Phone holder

• US 9,859,940 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2015
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Lundsgaard, Soren K., Thomas, Joy A., Krug, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bataille, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US14/881,973
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• 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: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An apparatus for holding a cell phone or a mobile device in a vehicle that includes a phone enhancer and a cradle to hold the cell phone in the vehicle, a keypad wirelessly connected to the phone enhancer, and a phone enhancer application installed and operated on the cell phone. The keypad includes a Bluetooth connection for wireless connection of the keypad to the phone enhancer. The keypad receives one or more keypad instructions that include one or more of the following: answer the cell phone, hang up the cell phone, pause and play music from the cell phone, adjust the volume of a phone call on the cell phone, adjust the volume of the music on the cell phone, and dial a phone number for a phone call on the cell phone. The phone enhancer application determines a driver of the vehicle when multiple users are in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A phone holder for holding a cell phone in a vehicle, the phone holder including:

a phone enhancer and a cradle attached to the phone enhancer configured to hold a cell phone in a vehicle, the phone enhancer wirelessly connected to the cell phone, the cradle including a triangular hold securement system connected to the cradle, wherein the triangular hold securement system includes a first grab post, a second grab post, and a third grab post, wherein the first grab post and the second grab post are positioned to contact and engage on one of two long sides of the cell phone and the third grab post is positioned to contact and engage on the opposite long side of the cell phone, and further wherein the first grab post and third grab post are connected by a first arm and the second grab posts and the third grab post are connected by a second arm, wherein the first arm and the second arm are connected to a linkage element providing biasing forces to the first arm, the second arm, and the grab posts to secure the cell phone to the cradle;

a keypad wirelessly connected to the phone enhancer, wherein the keypad includes a Bluetooth connection for wireless connection of the keypad to the phone enhancer, wherein the keypad receives one or more keypad events and instructions that include one or more of the following;

answer the cell phone, hang up the cell phone, pause and play music from the cell phone, adjust the volume of a phone call on the cell phone, adjust the volume of the music on the cell phone, and dial a phone number for a phone call on the cell phone; and

a phone enhancer application installed and operated on the cell phone, wherein the phone enhancer application determines a driver of the vehicle when multiple users are in the vehicle.

2. A phone holder according to claim 1, further including a vehicle mount to secure the phone holder to the inside of the vehicle such that the driver can see the cell phone.

3. A phone holder according to claim 1, wherein the phone enhancer includes a Bluetooth connection for wireless connection of the cell phone to the phone enhancer.

4. A phone holder according to claim 1, wherein the phone enhancer transforms the keypad events and instructions to a Bluetooth event and then sends the keypad events and instructions to the cell phone.

5. A phone holder according to claim 1, wherein the phone enhancer retains an order of pairing of cell phones and a least recently used connection list, wherein the least recently used connection list is a list of most recently connected cell phone to least recently connected cell phone.

6. A phone holder according to claim 5, wherein when a cell phone has a valid connection with the phone enhancer, the phone enhancer places an identification associated with the cell phone in the least recently used connection list to the most recently connected cell phone.

7. A phone holder according to claim 1, wherein when the vehicle has multiple users whose cell phone have previously connected to the phone enhancer, the phone enhancer application starts when the cell phone detects the phone enhancer.

8. A phone holder according to claim 7, wherein the phone enhancer application communicates with the phone enhancer and displays in a list an identification of the other cell phones connected the phone enhancer.

9. A phone holder according to claim 1, wherein when the vehicle has multiple users whose cell phone have previously connected to the phone enhancer, the phone enhancer does not allow an audio service or a keypad service until a driver of the vehicle is determined.

10. A phone holder according to claim 1, wherein the phone enhancer includes a power charger adapter connection and a USB connector connection.

11. A mobile device holder for holding a mobile device in a vehicle, the mobile device holder including:

a phone enhancer and a cradle attached to the phone enhancer configured to hold a mobile device in a vehicle, the phone enhancer wirelessly connected to the mobile device, wherein the phone enhancer includes a Bluetooth connection for wireless connection of the mobile device to the phone enhancer, the cradle including a triangular hold securement system connected to the cradle, wherein the triangular hold securement system includes a first grab post, a second grab post, and a third grab post, wherein the first grab post and the second grab post are positioned to contact and engage on one of two long sides of the mobile device and the third grab post is positioned to contact and engage on the opposite long side of the mobile device, and further wherein the first grab post and third grab post are connected by a first arm and the second grab posts and the third grab post are connected by a second arm, wherein the first arm and the second arm are connected to a linkage element providing biasing forces to the first arm, the second arm, and the grab posts to secure the mobile device to the cradle;

a keypad wirelessly connected to the phone enhancer, wherein the keypad includes a Bluetooth connection for wireless connection of the keypad to the phone enhancer, wherein the keypad receives one or more keypad events and instructions that include one or more of the following;

answer the mobile device, hang up the mobile device, pause and play music from the mobile device, adjust the volume of a phone call on the mobile device, adjust the volume of the music on the mobile device, and dial a phone number for a phone call on the mobile device; and

a phone enhancer application installed and operated on the mobile device, wherein the phone enhancer application determines a driver of the vehicle when multiple users are in the vehicle,

wherein when the vehicle has multiple users whose mobile device have previously connected to the phone enhancer, the phone enhancer application starts when the mobile device detects the phone enhancer, and further wherein the phone enhancer retains an order of pairing of cell phones and a least recently used connection list, wherein the least recently used connection list is a list of most recently connected mobile devices to least recently connected mobile devices.

12. A mobile device holder according to claim 11, further including a vehicle mount to secure the phone holder to the inside of the vehicle such that the driver can see the mobile device.

13. A mobile device holder according to claim 11, wherein the phone enhancer transforms the keypad events and instructions to a Bluetooth event and then sends the keypad events and instructions to the mobile device.

14. A mobile device holder according to claim 11, wherein when a mobile device has a valid connection with the phone enhancer, the phone enhancer places an identification associated with the mobile device in the least recently used connection list to the most recently connected mobile device.

15. A mobile device holder according to claim 11, wherein the phone enhancer application communicates with the phone enhancer and displays in a list an identification of the other mobile devices connected the phone enhancer.

16. A mobile device holder according to claim 11, wherein when the vehicle has multiple users whose mobile device have previously connected to the phone enhancer, the phone enhancer does not allow an audio service or a keypad service until a driver of the vehicle is determined.

17. A mobile device holder according to claim 11, wherein the phone enhancer includes a power charger adapter connection and a USB connector connection.

18. A mobile device holder for holding a mobile device in a vehicle, the mobile device holder including:

a phone enhancer and a cradle attached to the phone enhancer configured to hold a mobile device in a vehicle, the phone enhancer wirelessly connected to the mobile device, wherein the phone enhancer includes a Bluetooth connection for wireless connection of the mobile device to the phone enhancer, the cradle including a triangular hold securement system connected to the cradle, wherein the triangular hold securement system includes a first grab post, a second grab post, and a third grab post, wherein the first grab post and the second grab post are positioned to contact and engage on one of two long sides of the mobile device and the third grab post is positioned to contact and engage on the opposite long side of the mobile device, and further wherein the first grab post and third grab post are connected by a first arm and the second grab posts and the third grab post are connected by a second arm, wherein the first arm and the second arm are connected to a linkage element providing biasing forces to the first arm, the second arm, and the grab posts to secure the mobile device to the cradle;

a keypad wirelessly connected to the phone enhancer, wherein the keypad includes a Bluetooth connection for wireless connection of the keypad to the phone enhancer, wherein the keypad receives one or more keypad events and instructions that include one or more of the following;

answer the mobile device, hang up the mobile device, pause and play music from the mobile device, adjust the volume of a phone call on the mobile device, adjust the volume of the music on the mobile device, and dial a phone number for a phone call on the mobile device; and

a phone enhancer application installed and operated on the mobile device, wherein the phone enhancer application determines a driver of the vehicle when multiple users are in the vehicle, wherein the phone enhancer application communicates with the phone enhancer and displays in a list an identification of the other mobile devices connected the phone enhancer,

wherein when the vehicle has multiple users whose mobile device have previously connected to the phone enhancer, the phone enhancer application starts when the mobile device detects the phone enhancer, and wherein when the vehicle has multiple users whose mobile device have previously connected to the phone enhancer, the phone enhancer does not allow an audio service or a keypad service until a driver of the vehicle is determined.

19. A mobile device holder according to claim 18, wherein the phone enhancer retains an order of pairing of cell phones and a least recently used connection list, wherein the least recently used connection list is a list of most recently connected mobile devices to least recently connected mobile devices and when a mobile device has a valid connection with the phone enhancer, the phone enhancer places an identification associated with the mobile device in the least recently used connection list to the most recently connected mobile device.

20. A mobile device holder according to claim 18, wherein the phone enhancer includes a power charger adapter connection and a USB connector connection.