GB2488440A

GB2488440A - Mobile phone docking station and solar charger

Info

Publication number: GB2488440A
Application number: GB1203323.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Parkarman Singh Bedi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-02-26
Filing date: 2012-02-27
Publication date: 2012-08-29
Also published as: GB201203323D0; GB201103299D0

Abstract

A box-shaped solar charger for a mobile phone includes shock resistant material, a battery 10, charging electronics, solar cells 3, a mobile phone docking system and phone adapter plate 5, and U-shaped frames 8 to support it at various angles and a wing collar attachment 9 to attach the charger to devices such as a bicycle bracket (fig 5) a belt clip (fig 6), a ring holder (fig 7), and a car safety bracket (fig 8) which can attach to the steering wheel of a car. The wing collar attachment can include a male (fig 3) and a female part (fig 4). The car safety bracket includes a two-way hinge (fig 9 and 10) which allows it to be fixed to the hub of a car steering wheel allowing use of various phone features by a driver while allowing safe inflation of an airbag in an accident.

Description

Universal Phone Operator & Solar Charger system (UPOS Charger) Title: Universal Phone Operator & Solar Charger (UPOS Charger)

Background:

This invention aims to provide the following: I. A Universal, Eco-friendly, Cable-free, Solar charger and phone operator system for mobile phones (the word mobile phone' or phone is used to represent any mobile appliance in this document) which can be used in any situation, condition and location (including safe mounting and safe use in the car).

2. A universal solar charger which replaces all other commonly used chargers (i.e. Mains charger, Car charger or Emergency charger).

3. An All-in-i phone operator (or user) system that replaces most phone accessories commonly used by mobile phone users for holding, carrying and using the phone in various situations, conditions and locations (i.e. Handheld, Desktop, In-car or international usage etc).

4. A novel, secure and easy to use system (Wing Collar Attachment) which attaches the solar charger to any point of use (Belt Clip usage, Bike usage, Desktop usage, In-car usage) in any desired position (portrait or landscape).

5. A universal, safe, secure, hands-free & transferrable mechanism (special In-car Safety Bracket) that allows mounting and operating (or using) the mobile phone in the car (the word car' is used to represent any vehicle other than bikes in this document) and use its various features safely, more effectively and more efficiently than has been possible with any other car accessory before.

Until recently, mobile phones have been used just for audio phone calls and SMS's. With recent technological developments in modern phones (generally referred to as smart-phones) they are commonly used for much more than the traditional audio calls and SMS's. Following is a list of features and functions of a modern phone: 1. Audio Calls: Making & receiving normal audio calls.

2. Video Calls: Making and receiving video phone calls.

3. SMS's: Sending & receiving text messages.

4. MMS's: Sending & receiving multimedia messages.

5. Emails: Sending & Receiving Emails from multiple email addresses.

6. Calendar & Appointments: Access to Calendar entries and appointments from Home PC.

7. Office' Documents: Access to documents and other office information.

8. Music: Downloading, storing & listening to music.

9. Videos: Downloading, storing & watching videos.

10. Pictures: Storing and accessing pictures.

ii. Camera: Use of inbuilt phone camera for taking pictures and recording videos.

12. Satellite Navigation & GPS: usage and maps.

13. Internet usage: Surfing and other business and useful access to internet services.

14. Social Media: Access and usage.

is. Apps: Using thousands of special apps' now offered in Smart-phones.

With all these extra features and functions, the modern phones are being used much more than their older counterparts. Furthermore, some of these features and functions consume far more battery power than the traditional audio calls and SMS's. Unfortunately, the batteries in modern phones have not seen proportional increase in their size and capacity to cope with the extra demand in increased usage of the phone. Whereas some older phones used to last a few days without a recharge for nominal phone usage, modern phones need to be charged repeatedly during the day's nominal usage. Using more than one charger and at more than one place (including cars) have become essential and some users even have to carry extra fully charged batteries and some emergency charging systems to cope with the extra usage of the phone battery. As a result, there is a strong need for a charging system that will become part of the mobile phone (or vice versa) and can charge the phone on a more or less permanent and non-stop basis, which this system provides.

Furthermore, the number and range of phone accessories have increased considerably recently resulting in extra expense & botheration for the user, particularly when it comes to using the phone in the car. This system provides a simple and comprehensive system that provides a range of accessories which allows the user to hold, carry and use the phone in any situation, condition and location.

Mounting, charging and using the phone in the car has additional problems. At present, the phone is mounted on the centre console or dashboard with a bracket and car charger is connected to the I 2V power supply at the Cigarette lighter socket with cables, plugs and connectors. It allows the phone to be used for some very basic functions like voice calls through a hands-free kit. Most of the other phone functions are rendered quite useless because they are either extremely difficult to view and access safely and easily or impossible to view and access at all because of the design and positioning of the charger/holder' in the car. This system particularly allows the phone to be mounted safely in position which is easily accessible and viewable in the car and used safely.

This invention, Universal Phone Operator & Solar Charger (UPOS Charger) is more of a complete system rather than just a charger and it provides a safe, simple, portable, eco-friendly & wireless phone-charging system which not only allows charging the phone, but also allows better operation of all the main features of a smart-phone in various situations, conditions and locations.

Furthermore it allows a simple, easy and safe mounting of the charger at the most convenient point for the phone usage in the car (Le. the front of the steering wheel central hub) with a special In-car Safety Bracket, using a special 2-Way Hinge system, which allows the safe and unhindered inflation of the Airbag when deployed. It also allows the safe and comprehensive usage of the phone features as the user never has to take his hands off the steering wheel to operate the phone. Also as the phone is situated in an ideal position for view to the driver, it is makes the use of phone features safe and much easier Furthermore, the UPOS Charger system has its own accessories which are used with a special Wing Collar Attachment, which allows it to be used in various situations and places ran ging from Desktop, usage, Bike usage and In-car usage. It also provides an inbuilt Ring Holder system with allows safe and secure hand-held usage while walking and in public places.

Statement of Invention:

To overcome these problems and to provide such a Universal, All-in-i, Eco-friendly, compact, cable free, fully portable & interchangeable, safe & simple to use in the car system, the present invention proposes a box shaped solar charger which has special wide spectrum sensitive solar cells, a docking system for the phone, a special Wing Collar arrangement for affixing it to various usage points and a specially designed In-car safety bracket (which uses special 2-way Hinge system) to attach it to the most convenient point in the car (at the steering wheel hub) where the phone is easiest to access and view than any other accessory/attachment can provide.

The UPOS Charger is not just a charger for mobile phone. It is a complete system for mobile phone that provides the user with the following: i. A Universal, Eco-friendly, Cable-free, Solar charger and phone operator (or user) system for mobile phones which can be used in any situation, condition and location (including safe mounting and safe use in the car).

2. A self contained universal solar charger system which replaces all other commonly used chargers (i.e. Mains charger, Car charger or Emergency charger) and charges the phone (virtually continuously) without any external wiring or electric power source when the phone is being carried, used and attached to any usable point.

3. An All-in-i phone operator (or user) system that replaces most phone accessories commonly used by mobile phone users for holding, carrying and using the phone in various situations, conditions and locations (i.e. Handheld, Desktop, In-car or international usage).

4. A novel, secure and easy to use system (using a Wing Collar Attachment) which attaches the UPOS Charger to any point of use (Belt Clip usage, Bike usage, In-car usage) in any desired position (portrait or landscape).

5. A universal, safe, secure, hands-free & easily transferrable mechanism (special ln-car Safety Bracket using a special 2-Way Hinge system) that allows mounting and operating (or using) the mobile phone in the car and use its various features safely, more effectively and more efficiently than has been possible with any other car accessory before.

Advantages: The advantages of this invention, Universal Phone Operator & Solar Charger system (UPOS Charger), can be described as follows: 1. It is a self contained and complete system (Universal and AII-in-1)and eliminates the use of any other charger or phone accessory in any situation, condition or location (including electrical accessories required for international phone charging usage).

2. Its special high efficiency & wider spectrum sensitive solar cells coupled with high powered special battery (around 10 times the average phone battery) keeps the phone battery almost fully charged all the time continuously as it is being used while docked in the charger.

3. It can be carried, positioned and used (at various usage points) by its own two special attachments, the Wing Collar attachment and special In-car Safety Bracket for in-car use as explained above.

4. It has its own special Ring Holder to carry it manually with safety & security while the impact resistant material, like D30, provides extra accidental and impact safety.

5. It has two U-shaped spring loaded frames to position it on desktop in a desired position, portrait or landscape, and at any desired angle.

6. It has a special Wing Collar Attachment to attach it to various usage points (like Bike Handle bracket, Belt Clip and In-car Safety Bracket etc) in two configurations, portrait and landscape as desired.

7. It has a special In-car Safety Bracket system for use in the car. The special In-car Safety Bracket system allows the UPOS Charger to be fitted to the centre hub of the steering wheel in such a way that it allows the safe and unhindered inflation of the Airbag when the Airbag is deployed in the event of an accident. Furthermore, positioning the charger at that point does not interfere with the use of the steering wheel for driving.

8. By positioning the UPOS Charger in the centre of the steering wheel allows various phone features to be used hands-free, safely and much more conveniently as the driver does not have to lift his hands from the steering wheel while using the phone controls and that the phone is situated at a good distance and viewing angle.

9. It is completely free from any external cables, plugs and connectors in any application and usage point.

10. It is easily transferrable from one car (or any other point of usage) to another.

11. It is easily interchangeable from one phone to another with a simple phone adapter plate.

Introduction to Drawings:

Examples of the invention are described by referring to the following accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 One possible configuration for the UPOS Charger system Fig. 2 Another possible configuration for the UPOS Charger system Fig. 3 Wing Collar Attachment-Male Fig. 4 Wing Collar Attachment-Female Fig. 5 Bike Bracket Fig.6 BeltClip Fig. 7 Ring Holder Fig. 8 In-car Safety Bracket for Steering Wheel Fig. 9 2-Way Hinge-A Fig. 10 2-Way Hinge-B

S

List of marked items in Drawings:

Item No. Description

I Charging Pin 2 LED's 3 Solar Cells 4 Mobile Phone Main Tray with Phone Adapeter Plate 6 Release Button 7 Ring Holder 8 U-Clips 9 Wing Collar attachment-Male Battery & Electronics Casing 11 Wing Collar Attachment-Flange 12 Wing Collar Attachment-Female 13 Spring 14 Cam 2-Way Hinge 16 Holding Bracket

Detailed Description of the invention:

UPOS Charger is a box shaped docking station (made of a suitable plastic, metal or composite material) for a mobile phone (slightly larger than the mobile phone in size) in which the phone is docked in a special adapter plate, called the phone adapter plate' (Item 5 in Figs. I & 2). The phone adapter plate is made in the shape of a tray with a charging pin (Item I in Figs. I & 2) fitted at the appropriate place for charging the phone. The position of the charging pin corresponds with the charging socket on the phone and can vary accordingly. The plate also has a phone holding mechanism which is also used for ejecting the phone out easily with press of the button/lever attached to it.

The phone adapter plate which is designed for individual phone and is fitted to the main tray' (Item S in Figs. 1 & 2) of the charger in the front of the UPOS Charger with the help of screws and can be replaced with another phone adapter plate (for a different phone) if and when needed. The phone adapter plate' provides the charging connection to the phone from the UPOS Charger via the main tray' internally.

The main body of UPOS Charger is made up of high efficiency, wider spectrum sensitive' solar cells (Item 3 in Figs. I & 2) which are fitted in the area on the front and sides of the UPOS Charger all around its body. The solar cells can be placed either all around the main tray' on one side of the main tray', either at the top side (Fig. 2) or at any other side. These special solar cells provide charging electricity in low and artificial light thus increasing the charging capacity of the charger.

The main body of the charger is laced with an impact resistant material (such as D30) in a special way at the edges to make it shock & impact resistant to avoid accidental damage to the mobile phone and UPOS components.

The space within the main body of the UPOS Charger box contains a high capacity storage battery (around 10 times the size of the phone battery) and suitable charging control electronics (Item 10 in Figs. I & 2).

There are two spring loaded U-shaped wire frames (Item 8 in Figs. I & 2) to support the UPOS Charger on a flat surface (like a desktop) at a desired position (portrait or landscape) and at a desired angle either for usage or for optimum light exposure.

There is a specially designed Wing Collar' attachment at the back. The Wing Collar is specially designed to fit into its counterpart on the fitting at the point of usage (i.e. Bike bracket, Belt Pouch, In-car Safety Bracket etc) on which the UPOS Charger is to be fitted.

The special Wing Collar attachment is made up of two parts, male (Item 9 in Figs. I & 2) and female (Item 12 in Figs. S & 6), one at the charger and the other at the bracket in point of usage (like Bike bracket: Fig. S or Belt Clip: Fig. 6). The male part has four wing shape, propeller style flanges (Item 11 in Fig. 3), each a fraction less than 45 degrees wide. Each wing has a locking ridge in the middle which locks with a locking groove in its counterpart (Wing Collar-female). The female part has corresponding slot (a fraction more than 45 degrees wide slots) in a circular cylinder through which the male part fits with a 45 degree twist. The two are held in position by the central ridge and slot arrangement and a spring action in the centre. The spring action can be provided either by an external spring or the design of the Wing Collar attachment male and female parts.

There is an inbuilt Ring Holder (Item 7 in Figs. I & 7) at the bottom to hold the UPOS Charger securely while the phone is being used handheld' in public which prevents any accidental dropping or phone snatching, a mobile phone crime (on the increase everywhere).

The UPOS Charger has a special In-car Safety Bracket (Fig. 8) which is made up of two flanges and a 2-Way Hinge (Figs. 9, 10 and Item 15 in Fig. 8) for fitting it to the hub in the centre of the steering wheel of the car. The 2-Way Hinge is operated by a special spring (Item 13 in Fig. 9) & cam (Item 14 in Figs. 9 & 10) arrangement and allows safe inflation of the Airbag in the event of Airbag deployment in an accident. The In-car Safety Bracket system can either be attached to a fixed Holding Bracket' (Item 16 in Fig. 8) on top of the steering wheel hub or be fitted in the removable Holding Bracket' which fits into steering wheel hub slot (between the base and the cover of the hub) with an adjustable spring loaded bracket, which allows easy release of the In-car Safety Bracket to be used in another car (Fig. 8).

This also allows the safe use of the mobile phone in the car as the user does not have to lift his hand from the steering wheel to operate the phone and that the phone is at a good viewing angle and distance.

The UPOS Charger system comes complete with various attachments to attach it for use in various situations (like Bike Bracket, Belt Clip, Ring Holder or special In-car Safety Bracket for the car usage).

The UPOS system is fully portable from one car to another using the special In-car Safety Bracket and fully interchangeable from one phone to another using phone adapter plate.

Claims

Claims: 1. A box shape solar charger, laced with impact/shock resistant material, with high capacity charger battery and suitable charging electronics, which has solar cells on its front and sides, a docking system for the phone on its front in a phone adapter plate' which itself is fitted to the charger, two U-shape spring frames at its back for supporting it on flat surface at variable angles, a special Wing Collar arrangement at its back for attaching it to various usage points like Belt Clip, Bike Bracket and a specially designed In-car Safety Bracket, which uses special 2-way Hinge system, to attach it to the front of a steering wheel hub of a car with the phone facing the driver.
2. The box shape of the solar charger according to claim 1, can be of different shapes either solar cells all around the phone or on one side of the phone to allow access the phone controls placed on the sides of the phone.
3. The impactishock resistant materials (like D30) according to claim 1, is laced into the corners and edges of the UPOS Charger to protect against accidental damage to the phone, the charger and their components.
4. The charger battery according to claim 1, is of very high capacity, several times (at least 10 times) the average capacity of the phone battery to allow continuous phone charging.
5. Suitable charging electronics according to claim 1, provide a safety for the solar cells, batteries and all other electrical parts and supply suitable connections for LED displays and external connections for secondary charging.
6. The phone adapter plate' according to claim 1, is made of suitable plastic or composite material to accommodate individual phone and it is has suitable connecting pin at a position corresponding to the charging socket on the phone thus providing a cable-free charging for the phone and a quick attach/release button or lever to attach or release the phone from it.
7. The solar cells according to claim I and claim 2 are of highest efficiency possible and sensitive to most wavelengths for use in low sunlight or artificial light.
8. The Wing Collar according to claim 1, is made of plastic or composite material and is in two parts fitting with each other and is shaped like a propeller type Wing shape male and female parts with built in locking arrangements.
9. The In-car Safety Bracket according to claim 1, attaches the UPOS Charger and the phone in it on the front of steering wheel hub of the car where it is at most usable distance and view from the driver.
10. The In-car safety Bracket according to claim I and claim 9 deflects the UPOS Charger away from the inflating Airbag via 2-way Hinge system to allow its unhindered inflation in the event of Airbag deployment in an accident.
11. The 2-way Hinge system, according to claim 1, claim 9 and claim 10 has a special cam & spring' arrangement which holds the UPOS Charger pressed against the steering wheel hub by acting in one direction under normal use and deflects it away from the steering wheel hub as soon as a small movement is detected (from the inflating Airbag) by acting in the opposite direction and allows the unhindered inflation of the Airbag.