GB2423213A

GB2423213A - Handsfree device for a mobile telephone

Info

Publication number: GB2423213A
Application number: GB0522120A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kai Man Li
Original assignee: Canhold International Ltd
Current assignee: Canhold International Ltd
Priority date: 2005-10-31
Filing date: 2005-10-31
Publication date: 2006-08-16
Anticipated expiration: 2025-10-31
Also published as: GB0522120D0; GB2423213B

Abstract

A handsfree device for a mobile phone comprises a circuit board in a housing 10 and uses radio frequency wireless transmission - such as Bluetooth (RTM) - to communicate with the mobile phone. A microphone 70 is provided that is slidably attached to the housing so that it may be extended from the housing when in use to reduce echoes. The device also includes two buttons 60 for controlling volume and a switch 66 for receiving and terminating phone calls. Light emitting devices (34, 35) indicate whether a phone call is on line and an LCD 40 is also provided. A motor may be used to extend and retract the microphone.

Description

COMMUNICATING DEVICE FOR MOBILE PHONE

The invention relates to a communicating device for attaching to various objects, such as vehicles, and/or for being carried with the users, and for communicating with mobile or portable phones and for allowing the users to use the mobile phones wirelessly.

Typically, the users have to carry the mobile phones with them and to attach the mobile phones to the ears for speaking the phone calls. This is dangerous particularly when the users are driving the vehicles.

For avoiding the users to pick up the mobile phones and then to attach the mobile phones to their ears, various kinds of telecommunicating devices have been developed and provided for coupling the mobile phones to the vehicles, and for supporting the mobile phones, to allow the users to speak the phone calls without carrying and holding the mobile phones.

For example, U.S. Patent No. 6,687,513 to Hsu Li discloses one of the attaching devices for attaching portable phones to vehicles, and comprising a housing having a plug for plugging or electrically coupling to the electric socket of the vehicle with electric wires or cables, and for allowing the users to use or to speak the mobile phones wirelessly.

However, the electric wires or cables are required to electrically couple the attaching device to the electric socket of the vehicle, such that the attaching device is required to be attached to the vehicle at the position close to the electric socket of the vehicle, and may not be attached to the vehicle at the other positions far away from the electric socket of the vehicle. In addition, the electric wires or cables may interfere the driving operation of the users or drivers.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a communicating device for attaching to various positions of various objects, such as vehicles, and/or for being carried with the users, and for communicating with mobile or portable phones and for allowing the users to use the mobile phones wirelessly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a communicating device comprising:- a housing, a circuit board received in the housing and including a blue tooth device for communicating with mobile phones, and including two switch buttons for controlling volume of sound, and including a control switch for receiving and terminating phone calls from the mobile phones, and including at least one light device for indicating whether the phone call is on line or not, and including an LCD attached thereto, a microphone slidably attached to the housing and movable relative to the housing, and means for moving the microphone relative to the housing, to allow the microphone to be selectively moved into and moved out of the housing, and to allow the microphone to be selectively moved away the housing for preventing or avoiding echo phenomenon, and to allow the microphone to be selectively moved into the housing to form a compact folding or receiving structure or configuration which is excellent for being carried with the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. I is a front perspective view of a communicating device; FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the communicating device; FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the communicating device; FIGS. 4, 5, 6 are partial exploded views of the communicating device; FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view showing a circuit board of the communicating device; FIG. 8 is a front perspective view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the operation of the communicating device; and FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of the communicating device for a vehicle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a communicating device 1 comprises a housing 10 for attaching to various objects 90, such as the sun shade 91, the rear view mirror 92, or the windshield 93 or the like of the vehicles 90 (FIG. 9), and/or for being carried with the users, and for communicating with the mobile or portable phone 99 and for allowing the users to use the mobile phone 99 wirelessly without carrying or holding the mobile phone 99. The housing 10 may include two or more housing members 11, 12 secured together with such as latches, fasteners (not shown), or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, a circuit board 30 may also be received and secured within the housing 10 with such as the latches or fasteners (not shown), or the like, and includes a blue tooth device 3 1 for receiving and/or transmitting signals to and from the mobile phone 99 and/or for communicating with the mobile phone 99, and includes two switch buttons 32 for controlling up and down of the volume of the sounds, and includes a control switch 33 for receiving or terminating the phone calls from the mobile phone 99, and includes a green or blue light device 34 for indicating that the phone is on line and a red light device 35 for indicating that the phone has been cut off or terminated.

One or more, such as two ear phone connectors 36 are attached to the circuit board 30, such as attached to two sides of the circuit board 30 for easily plugging or coupling to various ear phones (not shown), and one or more, such as two sockets 37 are attached to the circuit board 30, such as attached to two sides of the circuit board for easily plugging or electrically coupling to the electric socket 94 of the vehicle 90 (FIG. 9). A cap 38 may be attached to one side of the housing 10 for selectively blocking one of the ear phone connectors 36 and one of the sockets 37, and for allowing the other convenient ear phone connector 36 and socket 37 to be used by the users.

A liquid crystal display (LCD) 40 is also attached to the circuit board 30 and coupled to the blue tooth device 31 for showing or displaying the information of the phone calls or the like, and includes a casing 41 attached thereon for shielding and/or supporting and/or protecting the blue tooth device 31. A speaker 42 may also be attached to the circuit board 30 with a ring member or frame 43, and coupled to the blue tooth device 31 for generating sounds. The frame 43 may include an inner thread 44 formed therein, and may include one or more, such as two peripheral grooves 45 formed in the outer peripheral portion thereof.

The housing 10 may include a threaded barrel 13 formed or provided therein (FIGS. 3 and 6), such as provided in the rear housing member 12, for threading with the inner thread 44 of the frame 43 and for allowing the frame 43 to be selectively attached or secured to the rear housing member 12 of the housing 10, and for allowing the speaker 42 to be stably retained or secured between the circuit board 30 and the rear housing member 12 with the frame 43.

The circuit board 30 may further include one or more, such as two switches 47, 48 attached thereon (FIGS. 3, 6, 7).

One or more batteries 50 may be received in a compartment 14 formed in such as the rear housing member 12 of the housing 10 (FIGS. 3, 6) and electrically coupled to the blue tooth device 31, the LDC 40, and the other electrical parts or elements of the circuit board 30, and for energizing these electrical parts or elements. A cover 51 may be attached to such as the rear housing member 12 of the housing 10, for shielding or enclosing the compartment 14 of the housing 10, and for stably retaining the batteries 50 within the compartment 14 of the housing 10.

For example, the cover 5 1 may include one or more latches 52 for anchoring or securing to the rear housing member 12 of the housing 10, and includes a key hole or hanging hole 53 formed therein (FIG. 2) and defined by a receptacle 54 for hanging the housing 10 onto various supporting objects. The cover 51 may further include one or more spring catches 55 provided in such as the receptacle 54 for engaging with the supporting objects and for further stably attaching or securing the cover 5 1 and thus the housing 10 onto the supporting objects.

One or more, such as two keys 60 are resiliently attached or coupled to such as the front housing member 11 of the housing 10, and extended through two orifices 15 of the front housing member 11 of the housing 10, and each includes a depression 61 formed therein for receiving a cushioning pad 62 therein. The keys 60 are aligned with the switch buttons 32 respectively, for allowing the switch buttons 32 to be depressed or actuated by the users with the keys 60, in order to control the volume of the speaker 42, the ear phones or the like.

Another key 63 is also resiliently attached or coupled to the front housing member 11 of the housing 10, and extended through an aperture 16 of the front housing member 11 of the housing 10, and includes a depression 64 formed therein for receiving a cushioning pad 65 therein. The key 63 is aligned with the control switch 33 for allowing the control switch 33 to be depressed or actuated by the users with the key 63. A transparent or semi- transparent lens 66 may be attached to the key 63 and aligned with the light devices 34, 35, for allowing the green or blue or red light of the light devices 34, to be seen through the lens 66.

The front housing member 11 of the housing 10 further includes an opening 17 formed therein and aligned with the LCD 40, for allowing the LCD 40 to be seen through the opening 17 of the housing 10, and further includes a recess 18 and a number of anchoring perforations 19 formed in the front portion thereof. A face panel 20 may be engaged into the recess 18 of the housing 10 and includes a number of latches 21 extended therefrom for engaging into or with the anchoring perforations 19 of the housing 10 and for attaching or securing the face panel 20 to the housing 10, and includes a window 23 formed therein and aligned with the LCD 40 and the opening 17 of the housing 10.

A plate 24 may further be provided and engaged in the window 23 of the face panel 20 and secured to the face panel 20 with such as adhesive materials or by welding processes, and further includes an aperture 25 and a window or screen 26 formed therein and aligned with the key 63 and the LCD 40 respectively, for allowing the key 63 to be extended out through the aperture 25 of the plate 24 and for allowing the control switch 33 to be depressed or actuated by the users with the key 63. The information or the display of the LCD 40 may be protected and seen through the screen 26 of the plate 24.

The housing 10 further includes one or more foot stands 27 attached or extended or provided in the bottom portion thereof (FIG.

2), for allowing the housing 10 to be erected and supported on the ground or any supporting surfaces, and includes one or more openings 28 formed therein (FIGS. 2, 5), for allowing the sounds generated by the speaker 42 to be to be emitted out of the housing and to be clearly heard by the users. The housing 10 further includes a notch 29 formed in such as the upper portion of the front housing member 11 of the housing 10 (FIGS. 1, 3-5 and 8).

A microphone 70 includes an extension 71 extended therefrom and slidably engaged into the housing 10, for allowing the microphone 70 to be selectively engaged into the notch 29 of the housing 10 (FIGS. 1, 2, 5), or to be selectively extended out of the notch 29 of the housing 10 (FIG. 8), and includes a rack 72 formed or provided in such as the extension 71 thereof, and includes a finger or actuator 73 extended from such as the extension 71 thereof for selectively engaging with or actuating the switches 47, 48 of the circuit board 30.

It is preferable that a seat 74 is received and secured in the housing 10 with such as latches or fasteners (not shown), and the extension 71 of the microphone 70 may be slidably engaged with or coupled to the seat 74 with one or more rods 75 (FIG. 4), for guiding the microphone 70 to stably and slidably engaged into and out of the notch 29 of the housing 10. The rods 75 may be slidably received and guided within the peripheral grooves 45 of the frame 43, to further stably guide the microphone 70 to slide relative to the housing 10.

A motor 80 may further be provided and secured in such as the rear housing member 12 of the housing 10, and includes a pinion 81 attached to such as the spindle 82 thereof and engaged with a reduction gearing 83 which may also be attached or secured to the rear housing member 12 of the housing 10 and may be engaged with the rack 72 of the extension 71 of the microphone 70, for selectively moving the microphone 70 relative to the housing 10 or for selectively moving the microphone 70 to engage into and out of the notch 29 of the housing 10.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 9, when the mobile phone 99 has an incoming phone call, the blue tooth device 31 of the circuit board may communicate with the mobile phone 99 to receive the information of the incoming phone call and to show the information in the LCD 40, to allow the driver or the user to decide whether to pick up the phone call or not. The driver or the user may depress the key 63 once to actuate the control switch 33 and to pick up the phone call. At this time, when the control switch 33 is actuated to pick up the phone call, the motor 80 may be actuated to move the microphone 70 out of the notch 29 of the housing 10 for sensing or receiving the sounds or sound waves from the driver or the user and for allowing the driver or the user to speak the phone call wirelessly without carrying or holding the mobile phone 99.

When the key 63 is selectively depressed or actuated again, the phone call may be stopped or terminated. However, for some phone systems, the phone call may be stopped or terminated automatically without depressing or actuating the key 63 again. When the key 63 is depressed or actuated once to actuate the control switch 33 and to pick up the phone, or is depressed or actuated again to actuate the control switch 33 to stop or terminate the phone, the green or blue light device 34 may be energized to indicate that the phone is on line or that the communicating device I is still working.

The key 63 may be depressed or actuated longer to actuate the control switch 33 to switch off the communicating device 1, and the red light device 35 may then be energized to indicate that the phone has been cut off or terminated or that the communicating device 1 is not working or has been switched off. The motor 80 may be actuated to move the microphone 70 into the notch 29 of the housing 10 again when the phone has been cut off or terminated or when the communicating device 1 is not working or has been switched off.

The actuator 73 of the microphone 70 may be engaged with the switches 47, 48 to determine or to limit the movement of the microphone 70 relative to the housing 10.

The communicating device 1 may thus to have a compact folding structure when the microphone 70 is moved and engaged into the notch 29 of the housing 10. The microphone 70 may be actuated and moved out of the notch 29 of the housing 10 for preventing or avoiding echo phenomenon, and for allowing the user to easily speak the phone without carrying or holding the mobile phone 99.

The motor 80 and/or the pinion 81 and the reduction gearing 83 may thus be formed or acted as a moving means or device for selectively moving the microphone 70 to engage into or to be moved out of the notch 29 of the housing 10. I0

The cap 38 may be used to selectively enclose and block one of the ear phone connectors 36 and one of the sockets 37 at one side of the housing 10 to allow either right handed or left handed users to easily or conveniently use the communicating device 1. The switch buttons 32 may be slightly or shortly depressed or actuated to control the volume of the sounds. When one of the switch buttons 32 is depressed or actuated longer, the phone number of the previous phone may be selectively shown in the LCD 40. On the contrary, when the other switch button 32 is depressed or actuated longer, the phone number of the next phone may be selectively shown in the

LCD 40, for example.

Accordingly, the communicating device may be provided for attaching to various positions of various objects, such as vehicles, and/or for being carried with the users, and for communicating with mobile or portable phones and for allowing the users to use the mobile phones wirelessly.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A communicating device comprising: a housing, a circuit board

received in the housing and including a blue tooth device for communicating with mobile phones, and including two switch buttons for controlling volume of sound, and including a control switch for receiving and terminating phone calls from the mobile phones, and including at least one light device for indicating whether the phone call is on line or not, and including an LCD attached thereto, a microphone slidably attached to the housing and movable relative to the housing, and means for moving the microphone relative to the housing.
2. A communicating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microphone includes an extension extended therefrom and slidably engaged into the housing, the moving means includes a motor coupled to the extension for moving the microphone relative to the housing.
3. A communicating device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the microphone includes a rack provided in the extension, the moving means includes a pinion attached to the motor and a reduction gearing engaged with the pinion and the rack.
4. A communicating device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the circuit board includes two switches attached thereon, the microphone includes an actuator provided on the extension for selectively engaging with the switches to determine and to limit the microphone to move relative to the housing.
5. A communicating device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the housing includes a seat received and secured therein and slidably coupled to the extension of the microphone with at least one rod for guiding the microphone to stably slide relative to the housing.
6. A communicating device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the circuit board includes a speaker attached thereto with a frame which includes at least one peripheral groove formed therein for slidably receiving the rod.
7. A communicating device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the housing includes a threaded barrel provided therein, the frame includes an inner thread formed therein for threading with the threaded barrel of the housing and for securing the frame to the housing.
8. A communicating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit board includes a first ear phone connector and a first socket attached thereto.
9. A communicating device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the circuit board includes a second ear phone connector and a second socket attached thereto, and a cap attached to the housing for selectively blocking the first ear phone connector and the first socket or the second ear phone connector and the second socket.
10. A communicating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing includes a front housing member having three keys resiliently attached thereto and aligned with the switch buttons and the control switch of the circuit board respectively, and having two orifices and an aperture formed therein for receiving the keys.
11. A communicating device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the front housing member of the housing includes a recess and a number of anchoring perforations formed therein, and a face panel engaged into the recess of the housing and having a number of latches extended and engaged with the anchoring perforations of the housing for securing the face panel to the housing.
12. A communicating device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the front housing member of the housing includes an opening formed therein and aligned with the LCD, the face panel includes a window formed therein and aligned with the LCD and the opening of the housing, and a plate engaged in the window of the face panel and secured to the face panel.
13. A communicating device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A communicating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing includes a rear housing member having a compartment formed therein, and at least one battery received in the compartment of the rear housing member of the housing and electrically coupled to the blue tooth device and the LCD.

14. A communicating device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. I(.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows l.A communicating device comprising: a housing, a circuit board received in the housing and including a wireless communication device for communicating with mobile phones, two switch buttons for controlling the volume of sound, a control switch for receiving and terminating phone calls from the mobile phones, at least one light device for indicating whether the phone call is on line or not, and an LCD attached thereto, a microphone slidably attached to the housing and movable relative to the housing, the microphone including an extension extended therefrom and slidably engaged into the housing, and a motor coupled to the extension for moving the microphone relative to the housing.

2. A communicating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microphone includes a rack provided in the extension, there is a pinion attached to the motor and a reduction gearing engaged with the pinion and the rack.

3. A communicating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit board includes two switches attached thereon, the microphone includes an actuator provided on the extension for selectively engaging with the switches to determine and to limit movement of the microphone relative to the housing.

4. A communicating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing includes a seat received and secured therein and slidably coupled to the extension of the microphone with at least one rod for guiding the microphone to stably slide relative to the housing.

5. A communicating device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the circuit board includes a spcaker attached thereto with a frame which includes at least one peripheral groove formed therein for slidably receiving the rod.

6. A communicating device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the housing includes a threaded barrel provided therein, the frame includes an internal thread formed therein for threaded engagement with the threaded barrel of the housing and for securing the frame to the housing.

7. A. communicating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit board includes a first ear phone connector and a first socket attached thereto.

8. A communicating device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the circuit board includes a second ear phone connector and a second socket attached thereto, and a cap attached to the housing for selectively blocking the first ear phone connector and the first socket or the second ear phone connector and the second socket.

9. A communicating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing includes a front housing member having three keys resiliently attached thereto and aligned with the switch buttons and the control switch of the circuit board respectively, and having two orifices and an aperture formed therein for receiving the keys.

1 0. A communicating device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the front housing member of the housing includes a recess and a number of anchoring perforations formed therein, and a face panel engaged into the recess of the housing and having a number of latches extended and engaged with the anchoring perforations of the housing for securing the face panel to the housing.

11. A communicating device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the I(0 front housing member of the housing includes an opening formed therein and aligned with the LCD, the face panel includes a window formed therein and aligned with the LCD and the opening of the housing, and a plate engaged in the window of the face panel and secured to the face panel.

12. A communicating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing includes a rear housing member having a compartment formed therein, and at least one battery received in the compartment of the rear housing member of the housing and electrically coupled to the wireless communication device and the LCD.