Telephone holder for a vehicle

Abstract

A telephone holder for a vehicle, comprising: - a base plate (2), - an antenna structure (3) formed in the base plate (2), - a holding structure comprising a plate-shaped section (4) which is arranged at a distance from the base plate (2), and connecting sections (5) which connect the plate-shaped section (4) to the base plate (2) at least along three edges of the plate-shaped section (4), characterized in that a further antenna structure (6) is formed in the plate-shaped section (4) of the holding structure.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a telephone holder for a vehicle, in particular a pocket-shaped telephone holder with a coupling antenna structure.

[0002] Many vehicle users, such as passenger cars or trucks, use mobile radio devices in their vehicles. A variety of different telephone types are used in different vehicles. For safe operation of a mobile radio device in the vehicle, the mobile radio device must be arranged in a suitable holder. In addition, it is desirable to be able to operate the mobile radio device with a vehicle antenna in order to achieve better reception for the mobile radio device. For this purpose, for example, permanently installed holders in the vehicle with a connection plug for coupling the mobile radio device to a vehicle antenna can be used. For mobile radio devices without an antenna connection socket, so-called antenna couplers can be used which enable capacitive and / or inductive coupling of high-frequency signals between the antenna coupler and an antenna of the mobile radio device.The antenna coupler, in turn, is connected to the vehicle's external antenna. Phone-specific adapter cradles, for example, can be used to hold the mobile device. These adapter cradles must be replaced each time the vehicle is to be used by a different user with a different phone, or if the vehicle user uses a different phone.

[0003] In this context, DE 103 18 296 B3 describes a vehicle mobile radio mount for securing a mobile radio terminal in a vehicle. The mount comprises a housing with a first housing part shaped to accommodate a mobile radio terminal, an electrical interface for connecting an external antenna to the vehicle mobile radio mount, a coupling antenna electrically connected to the interface for contactless electromagnetic coupling of high-frequency signals between the coupling antenna and the antenna of a mobile radio terminal inserted into the vehicle mobile radio mount, and one or more elements for reflecting electromagnetic radiation emitted by the antenna of the mobile radio terminal inserted into the vehicle mobile radio mount and not coupled into the coupling antenna onto the coupling antenna and / or one or more elements for absorbing this electromagnetic radiation.

[0004] DE 10 2006 034 128 A1 relates to an arrangement for accommodating a mobile phone within a motor vehicle. An electromagnetically shielding housing, which is, for example, permanently installed in the interior of the motor vehicle, is intended to accommodate mobile phones with different external dimensions. An opening in the housing for inserting and removing the mobile phone is at least partially closed by an elastically deformable element. The elastically deformable element is designed, on the one hand, as a fixing element that mechanically fixes the mobile phone in a momentary position when the opening is closed. On the other hand, the fixing element is designed to be electromagnetically absorbent.

[0005] DE 10 2007 044 294 B4 relates to a holder for a mobile phone with an antenna array. The holder comprises a base plate in which at least three antennas are arranged in two different planes. Using an electrical unit, each of the at least three antennas in each plane can be connected and controlled, and the characteristics of each of the at least three antennas in each plane can be influenced. The electrical unit stores the degree of coupling between each of the individual antennas and the antenna of the mobile phone and connects the at least three antennas with the best coupling degrees to the antenna of the mobile phone to form an antenna array that exhibits the best coupling degree with the antenna of the mobile phone.

[0006] DE 698 34 914 T2 relates to a system which provides mobile telephony and remote control of a plurality of remotely controllable peripheral devices.

[0007] DE 10 2007 028 763 A1 relates to a device arrangement for connecting a mobile terminal in a vehicle. The device arrangement comprises a base module, which is permanently installed in the vehicle, and a replaceable adapter module for temporarily accommodating a mobile terminal. A vehicle control unit, the base module, the adapter module, or the mobile terminal exchange signals via at least one interface.

[0008] DE 102 49 221 A1 relates to a radio communication device and an associated coupling structure comprising at least one circuit board and at least one flat antenna coupled thereto. The flat antenna is coupled to the circuit board, forming a coupling structure for transmitting and / or receiving electromagnetic radio radiation fields.

[0009] DE 103 13 498 A1 relates to an antenna coupler and a holder for mobile radio terminals. The holder is provided with an interface for connecting an external antenna and with a coupling structure for electromagnetically coupling high-frequency signals between the holder and the antenna of a mobile radio terminal located in the holder. The coupling structure is arranged in the holder such that, when the mobile radio terminal is inserted, the coupling structure is positioned near the mobile radio terminal. The coupling structure is formed as a two- or multi-layer coupling structure with two or more sub-coupling structures arranged one above the other.

[0010] US 2005 / 0057405 A1 shows a portable device with a retro-radiating antenna system that can receive and re-broadcast radio waves from a portable device.

[0011] Especially in today's vehicles with many additional instruments and airbags, there are hardly any positions available to attach a holder for a mobile phone in a visually appealing or practically accessible way.

[0012] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a universally attachable holder for mobile radio devices with a coupling to an external antenna.

[0013] This object is achieved according to the present invention by a telephone holder device for a vehicle according to claim 1 and a vehicle according to claim 9.

[0014] According to the invention, a telephone holding device for a vehicle is provided, which comprises a base plate and an antenna structure formed in or on the base plate. The telephone holding device further comprises a holding structure comprising a plate-shaped portion and connecting portions. The plate-shaped portion is arranged at a distance from the base plate. The connecting portions connect the plate-shaped portion to the base plate at least along three edges of the plate-shaped portion. The holding structure, in conjunction with the base plate, can thus form a pocket-shaped arrangement with three at least partially closed sides. This receiving pocket can be designed such that mobile phones and smartphones of different manufacturers and types can be accommodated therein. Thus, a compact and universally applicable holding device for a mobile phone can be provided.The antenna structure in the base plate allows for easy coupling with a vehicle antenna, thus improving the transmission and reception quality of the mobile phone in the phone holder.

[0015] A further antenna structure is formed in the plate-shaped section of the holding structure. This allows for a further improvement in the transmission and reception quality of a mobile phone inserted into the telephone holder.

[0016] The antenna structure in the base plate, like the additional antenna structure in the support structure, can provide a contactless electromagnetic coupling of high-frequency signals between the antenna structure and an antenna of the mobile phone arranged in the support structure. The antenna structure can provide broadband electromagnetic coupling, so that high-frequency signals can be transmitted in a wide frequency range between the antenna structure and an antenna of the mobile phone arranged in the support structure. Such an antenna structure is also referred to as a coupling antenna structure.

[0017] The antenna structure may further comprise an interface for coupling the antenna structure and, if applicable, the further antenna structure to an antenna, in particular an external antenna, of the vehicle. The interface may, for example, comprise an antenna connection cable or a connector for an antenna connection cable.

[0018] The connecting sections between the base plate and the plate-shaped section can be made of a stretchable material. This allows mobile phones of varying thicknesses to be reliably held between the base plate and the plate-shaped section when inserted into the support structure.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the base plate and / or the plate-shaped portion are flexible. The flexible base plate can be easily adapted to the vehicle structures to which the telephone holder is attached via the base plate. The flexible plate-shaped portion can adapt to the shapes and structures of a mobile phone inserted into the telephone holder.

[0020] According to a further embodiment, mounting openings for attaching the base plate to the vehicle are formed in the base plate. The mounting openings can, for example, comprise holes at all four corners of the base plate so that the base plate can be screwed to a structure in the interior of the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the base plate can have a self-adhesive coating on the side with which it is to be attached to a structure of the vehicle. In other words, the base plate has a first side, which lies opposite the plate-shaped section of the holding structure, and a second side, which lies opposite this vehicle structure when the base plate is attached to this vehicle structure. The self-adhesive coating is provided on the second side of the base plate. This allows the telephone holding device to be quickly and easily attached to any structure of the vehicle via the base plate.

[0021] According to the present invention, a vehicle is further provided with a telephone holder as described above. The telephone holder is arranged, for example, on a dashboard, a door panel, a center console, or a seat of the vehicle. Since the telephone holder can be easily and subsequently attached by a user to many different positions in the vehicle interior, a mobile phone can be mounted in a visually appealing and conveniently accessible location according to the individual preferences of the vehicle user.

[0022] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a schematic front view of a telephone holding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. Figure 2 shows a schematic side view of the telephone holder of the Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a vehicle with a telephone holder device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the principle of a telephone holding device 1. The telephone holding device 1 comprises a base plate 2 in which an antenna structure 3 is formed. The antenna structure 3 can, for example, be formed on a circuit board that is applied to the base plate 2. Alternatively, the antenna structure 3 can be integrated into the base plate 2, for example as a conductor track structure inside the base plate 2. A plate-shaped section 4 is arranged at a distance from the base plate 2 and is coupled to the base plate 2 via connecting sections 5. The connecting sections 5 can, for example, be made of an elastic and stretchable material. The connecting sections 5 are arranged along three edges of the plate-shaped section 4 and connect the three edges to corresponding areas of the base plate 2, so that a pocket-shaped structure with three closed sides is formed..

[0024] Fig. Figure 2 shows this pocket-shaped structure in a side view. Due to the flexible and stretchable material of the connecting sections 5, the distance between the plate-shaped section 4 and the base plate 2 can be variably adjusted. This allows a mobile phone 7, which is inserted into the pocket-shaped arrangement, to be reliably held within the phone holder 1.

[0025] The plate-shaped section 4 can have a further antenna structure 6. The antenna structure 3 and the antenna structure 6 form a broadband antenna coupler structure, which provides a contact-free electromagnetic coupling of high-frequency signals between the antenna structure 3, 6 and an antenna of the mobile telephone 7 arranged in the support structure. The antenna structures 3 and 6 are connected via an interface 10, for example an antenna connection cable with an antenna plug, in order to couple the antenna structures 3 and 6 to an external antenna 31 of a vehicle 30, as shown in Fig. 3 is shown.

[0026] Fig. 3 shows a corresponding arrangement and coupling of a telephone holder 1 in the vehicle 30 via the antenna cable 10 with the external antenna 31.

[0027] In order to fasten the base plate 2 to a structure in the interior of the vehicle 30, for example to a dashboard, a door panel, a center console or a seat of the vehicle 30, a plurality of openings 8 are formed in the base plate 2. The base plate 2 can be attached to the corresponding structure of the interior of the vehicle 30 using screws passed through the openings 8. Additionally or alternatively, the base plate 2 has a self-adhesive coating 9 on its rear side, i.e. on the side facing away from the mobile telephone 7, with which the base plate 2 can be attached to a vehicle structure in the interior of the vehicle. The base plate 2 can be flexible in order to be adaptable, for example, to curved surfaces in the interior of the vehicle.

[0028] Thanks to the flexible receiving pocket of the telephone holder 1, mobile telephones and smartphones from different manufacturers and types can be accommodated and reliably held in the telephone holder 1. To prevent the mobile telephone 7 from slipping in the telephone holder, the surface of the base plate 2 opposite the mobile telephone 7 can additionally be rubberized. The broadband antenna coupling structure 3, 6, which is coupled to the external antenna 31 via the antenna connection cable 10, can improve the transmission and reception quality of the mobile telephone 7 in the interior of the vehicle. Due to the small dimensions of the telephone holder, which are only slightly larger than the dimensions of the mobile telephone to be accommodated therein, the telephone holder can be screwed or glued to any available location in the vehicle.This makes it easy to retrofit a telephone holder in the vehicle 30.

Claims

[1] A telephone holder for a vehicle, comprising: - a base plate (2), - an antenna structure (3) formed in the base plate (2), - a holding structure comprising a plate-shaped section (4) which is arranged at a distance from the base plate (2), and connecting sections (5) which connect the plate-shaped section (4) to the base plate (2) at least along three edges of the plate-shaped section (4), characterized by that a further antenna structure (6) is formed in the plate-shaped section (4) of the holding structure. [2] Telephone holding device according to claim 1, wherein the holding structure in conjunction with the base plate (2) forms a pocket-shaped arrangement with three at least partially closed sides (5). [3] Telephone holding device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the antenna structure (3) and / or the further antenna structure (6) provides a contact-free electromagnetic coupling of high-frequency signals between the antenna structure (3, 6) and an antenna of a mobile radio telephone (7) arranged in the holding structure. [4] A telephone holder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connecting portions (5) are made of a stretchable material. [5] Telephone holding device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the base plate (2) and / or the plate-shaped portion (4) are flexible. [6] Telephone holder device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein mounting openings (8) are formed in the base plate (2) for attaching the base plate (2) to the vehicle (30). [7] A telephone holder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a first side of the base plate (2) is opposite the plate-shaped portion (4) of the holding structure and a second side of the base plate (2) has a self-adhesive coating (9) for attaching the base plate (2) to the vehicle (30). [8] Telephone holding device according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising an interface (10) for coupling the antenna structure (3) and / or the further antenna structure (6) to an antenna (31) of the vehicle. [9] A vehicle having a telephone holder device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the telephone holder device (1) is arranged on a dashboard, a door panel, a center console or a seat of the vehicle (30).

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