Cellular phone battery equipped with IC card

• US 6,244,894 B1
• Filed: 03/02/2000
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Miyashita, Toshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYEON, HAE M
• Application Number:
  US09/518,057
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 439/500, 235/441, 429/91, 429/99, 429/100, 455/558
• US Class Current: 439/500
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device

Abstract

Disclosed is a power-source battery unit to be attached detachably to a cellular phone for radio transmission/reception. This battery unit has: a battery cover with which a battery cell is covered; a first card mounting part formed in the battery cover; and a plug-in size IC card attached detachably to the first card mounting part. When the battery unit is attached to the cellular phone, the terminal of the IC card attached to the first card mounting part is electrically connected to the cellular phone side.

Claims

1. A power source battery unit to be detachably attached to a main body of a portable telephone for radio transmission/reception, comprising:

a battery cover for containing a battery cell; and

a card mounting part formed as a concave recess on the battery cover such that an IC card can be removably received therein in an orientation in which a terminal on the IC card faces outwardly so that when an IC card is received in the card mounting part and the battery unit is attached to the main body of the portable telephone, the terminal of the received IC card directly contacts an IC card interface on the surface of the main body of the portable telephone to thereby establish an electrical connection therebetween.

2. The battery unit according to claim 1, wherein the card mounting part is sized to receive a plug-in micro sized IC card.

3. A power source battery unit to be detachably attached to a main body of a portable telephone for radio transmission/reception, comprising:

a battery cover for containing a battery cell;

a card mounting part formed as a slot in the battery cover and sized to removably receive a plug-in micro sized IC card to be inserted therein; and

a connector formed in the battery cover so as to contact a terminal of an IC card when an IC card is inserted into the card mounting part and so as to contact an IC card interface on the surface of the main body of the portable telephone when the battery unit is attached to the main body of the portable telephone, to thereby establish a respective electrical connection therebetween.

4. A power source battery unit to be detachably attached to a main body of a portable telephone for radio transmission/reception, comprising:

a battery cover for containing a battery cell; and

at least a first card mounting part formed in the battery cover for removably receiving a first IC card and a second card mounting part formed in the battery cover for removably receiving a second IC card, such that when a first IC card is received in the first card mounting part and a second IC card is received in the second card mounting part, upon attachment of the battery unit to the main body of the portable telephone, both the first and second IC cards are electrically connected to the main body of the portable telephone so as to be simultaneously usable by the portable telephone.

5. The battery unit according to claim 4, wherein the first and second card mounting parts are each formed as a concave recess on the battery cover and sized to receive a plug-in sized IC card.

6. The battery unit according to claim 4, wherein the first card mounting part is formed as a concave recess on the battery cover and the second card mounting part formed as a slot in the battery cover.

7. The battery unit according to claim 6, wherein the first and second card mounting parts are each sized to receive a plug-in micro sized IC card.

8. The battery unit according to claim 4, wherein the first card mounting part is sized to receive a plug-in micro sized IC card and the second card mounting pant is sized to receive a full-sized PC card.

9. A portable communication device comprising:

a main body having an IC card interface; and

a battery unit detachably attachable to the main body, the battery unit including

a battery cover for containing a battery cell, and

a card mounting part formed as a concave recess on the battery cover for removably receiving an IC card in an orientation in which a terminal on the IC card faces outwardly so that when an IC card is received in the card mounting part and the battery unit is attached to the main body, the terminal of the received IC card directly contacts the IC card interface on the main body to thereby establish an electrical connection therebetween.

10. The portable communication device according to claim 9, wherein the card mounting part is sized to receive a plug-in micro sized card.

11. The portable communication device according to claim 10, further comprising a global mobile communication system compliant plug-in sized SIM card received in the card mounting part.

12. A portable communication device comprising:

a main body having an IC card interface; and

a battery unit detachably attachable to the main body, the battery unit including

a battery cover for containing a battery cell,

a card mounting part formed as a slot in the battery cover and sized to removably receive a plug-in micro sized IC card, and

a connector formed in the battery cover so as to contact a terminal of an IC card when an IC card is inserted into the card mounting part and so as to contact the IC card interface on the main body when the battery unit is attached to the main body, to thereby establish a respective electrical connection therebetween.

13. The portable communication device according to claim 12, further comprising a global mobile communication system compliant plug-in sized SIM card received in the card mounting part.

14. A portable communication device comprising:

a main body having at least a first IC card interface and a second IC card interface; and

a battery unit detachably attachable to the main body, the battery unit including

a battery cover for containing a battery cell, and

at least a first card mounting part formed in the battery cover for removably receiving a first IC card and a second card mounting part formed in the battery cover for removably receiving a second IC card, such that when a first IC card is received in the first card mounting part and a second IC card is received in the second card mounting part, upon attachment of the battery unit to the main body of the portable communication device, the first and second IC cards are respectively electrically connected to the first and second IC card interfaces on the main body so as to be simultaneously usable by the portable communication device.

15. The portable communication device according to claim 14, wherein first and second card mounting parts are each formed as a concave recess on the battery cover such that a plug-in micro sized IC card can be received in the concave recess in an orientation in which a terminal on the IC card faces outwardly so that when a plug-in micro sized IC card is received in the concave recess and the battery unit is attached to the main body, the terminal of the received IC card directly contacts a respective one of the first and second IC card interfaces on the main body to thereby establish an electrical connection therebetween.

16. The portable communication device according to claim 14, wherein the first card mounting part is formed as a concave recess on the battery cover and the second card mounting part formed as a slot in the battery cover.

17. The portable communication device according to claim 16, wherein the first and second card mounting parts are each sized to receive a plug-in micro sized IC card.

18. The portable communication device according to claim 14, wherein the first card mounting part is sized to receive a plug-in micro sized IC card and the second card mounting part is sized to receive a full sized PC card.

19. The portable communication device according to claim 14, further comprising at least one global mobile communication system compliant SIM card to be received in a corresponding one of the fist and second card mounting parts.