Cell phone charger with incoming call indicator

• US 7,130,666 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United Global Sourcing, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: United Global Sourcing, Incorporated
• Inventors: Eisenbraun, Kenneth D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Nhan T.
• Application Number:
  US10/715,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20040127264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/571, 455/573, 455/572
• US Class Current: 455/573
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/08 Two-way loud-speaking telephone systems with means for conditioning the signal, e.g. for suppressing echoes for one or both directions of traffic

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery charger for cell phones which operates off the cigarette lighter receptacle of a vehicle. The battery charger includes a visual indication that is activated by electromagnetic induction from the ringing current that is generated when the cell phone receives an incoming call. An incoming call sensing circuit operates to receive the electromagnetic signal that includes the incoming call signal to the user'"'"'s cell phone. The electromagnetic signal is filtered and rectified by a conditioning and activation circuit such that only an incoming call signal remains thereafter the incoming call signal is transmitted to a visual indicator circuit having at least one light source for causing the at least one light source to illuminate such that the user is alerted to the incoming call.

Claims

1. A battery charger for a cellular phone for use in a vehicle having a cigarette lighter receptacle, said charger comprising:

a housing having first and second ends, said first end of said housing being dimensioned for slip fit engagement into the cigarette lighter receptacle and includes electrical contacts for electrically communicating with complementary electrical contacts disposed within the cigarette lighter receptacle, said second end of said housing having an electrical conductor attached thereto that terminates in an electrical connector for connecting to the cellular phone;

a charger circuit disposed within said housing;

said charger circuit in electrical communication with said electrical contacts of said housing and said electrical conductor;

a visual indicator circuit having at least one light source supported within said housing

a reset button disposed on said housing and in communication with said visual indicator circuit; and

an incoming call sensing circuit in electrical communication with said visual indicator circuit, said incoming call sensing circuit operative to detect an incoming call signal to said cellular phone and to produce an electrical signal in response to detecting said incoming call signal, said incoming call sensing circuit being further operative to communicate said electrical signal to said visual indicator circuit for causing said at least one light source to illuminate after an incoming call signal has been detected until said visual indicator circuit has been reset.

2. A battery charger for a cellular phone for use in a vehicle having a cigarette lighter receptacle, said charger comprising:

a housing having first and second ends, said first end of said housing being dimensioned for slip fit engagement into the cigarette lighter receptacle and includes electrical contacts for electrically communicating with complementary electrical contacts disposed within the cigarette lighter receptacle, said second end of said housing having an electrical conductor attached thereto that terminates in an electrical connector for connecting to the cellular phone;

a charger circuit disposed within said housing;

said charger circuit in electrical communication with said electrical contacts of said housing and said electrical conductor;

a visual indicator circuit having at least one light source supported within said housing;

an incoming call sensing circuit in electrical communication with said visual indicator circuit, said incoming call sensing circuit operative to detect an incoming call signal to said cellular phone and to produce an electrical signal in response to detecting said incoming call signal, said incoming call sensing circuit being further operative to communicate said electrical signal to said visual indicator circuit for causing said at least one light source to illuminate wherein said visual indicator circuit is operative to cause said at least one light source to continue to illuminate after said incoming call signal has been detected until said visual indicator circuit has been reset; and

a reset button disposed on said housing and in communication with said visual indicator circuit, said reset button operative to cause said visual indicator circuit to be reset when pushed.

3. The battery charger of claim 2 wherein said at least one light source is a solid-state device.

4. The battery charger of claim 3 wherein said solid-state device is a light emitting diode.

5. The battery charger of claim 2 wherein said at least one light source flashes in response to receiving said electrical signal from said sensing circuit.