Modular cell phone for laptop computers

• US 8,892,164 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Sherman, Itay
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsvey, Gennadiy
• Application Number:
  US13/564,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20120295614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/556.1, 455/553.1
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication system including a wireless communicator including a baseband modem for connecting to the Internet via a cellular network, and a connector for physically connecting the wireless communicator to a laptop computer port, and a laptop computer including a wireless modem for communicating in a wireless mode with the wireless communicator, a port for physically connecting the wireless communicator to the laptop computer and for communicating in a wired mode with the wireless communicator, and a connection wedge, wherein the laptop computer connects to the Internet via a link between the laptop computer and the wireless communicator, and wherein the connection wedge selectively uses the wired mode or the wireless mode for the link according to whether or not the wireless communicator is physically connected to the laptop computer, respectively. A method is also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a cellular phone module comprising;

a microphone for providing audio input;

a speaker for providing audio output;

a connector for physically connecting the cellular phone module to a laptop computer port;

a modem for wirelessly connecting the cellular phone module to the laptop computer; and

a keypad for dialing an Internet-based phone call via the laptop computer; and

a laptop computer comprising;

a port for physically connecting said cellular phone module to the laptop computer;

a network adapter for Internet phone call communication;

a microphone for providing audio input during an ongoing Internet-based phone call, while said cellular phone module is physically connected to said laptop computer port;

at least one speaker for providing audio output during the ongoing Internet-based phone call, while said cellular phone module is physically connected to said laptop computer port;

a modem for wirelessly connecting said cellular phone module to the laptop computer; and

a communication bridge, for channeling audio input for the ongoing Internet-based phone call from said cellular phone module microphone to the laptop computer via said modem, and for channeling audio output for the ongoing Internet-based phone call from the laptop computer to said cellular phone module speaker, when said cellular phone module is physically disconnected from said laptop computer port during the ongoing Internet-based phone call, thereby enabling said cellular phone module to continue the ongoing Internet-based phone call wirelessly via said laptop computer,

wherein said laptop computer connects to the Internet via said cellular phone module, when said cellular phone module is physically connected to said laptop computer.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said port comprises a USB port.

3. The communication system of claim 2 wherein said cellular phone module connects as a USB mass storage device for said laptop computer via said USB port.

4. The communication system of claim 3 wherein said communication bridge is stored on said cellular phone module, and is installed on said laptop computer from said cellular phone module when said cellular phone module is connected to said USB port.

5. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said laptop computer further comprises a wireless communication driver, and wherein said communication bridge comprises a connection tracker for detecting that said wireless communication driver is active.

6. The communication system of claim 5 wherein said wireless communication driver is a BLUETOOTH®

driver.

7. The communication system of claim 6 wherein said communication bridge transmits BLUETOOTH®

information from said laptop computer to said cellular phone module via said laptop computer port while said cellular phone module is connected to said laptop computer port, for use with Bluetooth pairing of said laptop computer and said cellular phone module via said BLUETOOTH®

driver when said cellular phone module is physically disconnected from said laptop computer port.

8. The communication system of claim 5 wherein said laptop computer further comprises a networking stack, and wherein said communication bridge is wedged between said wireless communication driver and said networking stack.

9. The communication system of claim 5 wherein said laptop computer further comprises a communication device class driver and a dial up networking class driver, and wherein said communication bridge operates above said communication device class driver and said dial up networking class driver.

10. The communication system of claim 9 wherein said communication device class driver and said dial up networking class driver operate above said wireless communication driver.

11. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said communication bridge instructs said laptop computer modem to transition to a low power state while said cellular phone module is connected to said port.

12. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said communication bridge channels audio input for the ongoing Internet-based phone call to said laptop computer microphone, and channels audio output for the ongoing Internet-based phone call to said laptop computer at least one speaker, when said cellular phone module is physically re-connected to said laptop computer port during the ongoing Internet-based phone call, thereby enabling said laptop computer to continue the ongoing Internet-based phone call.

13. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said laptop computer is connected to the Internet during the ongoing Internet-based phone call via either or both of a router and a modem.

14. A method of communication, comprising:

initiating an Internet-based phone call via a laptop computer in response to keypad dialing instructions received from a cellular phone module;

using microphone and speaker of the laptop computer to conduct the Internet-based phone call;

detecting that the cellular phone module is physically disconnected from the laptop computer port during the ongoing Internet-based phone call via the laptop computer;

in response to said detecting, channeling audio input for the ongoing Internet-based phone call from the cellular phone module to the laptop computer;

in response to said detecting, channeling audio output for the ongoing Internet-based phone call from the laptop computer to the cellular phone module via a wireless modem of the laptop computer, thereby enabling the cellular phone module to continue the ongoing Internet-based phone call via the laptop computer;

further detecting that the cellular phone module is physically connected to the laptop computer port; and

in response to said further detecting, enabling the laptop computer to connect to the Internet via the cellular phone module.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting BLUETOOTH®

information from the laptop computer to the cellular phone module while the cellular phone module is connected to the laptop computer, for use with Bluetooth pairing of the laptop computer and the cellular phone module when the cellular phone module is physically disconnected from the laptop computer.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

further detecting that the cellular phone module is physically re-connected to the laptop computer port during the ongoing Internet-based phone call;

in response to said further detecting, channeling audio input for the ongoing Internet-based phone call to the laptop computer; and

in response to said further detecting, channeling audio output for the ongoing Internet-based phone call to the laptop computer, thereby enabling the laptop computer to continue the ongoing Internet-based phone call.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising instructing the cellular phone module modem to transition to a low power state while the cellular phone module is connected to the laptop computer.