Patent ID: 7292881

Claim:
A holder, electrical supply, and RF transmitter unit to hold, supply power to, and receive a data signal from an electronic device when the electronic device is being held in the unit and is operating; the unit being capable of converting the data signal to an RF signal and transmitting the RF signal to an RF receiver; power being available to the unit from a source external to the unit when the unit is being used; the electronic device having at least one power input connector through which input power for the electronic device passes when the electronic device is held in the unit and is operating and at least one data signal output connector through which a data output signal passes from the electronic device when the electronic device is held in the unit and is operating; the electronic device also having a top, a bottom, and a bottom portion extending from the bottom of the device towards the top of the device; the unit comprising: (a) an RF transmitter; (b) a holder for the electronic device, the RF transmitter being mechanically coupled to the holder, the holder having a power coupling to transmit power to the at least one power input connector of the electronic device and also having a signal coupling to transmit the data output signal from the at least one data signal output connector of the electronic device to the RF transmitter, the RF transmitter converting the data output signal to an RF signal; (c) a power acquisition sub-unit that is electrically coupled to the power coupling of the holder and that is electrically and mechanically coupled to the external power source when the unit is being used to transmit power from the external power source to the power coupling of the holder; and (d) a connector mechanically coupling the holder to the power acquisition sub-unit, which connector comprises a semi-rigid elongate metallic antenna portion that allows the position of the holder to be semi-permanently adjusted relative to the position of the power acquisition sub-unit and that is electrically coupled to the RF transmitter to receive the RF signal and radiate it so that it can be received by the RF receiver.