Abstract:
A docking station for a wireless communication device, such as a cellular telephone. The docking station includes a cradle for the cellular phone and comprises an associated LCD that enhances the video display capabilities of the cellular telephone. When docked, the cellular telephone draws power from a voltage supply provided by the docking station. While the cellular telephone is docked, a charging circuit recharges the cellular telephone battery. The docking station may be disconnected from an AC outlet so that the docked cellular telephone retains both enhanced display capabilities, which prove to be highly desirable for applications such as Internet access, as well as its inherent portability. Even in the portable mode, where the docking station is disconnected from the AC outlet, the docking station recharges the cellular telephone battery.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The invention relates to wireless communication technology and, more particularly, to technology for enhancing the capabilities of wireless communications devices, such cellular or PCS telephones, so as to more closely approach the capabilities of personal computers, especially as those capabilities relate to the enablement of Internet access or access to other sources of data or information.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    In recent years the personal computer (PC) industry has witnessed a sea change in the manner in which PCs are primarily used. During earlier stages in the rise of PC popularity, PCs were primarily taken looked to for of their computational capacity. Subsequently, word processing, spreadsheet, database and presentation applications began to assume the forefront. Still more recently, the PC has come to be seen as a communications device, and has experienced rapidly expanding use as a communications terminal from which to send and receive electronic messages. Along these lines, consumer acquisitions of PC&#39;s have lately been stimulated by the objective of using the PC simply as an appliance to access the Internet. In this mode, much of the embedded capability of the PC lies dormant, and PC users tend to become pre-occupied with information transmission bandwidth, rather than processing power or expandability.  
           [0005]    Concurrently, the proliferation of wireless communications devices, such as cellular telephones, has accelerated to the point that cellular telephones appear ubiquitous and are predicted by some to ultimately displace wired communications facilities. In fact, cellular telephone sales now exceed sales of PCs by a margin of approximately 2 to 1, and it is anticipated that this margin will expand. As cellular telephone technology has evolved, cellular telephone functionality has become correspondingly more robust, and cellular phones now offer capabilities that were once the exclusive province of PCs. In fact, some cellular telephones now resemble small, low-end PCs with wireless access to data networks, including the Internet. Ironically, many consumers are now believed to acquire cellular telephones merely as an Internet-access appliance.  
           [0006]    That having been said, cellular telephones are burdened by a number of characteristics that render them substantially less than ideal for applications such as Internet access. Perhaps paramount among the shortcomings of cellular telephones is the incommodious user interface they present. Unlike desktop or portable computers, present-day cellular telephones fail to include browsers, or useable displays and keyboards. The small screen size renders cellular telephones unsuitable as an interface to all but the most primitive sources of information, for example, e-mail, stock quotations, paging information, and the like.  
           [0007]    Accordingly, what is desired is a solution that enables cellular telephones to operate as a convenient device for obtaining information from on-line, and other, information sources, such as the Internet. Preferably, the solution will not compromise the desirability of the cellular telephone as a portable communications device, but will complement existing cellular telephone capabilities in a manner that promotes the cellular telephone as a viable alternate to low-end PCs that are primarily acquired for use as an Internet-access terminal or as a device to access other information sources.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The above objects, advantages and capabilities are achieved in one aspect of the invention by a docking station for a wireless communications device, such as a cellular telephone. The docking station includes a support structure that includes a cradle for the wireless telephone and that exhibits a planar surface on which a display device is mounted. An internal charging circuit is coupled to a docking station power source for charging the power source. A first connector assembly couples the charging circuit to an external source of electrical energy, in an expected configuration, an AC outlet. A second connector assembly coupled to the output of the charging circuit selectively couples the charging circuit to the cellular telephone in order to recharge the cellular telephone battery. A switch selectively couples the station power source to the cellular telephone when the cellular telephone is docked, so that in the docked mode the cellular telephone operates from the station power source, while its internal battery is recharged by the docking station.  
           [0009]    The invention likewise inheres in a docking station, for a wireless communication device, that comprises a docking housing having a planar first surface. A display device is mounted on the planar first surface, and a cradle disposed on the docking housing supports the wireless communication device. A connector electrically couples the docking station to the wireless communication device, so as to transmit both power and data to the device. The station is equipped with a charging circuit and a switch that selectively couples the charging circuit to an internal voltage source. In a preferred embodiment, the switch connects the charging circuit to the internal voltage source when there is not a wireless communication device docked at the station. When a wireless communication device is docked, the switch enables the charging circuit to be coupled to the wireless communication device for charging.  
           [0010]    From an alternative perspective, the invention is an apparatus, for use in a docking station, that selectively supplies power to a communications device that is docked at the docking station. The apparatus comprises a connector for electrically coupling the docking station to the communication device. The connector has at least first and second terminals. A switch having a pole, a first terminal, and a second terminal is operable in response to status information that indicates whether a communications device is docked at the docking station. A charging circuit is coupled to the pole of the switch, and a station power source coupled to the first terminal of the switch. In addition, the apparatus includes means for determining whether a communication device is docked at the station for providing status information as a result of the determination.  
           [0011]    In another embodiment, the invention may be exploited as a method of enhancing the capabilities of a wireless communications device in information acquisition applications. According to the method, the wireless communications device, which may be a cellular telephone, is mounted on (docked at) a docking station that comprises a receptacle, in the form of a cradle, for the cellular telephone; a display device; a connector for effecting an electrical interface to the cellular telephone; a docking station power source; a charging circuit; and a switch that operates (effects predetermined connection) in response to information indicating whether a cellular telephone is docked at the station. In order to embellish the limited video display capabilities typical of cellular telephones, the video output of the cellular telephone is coupled to an enhanced display provided by the docking station. Where a cellular telephone is docked, the switch causes (i) the station power source to be coupled to the cellular telephone and (ii) the charging circuit to charge the cellular telephone battery. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    The subject invention may be better understood, and its numerous objects, features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, wherein:  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1A is a front perspective of a docking station including a housing  20  on which is mounted an enhanced video display  22  and which includes a recessed cradle  24  for a portable cellular telephone or other form of WCD;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1B is a side view of the docking station and depicts a stand  30  for supporting the docking station in an orientation that facilitates viewing of the video display by a user;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1C is a side view of the docking station that illustrates an alternative support mechanism for the docking station, in the form of a leg assembly  40  that is pivotally attached to the housing; and  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of interface components that effectuate interoperability of the WCD with the docking station.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]    For a thorough understanding of the subject invention, reference is made to the following Detailed Description, including the appended Claims, in connection with the above-described Drawings. Referring now to FIG. 1, the docking station depicted therein is seen to constitute a support structure for a wireless communications device (WCD) (not shown). The WCD may be a cellular telephone, a PCS telephone, a pager, or the like. The support structure, in a preferred embodiment, assumes the form of housing  20  that is characterized by a rectangular cross-section. The housing may have approximate dimensions 10″ (H)×15″ (W)×1″ (D). Housing  20  has a substantially planar front surface  21  on which is mounted a flat-panel display device  22 . Numerous manufacturers supply display devices of wide-ranging characteristics that are suitable for use in the subject invention. What is primarily significant here is that display device  22  provide performance characteristics, including size and resolution, that are markedly superior to the LCD displays typically incorporated with currently available WCDs. Housing  20  also exhibits a cradle  22  for a WCD. Cradle  22  is shown in FIG. 1 as recessed with into front surface  21  of housing  20 . The precise geometry of the cradle is not deemed critical, and the salient requirement of the cradle contour is to facilitate convenient placement and reliable retention of the WCD. In general, it may be assumed that the cradle is configured to be complementary to the form of the WCD. Also exhibited in cradle  22  is an electrical connector  23 . The primary purpose of connector  23  is to effect an electrical interface between the docking station and the WCD. In this regard, connector  23  contains a number of electrical contacts necessary to realize the necessary conductive connections, as specified below, between the docking station and the WCD. Therefore connector  23  will afford the number of contacts  230 , et seq. that have the physical dimensions necessary for compatibility with a mating connector provided by the WCD.  
         [0018]    For convenient docking and operation of the WCD in the docking station, a mechanism is provided that maintains housing  20  in a generally upright position, in a manner that facilitates accessible viewing by a user of information contained on display device  22 . Many options are available to perform this function. Specifically, FIG. 1B, in a view at a side of housing  20 , illustrates a stand  30  on which the housing may be disposed. The stand exhibits a bottom portion  31  on which the housing sits and an oblique (to the bottom portion  31 ) back portion  32  on which housing  20  reclines. In addition, stand  30  includes an integral lip  33  that maintains housing  20  upright in the stand. Stand  30  may be fabricated from any suitable material, including but not limited to metal, plastic, and such.  
         [0019]    Alternatively, housing  20  may be maintained in a more or less upright position through a leg assembly  40  that is rotatably attached in the sides of housing  20 . FIG. 1C depicts the alternative leg assembly. As depicted in FIG. 1C, leg assembly may be inserted into opposite sides of housing  28  at receptacles  25 , one of which is viewable in FIG. 1C.  
         [0020]    Housing  20  encloses an electronic interface module  10  that includes a number of components that cooperate to impart enhanced operational features to a WCD when the WCD is docked at the docking station. These components are depicted in FIG. 2. As indicated above, and reiterated in FIG. 2, the docking station electrical interface between the docking station and the WCD is effected through connector  23 , which in FIG. 2 is shown to comprise at least four contacts  230 ,  231 ,  232  and  233 , which correlate to four contacts at a WCD interface connector. Contact  230  is connected to circuit ground (GND) at the docking station and is intended to effect continuity between the docking station and the WCD ground. Contact  231  is denominated “Video” and accepts the video output from the WCD. The video (or data) output of the WCD applied to contact  231  is coupled to a video interface circuit  70 . The video interface circuit converts the video signal output from the WCD to the signal(s) necessary to drive display device  22 .  
         [0021]    In one embodiment, video interface circuit  70  conforms to the Digital Visual Interface (DVI) Specification promulgated by the Digital Display Working Group (DDNG) and published in April 1999. A copy of the DVI specification is included as Appendix A, and is incorporated in its entirety into this Description.  
         [0022]    The docking station includes an internal rechargeable battery  40  that is coupled to a contact  232  on connector  23 . In the absence of WCD, battery  40  is coupled to charging circuit  50  through switch  60 . Charging circuit  50  is coupled to docking station connector  80  and from connector  80  through line cord  81  and plug  82  to an AC outlet. Switch  60  has a pole terminal  61  coupled to the output of  51  of charging circuit  50 . The normally closed (NC) terminal  62  of switch  60  is coupled to contact  232 . In a manner such as described below, switch  60  is normally closed when no WCD is docked at the station. In this orientation, switch  60  couples charging circuit  50  to internal battery  40  in order to recharge, or maintain the charge on, battery  40 . However, when a WCD is docked, docking detector  90  causes switch  50  to be oriented in the normally open (NO) position, in which pole  61  is connected to NO terminal  63 . Terminal  63  is in turn connected to contact  233  on connector  23 . Contact  233  is coupled through a corresponding contact on the WCD connector to a rechargeable battery in the WCD. In this manner, when a WCD is docked at the docking station, charging circuit  50  operates to recharge the WCD internal battery. In this mode, docking station battery  40  is coupled through contact  232  to a mating contact on the WCD connector. That contact is electrically connected to a B +  bus in the WCD, so that power to the WCD by the docking station.  
         [0023]    As an additional advantageous feature, the arrangement described above allows the WCD rechargeable battery to be recharged, even when the docking station is operating in a portable mode. That is, when line cord  81  is detached from connector  80 , or when plug  82  is simply removed from the AC outlet, the docking station becomes portable, and the user will be able to move from one location to another or to perambulate about a given location, while continuing to receive the benefit of the enhanced display. Nevertheless, even in this portable mode, charging circuit  50  will continue to charge the WCD battery.  
         [0024]    In order to effectuate the operation described above, the docking station relies on docking detector  90  to determine whether a WCD is docked. Docking detector  90  drives switch  60  in response to information indicating whether or not a WCD is docked. In an illustrative embodiment, a docking detector  90  is coupled to a contact on interface connector  23  that provides information that defines the status of the station that is whether or not a WCD is docked.  
         [0025]    If there is no WCD docked at the station, the output of docking detector  90  will drive switch  60  to the NC orientation. That is, pole  61  will be in contact with NC terminal  62 , thereby coupling charging circuit  50  to station power source  40 . Conversely, if a WCD is docked, docking detector  90  will drive switch  60  to the NO orientation, in which charging circuit  50  is coupled to the WCD battery, and docking station battery  40  is coupled to in WCD B +  bus.  
         [0026]    A number of approaches may be used to provide docking status information to docking detector  90 , and the invention is not limited by specific approach adopted in a particular embodiment. For example, a docking status contact  234  may be provided on interface connector  23 . The docking status information, in this context, may simply assume the form of a logic level, a signal, an impedance to GND, or the like that is detected by docking detector  90 . Alternatively, the docking station may incorporate a mechanical switch that is actuated when a WCD is docked at the docking station. In accordance with this approach, the mechanical switch may be switch  60 , and the need for separate docking detector is largely obviated inasmuch as the docking detection and switching functions are both performed by switch  60 .  
         [0027]    Accordingly, although there have been shown and described above illustrative embodiments of a Docking Station for a Wireless Communication Device, including what at present is considered the best mode for carrying out the invention, those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications may be made without departure from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not intended to be limited by the Description above, but is to be defined by the appended Claims, and equivalents thereof.