Phone adapter method and system for vehicles

• US 7,206,614 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2006
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Kortum, Philip T., Sullivan, Marc A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US11/332,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20060116177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/572, 455/573, 379/142.13, 379/167.13
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/00 Coupling parts adapted for co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts for dissimilar contact members H01R13/35; supported only by co-operation with a counterpart H01R31/00; with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/90

Abstract

A system includes sleeves each being removably receivable, one at a time, by an adapter connectable to an appliance operable for enabling a user to communicate hands-free on a phone when the phone is connected to the appliance. The sleeves are differently configured from one another to respectively receive, one at a time, phones having configurations which correspond to the configurations of the sleeves. One of the sleeves connects a phone to the appliance via the adapter when the phone is received by the sleeve while the sleeve is received by the adapter while the adapter is connected to the appliance.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an adapter connectable to an appliance operable for enabling a user to communicate hands-free on a phone when the phone is connected to the appliance;

first and second sleeves each being removably receivable by the adapter one at a time, the first sleeve removably receives a first phone, the second sleeve has a configuration different than the first sleeve to removably receive a second phone having a configuration different than the first phone;

wherein the first phone connects to the appliance when the first sleeve receives the first phone, the adapter receives the first sleeve, and the adapter connects to the appliance;

wherein the second phone connects to the appliance when the second sleeve receives the second phone, the adapter receives the second sleeve, and the adapter connects to the appliance.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the adapter has a connector, and the sleeves each have a complementary connector;

wherein the adapter connector and the complementary connector of the first sleeve interconnect to connect the first sleeve to the appliance when the adapter receives the first sleeve while connected to the appliance;

wherein the adapter connector and the complementary connector of the second sleeve interconnect to connect the second sleeve to the appliance when the adapter receives the second sleeve while connected to the appliance.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein:

the first sleeve has a first connector which connects to a connector of the first phone when the first sleeve receives the first phone to connect the first phone to the first sleeve and thereby connect the first phone to the appliance when the adapter receives the first sleeve while connected to the appliance.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein:

the second sleeve has a second connector different than the first connector of the first sleeve, the second connector connects to a connector of the second phone when the second sleeve receives the second phone to connect the second phone to the second sleeve and thereby connect the second phone to the appliance when the adapter receives the second sleeve while connected to the appliance.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the appliance includes a microphone for inputting voice communications from the user when a phone is connected to the appliance to enable the user to talk hands-free on the phone, wherein:

a phone receives voice communications inputted to the microphone by the user, from the appliance, for transmission to another party during a phone call between the user and the other party when the phone is connected to the appliance.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the appliance includes a speaker for outputting voice communications to the user when a phone is connected to the appliance to enable the user to listen hands-free on the phone, wherein:

a phone transmits voice communications received from another party during a phone call between the user and the other party, to the appliance, when the phone is connected to the appliance for the appliance to output over the speaker for the user to hear.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the appliance includes a keypad, wherein:

a phone connected to the appliance is controlled in accordance with dialing activity of the keypad.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the appliance includes a display, wherein:

activity of a phone connected to the appliance is displayed on the display.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the appliance includes a power supply, wherein:

a phone connected to the appliance receives power from the power supply of the appliance.

10. A method comprising:

connecting an adapter to an appliance operable for enabling a user to communicate hands-free on a phone when the phone is connected to the appliance;

inserting a first sleeve into the adapter such that the first sleeve is connected to the appliance via the adapter;

inserting a first phone into the first sleeve such that the first phone is connected to the appliance via the first sleeve and the adapter;

removing the first phone and the first sleeve from the adapter;

inserting a second sleeve having a configuration different than the first sleeve into the adapter such that the second sleeve is connected to the appliance via the adapter; and

inserting a second phone having a configuration different than the first phone such that the second phone is connected to the appliance via the second sleeve and the adapter.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein:

removing the first phone and the first sleeve from the adapter further comprises removing the first phone from the first sleeve;

the method further comprising removing the second phone and the second sleeve from the adapter;

reinserting the first sleeve into the adapter such that the first sleeve is connected to the appliance via the first sleeve and the adapter; and

reinserting the first phone into the first sleeve such that the first phone is connected to the appliance via the first sleeve and the adapter.

12. A system comprising:

a plurality of sleeves each being removably receivable, one at a time, by an adapter connectable to an appliance operable for enabling a user to communicate hands-free on a phone when the phone is connected to the appliance;

wherein the sleeves are differently configured from one another to respectively receive, one at a time, phones having configurations which correspond to the configurations of the sleeves;

wherein one of the sleeves connects a phone to the appliance via the adapter when the phone is received by the sleeve while the sleeve is received by the adapter while the adapter is connected to the appliance.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein:

each sleeve is configured such that the sleeve only receives phones, one at a time, which have the configuration corresponding to the configuration of the sleeve.

14. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of sleeves which are differently configured from one another to respectively receive, one at a time, phones having configurations which correspond to the configurations of the sleeves;

enabling a user to communicate hands-free on a phone when the phone is connected to an appliance via a sleeve received by an adapter while the adapter is connected to the appliance; and

connecting a phone to the appliance when one of the sleeves receives the phone while the sleeve is received by the adapter while the adapter is connected to the appliance.

15. A system comprising:

an adapter connectable to an appliance operable for enabling a user to communicate hands-free on a phone when the phone is connected to the appliance, the adapter having a sleeve receiver for removably receiving one at a time a sleeve having a given base;

a first sleeve having the given base, the first sleeve further having a first phone receiver for removably receiving a first phone having a first physical body configuration and a first electrical interface configuration;

wherein the first phone connects to the appliance when the first phone is received by the first phone receiver of the first sleeve, the first sleeve is received by the sleeve receiver of the adapter, and the adapter is connected to the appliance;

a second sleeve having the given base, the second sleeve further having a second phone receiver different than the first phone receiver for removably receiving a second phone having a second physical body configuration and a second electrical interface configuration different than the first physical body configuration and the first electrical interface configuration;

wherein the second phone connects to the appliance when the second phone is received by the second phone receiver of the second sleeve, the second sleeve is received by the sleeve receiver of the adapter, and the adapter is connected to the appliance.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein:

the sleeve receiver of the adapter has a connector, and the sleeves each have a complementary connector;

wherein the connector of the sleeve receiver of the adapter and the complementary connector of the first sleeve interconnect to connect the first sleeve to the appliance when the sleeve receiver of the adapter receives the first sleeve while the adapter is connected to the appliance;

wherein the connector of the sleeve receiver of the adapter and the complementary connector of the second sleeve interconnect to connect the second sleeve to the appliance when the sleeve receiver of the adapter receives the second sleeve while the adapter is connected to the appliance.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein:

the first sleeve has a first connector which connects to a connector of the first phone when the first sleeve receives the first phone to connect the first phone to the first sleeve and thereby connect the first phone to the appliance when the sleeve receiver of the adapter receives the first sleeve while the adapter is connected to the appliance.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein:

the second sleeve has a second connector different than the first connector of the first sleeve, the second connector connects to a connector of the second phone when the second sleeve receives the second phone to connect the second phone to the second sleeve and thereby connect the second phone to the appliance when the sleeve receiver of the adapter receives the second sleeve while the adapter is connected to the appliance.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the appliance includes a keypad, wherein:

a phone connected to the appliance is controlled in accordance with dialing activity of the keypad.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the appliance includes a display, wherein:

activity of a phone connected to the appliance is displayed on the display.