligned with said helical antenna and mounted on said casing for movement between a retracted position and an extended position, said whip antenna including a contact member disengaged from said antenna lead when said whip antenna is in the retracted position and engaged with said antenna lead when said whip antenna is in the extended position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. An accessory unit for a mobile telephone having a main unit with a contoured outer surface and an operating system for operation thereof adaptable to a variety of specialized capabilities, said accessory unit comprising:
-
a casing having a contoured outer surface; means for selectively releasably attaching said casing to the main unit of the telephone, said contoured outer surface of said casing generally conforming to the outer surface of the main unit and lies generally within the profile of the main unit when attached thereto; specialized electronic component means within said casing; and interface means including an antenna interface, an internal data bus, and a regulated power interface on said accessory unit mutually engageable with mating means of the operating system when said accessory unit is attached to the main unit for electrically interconnecting said specialized electronic component means with the operating system; said specialized electronic component means includes; first and second spaced antenna sheaths integral with said casing projecting in a direction away from said outer surface thereof at spaced locations, said antenna sheaths being generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the main unit when said accessory unit is attached thereto; a first helical antenna mounted within said first antenna sheath and generally aligned therewith; a second helical antenna mounted within said second antenna sheath and generally aligned therewith; said first and second helical antennas being sufficiently spaced to avoid mutual effects; first and second antenna feeds in electrical continuity with said first and second helical antennas, respectively, and engageable with the antenna interface when said casing is attached to the main unit; a control module including switching circuit means in electrical continuity with said first and second helical antennas for selective operation, in sequence, of either said first helical antenna or said second antenna; an antenna lead electrically connecting said first and second helical antennas to said first and second antenna feeds, respectively; power supply feed engaged with the regulated power interface when said casing is attached to the main unit; and switching data feed engaged with the data interface when said casing is/ - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A mobile telephone adaptable to a variety of specialized capabilities comprising:
-
a main unit having a contoured outer surface and including an operating system for operation of the mobile telephone; an accessory unit including a casing having a contoured outer surface, a length, a width, and a depth and containing specialized electronic component means, said casing being selectively releasably attachable to said main unit which, when attached to said main unit, generally conforms to said outer surface of said main unit and lies generally within the profile of said main unit when attached thereto; and interface means including an antenna interface on said main unit and on said accessory unit mutually engageable when said accessory unit is attached to said main unit for electrically interconnecting said specialized electronic component means with said operating system; said specialized electronic component means including; a flat profile antenna mounted on said casing substantially coextensive with the length and width thereof; a flat profile antenna feed in electrical continuity with said flat profile antenna but disengaged with said antenna interface when said casing is attached to said main unit; a flat profile antenna lead electrically connecting said flat profile antenna to said antenna feed; a retractable whip antenna mounted on said casing for movement between a retracted position and an extended position, said whip antenna including a first contact member in electrical continuity with said whip antenna and a second contact member on said whip antenna spaced from said first contact member and electrically insulated from said whip antenna; a whip antenna feed spaced from said flat profile antenna feed and in electrical continuity with said whip antenna and engaged with said antenna interface when said casing is attached to said main unit; and a whip antenna lead electrically connecting said whip antenna to said whip antenna feed; said second contact member being in electrical continuity simultaneously with said whip antenna feed and with said flat profile antenna feed when said whip antenna is in the retracted position and said first contact member being in electrical continuity with said whip antenna feed alone when said whip antenna is in the extended position.
-
-
18. A mobile telephone adaptable to a variety of specialized capabilities comprising:
-
a main unit having a contoured outer surface and including an operating system for operation of the mobile telephone; an accessory unit including a casing having a contoured outer surface and containing specialized electronic component means, said casing being selectively releasably attachable to said main unit which, when attached to said main unit, generally conforms to said outer surface of said main unit and lies generally within the profile of said main unit when attached thereto; and interface means including an antenna interface on said main unit and on said accessory unit mutually engageable when said accessory unit is attached to said main unit for electrically interconnecting said specialized electronic component means with said operating system; said specialized electronic component means including; first and second spaced antenna sheaths integral with said casing projecting in a direction away from said outer surface thereof at spaced locations, said antenna sheaths being generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said main unit when said accessory unit is attached thereto; a first helical antenna mounted within said first antenna sheath and generally aligned therewith; a second helical antenna mounted within said second antenna sheath and generally aligned therewith; said first and second helical antennas being sufficiently spaced to avoid mutual effects; first and second antenna feeds in electrical continuity with said first and second helical antennas, respectively, and engageable with said antenna interface when said casing is attached to said main unit; a control module including matching circuit means in electrical continuity with said first and second helical antennas for operation; and an antenna lead electrically connecting said first and second helical antennas to said first and second antenna feeds, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (19)
-
-
20. A mobile telephone adaptable to a variety of specialized capabilities comprising:
-
a main unit having a contoured outer surface and including an operating system for operation of the mobile telephone; an accessory unit including a casing having a contoured outer surface and containing specialized electronic component means, said casing being selectively releasably attachable to said main unit which, when attached to said main unit, generally conforms to said outer surface of said main unit and lies generally within the profile of said main unit when attached thereto; and interface means including an antenna interface on said main unit and on said accessory unit mutually engageable when said accessory unit is attached to said main unit for electrically interconnecting said specialized electronic component means with said operating system; said specialized component means including; first and second spaced antenna sheaths integral with said casing projecting in a direction away from said outer surface thereof at spaced locations, said antenna sheaths being generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said main unit when said accessory unit is attached thereto; a first helical antenna mounted within said first antenna sheath and generally aligned therewith; a second helical antenna mounted within said second antenna sheath and generally aligned therewith; said first and second helical antennas being sufficiently spaced to avoid mutual effects; first and second antenna feeds in electrical continuity with said first and second helical antennas, respectively, and engageable with said antenna interface when said casing is attached to said main unit; a control module including switching circuit means in electrical continuity with said first and second helical antennas for selective operation, in sequence, of either said first helical antenna or said second antenna; and an antenna lead electrically connecting said first and second helical antennas to said first and second antenna feeds, respectively.
-
-
21. An accessory unit for a mobile telephone having a main unit with a contoured outer surface and an operating system for operation thereof adaptable to a variety of specialized capabilities, said accessory unit comprising:
-
a casing having a contoured outer surface; means for selectively releasably attaching said casing to the main unit of the telephone, said contoured outer surface of said casing generally conforming to the outer surface of the main unit and lies generally within the profile of the main unit when attached thereto; specialized electronic component means within said casing; and interface means including an antenna interface on said accessory unit mutually engageable with mating means of the operating system when said accessory unit is attached to the main unit for electrically interconnecting said specialized electronic component means with the operating system; said specialized component means including; an antenna sheath integral with said casing projecting in a direction away from said outer surface thereof generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the main unit when said accessory unit is attached thereto; a helical antenna mounted within said antenna sheath and generally aligned therewith; an antenna feed in electrical continuity with said helical antenna and engageable with the antenna interface when said casing is attached to the main unit; an antenna lead electrically connecting said helical antenna to said antenna feed; and a retractable whip antenna concentrically aligned with said helical antenna and mounted on said casing for movement between a retracted position and an extended position, said whip antenna including a contact member disengaged from said antenna lead when said whip antenna is in the retracted position and engaged with said antenna lead when said whip antenna is in the extended position.
-
-
22. An accessory unit for a mobile telephone having a main unit with a contoured outer surface and an operating system for operation thereof adaptable to a variety of specialized capabilities, said accessory unit comprising:
-
a casing having a contoured outer surface, a length, a width, and a depth; means for selectively releasably attaching said casing to the main unit of the telephone, said contoured outer surface of said casing generally conforming to the outer surface of the main unit and lies generally within the profile of the main unit when attached thereto; specialized electronic component means within said casing; interface means including an antenna interface on said accessory unit mutually engageable with mating means of the operating system when said accessory unit is attached to the main unit for electrically interconnecting said specialized electronic component means with the operating system; said specialized component means including; a flat profile antenna mounted on said casing substantially coextensive with the length and width thereof; a flat profile antenna feed in electrical continuity with said flat profile antenna but disengaged with said antenna interface when said casing is attached to the main unit; a flat profile antenna lead electrically connecting said flat profile antenna to said antenna feed; a retractable whip antenna mounted on said casing for movement between a retracted position and an extended position, said whip antenna including a first contact member in electrical continuity with said whip antenna and a second contact member on said whip antenna spaced from said first contact member and electrically insulated from said whip antenna; a whip antenna feed spaced from said flat profile antenna feed and in electrical continuity with said whip antenna and engaged with said antenna interface when said casing is attached to the main unit; a whip antenna lead electrically connecting said whip antenna to said whip antenna feed; and said second contact member being in electrical continuity simultaneously with said whip antenna feed and with said flat profile antenna feed when said whip antenna is in the retracted position and said first contact member being in electrical continuity with said whip antenna feed alone when said whip antenna is in the extended position. - View Dependent Claims (23)
-
-
24. An accessory unit for a mobile telephone having a main unit with a contoured outer surface and an operating system for operation thereof adaptable to a variety of specialized capabilities, said accessory unit comprising:
-
a casing having a contoured outer surface; means for selectively releasably attaching said casing to the main unit of the telephone, said contoured outer surface of said casing generally conforming to the outer surface of the main unit and lies generally within the profile of the main unit when attached thereto; specialized electronic component means within said casing; interface means including an antenna interface on said accessory unit mutually engageable with mating means of the operating system when said accessory unit is attached to the main unit for electrically interconnecting said specialized electronic component means with the operating system; said specialized component means including; first and second spaced antenna sheaths integral with said casing projecting in a direction away from said outer surface thereof at spaced locations, said antenna sheaths being generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said main unit when said accessory unit is attached thereto; a first helical antenna mounted within said first antenna sheath and generally aligned therewith; a second helical antenna mounted within said second antenna sheath and generally aligned therewith; said first and second helical antennas being sufficiently spaced to avoid mutual effects; first and second antenna feeds in electrical continuity with said first and second helical antennas, respectively, and engageable with the antenna interface when said casing is attached to the main unit; a control module including matching circuit means in electrical continuity with said first and second helical antennas for operation; and an antenna lead electrically connecting said first and second helical antennas to said first and second antenna feeds, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (25)
-
Specification