Business card with integrated paper cell phone

• US 7,058,365 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Kugler, Brett E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peaches, Randy
• Application Number:
  US09/895,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20030003954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/558, 455/405, 455/407, 455/575.1, 455/575.7, 455/565, 455/575.3, 455/90.2, 455/572, 455/562.1, 455/564, 174/254, 174/256, 174/268, 361/749, 361/761, 156/265, 156/277, 156/278, 156/257, 381/431
• US Class Current: 455/90.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0287 being disposable or recyclable
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/275 implemented by means of portable electronic directories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/04 Plane diaphragms

Abstract

A disposable cellular telephone and business card combination. The cellular telephone circuit is printed on a paper substrate with a conductive ink. A paper microphone diaphragm is attached to one end of the business card and a paper speaker diaphragm is attached to an opposite end of the business card. The microphone and speaker diaphragms are electrically coupled to the circuit, and are attached to the paper substrate in any suitable manner that allows them to vibrate relative thereto. A thin flexible battery cell is formed in the paper substrate at any suitable location so that it doesn'"'"'t interfere with the position of the circuit, microphone or speaker. A filament antenna is formed in the business card so that it can be extracted therefrom when using the card as a cellular telephone. A switch is provided on the business card that when activated causes a predetermined number to be dialed associated with the text on the business card.

Claims

1. A cellular telephone comprising:

a paper substrate;

a printed circuit patterned on the paper substrate with conductive ink;

a switch formed on the paper substrate and electrically coupled to the circuit;

a paper input diaphragm electrically coupled to the circuit, said input diaphragm being formed to the paper substrate in such a manner that allows the input diaphragm to vibrate relative thereto;

a paper output diaphragm electrically coupled to the circuit, said output diaphragm being formed to the paper substrate in such a manner that allows the output diaphragm to vibrate relative thereto; and

a battery electrically coupled to the circuit and formed in the paper substrate, said battery being made from paper technologies, said switch being activated to cause the cellular telephone to call a predetermined number.

2. The cellular telephone according to claim 1 wherein the paper substrate has a length of about 3.5 inches and a width of about 2 inches.

3. The cellular telephone according to claim 1 wherein the paper substrate is a business card including writing thereon.

4. The cellular telephone according to claim 1 further comprising a filament antenna, said filament antenna being formed in an edge of the paper substrate.

5. The cellular telephone according to claim 4 wherein the antenna includes a nub at one end, said nub being operable to extract the antenna from the substrate.

6. The cellular telephone according to claim 1 wherein the switch is a slidable switch.

7. A paper business card comprising:

a paper substrate having a front surface layer and a back surface layer, said paper substrate including writing on the front layer;

a printed circuit patterned on the paper substrate with conductive ink;

a switch electrically coupled to the circuit;

a paper microphone diaphragm electrically coupled to the circuit, said microphone diaphragm being attached to the paper substrate in such a manner that allows the microphone diaphragm to vibrate relative thereto;

a paper speaker diaphragm electrically coupled to the circuit, said speaker diaphragm being attached to the paper substrate in such a manner that allows the speaker diaphragm to vibrate relative thereto; and

a battery electrically coupled to the circuit and formed in the paper substrate, said battery being made from paper technologies, said switch being activated to cause the business card to call a predetermined number.

8. The card according to claim 7 further comprising a filament antenna, said filament antenna being formed in an edge of the paper substrate.

9. The card according to claim 8 wherein the antenna includes a nub at one end, said nub being operable to extract the antenna from the substrate.

10. The card according to claim 7 wherein the switch is a slidable switch.

11. The card according to claim 7 wherein the paper substrate has a length of about 3.5 inches and a width of about 2 inches.

12. The card according to claim 7 wherein the switch is formed on the front layer and the microphone and speaker diaphragms are formed on the back layer.

13. A method of making a disposable cellular telephone, comprising:

providing a paper substrate;

patterning a circuit on the substrate using conductive ink;

attaching a paper input diaphragm to the substrate in a manner that allows the input diaphragm to vibrate relative thereto;

attaching a paper output diaphragm to the substrate in a manner that allows the output diaphragm to vibrate relative thereto; and

forming a battery within the substrate, said battery being made from paper technologies.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the paper substrate is a business card having writing thereon.

15. The method according to claim 13 further comprising attaching a filament antenna to the substrate.