Abstract:
A telephone system apparatus and method adapted for use on an aircraft seatback which provides an electrical connection point (i.e., jack) formed on a housing of the telephone system. The connection point permits coupling of a user&#39;s laptop computer to an on-board network, while the housing also provides the electrical connection point for a telephone handset. In one embodiment a pair of additional electrical connection points are provided for allowing more than one individual to couple his/her laptop computer to phone system, and thus gain access to the network. The telephone system eliminates the need to attach independent jacks at various locations on the seats and efficiently uses the housing of the telephone system for this purpose.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for providing an additional communication terminal for a mobile communication device. More specifically, the invention relates to the incorporation of one or more additional data transmission terminals onto a preexisting communication device. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Airline provided communication devices, specifically telephones, are well established conveniences offered on a majority of commercial aircraft. The utilization of these communication devices typically involves the passengers purchasing an allotment of time and placing a call from a telephone located in their immediate area. Advantageously, airliners have typically mounted such telephones in the seatback of one seat in each row of the row of seats so that the telephones are accessible to all of the passengers in the row of seats immediately behind the seatback with the telephone. These telephones are connected to a terminal located on a telephone cradle and further to a transmitter device at a remote location of the aircraft. Such a system allows multiple telephone systems to be connected to one or more transmitter devices so that numerous users can communicate with other communications devices outside the aircraft through means such as by satellite communication links. 
   Recently, technology has provided numerous communication devices, other then telephones, which allows a user to send and receive information, such as e-mail. Typically, this method for data transmission amounts to the utilization of either a local area network (LAN) or the Internet. Such communication devices include desktops, laptops and handheld computers which require a link between the communication device and a transmitter device. With the increased use of laptops and handheld computers and the ability to transport these small computers, terminals are now being installed in numerous places, both private and public, to allow and encourage utilization of e-mail and the Internet. 
   With this continual adaptation for the computer age, airlines are configuring and modifying aircraft with terminals for these small, portable communication devices. However, the pace of these modifications has been slow due to the high cost of installation and the down time required to make such modifications to an aircraft. The process requires installation of additional terminals, with associated electrical cabling and connection terminals, for the connection of these personal communication devices. 
   Thus, there is a need for a low cost modification to an existing telephone system used on aircraft to allow mobile transmitting devices to be used. Moreover there is a need for a modification to the existing telephone systems used, on present day aircraft, to allow users the ability to send and retrieve information via their personal communication devices. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention overcomes the above described drawbacks of prior art systems by providing a telephone system having one or more additional terminals for linking mobile communication devices to a remote communication device. The present invention also provides a method for modifying a preexisting telephone system, located on a seat, to mountably receive one or more additional terminals. 
   In a first aspect, the present invention provides an integrated telephone system adapted to be housed in a seat of a mobile platform. The integrated telephone system comprises a housing for supporting a first terminal and a second terminal. The first terminal provides an electrical connection point for a telephone handset and the second terminal, accessibly located to a first user, provides an electrical connection point for a computing device of the first user. 
   In a second aspect, the present invention provides a seat mounted to a vehicle having an integrated telephone system. The telephone system comprises a cradle mounted in a recessed portion of the seat and has a first terminal adapted to couple to a communication device and a second terminal adapted to couple to a computing device. The first and second terminal are located on the cradle of the integrated telephone system. 
   The present invention also provides a method for adapting an existing seat mounted telephone system with one or more alternate terminals. The method provides modifying a telephone system to receive a first additional terminal having an interface. The first additional terminal is then affixed to the telephone system and connected to a communication cable. 
   Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of an interior area of an aircraft in which the phone system of the present invention is employed; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an aircraft seat for housing the phone system of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a telephone system mounted to a seatback in accordance with the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to  FIG. 1  of the present invention, an aircraft  10  is shown having a plurality of seats  12  in a predetermined arrangement based on the model type of the aircraft  10 . The seats  12  can be any passenger seat, pilot seat or other seat in a commercial or any other type of aircraft. Such seats  12  may be found in first class, business class or tourist class. Likewise, such seats  12  may be used by the pilot, co-pilot or navigator or other flight crew member, as well as by non-crew member passengers. A plurality of different types of designs of such seats  12  exist in the present state of the art, and the specific form of seat shown and described herein is merely exemplary in nature as the shape of the seat, and the arrangement of the seats  12  within an aircraft may vary with the model of the aircraft  10 . 
     FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrates the seat  12  in greater detail. A select number of seats  12  are configured to house a telephone system  14  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The phone system  14  is housed within a recessed portion  16  of the seat  12 . These seats  12 , having the telephone system  14 , are preferably located to allow accessibility of the telephone system  14  to more then one passenger, and more preferably to all the passengers in the row of seats  18  immediately behind the telephone system  14 . In the present invention the telephone system  14  is mounted to the seatback  20  of each seat  12 , however, it is also conceivable that the telephone system  14  of the present invention may be mounted in other locations throughout the aircraft  10  such as in galleys  22 , lavatories  24  or on partitions  26 . Some suitable methods of mounting of telephone system  14  to the seatback  20  of aircraft seat  12  and other locations comprise conventional mechanical fasteners, snap fit fasteners or hook and loop type fastener assemblies, as is well known in the art. 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , the telephone system  14  includes a first communication device, a telephone handset  28 , which is coupled to a telephone terminal  30 . The telephone terminal  30  is typically located in a recessed portion  32  of a telephone cradle  34  and in communication with the telephone handset  28  using a telephone cable  36  or alternatively a wireless link L. Advantageously, the telephone terminal  30  may be configured to releasably store the telephone cable  36  such that the telephone handset  28  can easily extend to all passengers in a section of the seats  18  but can still be retractably stored within the cradle  34 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the telephone terminal  30  is further connected, directly or indirectly, to a transmitter device  38 , typically through a LAN connection (not shown), so that the signal generated by the telephone handset  28  is transmitted to ground or orbiting receivers or transponders. However the telephone handset  28  may also be connected in series with an additional connector, such as a ECU box  40  ( FIG. 2 ) located on seat support frame  42 , and then to the transmitter  38 . 
   Referring further to  FIG. 3 , the telephone system  14  is shown having a first additional terminal  44 . Preferably the additional terminal  44  is located on a substantially flat portion of the telephone cradle  34  and substantially adjacent to one of the four corners of the cradle. The first additional terminal  44 , in one form, comprises a modular telephone jack. This terminal  44  can be coupled to a communication device such as a laptop computer  46  such that the first additional terminal  44  forms the female end of the connection and the laptop computer has a cable  45  which forms the male end. Alternatively, a wireless link L is also contemplated for the transmission between the laptop computer  46  and the first additional terminal  44 . The first additional terminal  44  is preferably configured with an RJ-45 interface which is used with Ethernet connections. However, the first additional terminal  44  is not limited to this type of connection. A USB port, serial port, parallel port, telephone jack or wireless receiver may also be used. 
   As with the telephone terminal  30 , the first additional terminal  44  is also connected to the ECU box  40  and the transmitter device  38  through a LAN connection. However, it is possible to forego the ECU box  40  altogether and connect the first additional terminal  44  directly to the transmitter device  38 . The connections used, between the laptop  46  and ECU box  40  and the transmitter device  38  is typically an Ethernet cable  48 , however, it is contemplated with the present invention that any form of cable or connector may be utilized to improve the performance of the data transmission. For example, optical fibers can also be used as a conduit for the transmission of signals between the communication device and the transmitter device. Likewise, a wireless transmission system is also contemplated for the transmission of a signal to a transmitter device. 
   In another aspect of the present invention, the phone system  14  also includes a second additional terminal  50  which is also mounted on the cradle  34 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , as illustrated in phantom, the second additional terminal  50  is also located on a substantially flat portion of the telephone cradle  34  and adjacent to one of its four corners. The second additional terminal  50  is configured to be coupled with a second communication device, such as a laptop computer  52 , using the same methods as the first additional terminal  44 . The connection from the second additional terminal  50  to the transmitter device  38  is also the same as the first additional terminal  44  and typically uses an Ethernet cable  48 . Preferably, the second additional terminal  50  is configured with an RJ-45 interface which is used with Ethernet connections, however, other means are available as previously discussed. 
   Preferably, the coupling between the terminals  30 ,  44 ,  50  and ECU box  40  or transmitter device  38  are bundled or grouped together such that the existing structure of the seatback  20  and the seat support frame  40  remain substantially unchanged. The transmitter device  38 , used with the additional terminals  44 ,  50 , uses a LAN type connection and selectively transmits the signals received from the additional terminals  44 ,  50 . Alternatively, the transmitter device  38  also transmits signals to the additional terminals  44 ,  50  and further to the laptop computers  46 ,  52  as is well known in the art of Internet utilization with LAN networks. 
   The above configuration allows a second individual to utilize a second communication device, such as a laptop computer  52 , in the same manner as the first additional terminal  44  is used by communication device  46 . Likewise, it is conceivable to mount a third, a fourth, or even greater plurality of additional terminals for enabling a greater plurality of communication devices to utilize e-mail and other Internet related programs substantially simultaneously. 
   In a first method, the process of creating a telephone system  14  consisting of one or more terminals is contemplated. In the method, the first additional terminal  44  is mounted to the telephone cradle  34  of the telephone system  14 . Preferably, the first additional terminal  44  is mounted to the substantially flat portion of the telephone cradle  34 . More preferably, the first additional terminal  44  is mounted, in part, in a recessed or cut out portion of the telephone cradle  34  which is formed prior or post manufacture of the telephone cradle  34 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , the first additional terminal  44  is located adjacent to one of the corners of the phone cradle  34 . This first additional terminal  44  is linked to a transmitter device by a conduit such as the Ethernet cable  48 . The first additional terminal  44  is configured to receive an Ethernet jack such as the R-45 jack or there like. Alternatively, the first additional terminal  44  may also be configured to receive a parallel, serial or USB port. 
   In a second method, a first additional terminal  44  and a second additional terminal  50  are mounted to a portion of the telephone cradle  34  in a manner described above. Referring to  FIG. 3 , the first and second (shown in phantom) additional terminals  44 ,  50  are located adjacent to corners of the telephone cradle  34  and are linked to the ECU box  40  and transmitter  38  by a cable such as an Ethernet cable  48 . Preferably, the associated Ethernet cables of the first and second additional terminals  44 ,  50  are bundled together with the telephone cable  36  to the ECU box  40  and a LAN connection of transmitter  38 . The second additional terminal  50  is also configured to receive an Ethernet jack such as the R-45 jack, though alternate types can be used (e.g. parallel, serial or USB ports). Additionally, it is foreseeable that more then two additional terminals may be mounted to the cradle  34  of the telephone system  14 . 
   The telephone system  14  of the present invention thus forms a means for providing a point of connection for at least one computing device, as well as the primary function of acting as an on-board telephone. Advantageously, the phone system  14  eliminates the need to dispose additional jacks at various locations around one or more aircraft seats, and instead provides a convenient point of attachment to an existing structure (i.e., the telephone cradle  34 ) that users can access when connecting their computing devices to an on-board network. The present invention can be employed in any mobile platform such as a train, cruise ship or bus, where it would be desirable to provide users with the ability to couple their personal computing devices to a pre-existing telephone system. 
   The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.