Wrist-carried radiotelephone

• US 6,192,253 B1
• Filed: 10/06/1999
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dietrich, Aaron L., Steuer, Paul R., Mehta, Neil, Charlier, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US09/413,600
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 455/340, 455/341, 455/344, 455/351, 455/90, 455/575, 455/347, 455/100, 455/350, 455/556, 455/550, 379/433
• US Class Current: 455/575.7
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets

Abstract

An improved wrist-carried radiotelephone includes a first housing including a microphone, a display and a radio transceiver. A second housing includes a latch, a user interface, a speaker, and a removable battery. A flexible wristband has a first portion including an antenna extending downwardly and a latch clip at one end thereof operable to be received in the latch of the second housing. A second portion of the wristband includes electrical connections to connect the circuits of the first and second housing. The wristband includes support members to maintain the wrist-carrier radiotelephone in a predetermined configuration when the first portion of the wristband is unlatched from the second housing such that the speaker and microphone of the radiotelephone are at an optimum orientation in relation to a user'"'"'s ear and mouth.

Claims

1. An improved wrist-carried radiotelephone, comprising:

a first housing including a microphone, a display and a radio transceiver;

a second housing including a latch, a speaker facing inwardly when worn on the wrist, and a removable battery; and

a flexible wristband having a first and second portions being mechanically coupled to the first housing, the first portion including an antenna extending downwardly in the first portion and being electrically coupled to the radio transceiver of the first housing and a latch clip at one end thereof operable to be received in the latch of the second housing, the second portion including electrical connections to connect the circuits of the first and second housing, the wristband including support members to maintain the wrist-carrier radiotelephone in a predetermined configuration when the first portion of the wristband is unlatched from the second housing such that the speaker and microphone of the radiotelephone are at an optimum orientation in relation to a user'"'"'s ear and mouth; and

a user interface in the second housing, the user interface including an earpiece jack, the speaker being switchably connected to the latch and the earpiece jack such that when the latch is disconnected from the latch clip and the earpiece jack is not being used the speaker is operable, and when one of the latch is connected to the latch clip and the earpiece jack is being used then the speaker is disabled.

2. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 1, wherein the user interface of the second housing includes circuits comprising at least one of a data interface connection, a battery charging jack, and an additional memory slot, and the first housing includes circuits comprising at least one of a card reader and a subscriber identification module (SIM) chip.

3. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 1, wherein the earpiece jack is connectable with a wired earpiece that, when connected to the earpiece jack, serves to disconnect the speaker such that a user can operate the radiotelephone in a privacy mode with removal from the user'"'"'s wrist.

4. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 1, wherein the latch clip when disconnected from the second housing connects the speaker and disconnects the earpiece jack, the latch clip when connected to the second housing disconnects the speaker and connects the earpiece jack.

5. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 1, wherein the battery is removable from the second housing without removing the wrist-carried radiotelephone from the user'"'"'s wrist.

6. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 1, wherein when the latch clip is unlatched from the second housing the antenna is directed away from and downwardly from the first housing such that a user operating the radiotelephone has the antenna oriented in a downwardly fashion.

7. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 1, wherein the wristband includes an adjustable portion near the latch clip that is adjustable to fit a wrist of the user.

8. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 1, further comprising a radio transmitter for transmitting to a remote earpiece, the radio transmitter directs modulated audio signals to be picked up by the remote earpiece during user communications.

9. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary radio transceiver for sending and receiving modulated audio signals from a remote headset that includes an auxiliary microphone and earpiece.

10. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 1, further comprising a speaker volume adjustment control on the second housing such that a user can adjust speaker volume to a comfortable level during a conversation.

11. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 1, further comprising a backup clock battery such that the battery can be replaced without losing radiotelephone memory.

12. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 1, further comprising and a programming connection concealed by the battery, the programming connection for reprogramming functions of the radiotelephone.

13. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a vibrator and an alert.

14. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 1, further comprising a data link interface in the first housing, the data link interface being accessible to external data sources via one of a wired link, an optical link, a wireless IR link, and a wireless RF link.

15. An improved wrist-carried radiotelephone, comprising:

a first housing including a microphone, a display, a radio transceiver, and a backup clock battery for retaining radiotelephone memory;

a second housing including a latch, a speaker facing inwardly when worn on the wrist, and a battery being removable from the second housing without removing the wrist-carried radiotelephone from a user'"'"'s wrist;

a flexible wristband having a first and second portions being mechanically coupled to the first housing, the first portion including an antenna extending downwardly in the first portion and being electrically coupled to the radio transceiver of the first housing and an adjustable latch clip at one end thereof operable to be received in the latch of the second housing, the second portion including electrical connections to connect the circuits of the first and second housing, the wristband including support members to maintain the wrist-carrier radiotelephone in a predetermined configuration when the first portion of the wristband is unlatched from the second housing such that the speaker and microphone of the radiotelephone are at an optimum orientation in relation to a user'"'"'s ear and mouth; and

a user interface in the second housing, the user interface including an earpiece jack, the speaker being switchably connected to the latch and the earpiece jack such that when the latch is disconnected from the latch clip and the earpiece jack is not being used the speaker is operable, and when one of the latch is connected to the latch clip and the earpiece jack is being used then the speaker is disabled.

16. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 15, wherein the user interface of the second housing includes circuits comprising at least one of a earpiece jack, a data interface connection, a battery charging jack, and an additional memory slot, and the first housing includes circuits comprising at least one of a card reader and a subscriber identification module (SIM) chip.

17. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 15, further comprising a speaker volume adjustment control on the second housing such that a user can adjust speaker volume to a comfortable level during a conversation.

18. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 15, further comprising a data link interface in the first housing, the data link interface being accessible to external data sources via one of a wired link, an optical link, a wireless IR link, and a wireless RF link.

19. An improved wrist-carried radiotelephone, comprising:

a first housing including a microphone, a display, a radio transceiver, and a backup clock battery for retaining radiotelephone memory;

a second housing including a latch, a speaker facing inwardly when worn on the wrist, and a battery being removable from the second housing without removing the wrist-carried radiotelephone from a user'"'"'s wrist;

a flexible wristband having a first and second portions being mechanically coupled to the first housing, the first portion including an antenna extending downwardly in the first portion and being electrically coupled to the radio transceiver of the first housing and an adjustable latch clip at one end thereof operable to be received in the latch of the second housing, the second portion including electrical connections to connect the circuits of the first and second housing, the wristband including support members to maintain the wrist-carrier radiotelephone in a predetermined configuration when the first portion of the wristband is unlatched from the second housing such that the speaker and microphone of the radiotelephone are at an optimum orientation in relation to a user'"'"'s ear and mouth;

a user interface in the second housing, the user interface including an earpiece jack, the speaker being switchably connected to the latch and the earpiece jack such that when the latch is disconnected from the latch clip and the earpiece jack is not being used the speaker is operable, and when one of the latch is connected to the latch clip and the earpiece jack is being used then the speaker is disabled;

a speaker volume adjustment control on the second housing such that a user can adjust speaker volume to a comfortable level during a conversation; and

a data link interface in the first housing, the data link interface being accessible to external data sources via one of a wired link, an optical link, a wireless IR link, and a wireless RF link.

20. The wrist-carried radiotelephone according to claim 19, wherein the user interface of the second housing includes circuits comprising at least one of a earpiece jack, a data interface connection, a battery charging jack, and an additional memory slot, and the first housing includes circuits comprising at least one of a card reader and a subscriber identification module (SIM) chip.