Conjoining functional components of a mobile device

• US 10,244,090 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2016
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Essential Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Essential Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Evans, V, David John, Jiang, Xinrui, Rubin, Andrew E., Hershenson, Matthew, Miao, Xiaoyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T
• Application Number:
  US15/206,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20170126858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0249 Details of the mechanical connection between the housing parts or relating to the method of assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0274 for an electrical connector module
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device

Abstract

A mobile device can include electronic circuitry and a chassis shell adapted to protect the electronic circuitry. The chassis shell includes an opening exposing a tray inside the mobile device. The tray can include an external card slot and a patterned wall. The tray can be disposed within a cavity of a support structure of the mobile device. An input/output (I/O) component, such as a speaker, and a card reader can also be disposed within the cavity. The I/O component can communicate via at least a hole in the patterned wall (e.g., a speaker grill).

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

one or more electronic components including a card reader;

a support frame adapted to support and facilitate electrical interconnection for the electronic components within the mobile device, wherein the support frame forms a cavity;

a chassis shell adapted to form at least a part of an exterior of the mobile device and to enclose the support frame, wherein the chassis shell forms at least an opening; and

a tray, fitted at least partially inside the opening of the chassis shell and the cavity of the support frame, formed by a plurality of card slots, all of the plurality of card slots associated with the tray are linearly arranged to reduce the opening associated with the chassis shell accommodating the tray, wherein the plurality of card slots linearly arranged are electrically connected to the card reader using a flexible cable continually connecting the plurality of card slots and the card reader when the tray is retracted and when the tray is shifted outward beyond the exterior formed by the chassis shell, wherein the tray is adapted to shift outward beyond the exterior formed by the chassis shell or to retract inward within the exterior, and wherein the plurality of card slots is a structure adapted to receive a plurality of digital cards when the tray is shifted outward and to hold each card in the plurality of digital cards to make electrical contact with the card reader when the tray is retracted inward, wherein the tray includes a wall portion that includes an electronic component comprising a speaker to produce an audio output associated with the mobile device.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, the plurality of card slots attached to an acoustic opening, wherein the acoustic opening fills the opening of the chassis shell and forms a second part of the exterior of the mobile device, wherein the acoustic opening is a speaker grill or a microphone opening.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the support frame further includes a circuit board.

4. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein the card reader is fixated and electrically connected to the circuit board.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising the speaker attached to the support frame and exposed within the cavity.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the tray comprises a locking mechanism adapted to latch the tray onto the support frame or the chassis shell.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the locking mechanism is a spring-loaded cam structure.

8. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the chassis shell includes a hole to expose the locking mechanism such that an external object is able to mechanically move the locking mechanism to release the tray.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, further comprising a microphone sensor with at least a voice sensing surface exposed within the hole.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the card reader is disposed at a fixed position on the support frame to make contact with a digital card placed in a card slot in the plurality of card slots when the tray is fully retracted into the mobile device.

11. A mobile device comprising:

a support structure attached to a circuit board, wherein the support structure forms a cavity;

a chassis shell adapted to form an exterior of the mobile device surrounding the support structure and the circuit board; and

a tray adapted to fit inside the cavity, wherein the tray has a plurality of card slots to receive a plurality of integrated circuit (IC) cards and a patterned wall portion to cover an opening of the cavity facing outward, all of the plurality of card slots associated with the tray are linearly arranged to reduce the opening associated with the chassis shell accommodating the tray, wherein the plurality of card slots linearly arranged are electrically connected to a card reader using a flexible cable continually connecting the plurality of card slots and the card reader when the tray is retracted and when the tray is shifted outward beyond the exterior formed by the chassis shell, wherein the tray is adapted to shift outward beyond the exterior or to retract inward within the exterior, wherein the tray includes a wall portion that includes an electronic component comprising a speaker to produce an audio output associated with the mobile device;

the circuit board adapted to establish contact with each IC card in the plurality of IC cards;

an acoustic component exposed within the cavity, wherein the patterned wall portion includes at least a hole that enables sound to travel from the acoustic component through the cavity and outside of the mobile device; and

wherein the chassis shell and the patterned wall portion are adapted to form a substantially continuous surface of the exterior.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, further comprising an anchor adapted to prevent the tray from detaching from the mobile device after sliding substantially beyond the exterior formed by the chassis shell.

13. The mobile device of claim 11, further comprising an IC card reader;

and wherein the IC card reader is fixed to the circuit board at a position directly adjacent to the plurality of card slots of the tray when the tray is fully retracted inward such that a connection can be established between an external card in the plurality of card slots and the IC card reader.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of card slots is adapted to carry an IC card in the plurality of IC cards back to engage with the IC card reader when the tray is retracted inward.

15. The mobile device of claim 11, further comprising a locking mechanism capable of preventing movement of the tray in a first state and enabling movement of the tray in a second state.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the chassis shell includes a microphone hole, wherein the microphone hole exposes at least a trigger portion of the locking mechanism, and wherein a mechanical force against the trigger portion transitions the locking mechanism from the first state to the second state.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, further comprising a microphone exposed within a space containing the trigger portion of the locking mechanism.

18. A mobile device comprising:

a support frame;

a tray adapted to fit within a cavity, wherein the tray includes a wall portion and a plurality of card slots adapted to hold a plurality of conjoined digital cards, all of the plurality of card slots associated with the tray are linearly arranged to reduce an opening associated with the tray, wherein the plurality of card slots linearly arranged are electrically connected to a card reader using a flexible cable continually connecting the plurality of card slots and the card reader when the tray is retracted and when the tray is shifted outward beyond the exterior formed by a chassis shell, wherein the wall portion includes an electronic component comprising a speaker to produce an audio output associated with the mobile device;

an input/output (I/O) component adapted within the cavity of the support frame to establish contact with each digital card in the plurality of conjoined digital cards; and

the chassis shell adapted to protect and surround the support frame and exposing the cavity of the support frame, wherein the wall portion of the tray covers the cavity when retracted and exposes the cavity when shifted outward.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the plurality of card slots is configured to receive a subscriber identification module (SIM) card or a digital memory card.

20. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the card reader is configured to electronically read the digital card when the tray is retracted to be entirely within the cavity.

21. The mobile device of claim 18, comprising the speaker, a sensor, a microphone, a light source, a button, a switch, or any combination thereof disposed within the cavity.