WO2001005049A1

WO2001005049A1 - Detachable supplementary apparatus for portable communication device

Info

Publication number: WO2001005049A1
Application number: PCT/KR2000/000726
Authority: WO
Inventors: Young-Seok Choi
Original assignee: Choi Young Seok
Priority date: 1999-07-07
Filing date: 2000-07-06
Publication date: 2001-01-18
Also published as: AU5710100A; KR100312242B1; KR20010009091A

Abstract

The subject invention discloses a new detachable supplementary apparatus for conventional portable communication devices, wherein said supplementary apparatus includes: an antenna section comprising an antenna and an antenna rest part for support of the antenna head with said antenna in; an antenna coupling section for connecting said antenna to an antenna connection terminal of a cellular phone; a body part in long vertically extending form, comprising in its inside an antenna extension device for automatic drawing out or drawing in said antenna and an antenna in/out switch in its outside; and a bridge section, stretching horizontally from the lower portion of the body section, comprising an In-Car Connector interface unit for connection to an In-Car Connector of the cellular phone.

Description

DETACHABLE SUPPLEMENTARY APPARATUS FOR PORTABLE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a detachable supplementary apparatus for portable communication device, in particular, to a supplementary apparatus which, coupled to a portable communication device (in a detachable manner), can expand the function of said portable communication device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is frequent that new models of portable communication device such as cellular phone are equipped with novel functions in increasing rapidity, an example of which is an infrared interface for computer communication. However, to purchase a new cellular phone only for the purpose of adding such new functions would cost much and mean waste of resources. In this respect, there is a demand for a means for adding such new functions to an existing cellular phone.

Further, while the portable communication device continues to become more and more small-sized and light-weighted, some users prefer rather a bit weighty and hence easy-to-hold communication device. Although a communication device of old model might meet with such needs, it cannot provide a variety of new functions. Accordingly, there is a need for a supplementary apparatus which enables a small portable communication device to have a bit weight and hence become easy-to-hold, and yet to provide various additional functions

Furthermore, the negative influence of radio wave of a cellular telephone on human body has been increasingly problematic recently

As such influence can considerably be reduced if the cellular phone is used with its antenna extended, a variety of apparatus enabling the antenna of cellular phone to extend automatically has been presented However, a conventional cellular phone is not capable of employing such apparatus, resulting in an inconvenience

The author of the present invention has already proposed an apparatus which can automatically draw out and draw in the antenna of an existing cellular phone in Korean Utility Model Application No 1998-020118 (Laid-Open No 1999-004098) However, this apparatus is disadvantageous in that users should press the call button or call end button additionally to make a call or to end the call respectively, for this apparatus functions only to have the antenna automatically in or out Accordingly, there has been a need for an apparatus which can automatically draw out and draw in the antenna of a cellular phone while at the same time enable the cellular phone to operate as if its call button or end button was pressed

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, conceived to solve the foregoing problems, aims to provide a supplementary apparatus which is capable of adding new functions to an existing communication device

It is a further objective of the present invention, to provide a supplementary apparatus which can make the current communication device a bit weighty and hence easy-to-hold and yet enable the communication device to perform a variety of additional functions

It is another objective of the present invention, to provide a supplementary apparatus which can automatically draw out or draw in the antenna of a cellular phone when initiating or ending a call while at the same time enable the cellular phone to operate as if its call button or call end button was pressed

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig 1 shows external views of the detachable supplementary apparatus according to the present invention

Fig 2 shows the detachable supplementary apparatus in accordance with the present invention in a state separate from, and in a state combined with a cellular phone

Fig 3(a) is a sectional view showing the lower sleeve (18) slid upwards to upper sleeve (15) while Fig 3(b) is a sectional view showing the lower sleeve (18) slid downwards below the upper sleeve (15)

Fig 4 shows how the supplementary apparatus is to be mounted to a cellular phone

Fig 5 is a sectional view illustrating installation of the antenna section of the supplementary apparatus to the antenna aperture of a cellular phone

Fig 6 is another example of the embodiment of the supplementary apparatus according to the present invention

Fig 7 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an electric circuitry of the supplementary apparatus according to the present invention Fig. 8 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an electric circuitry of the supplementary apparatus according to the present invention

Fig. 9 shows how a cable is connected to the supplementary apparatus according to the present invention, having an In-Car Connector therein Fig 10 shows a supplementary apparatus according to the present invention, equipped with an infrared communication device

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is given below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings

Fig. 1 shows external views of the supplementary apparatus pursuant to the present invention, wherein Fig. 1(a) is a front view, (b) is a view of (a) seen from side A, and (c) is a perspective view The supplementary apparatus (100) of the present invention comprises an antenna section, an antenna coupling section, an upper body section, a lower body section, and a bridge section

The antenna section comprises an antenna head (10), an antenna head rest (12), and an antenna rod (11) The antenna rod (11) is connected to the antenna connection terminal through an antenna coupling section (14) An antenna cap (13) is for covering the aperture that is exposed after removal of the antenna from the cellular phone

The upper body section comprises an upper sleeve (15), an antenna in/out switch (16), and a protrusion (17) for fixing the cellular phone The upper sleeve (15) houses the antenna rod (11) when the antenna is in and is equipped with an instrument for automatic in and out control of the antenna The antenna in/out switch (16) is for drawing in or out of the antenna and is made to slide down or up The protrusion (17) for fixing cellular phone fits into the recess provided at the lateral face of the cellular phone at the time of coupling the supplementary apparatus (100) with a cellular phone, thereby fixing the supplementary apparatus (100) to the cellular phone

The lower body section comprises a lower sleeve (18) The lower sleeve (18) accommodates an infrared interface or an In-Car Connector to be provided to the supplementary apparatus (100) The lower body section can also comprise a supporting member (19) The bridge section is connected to the In-Car Connector of cellular phone and transmits electric power and communication signals from the cellular phone to the supplementary apparatus (100) The bridge section comprises a bridge (20) and an In- Car Connector connection terminal (21)

Fig 2 shows views of the detachable supplementary apparatus according to the present invention, wherein (a) shows a typical cellular phone, (b) shows the detachable supplementary apparatus according to the present invention, and (c) shows a perspective view of the detachable supplementary apparatus according to the present invention coupled to the cellular phone

In order to couple the supplementary apparatus (100) to the cellular phone (200), first, antenna (20) of the cellular phone (200) should be removed Next, the lower sleeve (18) of the supplementary apparatus (100) should be slid downwards with respect to the upper sleeve (15), as illustrated in Fig 3

Fig 3(a) is a sectional view illustrating the lower sleeve (18) slid upwards to upper sleeve (15) as shown in Fig 2(b) Fig 3(b) is a sectional view illustrating the lower sleeve (18) slid downwards below the upper sleeve (15)

The lower sleeve (18) remains up at the upper sleeve (15) as illustrated in Fig 3(a) while the supplementary apparatus (100) is attached to the cellular phone (200) Here, a protrusion (18a) at the upper position inside the lower sleeve (18) slides into the upper recess (15a) of the upper sleeve (15)

In order to attach the supplementary apparatus (100) to the cellular telephone(200), the lower sleeve (18) should be slid downwards from the upper sleeve

(15) and then the protrusion (18a) at the upper position inside the lower sleeve (18) slides into the lower recess (15b) of the upper sleeve (15), so that the lower sleeve (18) is fixed at a position with a predetermined distance below the up position in Fig 3(a)

Thereafter, the supplementary apparatus (100) is made to snap into the cellular phone (200) as illustrated in Fig 4, the aperture in which the removed antenna (20) was inserted is covered with the antenna cap (13), and the lower sleeve (18) is slid upwards, whereby the In-Car Connector of the cellular phone (200) and the In-Car Connector connection terminal (21) of the supplementary apparatus (100) are connected to each other

It is also possible to connect the In-Car Connector first and then couple the antenna

A view of the supplementary apparatus (100) so coupled to the cellular phone (200) is given in Fig 2(c)

Next, a description of coupling the antenna section of the supplementary apparatus to the antenna aperture of a cellular phone is given below, with reference to Fig 5 Fig 5 is a sectional view of coupling of the antenna section of the supplementary apparatus with the antenna aperture of a cellular phone Reference numeral 25 in Fig 5 indicates an earth terminal on the part of the cellular phone (200), which is provided in the antenna aperture at the top of the cellular phone (200) and reference numeral 27 indicates an earth terminal provided in the supplementary apparatus (100) Reference numeral 26 is an earth screw used for connecting said earth terminals (25, 27) to each other and is connected to the earth terminal (25) of the cellular phone (200) in the antenna aperture Reference numeral 24 indicates a plate for connecting electrically the earth screw (26) to the earth terminal (27) of the supplementary apparatus (100). Reference numeral 13 indicates an antenna cap used for insulating the earth screw (26) from outside The supplementary apparatus (100) in accordance with the present invention can be designed in various styles depending on the preference of the consumers Fig 6 shows another example of embodiment of the supplementary apparatus (100) As such, it is possible to make a supplementary apparatus of the present invention in various designs according to consumers' taste, or to various promotion of enterprises or products

Reference numeral 16 in Figs 1 through 6 indicates an antenna in/out switch When a user operates the antenna in/out switch (16) to initiate a telephone call, antenna (10) of the supplementary apparatus (100) extends outward and at the same time, the cellular phone operates automatically as if its call button has been pressed Further, if the user operates the antenna in/out switch (16) with the antenna (10) extending, the antenna (10) is drawn back into the supplementary apparatus (100) and at the same time, the cellular phone operates automatically as if its end button has been pressed

Various apparatus with automatic in/out antenna function have already been disclosed, for example, by Korean Utility Model Laid-Open Nos 1999-004098 and 1999-000311, Korean Patent Laid-Open No 1999-024280, etc The present invention is not limited to any specific construction of the automatic in/out antenna, and can employ any automatic in/out antenna system which is appropriate to the form of the individual supplementary apparatus (100) Next, a description of the method for performing various functions using said supplementary apparatus is given below, making reference to Figs 7 to 10

Fig 7 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an electric circuitry of the supplementary apparatus according to the present invention The drawing shows a case where an In-Car Connector (hereinafter, "ICC") is provided to the supplementary apparatus, as illustrated in Fig 9

The ICC interface section (50) is connected to the ICC of the cellular phone (200) and receives the electric power required by the supplementary apparatus (100) from the cellular phone (200) Further, the ICC interface section (50) receives and transmits a variety of control data or communication data needed for performing different functions

The second ICC interface section (70a), connected to the ICC interface section (50), functions to connect a computer or peripheral apparatus such as headset equipment to the cellular phone (200) To elaborate, once the supplementary apparatus (100) of the present invention is coupled with the cellular telephone (200), the ICC of the cellular phone (200) is so connected to the supplementary apparatus (100), that it cannot be connected to a computer for computer communication or to a headset equipment Thus, the second ICC interface section (70a) is provided to the supplementary apparatus (100) as illustrated in Fig 9, and a headset equipment or a computer is then connected to the second ICC interface section (70a) in order to make use of a headset equipment or a computer possible while the supplementary apparatus (100) is in use

The control section (60) performs diverse functions upon receiving control signals from the cellular phone (200), or transmits a call start command or a call end command to the cellular phone (200) upon sensing the operation of the antenna in/out switch (16, SW)

As described above, the antenna can be drawn in or out by operation of the antenna in/out switch (16,SW), and the cellular phone (200) can be made to operate automatically as if its call button or call end button has been pressed by operation of the antenna in/out switch (16,SW), since the control section (60) perceives the operation of the antenna in/out switch (16, SW) and notifies it to the cellular phone (200) through the ICC interface section (50)

An example of further functions that the control section (60) can perform is as follows if an LED is provided to the supplementary apparatus (100), the LED can be made to indicate the on/off state when the cellular phone (200) receives a phone call To elaborate, when a call signal is received by the cellular phone (200), the control section (60) receives the call notification data through the ICC interface section (50) and then controls the LED to flicker Further, a multiple of LED can be mounted and made to flicker in a predetermined pattern upon receiving a call In this way, user of the cellular phone can easily perceive a phone call and enjoy an additional decorative function of the cellular phone

Fig 8 is a schematic block diagram illustrating another embodiment of the electric circuitry for the supplementary apparatus in accordance with the present invention The drawing shows a case where an infrared communication (hereinafter, "IrDA") interface is provided to the supplementary apparatus as illustrated in Fig 10 The IrDA interface is a method of communication which is commonly employed by notebook computers, cellular phones, various computer peripheral apparatus and the like, because the IrDA interface can provide a wireless receiving and transmitting of data and do not cause radio wave interference With the increase of peripheral apparatus which can afford use of IrDA, it is anticipated that the number of cellular phones employing an IrDA interface will also increase However, if a supplementary apparatus of the present invention is used, the IrDA function can be performed without exchanging the existing cellular phone

To elaborate, as illustrated in Fig 9, the supplementary apparatus (100) is equipped with an IrDA interface section (70b) and the data entered through the ICC interface section (50) are transformed into a infrared data format by the IrDA interface section (70b) and transmitted infrared On the contrary, the infrared data from external apparatus are transformed into electric signal in the IrDA interface section (70b) and the transformed electric signal is transmitted to the cellular phone (200) through the ICC interface section (50) In this way, a cellular phone having no infrared communication interface can be made compatible to infrared communication

Further, in case a telephone user desires to make a telephone call while driving or at a noisy place, the user can communicate by connecting an earphone to his cellular phone However, some cellular phones do not provide a connection for an earphone After accommodating an earphone connection terminal and a relevant circuitry in the supplementary apparatus (100), such cellular phones can be made suitable for use of an earphone as well

To elaborate, as illustrated in Fig 11, an electric signal from the microphone in the earphone (95) is amplified by amplifier (93) and transformed into digital data by an A/D converter (91) The digital data so transformed are encoded in the encoder (81) according to the voice digital coding method employed by the cellular phone (200) and then transmitted to the cellular phone (200) through the ICC interface section (50) under control of the control section (60) On the contrary, the voice data from the cellular phone (200) are input to the decoder (82) through the ICC interface section (50) under the control of the control section (60) The decoder (82) transforms the voice data encoded as per the voice digital coding method used in the cellular phone (200) to digital data which is compatible with the D/A converter (92) Then, the D/A converter (92) receives said digital data and transforms the same to analogue electric signal The analogue signal so produced is amplified by the amplifier (94) and then transformed to voice signal through speaker (Spkr) in the earphone (95)

As described above, an earphone can be used by a cellular phone which has no earphone connection function, by utilizing a supplementary apparatus according to the present invention

Further, it is also possible that the supplementary apparatus (100) performs diverse ancillary functions by mounting a radio, flash light, laser pointer, or the like, using either a separate power or power from the cellular phone supplied through the ICC interface section (50)

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As described above, the present invention allows an existing communication device to perform additional functions such as infrared communication interface function, earphone function, or the like.

Further, a tiny and light-weighte communication device can be made a bit weightier and hence easy-to-hold while maintaining its diverse functions, thereby increasing its convenience in use. Still further, the supplementary apparatus according to the present invention enables a cellular phone having no automatic antenna draw in/out function, to automatically draw the antenna out or draw in at the time of initiating or ending a phone call, respectively, and to operate said cellular phone in a way as if its call button or call end button had automatically been pressed, thereby improving the convenience in use of said cellular phone.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1 A detachable supplementary apparatus for portable communication device comprising an antenna section which includes an antenna and an antenna rest for supporting the head of said antenna when said antenna is drawn in, an antenna coupling section for connecting said antenna to an antenna connection terminal of a cellular telephone, a long vertical extending pipe type body section which houses in inside an antenna draw in/draw out device for automatic extension or contraction of the antenna and has an antenna in/out switch on its exterior, and, a bridge section which extends laterally from the low part of said pipe type body section and is equipped with an In-Car Connector connection terminal for connection with an In-Car Connector of a cellular telephone

2 The detachable supplementary apparatus for portable communication device as set forth in Claim 1, in which said pipe type body section is consisted of an upper sleeve and a lower sleeve which can slide up and down relatively to each other

3 The detachable supplementary apparatus for portable communication device as set forth in Claim 1, in which said pipe type body section is equipped with an interface section for connection with a peripheral device

4 The detachable supplementary apparatus for portable communication device as set forth in Claim 3, in which said interface section is an In-Car Connector

5 The detachable supplementary apparatus for portable communication device as set forth in Claim 3, in which said interface section is an infrared communication interface

6 The detachable supplementary apparatus for portable communication device as set forth in any one of Claims 1 to 5, which comprises a sensing means for perceiving operation of said antenna in/out switch, and a control section for transmitting the data corresponding to the respective pressing of the call button or call end button to the cellular phone through said In-Car Connector interface section using the data perceived by said sensing means, and, thereby transmits the data corresponding to the pressing of the call button if the antenna is drawn out by an operation of the antenna in/out switch, and transmits the data corresponding to the pressing of the call end button if the antenna is drawn in by an operation of the antenna in/out switch