Patent Publication Number: US-2009221333-A1

Title: Cell Phone Device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The invention relates generally to accessories for consumer electronics and specifically to a cell phone stand. 
     2. Discussion of Related Art 
     Mobile phones (cell phones) can frequently be accompanied by accessories that are designed to improve the usefulness of the phone. For instance, phones may include cases, covers, holsters, protectors and mounts for securing the phone inside a vehicle. Charging stands, or cradles, are also available for desktop use and may be used to charge a phone or synchronize it with a PC. These accessories may be available through cell phone manufacturers or through third party suppliers. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The subject matter of this application may involve, in some cases, interrelated products, alternative solutions to a particular problem, and/or a plurality of different uses of a single system or article. 
     In one aspect, the invention includes a support for a cell phone, the support comprising a first platform including a fastener for securing a cell phone, a support member having a first end and a second end, the first end pivotally attached to the first platform, and a substantially planar base pivotally attached to the second end of the support member, the base constructed and arranged to be placed on a horizontal surface. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings, 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the device of  FIG. 1  with the device in a collapsed configuration; 
         FIG. 3  is an end view of the device of  FIG. 1  in a collapsed configuration; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the device of  FIG. 1  in a collapsed configuration; 
         FIG. 5  is a back view of the device of  FIG. 1  in the extended configuration of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the device of  FIG. 1  in the extended configuration of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the device of  FIG. 1  in the extended configuration of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8A  is a view of the back of one embodiment of a mobile phone; 
         FIG. 8B  provides an illustration of the mobile phone of  FIG. 8A  mounted on the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9A  is a view of the back of another embodiment of a mobile phone; 
         FIG. 9B  provides an illustration of the mobile phone of  FIG. 9A  mounted on the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 10A  is a view of the back of another embodiment of a mobile phone; and 
         FIG. 10B  provides an illustration of the mobile phone of  FIG. 10A  mounted on the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In one aspect of the invention a stand for a cell phone is provided. The stand may be used to support one or more different mobile phone models including candy bar, clam shell, flip-phone and slider styles. The phone can be supported by the stand in a way that allows the phone display to be properly positioned for viewing while sitting at a desk. The display may also be at a convenient height and angle for using a stylus. The stand may also allow the phone to be positioned so that charging cables, synchronizing cables and other peripherals can be plugged into the bottom edge of the phone while it is secured in the stand. Cables and peripherals may also be plugged into the sides or top of the phone as the stand need not interfere with these edges. 
     One embodiment of a cell phone support is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  FIG. 1  provides a side view of the support  100  (stand) without a cell phone attached.  FIG. 2  provides a side view of the same support in a collapsed position. Platform  110  is attached to connector  120  via hinge  160 . Connector  120  is attached to base  130  via hinge  170 . Each of the hinges provides for pivotal rotation about the hinge. Platform  110  includes phone interface  140  that can help to maintain the position of the phone when placed on the platform. Platform  110  may have a width that is substantially equal to the width of a cell phone that it is designed to support. Its length may also be about the length of a cell phone or the length of a closed cell phone. Phone interface  140  may securely attach to the phone or may help to prevent the phone from slipping off the platform. For instance, interface  140  can be a non-slip pad, a magnet or one side of a hook and loop fastener. Base  130  may also include a pad  150  (or multiple pads or feet) that may help prevent the base from sliding and may protect the desk or table surface from scuffing. Pad  150  may also be a non-slip pad. Base  130  may be the same length or longer than platform  110  and may have a similar width, although in some embodiments the base may be narrower or wider than platform  110 . Base  130  may also include a clamp or other device for securely fixing support  100  to a desk, table or other surface. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2  the support may be folded to a flat position for storing and/or shipment. Phone interface  140  is exposed so that a phone may be mounted on the interface even when the support is in this collapsed position.  FIG. 3  provides a right side view of the device of  FIG. 2 , and  FIG. 4  provides a top view of the same device.  FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the device showing pad  150 .  FIG. 5  provides a right side view of the extended configuration of  FIG. 1  while  FIG. 6  provides a left side view of the device in the same position. Typically, the device will be used in the extended configuration. 
     A smartphone, specifically BLACKBERRY® device  180  is shown in  FIGS. 8A and 8B . The phone may be securely attached via a fastener or, alternatively, can rest on the stand without being attached.  FIG. 8A  shows the back of the device and includes interface  142  that can interact with phone interface  140  to secure the BLACKBERRY to the stand. The interface can prevent the phone from sliding off of the support when positioned as indicated in  FIG. 8B . Interface  142  may be a non-slip pad that provides friction with phone interface  140  to prevent the phone from sliding off of stand  100 . In other embodiments interface  142  may be a magnet or a magnetic component, a hook and loop fastener, a clip, or other device to attach the phone to the stand. Interface  142  can be a portion of a connector that is permanently or temporarily attached to the phone. A permanently attached interface may be, for example, glued to, welded to, molded into or otherwise attached so that the interface is not readily removable from the back of the phone. In one set of embodiments, interface  142  is permanently attached to a removable portion of the phone such as battery compartment cover  144 . Battery compartment cover  144  may be manufactured with interface  142  molded in or otherwise attached to the cover. For instance, a snap, a clip, a slide or a magnet may be molded directly into the cover during the manufacturing process. This may provide for a more finished appearance than when an interface is attached by the customer. Customized covers may be provided, for example, by the OEM or by aftermarket providers. 
     When the support is extended as shown in  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 8B , the phone can be mounted so that display  210  is at an optimum angle for viewing by the user. This angle can be adjusted by opening or closing either one or both of hinges  160  and  170 . In relation to the surface on which the support is located the phone may be supported at any angle in the range of 0 to 90 degrees. Preferred ranges may be, for instance, from 30 to 60 degrees or from 40 to 50 degrees from horizontal. In the same manner, an input interface, such as keypad  220 , may also be oriented for optimum use at a desk or other horizontal surface. Friction pad  150  can help secure the position of the support so that when keypad  220  is pressed the phone remains stable and doesn&#39;t slide across the surface on which it rests. 
     The configuration of the support as shown in  FIG. 1  allows all outer edges of the phone—top, bottom and both sides—to be exposed and accessible. For example, the bottom edge of the phone may be more than 1 cm, more than 2 cm or more than 3 cm above the surface on which the support is resting. Therefore, accessories such as charging cables, syncing cables, earphones and memory cards can be attached and unattached while the phone is supported by the stand. Furthermore, elevation may allow a speaker on the mobile phone to be positioned so that it is unhindered by the work surface or by the stand. This elevation can be achieved, for example, by the use of the three component stand as shown in  FIG. 1 . Platform  110  may also include through holes that may be used to provide access to ports, speakers and other peripherals that may be accessible only from the back of the phone. For instance, platform  110  may include a hole that can be aligned with a speaker that is mounted on the back of the phone. 
     Base  130  provides a secure support and may be weighted in order to aid in balancing a heavy mobile phone or other device. Connector  120  joins base  130  with platform  110  and can provide vertical height to position platform  110  above the work surface. This configuration can provide for the elevation of the mobile phone while maintaining a comparatively compact form for the stand. 
     Hinges  160  and  170  provide for rotation of connector  120  and platform  110  around their respective axes. Hinge  160  and hinge  170  may be of the same type but they need not be. These hinges may be “memory” hinges. As used herein, memory hinges are hinges that can maintain their selected position under the weight of a mobile phone. Thus, if the components of the support are adjusted to the configuration shown in  FIG. 1 , the support can maintain this configuration after placement of a mobile phone on platform  110 . The support may be held in position via friction hinge, ratchet hinge or other assembly that is able to retain a selected position with the weight of a device resting on the support. 
     In some embodiments, one or more of hinges  160  and  170  may open to 90 degrees, 180 degrees or 360 degrees. Preferably, the range of motion is adequate to permit the stand to collapse into a flat position as shown in  FIG. 2 . Additional hinges may be used to further increase the range of motion. As shown in the embodiment in  FIG. 1 , hinges  160  and  170  allow support  100  to extend into a flexible configuration where platform  110  and base  130  can be oriented to form a “U-shape,” an “L-shape” or any intermediate configuration. Although in some embodiments support  100  can be configured in a “Z-shape,” in other cases support  100  need not bend into a Z-shape as this requires additional hinge mobility and may not improve utility. 
     When a mobile phone or other device is in position on the stand as shown in  FIG. 8B ,  9 B or  10 B, for example, the center of gravity of the phone/stand assembly  102  should be over base  130  to help prevent the assembly from tipping forward. In some embodiments, the center of gravity is over a central portion of base  130 . This force may help in preventing sliding of the assembly across the work surface when keypad  220  is pushed, when a touch screen is used, or when cords or other peripherals apply a force moving the assembly in one direction or another. The center of gravity may be adjusted, for example, by changing the position of phone  180  along platform  110 , by changing the angle of lower hinge  170  and/or by changing the angle of upper hinge  160 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 8A through 10B  the same stand may be used with a variety of phones and PDAs. For instance,  FIG. 9A  provides a view of the back of a flip-phone style mobile phone. Mobile phone  280  includes battery cover  244  and interface  242  that may be used to secure the phone to stand  100 . Interface  242  may be, for example, one side of a hook and loop fastening system. As shown in  FIG. 9B , phone  280  may be in an open position on stand  100 . Alternatively, the phone may be on the stand in a closed position and may be opened and closed while being held in place by the fastener. This allows the phone to be answered while in place on the stand. 
       FIGS. 10A and 10B  illustrate the use of stand  100  with a device such as an i-Phone®  380 . The phone may include interface  342  that can form part of a fastening system to secure the phone to the stand. Phone  380  is suspended off of the desk surface and ports are available for memory cards, cables and other peripherals. Touch screen  310  can be activated and used while phone  380  is secured by the stand. Phone  380  can be optimally angled for proper viewing and most or all phone functions can be activated without removing the phone from the stand. The center of gravity of phone  380  is substantially over the middle of stand  100  and can help in preventing phone  380  from being tipped over when using or attaching cables or other peripherals. Pad  150  (on the bottom of stand  100 ) may be helpful in preventing the sliding of the device when different forces are applied to the phone. 
     While several embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the functions and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the present invention. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings of the present invention is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. The present invention is directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the present invention. 
     All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms. 
     The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.” 
     The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified, unless clearly indicated to the contrary. 
     All references, patents and patent applications and publications that are cited or referred to in this application are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference.