Holder, electrical supply, and RF transmitter unit for electronic devices

• US 7,292,881 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nalwad, Vijendra, Wadsworth, John F., Seil, Oliver Duncan, Meyers, Jeffrey David, Neu, Thorben, Quinteros, Ernesto Victor, Sinclair, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour; Naghmeh
• Application Number:
  US10/936,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20060052144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.1, 455/90.3, 455572-573, 455/575.9, 455344-345, 455/517, 455/66.1, 455/426.1, 455/454, 455/74.1, 455/88, 4555691-5692, 455/557, 455/41.2, 455/68.1
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0005 Dashboard
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0054 using cigarette lighter
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0075 using a containment or docking space
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241

Abstract

A holder, electrical supply, and optional RF transmitter unit to hold, supply power to, and receive a data signal from an operating electronic device when the device (e.g., MP3 player) is held in the unit is disclosed. Electrical power enters the unit'"'"'s power acquisition portion (e.g., cigarette lighter adapter) from an external source and flows to the electronic device via the holder. A data signal from the electronic device is processed by an RF transmitter in the unit, and the resulting RF signal is broadcast by an antenna (e.g., gooseneck) that preferably forms a repositionable mechanical connection between the holder and the power acquisition unit.

Claims

1. A holder, electrical supply, and RF transmitter unit to hold, supply power to, and receive a data signal from an electronic device when the electronic device is being held in the unit and is operating;

the unit being capable of converting the data signal to an RF signal and transmitting the RF signal to an RF receiver;

power being available to the unit from a source external to the unit when the unit is being used;

the electronic device having at least one power input connector through which input power for the electronic device passes when the electronic device is held in the unit and is operating and at least one data signal output connector through which a data output signal passes from the electronic device when the electronic device is held in the unit and is operating;

the electronic device also having a top, a bottom, and a bottom portion extending from the bottom of the device towards the top of the device;

the unit comprising;

(a) an RF transmitter;

(b) a holder for the electronic device, the RF transmitter being mechanically coupled to the holder, the holder having a power coupling to transmit power to the at least one power input connector of the electronic device and also having a signal coupling to transmit the data output signal from the at least one data signal output connector of the electronic device to the RF transmitter, the RF transmitter converting the data output signal to an RF signal;

(c) a power acquisition sub-unit that is electrically coupled to the power coupling of the holder and that is electrically and mechanically coupled to the external power source when the unit is being used to transmit power from the external power source to the power coupling of the holder; and

(d) a connector mechanically coupling the holder to the power acquisition sub-unit, which connector comprises a semi-rigid elongate metallic antenna portion that allows the position of the holder to be semi-permanently adjusted relative to the position of the power acquisition sub-unit and that is electrically coupled to the RF transmitter to receive the RF signal and radiate it so that it can be received by the RF receiver.

2. The unit of claim 1 wherein the RF transmitter is removably coupled to the holder.

3. The unit of claim 1 wherein the RF transmitter can be directly connected to the electronic device to receive the data output signal therefrom for modulation onto a carrier wave.

4. The unit of claim 1 wherein the RE transmitter is completely within the holder.

5. The unit of claim 1 wherein the holder comprises an inner housing comprising two or more inner housing sections and an outer piece that fits over the inner housing sections to hold them in close fitting alignment with each other to define at least one inner cavity between them.

6. The unit of claim 5 wherein the RF transmitter is located in the inner cavity.

7. The unit of claim 6 wherein the holder further comprises one or more controls for changing the carrier frequency on which the RF transmitter operates and the one or more controls are located at least partially in the inner cavity.

8. The unit of claim 7 wherein the one or more controls further comprise one or more buttons.

9. The unit of claim 8 wherein the outer piece has a major face and an opening in the major face, the one or more buttons being actuatable through the opening.

10. The unit of claim 8 wherein the one or more buttons are all covered by a thin resilient membrane having an outer face.

11. The unit of claim 10 wherein the outer face of the membrane carries indicia indicating the functions of the one or more buttons.

12. The unit of claim 1 wherein the unit further comprises a display for indicating the functioning and/or status of the unit.

13. The unit of claim 1 wherein the holder comprises a cavity for receiving and releasably holding at least the bottom portion of the electronic device.

14. The unit of claim 13 wherein the cavity is defined by a bottom wall and a sidewall, the sidewall having a top and closely fitting around the bottom portion of the electronic device to help retain the bottom portion of the electronic device within the cavity.

15. The unit of claim 14 wherein the top of the sidewall is up to 30 millimeters above the bottom wall of the cavity.

16. The unit of claim 14 wherein the top of the sidewall is from 5 to 25 millimeters above the bottom wall of the cavity.

17. The unit of claim 14 wherein the cavity is defined at least in part by one or more biasing members that push against the electronic device to help retain the electronic device within the cavity.

18. The unit of claim 13 wherein the cavity of the holder has one or more protruding members attached to the bottom wall and extending away therefrom and the electronic device has one or more mating concavities having their respective openings in the bottom of the device, the one or more protruding members extending into the corresponding mating concavities of the electronic device when the electronic device is held in the unit.

19. The unit of claim 18 wherein one of the one or more protruding members is an alignment pin.

20. The unit of claim 18 wherein the cavity of the holder contains at least part of the power coupling and at least part of the signal coupling.

21. The unit of claim 13 further comprising a male or female multi-pin connector located in the cavity of the holder wherein at least part of the power coupling and at least part of the signal coupling are part of the multi-pin connector.

22. The unit of claim 1 wherein the holder further comprises a display for indicating the carrier frequency of the RF signal.

23. The unit of claim 1 wherein the holder further comprises at least one control for changing the carrier frequency on which the RF transmiffer operates.

24. The unit of claim 1 further comprising one or more reprogrammable pre-sets, each one capable of being semi-permanently set to select a carrier frequency on which the RF transmitter can operate, the activation of any one of the presets causing the RF transmitter to operate on the carrier frequency to which that preset has been programmed.

25. The unit of claim 1 wherein the semi-rigid elongate metallic antenna portion of the connector comprises a gooseneck.

26. The unit of claim 1 wherein the connector is mechanically coupled to the holder through a swivel joint.

27. The unit of claim 26 wherein the semi-rigid elongate metallic antenna portion of the connector comprises a gooseneck.

28. The unit of claim 27 wherein the gooseneck is directly connected to the swivel joint.

29. The unit of claim 1 wherein the connector is directly mechanically connected to the power acquisition sub-unit.

30. The unit of claim 1 wherein the power acquisition sub-unit comprises a cigarette lighter adapter.

31. The unit of claim 30 wherein the cigarette lighter adapter comprises a housing having a distal end, a proximal end, and a length running from the distal end to the proximal end, the distal end being adapted for insertion into and positioning within a cigarette lighter of a vehicle, the cigarette lighter having a depth and an inner circumference.

32. The unit of claim 31 wherein the cigarette lighter adapter further comprises a deformable resilient member having an outer circumference, the deformable resilient member being mounted on the cigarette lighter adapter near the distal end so that its outer circumference is generally perpendicular to the length of the housing.

33. The unit of claim 32 wherein the outer circumference of the deformable resilient member is larger than the inner circumference of the cigarette lighter so that pushing the distal end of the cigarette lighter adapter into the cigarette lighter causes the outer circumference of the deformable resilient member to bend away from the distal end of the cigarette lighter adapter and towards the proximal end of the cigarette lighter adapter while at least some of the deformable resilient member even after such deformation continues to push against the inner circumference of the cigarette lighter.

34. The unit of claim 32 wherein the cigarette lighter adapter carries a retainer between the deformable resilient member and the distal end of the cigarette lighter adapter to fix the deformable resilient member in position on the cigarette lighter adapter along the length of the cigarette lighter adapter.

35. The unit of claim 31 wherein the length of the cigarette lighter adapter is greater than the depth of the cigarette lighter so that the proximal end of the cigarette lighter adapter is not within the cigarette lighter when the distal end of the cigarette lighter adapter is fully positioned within the cigarette lighter.

36. The unit of claim 35 wherein the connector is coupled to cigarette lighter adapter near the proximal end of the cigarette lighter adapter.

37. The unit of claim 30 further comprising an audio output connector.

38. The unit of claim 37 wherein the audio output connector makes available an output signal that is the same as or is derived from the data output signal.

39. A holder and electrical supply unit to hold and supply power to an electronic device when the electronic device is being held in the unit and is operating;

power being available to the unit from a source external to the unit when the unit is being used;

the electronic device providing a data output signal when the electronic device is operating and having at least one power input connector through which input power for the electronic device passes when the electronic device is held in the unit and is operating;

the electronic device also having a top, a bottom, and a bottom portion extending from the bottom of the device towards the top of the device;

the unit comprising;

(a) a holder for the electronic device, the holder having a power coupling to transmit power to the at least one power input connector of the electronic device;

(b) a power acquisition sub-unit that is electrically coupled to the power coupling of the holder and that is electrically and mechanically coupled to the external power source when the unit is being used to transmit power from the external power source to the power coupling of the holder; and

(c) a connector mechanically coupling the holder to the power acquisition sub-unit, which connector comprises a semi-rigid elongate portion that allows the position of the holder to be semi-permanently adjusted relative to the position of the power acquisition sub-unit, wherein;

the power acquisition sub-unit comprises a cigarette lighter adapter having a housing with a distal end, a proximal end, and a length running from the distal end to the proximal end, the distal end being adapted for insertion into and positioning within a cigarette lighter, the cigarette lighter having a depth and an inner circumference, the cigarette lighter adapter further comprising a deformable resilient member having an outer circumference, the deformable resilient member being mounted on the cigarette lighter adapter near the distal end so that its outer circumference is generally perpendicular to the length of the housing, the outer circumference of the deformable resilient member being larger than the inner circumference of the cigarette lighter so that pushing the distal end of the cigarette lighter adapter into the cigarette lighter causes the outer circumference of the deformable resilient member to bend away from the distal end of the cigarette lighter adapter and towards the proximal end of the cigarette lighter adapter while at least some of the deformable resilient member even after such deformation continues to push against the inner circumference of the cigarette lighter.

40. The unit of claim 39 wherein the unit further comprises a display for indicating the functioning and/or status of the unit.

41. The unit of claim 39 wherein the holder comprises an inner housing comprising two or more inner housing sections and an outer piece that fits over the inner housing sections to hold them in close fitting alignment with each other.

42. The unit of claim 39 wherein the cigarette lighter adapter carries a retainer between the deformable resilient member and the distal end of the cigarette lighter adapter to fix the deformable resilient member in position on the cigarette lighter adapter along the length of the cigarette lighter adapter.

43. The unit of claim 39 wherein the length of the cigarette lighter adapter is greater than the depth of the cigarette lighter so that the proximal end of the cigarette lighter adapter is not within the cigarette lighter when the distal end of the cigarette lighter adapter is fully positioned within the cigarette lighter.

44. The unit of claim 39 wherein the connector is coupled to the cigarette lighter adapter near the proximal end of the cigarette lighter adapter.

45. The unit of claim 39 wherein the cigarette lighter adapter further comprises a data output connector.

46. The unit of claim 45 wherein the data output connector makes available an output signal that is the same as or is derived from the data output signal when the electronic device is operating.

47. The unit of claim 39 further comprising a cavity for receiving and releasably holding the electronic device, the cavity being defined by at least a bottom wall and a sidewall and the sidewall fitting around the electronic device to help retain the electronic device within the cavity.

48. The unit of claim 47 wherein the sidewall has a top and the top is up to 30 millimeters above the bottom wall of the cavity.

49. The unit of claim 47 wherein the sidewall has a top and the top is from 5 to 25 millimeters above the bottom wall of the cavity.

50. The unit of claim 47 wherein the cavity is defined at least in part by one or more biasing members that push against the electronic device to help retain the electronic device within the cavity.

51. The unit of claim 47 wherein the cavity of the holder has one or more protruding members attached to the bottom wall and extending away therefrom and the electronic device has one or more mating concavities having their respective openings in the bottom of the device, the one or more protruding members extending into the corresponding mating concavities of the electronic device when the electronic device is held in the unit.

52. The unit of claim 51 wherein one of the one or more protruding members is an alignment pin.

53. The unit of claim 47 wherein the bottom of the cavity of the holder contains at least part of the power coupling.

54. The unit of claim 39 further comprising a male or female multi-pin connector located in the holder wherein at least part of the power coupling is part of the multi-pin connector.

55. The unit of claim 39 wherein the connector is mechanically coupled to the holder through a swivel joint.

56. The unit of claim 55 wherein the gooseneck is directly connected to the swivel joint.

57. The unit of claim 39 wherein the connector is directly mechanically connected to the power acquisition sub-unit.

58. The unit of claim 39 further comprising (a) at least one data signal output connector through which the data output signal passes from the electronic device when the electronic device is held in the unit and is operating, (b) an RF transmitter for converting the data output signal to an RF signal, and (c) an antenna for radiating the RF signal.

59. The unit of claim 58 wherein the RF transmitter is removably coupled to the holder.

60. The unit of claim 58 wherein the RF transmitter can be directly coupled to the electronic device to receive the data output signal therefrom for modulation onto a carrier wave.

61. The unit of claim 58 wherein the RF transmitter is completely within the holder.

62. The unit of claim 58 wherein the holder comprises an inner housing comprising two or more inner housing sections and an outer piece that fits over the inner housing sections to hold them in close fitting alignment with each other to define at least one inner cavity between them.

63. The unit of claim 62 wherein the RF transmitter is located in the inner cavity.

64. The unit of claim 62 wherein the holder further comprises one or more controls for changing the carrier frequency on which the RF transmitter operates and the one or more controls are located at least partially in the inner cavity.

65. The unit of claim 64 wherein the one or more controls further comprise one or more buttons.

66. The unit of claim 65 wherein the outer piece has a major face and an opening in the major face, the one or more buttons being actuatable through the opening.

67. The unit of claim 65 wherein the one or more buttons are all covered by a thin resilient membrane having an outer face.

68. The unit of claim 67 wherein the outer face of the membrane carries indicia indicating the functions of the one or more buttons.

69. The unit of claim 58 wherein the holder further comprises a display for indicating the carrier frequency of the RF signal.

70. The unit of claim 58 wherein the holder further comprises at least one control for changing the carrier frequency on which the RF transmitter operates.

71. The unit of claim 58 further comprising one or more reprogrammable pre-sets, each one capable of being semi-permanently set to select a carrier frequency on which the RF transmitter can operate, the activation of any one of the presets causing the RF transmitter to operate on the carrier frequency to which that preset has been programmed.

72. The unit of claim 58 wherein the connector mechanically coupling the holder to the power acquisition sub-unit comprises the antenna.

82. The unit of claim 39 wherein:

the semi-rigid elongate portion of the connector comprises a gooseneck.

73. A power acquisition unit for electrically coupling to an electronic device and that is electrically and mechanically coupled to an external power source when the unit is being used to transmit power from the external power source to the electronic device, the power acquisition unit comprising a cigarette lighter adapter having a housing with a distal end, a proximal end, and a length running from the distal end to the proximal end, the distal end being adapted for insertion into and positioning within a cigarette lighter, the cigarette lighter having a depth and an inner circumference, the cigarette lighter adapter further comprising a deformable resilient member having an outer circumference, the deformable resilient member being mounted on the cigarette lighter adapter near the distal end so that its outer circumference is generally perpendicular to the length of the housing, the outer circumference of the deformable resilient member being larger than the inner circumference of the cigarette lighter so that pushing the distal end of the cigarette lighter adapter into the cigarette lighter causes the outer circumference of the deformable resilient member to bend away from the distal end of the cigarette lighter adapter and towards the proximal end of the cigarette lighter adapter while at least some of the deformable resilient member even after such deformation continues to push against the inner circumference of the cigarette lighter.

74. The unit of claim 73 wherein the cigarette lighter adapter carries a retainer between the deformable resilient member and the distal end of the cigarette lighter adapter to fix the deformable resilient member in position on the cigarette lighter adapter along the length of the cigarette lighter adapter.

75. The unit of claim 73 wherein the length of the cigarette lighter adapter is greater than the depth of the cigarette lighter so that the proximal end of the cigarette lighter adapter is not within the cigarette lighter when the distal end of the cigarette lighter adapter is fully positioned within the cigarette lighter.

76. The unit of claim 73 wherein the cigarette lighter adapter further comprises a data output connector.

77. The unit of claim 76 wherein the data output connector makes available an output signal that is the same as or is derived from a data output signal from the electronic device when the electronic device is operating.

78. A power supply and support apparatus for an electronic device, the apparatus comprising the power acquisition unit of claim 73 and a support member coupled to the power acquisition unit, the support member comprising a semi-rigid elongate portion that allows the position of the electronic device to be semi-permanently adjusted relative to the position of the power acquisition unit.

79. The apparatus of claim 78 wherein the support member is coupled to the cigarette lighter adapter near the proximal end of the cigarette lighter adapter.

80. The apparatus of claim 78 wherein the semi-rigid elongate portion of the support member comprises a gooseneck.

81. The apparatus of claim 78 wherein the semi-rigid elongate portion comprises a metallic section that is electrically coupled to act as an antenna to radiate an RF signal derived from the electronic device.