Convertible portable telephone

• US 6,510,325 B1
• Filed: 09/27/1999
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gawins A. Mack II, R. Eugenia Mack
• Original Assignee: Gawins A. Mack II, R. Eugenia Mack
• Inventors: Mack, Gawins A. II, Mack, R. Eugenia
• Primary Examiner(s): MAUNG, NAY AUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/406,454
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90, 455/150.1, 455/152.1, 455/161.1, 455/161.2, 455/185.1, 455/186.1, 455/188.1, 455/188.2, 455/550, 455/556, 455/557, 455/575, 455/184.1, 348/14.01, 348/14.02, 348/14.03, 348/14.04, 348/14.65, 340/7.1, 340/571, 340/583
• US Class Current: 455/575.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication

Abstract

A communications and entertainment device in which a cellular telephone is unfolded to form a headset which allows the user to wear the headset in a manner similar to conventional telephone headsets. The device includes an AM/FM radio receiver. The subsystems are prioritized such that one system is automatically interrupted based on higher priority activity. A display unit allows the user to display graphic information such as facsimile data or other graphic information such as that obtained from computer networks. A speaker phone function allows the user to hear audio output while the user has the device folded into the portable telephone configuration and hand-held. An integrated camera allows the device to be used for video phone telephone calls. An integral GPS receiver is built into the device to allow the location of the device to be automatically determined. The GPS receiver can be used in conjunction with the video phone function if the device is stolen by capturing a picture of the thief while the thief is dialing the stolen telephone and relaying that information along with GPS position information to local police such that the thief may be more easily captured and the device recovered.

Claims

1. A portable communications device, comprising:

a telephone transmitter/receiver, the telephone transmitter/receiver further comprising;

means to transmit telephone data;

means to receive telephone data;

a speaker;

a microphone;

a keypad for entering data;

a base segment having a lower hinge and an upper hinge;

an upper segment attached to the upper hinge, the upper segment hingedly attached to the upper hinge such that it can be folded substantially against the base segment in a folded position or unfolded in an unfolded position such that it extends outward from the base segment at a preselected angle;

a lower segment attached to the lower hinge, the lower segment hingedly attached to the lower hinge such that it can be folded substantially against the base segment in a folded position or unfolded in an unfolded position such that it extends outward from the base segment at a preselected angle;

the lower segment and the upper segment sized such that when they are in the folded position, the upper segment, the lower segment, and the base segment collectively are shaped in the form of a cellular telephone handset; and

the lower segment and the upper segment further sized such that when they are in the unfolded position, the upper segment, the lower segment, and the base segment collectively are shaped in the form of a telephone headset;

whereby the portable communications device can be converted from a handheld telephone into a telephone headset.

2. A device, as in claim 1, wherein the speaker volume and the microphone sensitivity are sufficient to allow use as a speaker phone.

3. A device, as in claim 1, further comprising:

a radio receiver;

means to activate the radio and deactivate the telephone transmitter/receiver such that the speaker is used to output broadcast radio audio data; and

means to activate the telephone transmitter/receiver and deactivate the radio such that the speaker is used to output audio data;

whereby the device can be used as a telephone or a radio receiver.

4. A device, as in claim 3, further comprising:

the radio receiver further comprises at least an active tuner and a scanning tuner;

means to input to the speaker the audio data output by the active tuner;

means to receive broadcasted recording identification information in the scanning tuner;

means to compare the received broadcasted recording identification information with preselected recording identification information; and

means to tune the active tuner to the frequency used by the scanning tuner when the received broadcasted recording identification information and the preselected recording identification information match;

whereby the radio can be automatically switched to a station playing a desired recording.

5. A device, as in claim 1, further comprising:

a camera, the camera providing video data for transmission with telephone audio data;

means to receive video data as a component of video phone data;

a display, the display capable of displaying the video data;

whereby the device can be used as a videophone.

6. A device, as in claim 5, further comprising:

an antitheft function, further comprising;

means to receive commands from a remote location;

means to activate the camera under control of a command received from the remote location; and

means to transmit video data output by the camera to the remote location;

whereby the camera can be activated remotely to transmit video data if the device is stolen.

7. A device, as in claim 6, further comprising:

a GPS receiver, the GPS receiver having means to determine the location of the device from received global positioning data;

means to activate the GPS receiver under control of a command received from the remote location; and

means to transmit location data indicating the location of the device output to the remote location;

whereby the GPS receiver can be activated remotely to transmit location data if the device is stolen.

8. A device, as in claim 7, wherein the video data and location data are transmitted without alerting the user by indicating any activity;

whereby the video and location data can be transmitted to a remote location if the device is stolen without alerting the thief.

9. A device, as in claim 1, further comprising:

an upper wing, the upper wing foldably attached to the upper segment such that it has a folded position in which it is substantially adjacent to the upper segment, and an unfolded position in which it extends from the end of the upper segment; and

a lower wing, the lower wing foldably attached to the lower segment such that it has a folded position in which it is substantially adjacent to the lower segment, and an unfolded position in which it extends from the end of the lower segment.

10. A device, as in claim 9, wherein the upper wing has a terminal position in which it is hingedly folded behind the upper segment such that when the base segment if laid flat on a surface, the upper segment will be angled upward from the surface for viewing in a computer terminal configuration.

11. A device, as in claim 10, further comprising:

means to transmit and recieve computer data to a remote computer via the telephone transmitter/receiver;

a touch pad, the touch pad having means to input position data to the device;

whereby the device can be used as a computer terminal.

12. A device, as in claim 11, further comprising:

a second display, the second display located on the upper segment such that it is visible when the device is in the computer terminal configuration;

a second camera, the second camera located on the upper segment such that it is visible when the device is in the computer terminal configuration;

the touch pad located on the base segment such that it is visible when the device is in the computer terminal configuration.

13. A device, as in claim 9, wherein the upper segment is attached to the upper wing via a hinge and the lower segment is attached to the lower wing via a hinge.

14. A device, as in claim 9, wherein the upper segment is retractably attached to the upper wing and the lower segment is retractably attached to the lower wing.

15. A device, as in claim 9, further comprising:

a boom microphone, the boom microphone having a closed position in which it is folded against the device, and an open position in which it is unfolded to extend out from the device;

the microphone further positioned such that when the device is in the unfolded position and worn as a headset, and the microphone is in the open position, the microphone is sufficiently close to the wearer'"'"'s mouth to detect sounds uttered by the wearer.

16. A radio, further comprising:

a speaker;

a radio receiver having at least an active tuner and a scanning tuner;

means to input to the speaker the audio data output by the active tuner;

means to receive broadcasted recording identification information in the scanning tuner, the broadcasted recording identification information transmitted with individual recorded works and containing information associated with that particular recorded work;

means to compare the received broadcasted recording identification information with preselected recording identification information, the preselected recording identification information further comprising a list of one or more recorded works; and

means to tune the active tuner to the frequency used by the scanning tuner when the received broadcasted recording identification information, when compared with the preselected recording identification information, indicates that a particular recorded work is being broadcast that is listed in the preselected recording identification information;

whereby the radio can be automatically switched to a station playing an individual recorded work which has been identified as a desired recording.

17. A radio, as in claim 16, further comprising:

a plurality of scanning tuners, at least two scanning tuners tuned to different scanning frequencies;

a plurality of preselected recording identifications;

whereby multiple desired recordings can be searched for at the same time.

18. A video telephone, comprising:

a telephone transmitter/receiver, the telephone transmitter/receiver further comprising;

means to transmit telephone data;

means to receive telephone data;

a speaker;

a microphone;

a keypad for entering data;

a camera, the camera providing video data for transmission with telephone audio data;

means to receive video data as a component of video phone data;

a display, the display capable of displaying the video data;

an antitheft function, further comprising;

means to receive commands from a remote location;

means to activate the camera under control of a command received from the remote location; and

means to transmit video data output by the camera to the remote location;

whereby the camera can be activated remotely to transmit video data if the device is stolen.

19. A device, as in claim 18, further comprising:

a GPS receiver, the GPS receiver having means to determine the location of the device from received global positioning data;

means to activate the GPS receiver under control of a command received from the remote location; and

means to transmit location data indicating the location of the device output to the remote location;

whereby the GPS receiver can be activated remotely to transmit location data if the device is stolen.

20. A device, as in claim 19, wherein the video data and location data are transmitted without alerting the user by indicating any activity;

whereby the video and location data can be transmitted to a remote location if the device is stolen without alerting the thief.