Charging station for mobile devices that allows access to device services

• US 8,447,366 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Ungari, Joseph, Wang, Winston, Buck, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ajayi, Joel
• Application Number:
  US12/130,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20090298553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,817 Days
• Field of Search: 455/74.1, 455/552.1, 455/554.2, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/566, 455/573, 455/158.4
• US Class Current: 455/573
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2477 for selecting a function from a menu display H04M1/2474 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A charging station for mobile devices that allows a user to access mobile device services while a mobile device is contacting a charging pad or is otherwise being charged at the charging station. The charging station includes a charging pad where a mobile device is placed to initiate automatic charging without having to connect the mobile device to a charging cable. The charging station also includes a display and communication components for wirelessly linking the charging station with the mobile device. When the mobile device is within proximity of the charging station, the charging station establishes a connection with the mobile device to allow the services offered by the mobile device to be accessed via the charging station. The display on the charging station may be larger than the display of the mobile device or may be configured with different dimensions than the display on the mobile device.

Claims

1. A charging station for charging a mobile telecommunications device while enabling access to services through the mobile telecommunications device, the charging station comprising:

a power supply;

a charging pad coupled to the power supply, the charging pad configured to charge a mobile telecommunications device in proximity to the charging station via a cordless connection;

a communication component for establishing a wireless communication link with the mobile telecommunications device while the mobile telecommunications device is being charged by the charging pad, the wireless communication link enabling access to at least one service offered by the mobile telecommunications device, the at least one service selected from a voice service, a text message service, a calendar service, an address book service, or a multimedia service;

a touchscreen display for displaying an icon that depicts at least one service offered by the mobile telecommunications device and for receiving the selection by a user of one of the displayed services by detecting a touch of the user on the icon; and

a controller coupled to the communication component and to the input component, wherein the controller receives a selection of a service by the user and allows the user to access the selected service offered by the mobile telecommunications device via the wireless communication link.

2. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the charging pad creates a varying magnetic field to induce a charging current in the mobile telecommunications device.

3. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the charging pad provides a charging current to the mobile telecommunications device when conductive contact is made between the mobile telecommunications device and the charging pad.

4. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the communication component communicates via a protocol selected from a set comprising Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee, ultra-wideband and infrared.

5. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the selected service is implemented on the mobile telecommunications device.

6. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the selected service is implemented remote from the mobile telecommunications device and accessed via the mobile telecommunications device.

7. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the selected service is accessed after the mobile telecommunications device has been charged.

8. The charging station of claim 1, wherein a portion of the selected service is implemented by the mobile telecommunications device and a portion of the selected service is implemented by the charging station.

9. A charging station for charging a mobile device and displaying a list of services available on the mobile device that a user may access through the charging station, the charging station comprising:

a power supply;

a charging component coupled to the power supply, the charging component configured to charge a mobile device in proximity to the charging station via a cordless connection;

a communication component for establishing a wireless communication link with the mobile device while the mobile device is being charged by the charging component, the wireless communication link enabling access to at least one service offered by the mobile device, the at least one service selected from a voice service, a text message service, a calendar service, an address book service, or a multimedia service;

a touchscreen display for displaying an icon that depicts at least one service offered by the mobile device and for receiving the selection by a user of one of the displayed services by detecting a touch of the user on the icon; and

a controller coupled to the communication component and to the input component, wherein the controller receives a selection of a service from a user and accesses the selected service offered by the mobile device via the wireless communication link.

10. The charging station of claim 9, wherein the charging component is a charging pad.

11. The charging station of claim 10, wherein the charging pad creates a varying magnetic field to induce a charging current in the mobile device.

12. The charging station of claim 11, wherein the charging pad provides a charging current to the mobile device when conductive contact is made between the mobile device and the charging pad.

13. The charging station of claim 9, wherein the communication component communicates via a protocol selected from a set comprising Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee, ultra-wideband and infrared.

14. The charging station of claim 9, wherein the service is implemented on the mobile device.

15. The charging station of claim 9, wherein the service is implemented remote from the mobile device and accessed via the mobile device.

16. The charging station of claim 9, wherein the display is configured to display the selected service.

17. The charging station of claim 16, wherein the controller receives a selection of a second service from the user and accesses the selected second service on the mobile device via the wireless communication link, and wherein the display is configured to simultaneously display the selected first and second services.

18. The charging station of claim 9, wherein the selected service is accessed after the mobile device has been charged.

19. The charging station of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is a mobile telecommunications device.

20. The charging station of claim 9, wherein a portion of the selected service is implemented by the mobile device and a portion of the selected service is implemented by the charging station.

21. An apparatus for the remote access of a service offered by a mobile device while the mobile device is being charged, the apparatus comprising:

a charging component configured to charge a mobile device via a cordless connection;

a communication component for establishing a wireless communication link with the mobile device while the mobile device is being charged by the charging component, the wireless communication link enabling access to at least one service offered by the mobile device, the at least one service selected from a voice service, a text message service, a calendar service, an address book service, or a multimedia service; and

an interface component for receiving from a user a selection of an icon that depicts at least one service offered by the mobile device, the interface component including a touchscreen display that is utilized by the user to select the icon that depicts the service offered by the mobile device, the interface component accessing the selected service on the mobile device via the wireless communication link and providing the service to the user, wherein the service is accessed from the apparatus using the mobile device.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the charging component is a charging pad.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the charging pad creates a varying magnetic field to induce a charging current in the mobile device.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the charging pad provides a charging current to the mobile device when conductive contact is made between the mobile device and the charging pad.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the communication component communicates via a protocol selected from a set comprising Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee, ultra-wideband and infrared.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the selected service is accessed after the mobile device has been charged.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the mobile device is a mobile telecommunications device.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the interface component further receives from the user one or more commands for controlling the service and transmits the commands to the mobile device via the wireless communication link.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein a portion of the selected service is implemented by the mobile device and a portion of the selected service is implemented by the apparatus.