Communication between devices and device accessories

• US 10,271,189 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Essential Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Essential Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Evans, V, David John, Tate, Joseph Anthony, Gagne-Keats, Jason Sean, Leggett, William Francis, Kim, James Jong-sik, Zavin, Rebecca Schultz, Rubin, Andrew E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Zhitong
• Application Number:
  US15/442,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20170353821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/00 Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Various embodiments include a device that implements a high bandwidth wireless data interface for communication between the device and a device accessory. The device can include an external shell and a display (e.g., a touchscreen). In some embodiments, the external shell and the display together hermetically seal various other components of the device. In various embodiments, the device includes an attachment mechanism, an alignment mechanism (e.g., for magnetic alignment between a device and a device accessory), a wireless data transceiver, and a wired or wireless energy source (e.g., for sharing power between the device and the device accessory). The wireless data transceiver can transmit data at extremely high electromagnetic frequencies between the device in the device accessory.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an external shell defining an outer surface of the device, the external shell comprising a non-metallic region;

a wireless data transceiver enclosed by the external shell and disposed proximate to the non-metallic region of the external shell, the wireless data transceiver transmitting data through the non-metallic region of the external shell at extremely high electromagnetic frequencies between the device and a device accessory;

a sensing switch, enclosed by the external shell, detecting when the device accessory is proximate to the device and, responsive thereto, activating an energy source; and

an attachment mechanism, enclosed by the external shell, securing the device accessory proximate to the device, the attachment mechanism including the energy source enclosed by the external shell, the energy source transferring energy between the device accessory and the device, the energy source surrounding the wireless data transceiver, when the energy source engages with an energy source of the device accessory the attachment mechanism aligning the wireless data transceiver of the device and a wireless data transceiver of the device accessory to communicate substantially perpendicularly through the external shell and enabling communication at the extremely high electromagnetic frequencies comprising 30 GHz to 300 GHz, by minimizing scattering of the extremely high electromagnetic frequencies traveling through the non-metallic region of the external shell, the attachment mechanism activating the sensing switch when the device accessory is secured to the device.

2. The device of claim 1, the attachment mechanism comprising a ferromagnetic material enclosed within the external shell, the ferromagnetic material proximate to a non-ferromagnetic and non-magnetizable region of the external shell, the ferromagnetic material attaching to a magnet placed proximate to the ferromagnetic material.

3. The device of claim 2, the sensing switch detecting a magnetic field of the device accessory and, responsive thereto, activating the energy source.

4. A device comprising:

an external shell defining an outer surface of the device, the external shell comprising a non-metallic region;

a wireless data transceiver enclosed by the external shell and disposed proximate to the non-metallic region of the external shell, the wireless data transceiver transmitting data through the non-metallic region of the external shell at electromagnetic frequencies between the device and a device accessory; and

an attachment mechanism holding the device accessory proximate to the device, the attachment mechanism including an energy source surrounding the wireless data transceiver, when the energy source engages with an energy source of the device accessory the attachment mechanism aligning the wireless data transceiver of the device and a wireless data transceiver of the device accessory to communicate substantially perpendicularly through the external shell and enabling communication at extremely high electromagnetic frequencies comprising 30 GHz to 300 GHz, by minimizing scattering of the extremely high electromagnetic frequencies traveling through the non-metallic region of the external shell.

5. The device of claim 4, the attachment mechanism comprising:

a ferromagnetic material, enclosed within the external shell, proximate to a non-ferromagnetic and non-magnetizable region of the external shell, the ferromagnetic material attaching to a magnet placed proximate to the ferromagnetic material.

6. The device of claim 4, the attachment mechanism comprising:

a magnet, enclosed within the external shell, proximate to a non-ferromagnetic and non-magnetizable region of the external shell, the magnet attaching to a ferromagnetic material placed proximate to the magnet.

7. The device of claim 4, comprising:

the energy source enclosed by the external shell and disposed proximate to a second non-metallic region of the external shell, the energy source transferring energy between the device accessory and the device through the second non-metallic region.

8. The device of claim 7, the energy source comprising:

an energy storage; and

a plurality of connectors connected to the energy storage, the plurality of connectors transferring energy when in contact with a plurality of connectors of the device accessory.

9. The device of claim 7, the energy source comprising:

an energy storage producing varying electrical current; and

a wireless power transfer mechanism connected to the energy storage and wirelessly transferring energy to the device accessory by inducing electrical current flow in a wireless power transfer mechanism of the device accessory.

10. The device of claim 7, comprising a sensing switch detecting when the device accessory is proximate to the device and responsive thereto activating the energy source.

11. The device of claim 10, the sensing switch comprising at least one of a Hall effect sensor, a proximity sensor, or a touch sensor.

12. The device of claim 10, the energy source comprising:

an energy storage releasing energy when the sensing switch activates the energy source; and

a plurality of connectors connected to the energy storage, the plurality of connectors transferring energy when in contact with a plurality of connectors of the device accessory.

13. The device of claim 10, the energy source comprising:

an energy storage producing varying electrical current, and releasing energy when the sensing switch activates the energy source; and

a solenoid, connected to the energy storage, wirelessly transferring energy to the device accessory by inducing electrical current flow in a solenoid of the device accessory.

14. The device of claim 10, the energy source comprising:

a circuit switch coupled to the sensing switch, the circuit switch enabling energy transfer when the sensing switch detects the device accessory is proximate to the device.

15. A device accessory comprising:

an external shell defining an outer surface of the device accessory, the external shell comprising a non-metallic region, and a non-ferromagnetic and non-magnetizable region;

a wireless data transceiver enclosed by the external shell and disposed proximate to the non-metallic region of the external shell, the wireless data transceiver transmitting data through the non-metallic region of the external shell at electromagnetic frequencies between the device accessory and a device;

an energy source enclosed by the external shell and disposed proximate to the non-ferromagnetic and non-magnetizable region of the external shell, the energy source transferring energy through the non-ferromagnetic and non-magnetizable region of the external shell between the device accessory and the device; and

an attachment mechanism enclosed by the external shell, securing the device accessory proximate to the device, the attachment mechanism including the energy source surrounding the wireless data transceiver, when the energy source engages with an energy source of the device the attachment mechanism aligning the wireless data transceiver of the device accessory and a wireless data transceiver of the device to communicate substantially perpendicularly through the external shell and enabling communication at extremely high electromagnetic frequencies comprising 30 GHz to 300 GHz, by minimizing scattering of the extremely high electromagnetic frequencies traveling through the non-metallic region of the external shell.

16. The device accessory of claim 15, the attachment mechanism comprising a magnet enclosed within the external shell, the magnet proximate to the non-ferromagnetic and non-magnetizable region of the external shell, the magnet attaching to a ferromagnetic material proximate to the magnet.

17. The device accessory of claim 15, the energy source comprising:

a wireless power transfer mechanism wirelessly receiving energy from the device, the wireless power transfer mechanism providing power to the wireless data transceiver.

18. A method to manufacture a device comprising:

providing an external shell defining an outer surface of the device, said providing the external shell comprising providing a non-metallic region within the external shell;

disposing a wireless data transceiver proximate to the non-metallic region of the external shell, the wireless data transceiver to transmit data through the non-metallic region of the external shell at extremely high electromagnetic frequencies between the device and a device accessory; and

providing an attachment mechanism within the external shell, the attachment mechanism to hold the device accessory proximate to the device, the attachment mechanism including an energy source enclosed by the external shell, the energy source to transfer energy between the device accessory and the device, the energy source surrounding the wireless data transceiver, when the energy source engages with an energy source of the device accessory the attachment mechanism to align the wireless data transceiver of the device and a wireless data transceiver of the device accessory enabling substantially perpendicular communication through the external shell and to enable communication at the extremely high electromagnetic frequencies comprising 30 GHz to 300 GHz, by minimizing scattering of the extremely high electromagnetic frequencies traveling through the non-metallic region of the external shell.

19. The method of claim 18, said providing the attachment mechanism comprising:

enclosing a ferromagnetic material to attach to a magnet proximate to the ferromagnetic material; and

defining a non-ferromagnetic and non-magnetizable region of the external shell proximate to the ferromagnetic material, such that the ferromagnetic material can attach to the magnet through the non-ferromagnetic and non-magnetizable region.

20. The method of claim 18, said providing the attachment mechanism comprising:

enclosing a magnet to attach to a ferromagnetic material proximate to the magnet;

defining a non-ferromagnetic and non-magnetizable region of the external shell proximate to the magnet, such that the magnet can attach to the ferromagnetic material through the non-ferromagnetic and non-magnetizable region.

21. The method of claim 18, comprising:

providing the external shell defining the outer surface of the device, said providing the external shell comprising providing a non-ferromagnetic and non-magnetizable region within the external shell; and

disposing the energy source proximate to the non-ferromagnetic and non-magnetizable region, the energy source to transfer energy through the non-ferromagnetic and non-magnetizable region between the device accessory and the device.

22. The method of claim 21, said disposing the energy source comprising:

disposing an energy storage within the external shell; and

disposing a plurality of connectors connected to the energy storage proximate to the non-metallic region, the plurality of connectors to transfer energy when in contact with a plurality of connectors of the device accessory.

23. The method of claim 21, said disposing the energy source comprising:

disposing an energy storage within the external shell;

configuring the energy storage to produce varying electrical current; and

disposing a wireless power transfer mechanism coupled to the energy storage proximate the non-ferromagnetic and non-magnetizable region, the wireless power transfer mechanism to wirelessly transfer energy to the device accessory by inducing electrical current flow in a wireless power transfer mechanism of the device accessory.

24. The method of claim 21, comprising coupling a sensing switch to the energy source, the sensing switch to detect when the device accessory is proximate to the device and to activate the energy source.

25. The device of claim 24, said disposing the energy source comprising:

configuring an energy storage to release energy when the sensing switch activates the energy source; and

configuring a plurality of connectors connected to the energy storage to transfer energy when in contact with a plurality of connectors of the device accessory.

26. The method of claim 24, said disposing the energy source comprising:

configuring an energy storage to produce varying electrical current, and to release energy when the sensing switch activates the energy source; and

configuring a solenoid connected to the energy storage, the solenoid to wirelessly transfer energy to the device accessory by inducing electrical current flow in a solenoid of the device accessory.

27. A device comprising:

an external shell defining an outer surface of the device, the external shell comprising a non-metallic region;

a wireless data transceiver enclosed by the external shell and disposed proximate to the non-metallic region of the external shell, the wireless data transceiver transmitting data through the non-metallic region of the external shell at extremely high electromagnetic frequencies between the device and a device accessory; and

an attachment mechanism holding the device accessory proximate to the device, the attachment mechanism including an energy source surrounding the wireless data transceiver, when the energy source engages with an energy source of the device accessory the attachment mechanism aligning the wireless data transceiver of the device and a wireless data transceiver of the device accessory to communicate substantially perpendicularly through the external shell and enabling communication at the extremely high electromagnetic frequencies comprising 30 GHz to 300 GHz.