Car radio including a hand device

• US 6,871,060 B1
• Filed: 03/13/1998
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Strohmeier, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US09/508,019
• Time in Patent Office: 2,566 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/66.1, 455344-347, 455/348, 455/349, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/74, 345168-169, 381/86
• US Class Current: 455/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6083 by interfacing with the vehicle audio system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

In a car radio having a handset that is inserted into a horizontally positioned holder in a front panel and has a screen as well as labeled control keys and can be used as the control unit for a car radio or as a telephone, the use of the handset is made easier in both operating positions by orienting the labeling of the control keys along an axis that is rotated out of the usual perpendicular alignment of the handset in the mounted position by an angle between 30 and 60 degrees in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the handset, thereby making the labeling easy to read in both operating positions of the handset.

Claims

1. A car radio, comprising:

a front panel unit including a horizontally positioned holder, the front panel unit including a radio circuit for receiving a broadcast radio program;

a detachable handset capable of functioning as one of a control unit for a car radio and a telephone, the handset being inserted into the horizontally positioned holder in the front panel unit of the car radio and providing a control signal to the radio circuit;

a screen; and

control keys provided with a labeling oriented along a first axis that is rotated out of a usual vertical alignment of the handset in a mounted position by an angle between 30 and 60 degrees in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the handset in order to render the labeling easy to read in each one of a plurality of operating positions of the handset,

wherein the front panel unit includes at least one further control key for controlling the car radio, the at least one further control key being positioned adjacent to the horizontally positioned holder.

2. The car radio according to claim 1, wherein:

the first axis of the labeling is rotated 45 degrees in relation to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the handset.

3. The car radio according to claim 1, wherein:

the control keys include labeled elongated keys oriented perpendicular to the first axis of the labeling.

4. The car radio according to claim 1, wherein:

a direction of a display on the screen is capable of being changed in order to adjust the screen to one of the plurality of operating positions.

5. The car radio according to claim 4, wherein:

the handset includes a position sensor for changing the display on the screen.

6. The car radio according to claim 1, wherein:

the handset includes a remote control unit for the car radio.

7. The car radio according to claim 1, wherein:

the handset includes at least one soft key for selecting stored radio stations, the at least one soft key being positioned adjacent to the screen.

8. The car radio according to claim 7, wherein the stored radio stations are reproduced on the screen adjacent to the at least one soft key.