Patent Publication Number: US-2007097689-A1

Title: Docking station lamp for portable electronic devices

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
      Reference is made to and priority claimed from U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/721,680, filed Sep. 29, 2005, entitled DOCKING STATION LAMP FOR PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
      The present invention relates generally to portable electronic devices and deals more particularly with a docking station lamp for portable electronic devices.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Portable electronic devices are becoming more and more sophisticated providing for example, communications, entertainment, personal assistance, music, and other functions, which users have come to rely on as a part of their daily routine. As such, the portable electronic devices require their batteries to be recharged from time-to-time. It would be desirable to be able to recharge the batteries and at the same time operate the portable electronic device for communications, entertainment, personal assistance, music, and other such functions in a convenient manner for example while at a desk without adding clutter, wiring or other ancillary devices to the work surface. It would also be desirable to illuminate the work surface with a full spectrum light for reading, writing, drawing, hobbies and other tasks requiring a well-lit surface. What is needed is a convenient way to recharge and operate a portable electronic device and at the same time provide full spectrum illumination on a work surface.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      In accordance with a broad aspect of the invention, a full spectrum desk lamp is configured with a universal docking station built into the base of the lamp for charging a battery operated portable electronic device. A commercial electrical power outlet is provided at the back of the base of the lamp into which the charging module for the portable electronic device is plugged. The charger cord plug end that is operatively connected to the portable electronic device is snaked through a groove in the base of the lamp and up through a passage into the docking station well for access and connection to the portable electronic device placed in the well of the docking station. A tool may be used to help pass the cord plug end up through the base of the lamp.  
      In another aspect of the invention, the docking station is configured with suitable speakers for operative connection to the portable electronic device in the docking station for providing audio originating from the portable electronic device.  
      In another aspect of the invention, the docking station is configured with a suitable microphone for operative connection to the portable electronic device in the docking station for coupling an input audio such as voice to the portable electronic device.  
      In a further aspect of the invention, the docking station is configured with a suitable FM transmitter for operative connection to the portable electronic device in the docking station for transmitting an FM signal of an audio signal for example originating at the portable electronic device. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
      Other features of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a front elevation schematic view showing the docking station lamp in a first example of the invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a rear elevation schematic view of the docking station lamp shown in  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation schematic view of the docking station lamp shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  
       FIG. 4  is a top plan schematic view of the docking station lamp shown in  FIGS. 1, 2  and  3 .  
       FIG. 5  is a front elevation schematic view showing the docking station lamp in another example of the invention in which speakers and a microphone are added to the base.  
       FIG. 6  is a rear elevation schematic view of the docking station lamp shown in  FIG. 5 .  
       FIG. 7  is a side elevation schematic view of the docking station lamp shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 .  
       FIG. 8  is a top plan schematic view of the docking station lamp shown in  FIGS. 5, 6  and  7 .  
       FIG. 9  is a front elevation schematic view showing the docking station lamp in another example of the invention in which a suitable FM transmitter is added to the base.  
       FIG. 10  is a rear elevation schematic view of the docking station lamp shown in  FIG. 9 .  
       FIG. 11  is a side elevation schematic view of the docking station lamp shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 .  
       FIG. 12  is a top plan schematic view of the docking station lamp shown in  FIGS. 9, 10  and  11 .  
       FIG. 13  is a top plan schematic view of the lampshades in a side-by-side orientation in the docking station lamp of the invention.  
       FIG. 14  is a top plan schematic view of the lampshades rotated to a 180° orientation from their side-by-side orientation as shown in  FIG. 13 .  
       FIG. 15  is a front schematic plan view of the lampshades shown in  FIG. 13 .  
       FIG. 16  is a bottom schematic plan view of the docking station lamp base showing a groove for receiving the cord of a charging module.  
       FIG. 17  shows a tool as it might be used in pulling the plug of the charging module cord into position in the well of the docking station in the base of the lamp.  
       FIG. 18  shows schematically the plug of the charging module cord in position for operative connection to a portable electronic device placed in the well of the docking station.  
       FIG. 19  is a schematic block diagram showing the interconnection between major functional components of one example of the docking station lamp embodying the present invention.  
    
    
     WRITTEN DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Turning now to the drawings and considering the invention in greater detail, a first example of the docking station lamp embodying the invention is shown in  FIGS. 1-4  and generally designated  10 . The docking station lamp  10  includes a base  12 , an arm  14  extending generally outward from the base  12  and at least one illumination source such as a lamp  16  which may also be referred to as a lampshade herein held by the arm  14 . The base  12  is arranged and configured with a docking station well  18  for releasably retaining a portable electronic device  20  shown in phantom view. The docking well  18  may be suitably designed and configured with grooves or indentations to specifically fit a given portable electronic device such that the docking well may accommodate many different brands and sizes of portable electronic devices.  
      The arm  14  is arranged for articulated movement as shown by the direction arrow  42  about the pivot axis  22 . A suitable tightening and loosening mechanism  26  is utilized to control the articulated movement of the arm  14  about the pivot axis  22  allowing the arm to rotate toward and away from the plane of a surface upon which the base  12  rests when loosened and to hold the arm in position when tightened.  
      The illumination source or lamps  16 ,  16  is arranged for articulated movement with respect to the arm  14  in the direction as indicated by arrow  44  about the pivot axis  24  in a direction toward and away from the arm  14  such that the end region  46  of the lamps  16 ,  16  follows along an arcuate path as indicated by the direction arrow  48 . A suitable tightening and loosening mechanism  28  is utilized to control the articulated movement of the lamps  16 ,  16  about the pivot axis  24  in the vertical plane allowing the lamps  16 ,  16  to rotate toward and away from the arm  14  when loosened and to hold the lamps in position when tightened.  
      The lamps  16 ,  16  are also rotatable in the horizontal plane about a pivot axis  30  as best viewed in  FIGS. 13, 14  and  15 . A tightening/loosening mechanism  58  similar to the tightening and loosening mechanisms  26  and  28  is used to allow the movement of the lamps  16  with respect to one another about the pivot axis  30  when loosened and to hold the lamps in position when tightened.  
      The lamps  16 ,  16  are also suitably arranged and configured for limited rotational movement about the pivot axis  54  and are tiltable in a direction indicated by the direction arrow  56 . A frictional coupling mechanism well known to those skilled in the art is used to allow restrained tilting of the lamps as desired.  
      It will be recognized that the combination of coordinated movements about the pivot axis  22 , the pivot axis  24 , the pivot axis  30  and the pivot axis  54  allows positioning the lamps  16 ,  16  to direct the illumination to an adjustable X-Y coordinate surface area and in a desired illumination pattern on a surface upon which the base  12  rests.  
      The docking station lamp  10  is arranged with a power cord generally designated  50  for connection to a source of a commercial electrical power such as a 110 volt AC outlet. The docking station lamp is suitably wired to provide the necessary electrical power to one or more bulbs  52 ,  52  carried by the lamp  16 . The bulbs  52  are turned on and off by means of an on-off power switch  40  located on the base  12 . The bulb  52  preferably provides daylight and in particular is a full spectrum light certified full spectrum bulb such as the certified full spectrum bulbs available from Blackstone International LTD., the assignee of the present invention. As shown, the docking station lamp  10  is equipped with two 13-watt certified full spectrum bulbs.  
      The on-off power switch  40  may be of any suitable design to carry out the intended function, however, it is contemplated that the on-off power switch  40  is a touch-sensitive switch that is back-lit with an LED lamp to allow a user to easily find the power switch in a reduced light environment. The LED light may be of any suitable color for example to harmonize with the color of the docking station lamp  10  itself.  
      The docking station lamp  10  includes a commercial electrical voltage outlet  32  at the rear of the base  12  into which a charging module  34  for the portable electronic device is plugged. The charging module  34  includes a charging cord  36  and a suitably configured charging cord plug  38  compatible with the portable electronic device  20  with which it is used. The configuration of the commercial electrical voltage outlet  32  is selected in accordance with the electrical plug connection configuration of the region in which the docking station lamp  10  is used.  
      The charging module  34  may be a universal charging module with interchangeable plugs  38  to accommodate different models and brands portable electronic devices, a charging module that is provided with the portable electronic device, or may be for example a proprietary charging module with a proprietary charging cord plug for operative connection via a proprietary configured connector arranged with the portable electronic device.  
      Referring now to  FIGS. 5-8 , another example of the docking station lamp embodying the invention is shown therein and generally designated  60 . The docking station lamp  60  shown is similar to the docking station lamp  10  and like reference numerals identify similar like parts. The docking station lamp  60  includes a base  62  configured somewhat differently than the base  12  of the docking station lamp  10 . The base  62  is configured with a microphone  64  and one or more speakers  66 ,  66 . The microphone  64  and speakers  66 ,  66  are operatively connected to a portable electronic device releasably retained in the docking station well  18  by means of a suitably configured media cable having a suitable wiring  68  from the microphone  64  and suitable wiring  70  from the speaker  66  terminating in a suitable configured connector core plug  72  in the docking station well  18  for connection to a corresponding portable electronic device releasably retained in the docking station. The media cable may include a standard universal 3.5 mm headphone jack that allows for music or audio from any device to be played over the speakers  66 . The media cable may also include a second input suitably configured with a plug such that the cable is plugged for example into the headset jack of a cellular telephone which is a standard 2.5 mm headset-3 pole jack. The voice is played over the speakers  66  while the microphone of the cellular telephone will pick up the voice of the user so that the docking station lamp functions as a speaker phone when a cellular telephone is releasably retained in the docking station well  18 .  
      Now turning to  FIGS. 9-12 , a further example of the docking station lamp embodying the invention is shown therein and generally designated  80 . The docking station lamp  80  is similar to the docking station lamp  10  for  FIGS. 1-4  and docking station lamp  60  of  FIGS. 5-8  and similar reference numerals identify similar like parts. The docking station lamp  80  includes a base  82  configured with a suitable FM transmitter  84  which is operatively connected to a portable electronic device  20  releasably retained in the docking station well  18  by means of a suitable media cable  86  to receive an electrical signal representative of audio or music from the portable electronic device such as a music player or MP3 player for example, for transmission to and reception by a remotely located FM receiver. The media cable wiring from the FM transmitter  84 , microphone  64 , and speakers  66  are suitably terminated in a connector  88  conformable with the portable electronic device releasably retained in the docking station well. For example, a docked media player such as an MP3 player can provide streaming music to a suitably arranged stereo system via the FM transmitter. The transmission of audio signals such as from a radio or other electronic device for reception by a suitably configured FM receiver for playing on a stereo system is well known to those skilled in the art.  
      It is to be understood that the connector at the docking station may be usable only with a specific portable electronic device such as for example, an Apple iPod®, which requires a proprietary 30 pin connector which allows the user to directly dock the iPod® in the docking station well to permit charging the iPod® while playing music over the speakers of the docking station lamp.  
      In a further example, the docking station lamp may incorporate a standard AM/FM radio for listening to radio station broadcasts over the speakers of the docking station lamp when the speakers are not in use with a media player or portable electronic device releasably retained in the docking station well.  
      Turning now to  FIG. 16 , the underside of the base of the docking station lamp described above is shown therein revealing a groove  92  along which a charging cord  36  is snaked so that the plug end  38  of the charging cord can be passed through the opening  94  into the well of the docking station as described above. With reference to  FIG. 17 , a tool  96  is configured at one end  98  to grip or otherwise grab the charging cord plug end  38  to assist in positioning the plug in the well  18  of the docking station such as shown for example somewhat schematically in  FIG. 18 . The charging cord  36  may be held in the groove  92  and in place by way of small tabs in the underside of the groove and a silicon rubber flap.  
       FIG. 19  is a schematic block diagram showing the interconnection between the major functional components of one example of the docking station lamp embodying the present invention for purposes of illustrating one way that the docking station lamp may be suitably wired for operation as described above.  
      A docking station lamp for charging battery operated portable electronic devices has been described above in several examples. It is understood that there may be many variations to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. According the invention is described above by way of example and not limitation.