Enhanced companion digital organizer for a cellular phone device

• US 6,658,268 B1
• Filed: 08/06/1999
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bodnar, Eric O., Kirani, Shekhar, Kahn, Philippe R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Pablo N.
• Application Number:
  US09/369,812
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550, 455/556, 455/557, 455/575, 455/558, 455/566, 455/90, 455/556.2, 455/556.1
• US Class Current: 455/556.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0281 for providing single handed use or left/right hand conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724092 Interfacing with an external cover providing additional functionalities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications

Abstract

An enhanced “Camel-back” or “Companion” Digital Organizer (CDO) is described that is designed to interface to a cellular telephone. The CDO is preferably implemented as an add-on component which can be easily attached and detached from a phone by a user and, once in place, can dramatically enhance the phone'"'"'s functionality by converting the phone into a “smart” phone. Exemplary features of the CDO include an ability for the user to initiate a voice call on the phone from the CDO. Preferably, the user may initiate the voice call from any of multiple modules of the user'"'"'s data, and not merely from a phone-book module. The CDO is also capable of stand-alone use as a personal organizer device, apart from the phone. The CDO preferably includes a docking unit that removably mates to particular model(s) of phones, and a main unit that removably docks to the docking unit. The docking unit preferably includes substantially all phone-model-specific geometries and features to thereby allow the main unit to be configured for stand-alone use as an organizer with few compromises made to accommodate specific model(s) of phones. Furthermore, the same main unit is suitable for use with multiple docking units that are respectively adapted for different models of phones. Note that some phones have an “automatic hang-up” feature in which the phone unilaterally hangs up a phone call that was initiated by an external device (e.g., a modem or the CDO) upon detaching of the device by the user. For such phones, the docking unit remains attached to the phone during a call initiated by the user via the CDO, even if the user should detach the main unit for stand-alone use as an organizer. The still-attached docking unit contains sufficient circuitry and physical features to prevent automatic hang-up. The main unit includes many features such as a choice of both left- and right-handed modes and the capability for handling electronic mail, remote browsing, remote synchronization, caller identification, and the like.

Claims

1. A method for cooperatively using a portable phone and a portable electronic organizer that has a display, the method comprising:

electively placing the portable electronic organizer into proximity with the portable phone to enable communication;

displaying at the display first information comprising entries having associated phone number information;

receiving first input that indicates a user request to place a phone call;

determining a phone number to be dialed as follows;

if a phone-number field is highlighted when the first input is received, determining that the highlighted phone-number is to be dialed; and

if a non-phone-number field is highlighted when the first input is received, determining that a phone-number associated with the highlighted field is to be dialed comprising the steps of;

identifying a text substring that is a phone number involving parsing a pre-elected field of a current record, depending on a type of the current record,

prompting the user to confirm the phone number, and

repeating these steps until a phone number is confirmed;

transmitting a first command from the electronic organizer to the phone for attempting to establish communication between the electronic organizer and the phone;

if a communication can be established between the electronic organizer and the phone, transmitting in response to the user request a second command, from the electronic organizer to the phone, that instructs the phone to dial the determined phone number to thereby establish a phone call;

during the established phone call, receiving second input indicating a user request to use the electronic organizer to view second information; and

in response to the second input, while at least a portion of the electronic organizer that includes the display is physically uncoupled from the phone, displaying at the electronic organizer the second information for viewing by the user while the user is actively engaged in the established phone call.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of placing the electronic organizer into proximity with the phone comprises physically attaching the electronic organizer to the phone.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising physically uncoupling the at least a portion of the electronic organizer from the phone prior to the step of receiving the second input.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of placing the electronic organizer into proximity with the phone further comprises making electrical contact between signal conductors, and the step of transmitting the second command comprises transmitting the second command across the signal conductors.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the phone is a cellular phone that accommodates a battery, and the step of physically attaching the electronic organizer to the phone comprises attaching the electronic organizer to the phone at a location intended for attaching the battery.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the phone is a cellular phone that includes a battery compartment and a battery-compartment cover, and the step of physically attaching the electronic organizer to the phone comprises attaching the electronic organizer to the phone at a location intended for attaching the battery-compartment cover.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of placing the electronic organizer into proximity with the phone comprises positioning the electronic organizer within about one meter of the phone, and the step of transmitting the second command comprises transmitting the second command wirelessly.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of transmitting the second command wirelessly comprises transmitting the second command using infrared signals.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of transmitting the second command wirelessly comprises transmitting the second command using radio-frequency signals.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the electronic organizer includes a button;

the method further comprises activating the button by a first hand of the user while a second hand of the user is holding the phone at ear-side; and

the step of receiving the second input includes detecting the activating of the button.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the electronic organizer includes a first module and a second module that are physically separable from one another; and

the step of placing the electronic organizer into proximity with the phone comprises electively and physically attaching the first module to the phone.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of placing the electronic organizer into proximity with the phone further comprises electively and physically attaching the second module to the first module.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of placing the electronic organizer into proximity with the phone further comprises making electrical contact between signal conductors, and the step of transmitting the second command comprises transmitting the second command across the signal conductors toward the phone.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the phone is a cellular phone that accommodates a battery, and the step of physically attaching the first module to the phone comprises attaching the first module to the phone at a location configured for attaching the battery.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the phone includes a battery-compartment cover, and the step of physically attaching the first module to the phone comprises attaching the first module to the phone at a location configured for attaching the battery-compartment cover.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the phone uses a first command protocol;

the second module uses a second command protocol; and

the method further comprises translating between the first and the second protocols by the first module to facilitate communication between the second module and the phone.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic organizer includes contact information and event information;

and

the second information includes information from at least one member of the set consisting of the contact information and the event information.