Accessories for electronic user devices having wireless accessory buses

• US 10,333,576 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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): Aminzay, Shaima Q
• Application Number:
  US15/612,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20170272113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 4555561
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3818 Arrangements for facilitating insertion or removal of identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724092 Interfacing with an external cover providing additional functionalities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• 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 concern a wireless accessory bus for a user device that enables accessories to be easily and securely attached to the user device. More specifically, the wireless accessory bus enables data to be wirelessly transmitted between the accessory and the user device when the accessory and the user device are located within close proximity to one another (e.g., when the accessory is securely attached to the wireless accessory bus). Power could also be wirelessly transferred from the user device to the accessory (or vice versa). In some embodiments, the user device includes fastening component(s) (e.g., magnets) that allow the user device and the accessory to be magnetically secured to one another. The accessory typically enables the user device to readily utilize a new functionality or an improvement to an existing functionality.

Claims

1. A camera accessory for an electronic device, the camera accessory comprising:

a housing that includes an attachment mechanism configured to secure the camera accessory to a corresponding attachment mechanism of the electronic device;

an electrical contact configured to receive power from the electronic device upon maintaining a physical connection with a corresponding electrical contact of the electronic device;

multiple digital cameras that each have a field of view,

wherein the multiple digital cameras are arranged so that the multiple fields of view form a 360°

field of view of an ambient environment;

a memory configured to store image data generated by the multiple digital cameras; and

a processor that effects a bi-directional exchange of information with the electronic device when the attachment mechanism of the housing is secured to the corresponding attachment mechanism of the electronic device.

2. The camera accessory of claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism maintains the camera accessory in a predetermined orientation relative to the corresponding attachment mechanism of the electronic device.

3. The camera accessory of claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism causes the multiple digital cameras to be positioned outside a perimeter of the electronic device.

4. The camera accessory of claim 1, wherein the multiple digital cameras are controllable by a computer program executing in the electronic device.

5. The camera accessory of claim 1, further comprising:

an image processing module configured to process the image data generated by the multiple digital cameras.

6. The camera accessory of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the image data generated by the multiple digital cameras directly to the electronic device for processing.

7. The camera accessory of claim 1, wherein the electrical contact is one of multiple electrical contacts accessible through the housing.

8. A camera accessory for a mobile phone, the camera accessory comprising:

an attachment mechanism configured to secure the camera accessory to a corresponding attachment mechanism of the mobile phone in a predetermined orientation;

an electrical contact configured to receive power from the mobile phone upon maintaining a physical connection with a corresponding electrical contact of the mobile phone;

multiple digital cameras that each have a field of view,

wherein the multiple digital cameras are arranged so that the multiple fields of view form a 360°

field of view of an ambient environment; and

a processor that effects a bi-directional exchange of information with the mobile phone when the attachment mechanism is secured to the corresponding attachment mechanism of the mobile phone.

9. The camera accessory of claim 8, wherein the attachment mechanism causes the multiple digital cameras to be positioned outside a perimeter of the mobile phone.

10. The camera accessory of claim 9, wherein the multiple digital cameras include a first digital camera and a second digital camera, and wherein the attachment mechanism causes the first digital camera to be co-planar with a front of the mobile phone and the second digital camera to be co-planar with a rear of the mobile phone.

11. The camera accessory of claim 8, wherein the electrical contact is arranged along a surface of the attachment mechanism.

12. The camera accessory of claim 8, wherein the attachment mechanism is detachably connectable to the corresponding attachment mechanism of the mobile phone.

13. The camera accessory of claim 8, wherein the multiple digital cameras are controllable via a computer program executing in the mobile phone that is also responsible for controlling a front-facing camera, a rear-facing camera, or any combination thereof.