U.S. patent application number 12/625377 was filed with the patent office on 2011-05-26 for apparatus and method for holding a portable electronic device.
Invention is credited to Patrick Pernia.
Application Number | 20110121148 12/625377 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44061391 |
Filed Date | 2011-05-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110121148 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pernia; Patrick |
May 26, 2011 |
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HOLDING A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE
Abstract
An apparatus and a method are disclosed for holding a portable
electronic device such as a navigation system unit, a
multimedia/music player, a cellular phone, and a satellite radio.
In one embodiment of the invention, a clamp enables a firm and
removable attachment of a novel portable electronic device holder
to a neck of a center rear view mirror in a vehicle. In an
alternate embodiment, a C-clamp with a turning screw is used
instead. A vertical bar or a non-straight-line-shaped extension
operatively attached to the clamp is typically extendable and
retractable to allow a user to adjust the novel portable electronic
device holder to a comfortable length. The design of the novel
portable electronic device holder does not require a use of an air
suction cup or adhesive materials for a base piece attachment to a
vehicle's dashboard which provides several advantages over
conventional designs.
Inventors: |
Pernia; Patrick; (San Jose,
CA) |
Family ID: |
44061391 |
Appl. No.: |
12/625377 |
Filed: |
November 24, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/207 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 2011/0075 20130101;
B60R 2011/0033 20130101; B60R 2011/008 20130101; B60R 2011/0059
20130101; B60R 11/0241 20130101; F16M 11/28 20130101; F16M 13/022
20130101; B60R 2011/0071 20130101; F16M 11/041 20130101; F16M 13/00
20130101; B60R 11/0258 20130101; B60R 11/0229 20130101; F16M 11/14
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/207 |
International
Class: |
A47F 7/00 20060101
A47F007/00 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for holding a portable electronic device, the
apparatus comprising: a clamp configured to latch onto a neck of a
center rear view mirror in a vehicle; one or more grips on the
clamp, wherein the one or more grips can be squeezed to create an
opening to position the clamp on the neck of the center rear view
mirror before the opening is closed sufficiently to hold the clamp
and the neck of the center rear view mirror firmly; a vertical bar
or a non-straight-line-shaped extension operatively attached to the
clamp, wherein the vertical bar or the non-straight-line-shaped
extension may optionally comprise one or more segments and may
optionally be extendable or retractable; and a device latch
operatively attached to the vertical bar or the
non-straight-line-shaped extension, wherein the device latch is
configured to dock the portable electronic device.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a ball slot on the
device latch configured to snap into a ball pivot operatively
attached to the vertical bar or the non-straight-line-shaped
extension, wherein the ball slot and the ball pivot enables the
device latch to change its angle or orientation via a pivoting
action.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more segments for
the vertical bar or for the non-straight-line-shaped extension are
capable of retracting into each other or extending from each
other.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ball pivot is operatively
attached to the vertical bar or to the non-straight-line-shaped
extension using a plastic-molded ball pivot holder.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more segments of
the vertical bar or the non-straight-line-shaped extension have one
or more pivoting mechanisms to accommodate angle and orientation
changes for the apparatus.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device latch is configured
to dock a portable electronic device using a sliding mechanism or
using a C-clamp-type mechanism which can fit portable electronic
devices of various sizes.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the portable electronic device
is a navigation system unit, a multimedia/music player unit, a
cellular phone, a two-way radio or a "walkie-talkie" unit, or a
satellite radio receiver unit.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-straight-line shaped
extension is a flexible or rigid gooseneck or a flexible or rigid
U-shaped extension bar.
9. A portable electronic device holder comprising: a clamp
configured to latch onto an appropriate location and/or an
appropriate material, such as a neck of a center rear view mirror
in a vehicle; one or more grips on the clamp, wherein the one or
more grips can be squeezed to create an opening to position the
clamp on the appropriate location and/or the appropriate material
before the opening is closed sufficiently to hold the clamp and the
appropriate location and/or the appropriate material firmly; a
vertical bar or a non-straight-line-shaped extension operatively
attached to the clamp, wherein the vertical bar or the
non-straight-line-shaped extension may optionally comprise one or
more segments and may optionally be extendable or retractable; and
a device latch operatively attached to the vertical bar or the
non-straight-line-shaped extension, wherein the device latch is
configured to dock the portable electronic device.
10. The portable electronic device holder of claim 9, further
comprising a ball slot on the device latch configured to snap into
a ball pivot operatively attached to the vertical bar or the
non-straight-line-shaped extension, wherein the ball slot and the
ball pivot enables the device latch to change its angle or
orientation via a pivoting action.
11. The portable electronic device holder of claim 9, wherein the
one or more segments for the vertical bar or for the
non-straight-line-shaped extension are capable of retracting into
each other or extending from each other.
12. The portable electronic device holder of claim 9, wherein the
ball pivot is operatively attached to the vertical bar or to the
non-straight-line-shaped extension using a plastic-molded ball
pivot holder.
13. The portable electronic device holder of claim 9, wherein the
one or more segments of the vertical bar or the
non-straight-line-shaped extension have one or more pivoting
mechanisms to accommodate angle and orientation changes for the
portable electronic device holder.
14. portable electronic device holder of claim 9, wherein the
device latch is configured to dock a portable electronic device
using a sliding motion or using a C-clamp-type mechanism which can
fit portable electronic devices of various sizes.
15. The portable electronic device holder of claim 14, wherein the
portable electronic device is a navigation system unit, a
multimedia/music player unit, a cellular phone, a two-way radio or
a "walkie-talkie" unit, or a satellite radio receiver unit.
16. The portable electronic device holder of claim 9, wherein the
non-straight-line shaped extension is a flexible or rigid gooseneck
or a flexible or rigid U-shaped extension bar.
17. An apparatus for holding a portable electronic device, the
apparatus comprising: a C-clamp with a turning screw configured to
latch onto a neck of a center rear view mirror in a vehicle if the
turning screw is sufficiently turned to tighten an opening of the
C-clamp with an appropriate location and/or an appropriate
material, such as a neck of a center rear view mirror in a vehicle;
a vertical bar or a non-straight-line-shaped extension operatively
attached to the C-clamp, wherein the vertical bar or the
non-straight-line-shaped extension may optionally comprise one or
more segments and may optionally be extendable or retractable; and
a device latch operatively attached to the vertical bar or the
non-straight-line-shaped extension, wherein the device latch is
configured to dock the portable electronic device.
18. The portable electronic device holder of claim 17, further
comprising a ball slot on the device latch configured to snap into
a ball pivot operatively attached to the vertical bar or the
non-straight-line-shaped extension, wherein the ball slot and the
ball pivot enables the device latch to change its angle or
orientation via a pivoting action.
19. The portable electronic device holder of claim 17, wherein the
one or more segments for the vertical bar or for the
non-straight-line-shaped extension are capable of retracting into
each other or extending from each other.
20. The portable electronic device holder of claim 17, wherein the
one or more segments of the vertical bar or the
non-straight-line-shaped extension have one or more pivoting
mechanisms to accommodate angle and orientation changes for the
apparatus.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to a portable
electronic device. More specifically, the present invention relates
to an apparatus and a method for holding a portable electronic
device, especially in a spatially limited environment such as an
interior of a vehicle.
[0002] Many portable electronic devices in the market today are
increasingly becoming essential to a consumer's daily tasks. A
portable Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) navigation system, for
example, was once a proprietary technology exclusively used in
military applications. Rapid advancements in microprocessors'
computational power, miniaturized storage capacities, and display
technologies in recent years brought GPS applications to the
consumer market at affordable prices. Consumers are increasingly
becoming dependent on portable GPS navigation systems and other
portable electronic devices such as portable MP3 players, palm-top
computers, and smart-phones which may be required to be easily
attachable and detachable in a spatially limited environment such
as a vehicle's windshield or a dashboard.
[0003] Although factory-spec in-dash navigation systems are also
increasingly becoming popular, the cost of the factory-spec in-dash
navigation is typically much higher than a portable GPS navigation
system. Equally important, portable GPS navigation systems provide
convenient portability of GPS devices to any car or even any trip,
which is a feature that no in-dash navigation systems can provide
to a user. Therefore, portable GPS navigation system market has
been growing rapidly in recent years and many configurations and
designs have been produced for both portable GPS navigation systems
and their holders which can be attached to vehicle windshields or
dashboards.
[0004] A variety of portable electronic device holders have been
devised to accommodate portable GPS navigation systems and other
portable electronic devices for vehicle applications. Some portable
electronic device holders use air suction cups to be attached to a
windshield. Some other portable electronic device holders use a
base piece attached to a dashboard with adhesive materials, wherein
a bottom surface of the base piece is typically glued to the
dashboard with adhesive materials and a top surface of the base
piece typically accommodates a removable attachment surface such as
a Velcro strip for easy attachment and removal of a portable
electronic device.
[0005] Unfortunately, the conventional portable electronic device
holders have significant drawbacks for users. For example, an air
suction cup-based portable electronic device holder frequently
loses its adhesion to a windshield if there is a change in ambient
temperature near the windshield. Furthermore, some local, state,
and/or national government are beginning to impose regulations on
where an air suction cup-based portable electronic device holder
can be attached on a windshield. In certain cases, a driver is
required to attach a GPS navigation system only to a corner portion
of a front windshield, because certain local, state, and/or
national governments regard a center windshield attachment of the
GPS navigation system as an obstacle to clear windshield
visibility. However, these requirements are often inconvenient for
drivers and users of a portable GPS navigation system because the
portable GPS navigation system can no longer be placed in a
driver's or a user's line of sight for a front vehicle windshield.
Furthermore, other types of portable electronic device holders
which require gluing a portion of a base piece to a dashboard often
leaves permanent and unsightly marks to the dashboard, which causes
an unnecessary damage to a vehicle's interior and potentially
reduces the vehicle's residual value.
[0006] Therefore, a portable electronic device holder which does
not require either an air suction cup or glue-like adhesive
materials may provide significant convenience to device
manufacturers and users. Furthermore, a portable electronic device
holder which can place a portable electronic device near a driver's
line of sight in a vehicle without requiring an air suction cup or
glue-like adhesive materials may also provide additional advantages
to the driver. Moreover, an apparatus and a method for holding a
portable electronic device which is simple to manufacture,
inexpensive to produce, and easy to install and remove may be
highly beneficial to users and device manufacturers.
SUMMARY
[0007] Summary and Abstract summarize some aspects of the present
invention. Simplifications or omissions may have been made to avoid
obscuring the purpose of the Summary or the Abstract. These
simplifications or omissions are not intended to limit the scope of
the present invention.
[0008] In one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for holding
a portable electronic device is disclosed. This apparatus comprises
a clamp configured to latch onto a neck of a center rear view
mirror in a vehicle; one or more grips on the clamp, wherein the
one or more grips can be squeezed to create an opening to position
the clamp on the neck of the center rear view mirror before the
opening is closed sufficiently to hold the clamp and the neck of
the center rear view mirror firmly; a vertical bar or a
non-straight-line-shaped extension operatively attached to the
clamp, wherein the vertical bar or the non-straight-line-shaped
extension may optionally comprise one or more segments and may
optionally be extendable or retractable; and a device latch
operatively attached to the vertical bar or the
non-straight-line-shaped extension, wherein the device latch is
configured to dock the portable electronic device.
[0009] In another embodiment of the invention, a portable
electronic device holder comprises a clamp configured to latch onto
an appropriate location and/or an appropriate material, such as a
neck of a center rear view mirror in a vehicle; one or more grips
on the clamp, wherein the one or more grips can be squeezed to
create an opening to position the clamp on the appropriate location
and/or the appropriate material before the opening is closed
sufficiently to hold the clamp and the appropriate location and/or
the appropriate material firmly; a vertical bar or a
non-straight-line-shaped extension operatively attached to the
clamp, wherein the vertical bar or the non-straight-line-shaped
extension may optionally comprise one or more segments and may
optionally be extendable or retractable; and a device latch
operatively attached to the vertical bar or the
non-straight-line-shaped extension, wherein the device latch is
configured to dock the portable electronic device.
[0010] Yet in another embodiment of the invention, another
apparatus for holding a portable electronic device is disclosed.
This apparatus comprises a C-clamp with a turning screw configured
to latch onto a neck of a center rear view mirror in a vehicle if
the turning screw is sufficiently turned to tighten an opening of
the C-clamp with an appropriate location and/or an appropriate
material, such as a neck of a center rear view mirror in a vehicle;
a vertical bar or a non-straight-line-shaped extension operatively
attached to the C-clamp, wherein the vertical bar or the
non-straight-line-shaped extension may optionally comprise one or
more segments and may optionally be extendable or retractable; and
a device latch operatively attached to the vertical bar or the
non-straight-line-shaped extension, wherein the device latch is
configured to dock the portable electronic device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a portable electronic
device holder in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 shows a side perspective view of a portable
electronic device holder attached to a neck of a center rear view
mirror in a vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention.
[0013] FIG. 3 shows another side perspective view of a portable
electronic device holder with a navigation system attached, wherein
a clamp on a top portion of the portable electronic device holder
is attached to a neck of a center rear view mirror in a vehicle, in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 4 shows a frontal perspective view of a portable
electronic device holder and a detached navigation system in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
[0015] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a portable electronic
device holder with a detached device latch from a ball pivot in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
[0016] FIG. 6 shows a method for attaching a portable electronic
device holder to a neck of a center rear view mirror of a vehicle
in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described
in detail with reference to the accompanying figures. Like elements
in the various figures are denoted by like reference numerals for
consistency.
[0018] In the following detailed description of embodiments of the
invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to
provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, it
will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the
invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other
instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to
avoid unnecessarily complicating the description.
[0019] The detailed description is presented largely in terms of
description of shapes, configurations, and/or other symbolic
representations that directly or indirectly resemble one or more
apparatuses and methods for holding a portable electronic device,
especially in a vehicle's interior space. These process
descriptions and representations are the means used by those
experienced or skilled in the art to most effectively convey the
substance of their work to others skilled in the art.
[0020] Reference herein to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment"
means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic
described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at
least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the
phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification
are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, separate or alternative embodiments are not
necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, the
order of blocks in process flowcharts or diagrams representing one
or more embodiments of the invention do not inherently indicate any
particular order and do not imply any limitations in the
invention.
[0021] One objective of the present invention is to provide a
portable electronic device holder that does not use an air suction
cup or glue-like adhesive materials to provide significant
convenience to device manufacturers and users of the portable
electronic device holder. Another objective of the present
invention is to provide a portable electronic device holder which
can place a portable electronic device near a driver's line of
sight in a vehicle without requiring an air suction cup or
glue-like adhesive materials. A further objective of the present
invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for holding a
portable electronic device which is simple to manufacture,
inexpensive to produce, and easy to install and remove by its
user.
[0022] For the purpose of describing the invention, a term "clamp"
is defined as a device configured to bind or hold an element
firmly. A typical clamp for the purpose of describing this
invention has one or more grips which can be squeezed to create an
opening to which an element to be bound or held is placed. When a
user stops squeezing the one or more grips on a clamp, the opening
is closed sufficiently to bind or hold the element in a fixed
position.
[0023] Furthermore, for the purpose of describing the invention, a
term "C-clamp" is defined as a "C-shape" or a "G-shape" device with
a turning screw on an opening of the device. Turning and/or
tightening the turning screw on the C-clamp gradually closes the
opening on the C-clamp, thereby enabling the C-clamp to attach to
an appropriate material or an appropriate location when the turning
screw is turned to sufficiently tighten the opening.
[0024] Moreover, for the purpose of describing the invention, a
term "portable electronic device" is defined as an electronic
device which can be easily carried, detached, and/or attached by a
user of the electronic device. Examples of the portable electronic
device for the purpose of describing this invention include, but
are not limited to, a navigation system unit, a multimedia and/or
music playing device, a palm-top computer, a PDA (Personal Data
Assistant) device, and a remote controller for another electronic
device.
[0025] Furthermore, for the purpose of describing the invention, a
term "device latch" is defined as one or more pieces which are
designed to attach, hold, and/or dock a portable electronic device
to a portion of a portable electronic device holder. In one
example, a device latch can use a slide docking mechanism to
attach, hold, and/or dock a portable electronic device. In another
example, a device latch itself can be a type of a clamp or a
C-clamp designed to attach, hold, and/or dock a portable electronic
device.
[0026] In addition, for the purpose of describing the invention, a
term "removable" is used to refer to easily detachable, attachable,
and changeable characteristics of a device.
[0027] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a portable electronic
device holder (100) in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the portable
electronic device holder (100) comprises a clamp (101), one or more
grips (103), one or more segments (105, 107, 109) to form an
extendable vertical bar (105, 107, 109), a device latch (111), and
a ball pivot holder (113). In the preferred embodiment of the
invention, the clamp (101) is capable of binding or holding an
element (e.g. a neck of a center rear view mirror) firmly. As shown
in FIG. 1, the clamp (101) typically has one or more grips (103)
which can be squeezed to create an opening to which the element to
be bound or held can be placed. When a user stops squeezing the one
or more grips (103) on the clamp (101), the opening is closed
sufficiently to bind or hold the element and the portable
electronic device holder in a fixed position.
[0028] In an alternate embodiment of the invention, a C-clamp with
a turning screw can be used instead of the clamp (101) to enable
the portable electronic device holder to attach to an appropriate
location or an appropriate material firmly (e.g. a neck of a center
rear view mirror in a vehicle). In the alternate embodiment of the
invention, at least some other parts (e.g. 115, 105, 107, 109, 113,
and etc.) comprising the portable electronic device holder in the
preferred embodiment of the invention may be operatively used with
the C-clamp instead.
[0029] In one embodiment of the invention, the extendable vertical
bar (105, 107, 109) comprises a first segment (105), a second
segment (107), and a third segment (109) which can be retracted
into smaller number of segments or extended from a retracted
position, similar to a typical multi-segment radio antenna. The
number of segments on the extendable vertical bar (105, 107, 109)
may vary depending on a particular implementation of the invention.
Furthermore, an embodiment of an extendable vertical bar may have
only single segment which can still vary the length of the
extendable vertical bar without using multiple segments. Yet in
another embodiment of the invention, a vertical bar used for the
portable electronic device holder may be non-extendable with a
fixed length. Furthermore, in an alternative embodiment of the
invention, the clamp (101) may be attached to a
non-straight-line-shaped extension (e.g. a gooseneck, a U-shaped
extension, and etc.) instead of a vertical bar (e.g. 105, 107,
109). The non-straight-line shaped extension can be a rigid type or
a flexible type. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
extendable vertical bar (105, 107, 109) in FIG. 1 can also adjust
directions or orientation of the extendable vertical bar (105, 107,
109) to various positions that a user may desire. Adjustment of
directions of orientation of the extendable vertical bar (105, 107,
109) may be achieved by using a pivoting mechanism (115) between
the clamp (101) and the first segment (105) of the extendable
vertical bar.
[0030] Continuing with FIG. 1, a device latch (111) is typically
and operatively attached to a portion of the extendable vertical
bar (105, 107, 109). A primary function of the device latch (111)
is to dock a portable electronic device into the device latch
(111). Examples of the portable electronic device suitable for
docking into the device latch (111) include, but are not limited
to, a navigation system unit, a multimedia/music player unit, a
cellular phone, a two-way radio or a "walkie-talkie" unit, and a
satellite radio receiver unit. In a preferred embodiment of the
invention, the device latch (111) is attached to a tip of the
extendable vertical bar (105, 107, 109) by a ball pivot holder
(113) which can be plastic-molded as part of a ball pivot
accommodating the device latch (111) via a ball slot on a backside
of the device latch (111).
[0031] FIG. 2 shows a side perspective view (200) of a portable
electronic device holder attached to a neck (201) of a center rear
view mirror (213) in a vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of
the invention. In the embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG.
2, the portable electronic device holder comprises a clamp (203),
one or more grips (205), a first segment (207) of an extendable
vertical bar, a second segment (209) of the extendable vertical
bar, and a device latch (211) operatively attached to the
extendable vertical bar.
[0032] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the clamp (203)
is capable of binding or holding the neck (201) of the center rear
view mirror (213) firmly. The clamp (203) typically has one or more
grips (205) which can be squeezed to create an opening to which the
neck (201) of the center rear view mirror (213) can be placed. When
a user stops squeezing the one or more grips (205) on the clamp
(203), the opening is closed sufficiently to attach the portable
electronic device holder firmly on the neck (201) of the center
rear view mirror (213). In one embodiment of the invention, the
extendable vertical bar (207, 209) comprises a first segment (207)
and a second segment (209), which can be retracted into smaller
number of segments or extended from a retracted position, similar
to a typical multi-segment radio antenna. The number of segments on
the extendable vertical bar (207, 209) may vary depending on a
particular implementation of the invention. Furthermore, an
embodiment of an extendable vertical bar may have only single
segment which can still vary the length of the extendable vertical
bar without using multiple segments. Yet in another embodiment of
the invention, a vertical bar used for the portable electronic
device holder may be non-extendable with a fixed length.
Furthermore, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, the
clamp (203) may be attached to a non-straight-line-shaped extension
(e.g. a gooseneck, a U-shaped extension, and etc.) instead of a
vertical bar (e.g. 207, 209).
[0033] Continuing with FIG. 2, in a preferred embodiment of the
invention, the extendable vertical bar (207, 209) can also adjust
its directions or orientation to various positions that a user may
desire. Adjustment of directions of orientation of the extendable
vertical bar (207, 209) may be achieved by using a pivoting
mechanism between the clamp (203) and the first segment (207) of
the extendable vertical bar. Furthermore, a device latch (211) is
typically and operatively attached to a portion of the extendable
vertical bar (207, 209). A primary function of the device latch
(211) is to dock a portable electronic device into the device latch
(211). Examples of the portable electronic device suitable for
docking into the device latch (211) include, but are not limited
to, a navigation system unit, a multimedia/music player unit, a
cellular phone, a two-way radio or a "walkie-talkie" unit, and a
satellite radio receiver unit.
[0034] The application of the portable electronic device holder to
a neck (201) of a center rear view mirror (213) as shown in FIG. 2
in accordance with the present invention exhibits several
advantages. By using a novel clamp (203) which can be easily
attached and detached to the neck (201) of the center rear view
mirror (213), a user does not have to attach a portable electronic
device holder to a windshield using an air suction cup. By avoiding
the usage of an air suction cup, the portable electronic device
holder is more reliably attached to a vehicle's interior because
air suction cup mechanisms tend to suffer adhesion failures over
ambient temperature variations and extended usage of the portable
electronic device holder. In addition, the user is able to keep a
portable electronic device close to the center of a vehicle's
interior, typically within the user's line of sight, without
blocking an exterior view through the windshield. The proximity of
a portable device docked to the novel portable electronic device
holder close to the center of the vehicle's interior also makes
user operation of the portable device more reachable and
convenient. Therefore, the novel portable electronic device holder
in accordance with the present invention can accommodate safer
driving while overcoming increasingly-stringent regulations against
center front windshield attachments of an air suction cup-based
portable electronics holder in many local, state, and/or national
governments.
[0035] Furthermore, the present invention also exhibits advantages
over another type of conventional portable electronic device holder
which uses glue-like adhesive materials to fix a base piece of a
portable electronic device holder on a dashboard. By avoiding the
use of glue-like adhesive materials on the dashboard for the base
piece attachment, the novel portable electronic device holder
embodied by the present invention does not create unsightly marks
to a vehicle's dashboard and accommodates easy re-positioning and
re-orientation of the novel portable electronic device holder and
any portable electronic device docked to the novel portable
electronic device holder.
[0036] FIG. 3 shows another side perspective view (300) of a
portable electronic device holder with a navigation system unit
(311) attached, wherein a clamp (303) on a top portion of the
portable electronic device holder is attached to a neck of a center
rear view mirror (301) in a vehicle, in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment of the invention as
shown in FIG. 3, the portable electronic device holder comprises a
clamp (303), one or more grips (305), a first segment (307) of an
extendable vertical bar, a second segment (309) of the extendable
vertical bar, and a device latch holding the navigation system unit
(311).
[0037] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the clamp (303)
is capable of binding or holding the neck of the center rear view
mirror (301) firmly. The clamp (303) typically has one or more
grips (305) which can be squeezed to create an opening to which the
neck of the center rear view mirror (301) can be placed. When a
user stops squeezing the one or more grips (305) on the clamp
(303), the opening is closed sufficiently to attach the portable
electronic device holder firmly on the neck of the center rear view
mirror (301). In one embodiment of the invention, the extendable
vertical bar (307, 309) comprises a first segment (307) and a
second segment (309), which can be retracted into smaller number of
segments or extended from a retracted position, similar to a
typical multi-segment radio antenna. The number of segments on the
extendable vertical bar (307, 309) may vary depending on a
particular implementation of the invention. Furthermore, an
embodiment of an extendable vertical bar may have only single
segment which can still vary the length of the extendable vertical
bar without using multiple segments. Yet in another embodiment of
the invention, a vertical bar used for the portable electronic
device holder may be non-extendable with a fixed length.
Furthermore, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, the
clamp (303) may be attached to a non-straight-line-shaped extension
(e.g. a gooseneck, a U-shaped extension, and etc.) instead of a
vertical bar (e.g. 307, 309).
[0038] Continuing with FIG. 3, in a preferred embodiment of the
invention, the extendable vertical bar (307, 309) can also adjust
its directions or orientation to various positions that a user may
desire. Adjustment of directions of orientation of the extendable
vertical bar (307, 309) may be achieved by using a pivoting
mechanism between the clamp (303) and the first segment (307) of
the extendable vertical bar. In the embodiment of the invention as
shown in FIG. 3, the navigation system unit (311) is docked into a
device latch operatively attached to the extendable vertical bar
(307, 309). In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device
latch is capable of changing its angle and/or orientation, which
allows a user to find a desirable angle and/or a desirable
orientation for viewing the navigation system unit (311). It should
be noted that portable electronic devices other than the navigation
system unit (311), such as a multimedia/music player unit, a
cellular phone, a two-way radio or a "walkie-talkie" unit, and a
satellite radio receiver unit, can potentially be docked into the
device latch.
[0039] FIG. 4 shows a frontal perspective view (400) of a portable
electronic device holder and a detached navigation system (413) in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In a preferred
embodiment of the invention, the portable electronic device holder
comprises a clamp (401), one or more grips (403), one or more
segments (405, 407) to form an extendable vertical bar (405, 407),
a device latch (409), and a ball pivot holder (411). In the
preferred embodiment of the invention, the clamp (401) is capable
of binding or holding an element (e.g. a neck of a center rear view
mirror) firmly. The clamp (401) typically has one or more grips
(403) which can be squeezed to create an opening to which the
element to be bound or held can be placed. When a user stops
squeezing the one or more grips (403) on the clamp (401), the
opening is closed sufficiently to bind or hold the element and the
portable electronic device holder in a fixed position.
[0040] In an alternate embodiment of the invention, a C-clamp with
a turning screw can be used instead of the clamp (401) to enable
the portable electronic device holder to attach to an appropriate
location or an appropriate material firmly (e.g. a neck of a center
rear view mirror in a vehicle). In the alternate embodiment of the
invention, at least some other parts (e.g. 415, 405, 407, 409, 411,
and etc.) comprising the portable electronic device holder in the
preferred embodiment of the invention may be operatively used with
the C-clamp instead.
[0041] In one embodiment of the invention, the extendable vertical
bar (405, 407) comprises a first segment (405) and a second segment
(407), which can be retracted into smaller number of segments or
extended from a retracted position, similar to a typical
multi-segment radio antenna. The number of segments on the
extendable vertical bar (405, 407) may vary depending on a
particular implementation of the invention. Furthermore, an
embodiment of an extendable vertical bar may have only single
segment which can still vary the length of the extendable vertical
bar without using multiple segments. Yet in another embodiment of
the invention, a vertical bar used for the portable electronic
device holder may be non-extendable with a fixed length.
Furthermore, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, the
clamp (401) may be attached to a non-straight-line-shaped extension
(e.g. a gooseneck, a U-shaped extension, and etc.) instead of a
vertical bar (e.g. 405, 407). In a preferred embodiment of the
invention, the extendable vertical bar (405, 407) can also adjust
directions or orientation of the extendable vertical bar (405, 407)
to various positions that a user may desire. Adjustment of
directions of orientation of the extendable vertical bar (405, 407)
may be achieved by using a pivoting mechanism (415) between the
clamp (401) and the first segment (405) of the extendable vertical
bar.
[0042] Continuing with FIG. 4, a device latch (409) is typically
and operatively attached to a portion of the extendable vertical
bar (405, 407). A primary function of the device latch (409) is to
dock a portable electronic device such as a navigation system unit
(413) into the device latch (409). In a preferred embodiment of the
invention, the device latch (409) is attached to a tip of the
extendable vertical bar (405, 407) by a ball pivot holder (411)
which can be plastic-molded as part of a ball pivot accommodating
the device latch (409) via a ball slot on a backside of the device
latch (409). In one embodiment of the invention, the device latch
(409) is configured to slide the navigation system unit (413) into
a docked position.
[0043] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view (500) of a portable
electronic device holder with a detached device latch (513) from a
ball pivot (517) in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the portable electronic
device holder comprises a clamp (501), one or more grips (503), one
or more segments (505, 507, 509) to form an extendable vertical bar
(505, 507, 509), a ball pivot (517) with a ball pivot holder (511),
and a device latch (513) with a ball slot (515). In the preferred
embodiment of the invention, the clamp (501) is capable of binding
or holding an element (e.g. a neck of a center rear view mirror)
firmly. As shown in FIG. 5, the clamp (501) typically has one or
more grips (503) which can be squeezed to create an opening to
which the element to be bound or held can be placed. When a user
stops squeezing the one or more grips (503) on the clamp (501), the
opening is closed sufficiently to bind or hold the element and the
portable electronic device holder in a fixed position.
[0044] In an alternate embodiment of the invention, a C-clamp with
a turning screw can be used instead of the clamp (501) to enable
the portable electronic device holder to attach to an appropriate
location or an appropriate material firmly (e.g. a neck of a center
rear view mirror in a vehicle). In the alternate embodiment of the
invention, at least some other parts (e.g. 519, 505, 507, 509, 511,
517, 515, 513 and etc.) comprising the portable electronic device
holder in the preferred embodiment of the invention may be
operatively used with the C-clamp instead.
[0045] In one embodiment of the invention, the extendable vertical
bar (505, 507, 509) comprises a first segment (505), a second
segment (507), and a third segment (509) which can be retracted
into smaller number of segments or extended from a retracted
position, similar to a typical multi-segment radio antenna. The
number of segments on the extendable vertical bar (505, 507, 509)
may vary depending on a particular implementation of the invention.
Furthermore, an embodiment of an extendable vertical bar may have
only single segment which can still vary the length of the
extendable vertical bar without using multiple segments. Yet in
another embodiment of the invention, a vertical bar used for the
portable electronic device holder may be non-extendable with a
fixed length. Furthermore, in an alternative embodiment of the
invention, the clamp (501) may be attached to a
non-straight-line-shaped extension (e.g. a gooseneck, a U-shaped
extension, and etc.) instead of a vertical bar (e.g. 505, 507,
509). In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the extendable
vertical bar (505, 507, 509) can also adjust directions or
orientation of the extendable vertical bar (505, 507, 509) to
various positions that a user may desire. Adjustment of directions
of orientation of the extendable vertical bar (505, 507, 509) may
be achieved by using a pivoting mechanism (519) between the clamp
(501) and the first segment (505) of the extendable vertical
bar.
[0046] Continuing with FIG. 5, a ball pivot (517) is configured to
snap into a ball slot (515) of a device latch (513). In one
embodiment of the invention, the ball pivot (517) is attached to
the extendable vertical bar (505, 507, 509) by a plastic-molded
ball pivot holder (511). When the ball slot (515) is snapped into
the ball pivot (517), the ball slot (515) is able to pivot around
the ball pivot (517) to accommodate angle and orientation changes
for the device latch (513). In a preferred embodiment of the
invention, the ball pivot (517) and the ball slot (515) require a
substantial amount of force by a user to cause a pivoting action,
thereby providing a highly stable and stationary angle for the
device latch (513) before any substantial amount of force is
applied on the ball slot (515).
[0047] FIG. 6 shows a method (600) for attaching a portable
electronic device holder to a neck of a center rear view mirror of
a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In
STEP 601, a user presses or squeezes one or more grips on a clamp
to create an opening on a top portion of a clamp, which is part of
a portable electronic device holder. Then, in STEP 602, the user
positions the opening to an appropriate location such as a neck of
a center rear view mirror before releasing or removing the pressure
on the one or more grips on the clamp to make the clamp attach to
the appropriate location such as the neck of the center rear view
mirror, as shown in STEP 603. Once the portable electronic device
holder is firmly attached to the appropriate location such as the
neck of the center rear view mirror, the user can position an
extendable vertical bar attached to the clamp to a desired length
and/or a desired orientation, as shown in STEP 604. Then, the user
can position and/or attach a device latch on the portable
electronic device holder, as shown in STEP 605. In one embodiment
of the invention, the attachment of the device latch to a main body
of the portable electronic device holder involves a snap-in
movement of a ball slot of the device latch to a ball pivot on the
main body of the portable electronic device. Lastly, in STEP 606,
the user can attach and/or place a portable electronic device to
the device latch. In one embodiment of the invention, the
attachment of the portable electronic device requires a slide-in
motion of the portable electronic device to the device latch.
[0048] One or more apparatuses and methods for holding a portable
electronic device have been disclosed. The present invention
exhibits several advantages over conventional portable electronic
device holders. By using a novel clamp which can be easily attached
and detached to a neck of a center rear view mirror in a vehicle, a
user does not have to attach a portable electronic device holder to
a windshield using an air suction cup. By avoiding the usage of an
air suction cup, the novel portable electronic device holder in
accordance with the present invention is more reliably attached to
a vehicle's interior because air suction cup mechanisms tend to
suffer adhesion failures over ambient temperature variations and
extended usage of the portable electronic device holder. In
addition, the user is able to keep a portable electronic device
close to the center of a vehicle's interior, typically within the
user's line of sight, without blocking an exterior view through the
windshield. The proximity of a portable device docked to the novel
portable electronic device holder close to the center of the
vehicle's interior also makes user operation of the portable device
more reachable and convenient. Therefore, the novel portable
electronic device holder in accordance with the present invention
can accommodate safer driving while overcoming
increasingly-stringent regulations against center front windshield
attachments of an air suction cup-based portable electronics holder
in many local, state, and/or national governments.
[0049] Furthermore, the present invention also exhibits advantages
over another type of conventional portable electronic device holder
which uses glue-like adhesive materials to fix a base piece of a
portable electronic device holder on a dashboard. By avoiding the
use of glue-like adhesive materials on the dashboard for the base
piece attachment, the novel portable electronic device holder
embodied by the present invention does not create unsightly marks
to a vehicle's dashboard and accommodates easy re-positioning and
re-orientation of the novel portable electronic device holder and
any portable electronic device docked to the novel portable
electronic device holder.
[0050] While the invention has been described with respect to a
limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having
benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments
can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention
as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should
be limited only by the attached claims.
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