Vehicle entertainment tablet unit and cradle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9723247-B2
Application number	US-201615095875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2016
Priority date	Jan 4, 2006
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle entertainment system includes a tablet unit and a cradle. The tablet unit includes a display and a touch screen input device disposed on a front surface, a first electrical connection, a first mounting mechanism, and a wireless receiver. The wireless receiver is configured to receive media data from a wireless network and the touch screen input device is configured to receive input from a user. The cradle is disposed in a headrest in a vehicle and includes a second electrical connection and a second mounting mechanism. The tablet unit is electrically connected to the cradle via the first and second electrical connections, and is physically coupled to the cradle via the first and second mounting mechanisms upon mounting the tablet unit to the cradle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle entertainment system, comprising:
a tablet unit comprising a display and a touch screen input device disposed on a front surface, a first electrical connection, a first mounting mechanism, and a wireless receiver, wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive media data from a wireless network and the touch screen input device is configured to receive input from a user; and
a cradle configured to be connected to a headrest of a vehicle and comprising a second electrical connection and a second mounting mechanism, wherein the tablet unit is electrically connected to the cradle via the first and second electrical connections, and is physically coupled to the cradle via the first and second mounting mechanisms upon mounting the tablet unit to the cradle,
wherein the second mounting mechanism comprises a latch member and a release button,
wherein the latch member is coupled to the first mounting mechanism and the first electrical connection is electrically coupled to the second electrical connection upon mounting the tablet unit to the cradle,
wherein the front surface of the tablet unit is substantially flush with the outer surface of the headrest upon mounting the tablet unit to the cradle,
wherein the first electrical connection and the first mounting mechanism are disposed on a rear surface of the tablet unit, and the second electrical connection is disposed on the rear surface of the cradle.

2. The vehicle entertainment system of claim 1 , wherein the tablet unit is a first tablet unit and the cradle is a first cradle, and the first tablet unit is configured to share data with a second tablet unit mounted in and electrically connected to a second cradle via an electrical connection made between the first and second cradles,
wherein the first and second cradles are located separate from each other in the vehicle.

3. The vehicle entertainment system of claim 1 , wherein the cradle comprises a rear surface and a lip extending outward from the rear surface, a depth of the cradle is defined by a distance between the rear surface and a portion of the lip furthest from the rear surface, and the depth is between about 0.25 inches and about 0.6 inches.

4. The vehicle entertainment system of claim 1 , wherein the cradle is connected to a power source in the vehicle and the tablet unit receives power from the cradle via the first and second electrical connections.

5. The vehicle entertainment system of claim 1 , wherein the tablet unit further comprises a wireless transmitter configured to create a hotspot by assigning an Internet Protocol (IP) address to at least one wireless enabled device via an 802.11 transmission standard.

6. The vehicle entertainment system of claim 1 , wherein the tablet unit further comprises:
a storage device configured to store media data; and
a wireless transmitter configured to transmit the media data to at least one wireless enabled device.

7. The vehicle entertainment system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first cover configured to cover the first mounting mechanism; and
a second cover configured to cover the first electrical connection.

8. The vehicle entertainment system of claim 1 , wherein the tablet unit is configured to control a vehicle head unit in the vehicle using software installed on the tablet unit.

9. A vehicle entertainment system, comprising:
a tablet unit comprising a display and a touch screen input device disposed on a front surface, a first electrical connection, a first mounting mechanism, and a wireless receiver, wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive media data from a wireless network and the touch screen input device is configured to receive input from a user; and
a cradle configured to be secured to a seat in of a vehicle and comprising a second electrical connection, a second mounting mechanism, and a latch member, wherein the tablet unit is electrically connected to the cradle via the first and second electrical connections, and is physically coupled to the cradle via the first and second mounting mechanisms upon mounting the tablet unit to the cradle,
wherein the first mounting mechanism and the first electrical connection are disposed near a same edge of the tablet unit, the second mounting mechanism and the second electrical connection are disposed near a same lip of the cradle, and the latch member is disposed at a top portion of the cradle that is opposite to the lip,
wherein, upon mounting the tablet unit to the cradle, the first and second mounting mechanisms are physically coupled to each other, the first and second electrical connections are electrically coupled to each other, and the latch member engages the tablet unit at the top portion of the cradle that is opposite to the lip.

10. The vehicle entertainment system of claim 9 , wherein the cradle is secured to a headrest of the seat.

11. The vehicle entertainment system of claim 9 , wherein the front surface of the tablet unit is substantially flush with an outer surface of the headrest upon mounting the tablet unit to the cradle.

12. The vehicle entertainment system of claim 9 , wherein the tablet unit is a first tablet unit and the cradle is a first cradle, and the first tablet unit is configured to share data with a second tablet unit mounted in and electrically connected to a second cradle via an electrical connection made between the first and second cradles,
wherein the first and second cradles are located separate from each other in the vehicle.

13. The vehicle entertainment system of claim 9 , wherein the cradle comprises a rear surface and the lip extending outward from the rear surface, a depth of the cradle is defined by a distance between the rear surface and a portion of the lip furthest from the rear surface, and the depth is between about 0.25 inches and about 0.6 inches.

14. The vehicle entertainment system of claim 9 , wherein the cradle is connected to a power source in the vehicle and the tablet unit receives power from the cradle via the first and second electrical connections.

15. The vehicle entertainment system of claim 9 , wherein the tablet unit is configured to control a vehicle head unit in the vehicle using software installed on the tablet unit.

16. A vehicle entertainment system, comprising:
a tablet unit comprising a display and a touch screen input device disposed on a front surface, a first electrical connection, a first mounting mechanism, and a wireless receiver, wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive media data from a wireless network and the touch screen input device is configured to receive input from a user; and
a cradle configured to be secured to a seat in of a vehicle and comprising a second electrical connection and a second mounting mechanism, wherein the tablet unit is electrically connected to the cradle via the first and second electrical connections, and is physically coupled to the cradle via the first and second mounting mechanisms upon mounting the tablet unit to the cradle,
wherein, upon mounting the tablet unit to the cradle, the first and second mounting mechanisms are physically coupled to each other, the first and second electrical connections are electrically coupled to each other, a rear surface of the tablet unit contacts a rear surface of the cradle, and the display is not covered by the cradle.

17. The vehicle entertainment system of claim 16 , wherein, upon mounting the tablet unit to the cradle, an entirety of the rear surface of the tablet unit contacts the rear surface of the cradle, and an entirety of the display i

Assignees

• Voxx Int Corp

Inventors

• Tranchina James R
• Lavelle Patrick M
• Ford Raymond

Classifications

• H04N21/4382

  Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation (analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002) · CPC title

• G06F1/1654

  the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use · CPC title

• G06F3/1423

  controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display · CPC title

• B60R2011/0017

  Head-rests · CPC title

• H04N1/00347

  with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus (circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32) · CPC title