Enhanced companion digital organizer for a cellular phone device

• US 7,072,688 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bodnar, Eric O., Kirani, Shekhar, Kahn, Philippe R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh H.
• Application Number:
  US10/424,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20030199288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557
• US Class Current: 455/556.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications

Abstract

An enhanced “Camel-back” or “Companion” Digital Organizer (CDO) is described that is designed to interface to a cellular telephone. The CDO is preferably implemented as an add-on component which can be easily attached and detached from a phone by a user and, once in place, can dramatically enhance the phone'"'"'s functionality by converting the phone into a “smart” phone. Exemplary features of the CDO include an ability for the user to initiate a voice call on the phone from the CDO. Preferably, the user may initiate the voice call from any of multiple modules of the user'"'"'s data, and not merely from a phone-book module. The CDO is also capable of stand-alone use as a personal organizer device, apart from the phone. The CDO preferably includes a docking unit that removably mates to particular model(s) of phones, and a main unit that removably docks to the docking unit. The docking unit preferably includes substantially all phone-model-specific geometries and features to thereby allow the main unit to be configured for stand-alone use as an organizer with few compromises made to accommodate specific model(s) of phones. Furthermore, the same main unit is suitable for use with multiple docking units that are respectively adapted for different models of phones. Note that some phones have an “automatic hang-up” feature in which the phone unilaterally hangs up a phone call that was initiated by an external device (e.g., a modem or the CDO) upon detaching of the device by the user. For such phones, the docking unit remains attached to the phone during a call initiated by the user via the CDO, even if the user should detach the main unit for stand-alone use as an organizer. The still-attached docking unit contains sufficient circuitry and physical features to prevent automatic hang-up. The main unit includes many features such as a choice of both left- and right-handed modes and the capability for handling electronic mail, remote browsing, remote synchronization, caller identification, and the like.

Claims

1. A portable electronic organizer for independent operation and for operation with a portable telephone, the telephone having a communication port, the organizer comprising:

a portable docking unit configured to removably mate to the telephone;

a portable main unit configured to removably dock to the docking unit, wherein, when the main unit is docked to the docking unit and the docking unit is mated to the telephone, the main unit is coupled to the telephone the main unit comprising;

a memory configured to store user data; and

a processor coupled to the memory;

logic configured for the electronic or organizer to initiate a voice telephone call over the telephone in response to user input related to the user data; and

a pass-through communication port by which another device may be coupled to the telephone when the organizer is occupying the communication port of the telephone.

2. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 1 wherein the user input related to the user data comprises a command to dial that is invoked by a user in the course of selective viewing by the user of the user data stored in the memory.

3. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 1 wherein the main unit is configured to be removable during the telephone call for handheld use by the user during a remainder of the telephone call, wherein the telephone call was initiated by the main unit in response to user input.

4. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 3 wherein the main unit is configured to be operable by a hand holding the main unit to thereby leave another hand free to hold the telephone at ear-side during the remainder of the telephone call.

5. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 1 wherein:

the main unit communicates with the telephone through the communication port to initiate the telephone call;

the telephone is configured to terminate a telephone call that involves the communication port in response to detecting that the communication port is no longer being actively used; and

the docking unit includes a module configured to prevent the telephone from detecting that the communication port is no longer being actively used, at least after the main unit is removed from the docking unit but when the docking unit remains mated to the telephone, during a call initiated by the main unit through the communication port.

6. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 5 wherein the module of the docking unit includes a circuit configured to send signals to the communication port, at least after the main unit is removed from the docking unit during a call that was initiated by the main unit, to prevent the telephone from automatically terminating the call that was initiated by the main unit.

7. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 6 wherein:

the telephone is configured to monitor communications via the communication port to detect a reduction of the communications; and

the circuit is configured to occasionally send the signals to the communication port to maintain the communications, at least after the main unit is removed from the docking unit during a call that involves the main unit and the communication port.

8. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 6 wherein:

the telephone is configured to occasionally send, via the communication port, requests for acknowledgment for detecting whether the communication port is no longer being actively used; and

the circuit is configured to respond to the requests by sending the signals to the communication port as acknowledgment, at least after the main unit is removed from the docking unit during a call that involves the main unit and the communication port.

9. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 1 wherein:

the telephone is hereinafter referred to as the first telephone;

the docking unit is hereinafter referred to as the first docking unit;

the main unit is also configured to removably dock with a second docking unit that is designed for removably mating to a second telephone;

the second telephone is of a different model as compared to the first telephone; and

the first and second docking units each includes model-specific features for interfacing with the first and second telephones, respectively.

10. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 9 wherein:

the model-specific features include a physical protrusion; and

the main unit is contoured to be independent of the physical protrusion, for ease of carrying and use.

11. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 1 wherein:

the docking unit includes model-specific features primarily dictated by the geometry for removably mating with the telephone; and

the main unit is configured for ease of carrying and use independently of the geometry for removably mating with the telephone.

12. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 1 wherein the docking unit is configured to removably mate to the telephone at an attachment point associated with attachment of a battery for the telephone.

13. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 12 wherein the attachment point is suitable for attachment of an external auxiliary battery for the telephone.

14. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 12 wherein:

the attachment point is suitable for attachment of a cover for an internal battery compartment; and

the docking unit is configured to include connectors for attaching to the attachment point.

15. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 12 wherein the docking unit includes a power supply configured to supply power to the telephone.

16. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 1 wherein the docking unit includes at least one physical connector for mating the docking unit to the telephone, and the docking unit includes a docking port for accepting the main unit, wherein the at least one physical connector and the docking port are configured such that, when the main unit is docked to the docking unit and the docking unit is mated to the telephone, the organizer and the telephone together can be physically handled as a substantially rigid integrated combination.

17. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the main unit is configured to have the form factor of at least a portion of an interface card, for connectivity with another device.

18. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 1 wherein:

the telephone can be worn on a holster; and

the organizer is configured to avoid interfering with the holster, whereby when the docking unit is mated to the telephone, the telephone can still be worn on the holster.

19. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 1 wherein the electronic organizer includes a first power supply configured to supply power to the processor for operating the main unit independently of any power supply in the telephone.

20. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 19 wherein the electronic organizer includes a second power supply configured to supply power to the telephone.

21. The portable electronic organizer according to claim 20 wherein:

the first and second power supplies are not a same power supply;

the main unit includes the first power supply; and

the docking unit includes the second power supply.