Battery operated speakerphone and charging stand

• US 7,602,141 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2005
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Dudley, Simon, Kenoyer, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Akm E
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US11/252,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20060093151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/110, 320/114, 320/115, 320/103, 320/109, 320/113, 324/432
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08

Abstract

In various embodiments, to avoid having to plug in the speakerphone, the speakerphone may be powered with a battery. In some embodiments, the speakerphone may exchange a discharged battery with a charged battery on a charging stand. In some embodiments, a charging stand, with a battery releasably coupled to the charging stand, may be configured to receive a second battery from a speakerphone. In some embodiments, the speakerphone with the first battery may be placed onto the charging stand to engage the charging stand. The charging stand may determine if the first battery on the speakerphone needs to be exchanged (e.g., if it is charged below a predetermined limit). If the battery needs to be exchanged, the charging stand may exchange the first battery with the second battery by disengaging the first battery and engaging the second battery with the speakerphone.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a charging stand; and

a first battery releasably coupled to the charging stand;

wherein the charging stand is configured to automatically decouple a second battery from a speakerphone while the speakerphone is engaged with the charging stand, and

wherein the charging stand is configured to release and automatically couple the first battery to the speakerphone while the speakerphone is engaged with the charging stand;

wherein the charging stand further comprises one or more rollers, and wherein the one or more rollers in the charging stand are configured to move the first battery into engagement with the speakerphone.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first battery is configured to engage the speakerphone through one or more clips or magnets.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the charging stand or speakerphone is configured to determine if the second battery coupled to the speakerphone needs to be exchanged with the first battery.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the charging stand is configured to not release the second battery until the charging stand receives the first battery.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the speakerphone is configured to engage the charging stand through one or more of the first battery and the second battery.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein receiving the second battery from the speakerphone comprises the charging stand decoupling the second battery from the speakerphone.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein releasing the first battery to the speakerphone comprises the charging stand coupling the first battery to the speakerphone.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a speakerphone; and

a first battery releasably coupled to the speakerphone;

wherein the speakerphone is configured to automatically exchange the first battery with a second battery coupled to a charging stand when the speakerphone engages the charging stand;

wherein the charging stand further comprises one or more rollers, and wherein the one or more rollers in the charging stand are configured to move the second battery into engagement with the speakerphone.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second battery is configured to engage the speakerphone through one or more clips or magnets.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the charging stand or speakerphone is configured to determine if the first battery releasably coupled to the speakerphone needs to be exchanged with the second battery.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the speakerphone is configured to not release the first battery until the speakerphone receives the second battery.

17. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the speakerphone is configured to automatically decouple the first battery from the speakerphone and couple the second battery to the speakerphone when the speakerphone engages the charging stand.

10. A method, comprising:

placing a speakerphone with a first battery onto a charging stand with a second battery;

automatically disengaging the first battery from the speakerphone while the speakerphone engages the charging stand; and

automatically coupling the second battery to the speakerphone while the speakerphone engages the charging stand;

wherein the charging stand further comprises one or more rollers, and wherein the one or more rollers in the charging stand are configured to move the second battery into engagement with the speakerphone.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining if the second battery on the speakerphone needs to be exchanged with the first battery.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second battery engages the speakerphone through one or more magnets.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the second battery engages the speakerphone through one or more clips.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the charging stand couples the second battery to the speakerphone only after the charging stand receives the first battery from the speakerphone.