Portable radiotelephone with sliding cover and automatic antenna extension

• US 6,073,027 A
• Filed: 08/29/1996
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BellSouth Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Link, Charles Martin II, Norman, Daniel P., Griffith, Gregory Clyde
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VUONG, QUOCHIEN B
• Application Number:
  US08/705,426
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550, 455/90, 455/73, 455/557, D14/137, D14/138, D14/140, D14/150, D14/151, 379/440, 379/441, 379/434, 379/428, 379/433
• US Class Current: 455/575.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0237 Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets

Abstract

According to one aspect, a portable radiotelephone comprising a housing a cover slidably engaged with the housing and selectively reciprocable relative to the housing between a first position, wherein the portable radiotelephone is in an on-hook condition and, alternatively, a second position, wherein the portable radiotelephone is in an off-hook condition. According to another aspect, the portable radiotelephone comprises a housing, a cover slidably engaged with the housing and selectively reciprocable relative to the housing between a first position and, alternatively, a second position, wherein at least a portion of the cover extends outwardly beyond the housing, and an antenna fixed to and extending along the cover, at least a portion of the antenna extending outwardly beyond the housing when the cover is in the second position. The portable radiotelephone alleviates inadvertent key depression and inadvertent phone call disconnect upon answering and more easily enables maximum cellular telephone performance during phone calls.

Claims

1. A portable radiotelephone comprising:

a housing;

a microphone, a speaker, and a transceiver disposed in the housing for transmitting and receiving radio telephone communications;

a cover slidably engaged with the housing and selectively reciprocable relative to the housing between a first position, wherein the portable radiotelephone is in an on-hook condition and, alternatively, a second position, wherein the portable radiotelephone is in an off-hook condition and at least a portion of the cover extends outwardly beyond the housing;

a switch connected to the housing and coupled to a microprocessor, the switch capable of switching the portable radiotelephone from the on-hook condition to the off-hook condition in response to the cover being shifted from the first position to the second position, and the switch capable of switching the portable radiotelephone from the off-hook condition to the on-hook condition in response to sliding the cover from the second position to the first position;

an operator interface console mounted to the housing relative to the housing such that the cover covers the operator interface console in the first position and the operator interface console is uncovered when the cover is in the second position;

an antenna fixed to and extending along the cover such that at least a portion of the antenna extends outwardly beyond the housing when the cover is in the second position;

means for selectively holding the cover at the first position and, alternatively, releasing the cover; and

means for automatically moving the cover from the first position to the second position in response to the releasing means releasing the cover.

2. A portable radiotelephone as in claim 1 wherein the switch is a magnetically operated switch mounted in the housing and the portable radiotelephone further comprises a magnet mounted in the cover such that the switch and the magnet mate with one another when the cover is in the second position and the magnet manipulates the switch.

3. A portable radiotelephone as in claim 1 wherein the means for automatically moving the cover comprises a spring positioned to bias the cover toward the second position.

4. A portable radiotelephone as in claim 3 wherein the spring is a tension spring having a first and a second end, the first end of the tension spring being attached to the housing and the second end of the spring being attached to the cover.

5. A portable radiotelephone as in claim 1 wherein the cover includes a latch catch and the means for holding and releasing the cover comprises a latch and an actuator means for selectively engaging the latch with the latch catch and, alternatively, disengaging the latch from the latch catch.

6. A portable radiotelephone as in claim 1 wherein:

the cover has a central panel, a length, and a pair of opposing sides extending along the length of the central panel and spaced from one another, each of the opposing sides having a latch catch; and

the means for holding and releasing the cover includes a first latch pin selectively engageable with one of the latch catches and, alternatively, disengageable with the one latch catch, and a second latch pin selectively engageable with the other of the latch catches and, alternatively, disengageable with the other latch catch.

7. A portable radiotelephone as in claim 1 further comprising;

a first antenna contact mounted to the housing; and

a second antenna contact mounted to the housing and spaced from the first antenna contact such that the antenna contacts the first antenna contact when the cover is in the first position and contacts the second antenna contact when the cover is in the second position.

8. A portable radiotelephone as in claim 1 wherein the cover is plastic and the antenna is embedded in the plastic cover.