Abstract:
A digital recorder system for use with cellular telephones includes a housing that defines a cavity into which a cellular telephone may be received. During cellular telephone use, a microphone disposed on the housing records sounds, and a speak disposed within the housing plays back sound. A digital recorder within the housing automatically records the past twenty-seconds of conversation. A user may press a control button on the housing to retain up to four such twenty-second segments, and may press another control button on the housing to record sound prospectively. An LED on the housing confirms operational mode of the system.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to digital recorders and cellular telephones, and more particularly to providing a digital recorder for recording cellular telephone calls when the user&#39;s hands are not free for purposes of recording, while driving for example. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Cellular telephones are used more and more frequently, but often under circumstances where the user&#39;s hands are not completely free. Such cellular telephone usage can be hazardous to the user and to nearby persons, for example when the user is simultaneously operating a motor vehicle and communicating on a cellular telephone. The risk of hazard is escalated when the nature of the cellular communication is such that the user feels compelled to take notes. Understandably, operating a motor vehicle, while communicating on a cellular telephone and taking notes, simultaneously, is not to be recommended. 
     While some cellular telephone units have accessories that permit the user to wear a microphone-earphone headset, using such apparatus is sometimes cumbersome, especially as it is necessary to store the apparatus until it is actually used. 
     While small portable tape recorders are known in the art, and could be used to record cellular telephone communications, operating a motor vehicle, a cellular telephone, and a recorder simultaneously is not an especially safe undertaking. 
     What is needed is a hands-free preferably digital recorder system that can automatically record cellular telephone communications. Such a system should be operable in a motor vehicle and should not require substantial user attention during operation. 
     The present invention provides such a recorder system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a system that includes a cradle, sized to accept a cellular telephone and, disposed within the cradle housing, a system including a digital recorder with memo recording and backwards recorder functions, and a speaker phone function. The system is operable from a motor vehicle 12 VDC cigarette plug accessory voltage, and can charge the user&#39;s cellular telephone when not in use. 
     A user&#39;s cellular telephone is inserted into a recess in the cradle, which action powers-on the present invention. A microphone associated with the present invention detects ambient sound for potential recording by the digital recorder, and a loudspeaker associated with the present invention plays sound, including sound enunciated from the user&#39;s cellular telephone (e.g., sound from the person on the other end of the cellular telephone conversation). 
     The digital recorder operates continuously when the cellular telephone is in use, except during playback of a recorded message. 
     The user presses the “Forward Record” button to begin recording for up to 30 seconds, whereupon the LED flashes red, and remains red to indicate a recorded message is present. The same button is again pressed for playback, during which time the LED turns green. Pressing the same button momentarily will pause playback, and pressing and holding the same button for a predetermined time erases the message, whereupon the LED extinguishes. 
     The user may press a “Backward Record” button to capture the last 20 seconds of cellular telephone conversation, whereupon the LED remains steady red to indicate a recorded message is present. The same button may be pressed for playback, during which time the LED is steady green. The same button may be pressed and held for a predetermined time to delete the message, whereupon the LED turns off, to indicate the message location is empty. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiments have been set forth in detail, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1A is a perspective front view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 1B is a perspective rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 1A; 
     FIG. 2A is a perspective front view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, retaining a cellular telephone, shown in phantom; 
     FIG. 2B is a perspective rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 2A; and 
     FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1A depicts the present invention as a system  10  that includes a cradle-like housing  20  that defines a cavity  30  sized to accept and retain a user&#39;s cellular telephone. Electrical pads at the base of the cavity are positioned to make electrical contact with a cellular telephone inserted into cavity  30 , whereupon the present invention can charge the internal batteries within the cellular telephone during periods of non-use. 
     System  10  includes a microphone  40  that may be disposed at the end of a stalk  50  attached to housing  20 . Alternatively a microphone (MIC′) may be installed directly into housing  20 . The user-facing surface of housing  20  includes several user-operable controls  60  as well as a preferably multi-color LED that signals the operational mode of system  10 . Within housing  20  is disposed a digital recorder system  90 , and a speaker (SPKR) for playing sound emanating from a cellular telephone inserted into cavity  30 . A “RELEASE” button on the left side of the housing facilitates attaching and releasing a cellular telephone from the housing. A user-operable volume control is also provided, to control speaker volume or, if earphones are instead used, earphone volume. 
     As noted, several user-operable controls  60  are provided. One such control is a forward memo control “Forward” button that is used for forward mode Record, Playback, and Erase. By forward memo it is meant that sounds are recorded for up to 30 seconds from the time the “Forward” button is pressed. When this button is pressed, the LED flashes red and up to 30 seconds of recording now takes place. The LED will glow steadily red once the recording is made, to indicate a message is present. The same “Forward” button may be pressed again to playback the message, during which time the LED glows steadily green. Playback may be paused by pressing the same “Forward” button and may be resumed by again pressing the same button. The forward mode recorded message may be deleted by pressing the same “Forward” button for a predetermined time, e.g., about 30 seconds. Once the message has been erased from memory associated with the digital recorder, the LED turns off, to indicate the message location is now empty. 
     It may be the case that immediately after a cellular conversation has occurred, it is deemed desirable to have recorded the conversation. Four of the buttons among the control  60  buttons are reverse mode “REV” buttons. By default, the digital recorder within the present invention operates continuously while the cellular telephone is in use, except during playback of a recorded message. During recording, the LED will flash red. 
     A user need only press one of the four elliptically shaped “REV” buttons to capture within the digital recorder the last 20 seconds of cellular telephone conversation. The LED will glow steadily red after recording to indicate that a message is present. There are four such elliptical “REV” buttons, and pressing each can record a different last 20 seconds of conversation. Pressing one of these “REV” buttons will replay the message recorded at the associated digital recorder memory location. Playback of a recorded message may be halted by pressing the associated “REV” button during playback, and again pressing the same button will resume playback. Deleting one of the 20 second messages is accomplished by pressing and holding the associated “REV” button for a predetermined time, e.g., three seconds, whereupon the LED turns off, to indicate that memory location is now empty. 
     FIGS. 2A and 2B show a cellular telephone  100  (indicated in phantom) plugged into cavity  30 . In the preferred embodiments, electrical pads (PADS) disposed in the bottom of cavity  30  are coupled to power supply voltage, and permit recharging the internal battery within cellular telephone  100 . The PADS in cavity  30  are sized to contact associated PADS on the lower housing of cellular telephone  100 . Note in FIG. 2A that the microphone  40  and stalk  50  are shown in phantom, again indicating that a built-in microphone MIC′ may instead be used. The RELEASE button shown in FIGS. 1B and 2B is a spring-loaded mechanism that engages and retains a portion of cellular telephone  100  when in cradle cavity  30 , and permits releasing the cellular telephone otherwise. A power input jack J 1  is shown in FIGS. 1B and 2B, for receiving typically +12 VDC from an external power source, typically a motor vehicle battery, as supplied via the cigarette lighter accessory voltage in the vehicle. 
     Turning now to FIG. 3, electronics system  90  includes a digital recorder  100  with associated memory (MEM). Power to system  90  is typically achieved via jack J 1 , namely by a power cord that terminates with a cigarette-lighter sized plug P 1  that fits into the dashboard accessory socket (ACCESS.) from which +12 VDC is provided. FIG. 3 also shows the PADS mounted on the device housing, for providing battery recharge potential to the cellular telephone when the telephone is placed within housing  20 . 
     The various user-operable controls  60  are coupled as input to digital recorder  100  to control its operation as described above. Microphone input from MIC (or MIC′) is coupled to the digital recorder, and output from the digital recorder is coupled to the loudspeaker (SPKR) and/or earphones connected to earphone jack J 2 . In the preferred embodiment, use of earphones disables the speaker, thus disabling the speaker phone function. 
     It will be appreciated that the present invention facilitates safer use of a cellular telephone, especially in a motor vehicle environment. The ability to record the last twenty-seconds of conversation by default is especially convenient when one forgets to press the forward mode button at the onset of a conversation. The forward mode button is intentionally made circular, whereas the four reverse mode buttons are elliptical, such that a user can by feel alone know which button is about to be pressed. 
     Even if not used in a record mode, in the absence of earphones the present invention functions as a high quality speaker telephone, which means the user can concentrate on operating the motor vehicle with which the present invention may be used. 
     Modifications and variations may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the subject and spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims. Although the present invention has been described with respect to use in a motor vehicle, it is understood that use other than within a motor vehicle may also be undertaken.