Systems and methods for controlling a mobile device cover

• US 10,334,098 B1
• Filed: 05/07/2018
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Star Company Scientific Technologies Advanced Research Company Direct Com LLC
• Original Assignee: Star Company Scientific Technologies Advanced Research Company LLC
• Inventors: Coverstone, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhattacharya, Sam
• Application Number:
  US15/973,113
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 4555561, 455566, 4555751, 4555758, 345173, 345204
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• 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: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations

Abstract

A mobile application running on a host mobile device is used to control the display of notifications, received by the host mobile device, on a mobile device cover. A single button on the mobile device cover is used to display, configure, and navigate through functionality menus of functions provided by the mobile device cover.

Claims

1. A mobile phone, comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

provide a graphical user interface configured to control a mobile phone cover for use with the mobile phone;

provide a graphical user interface configured to select a mobile application, a type of communication, or a contact;

provide a graphical user interface to select a light pattern and one or more light pattern parameters;

associate the light pattern with the mobile application, the type of communication, or the contact;

receive an incoming communication relating to the mobile application, the type of communication, or the contact; and

cause the mobile phone cover to display a notification relating to the received communication relating to the mobile application, the type of communication, or the contact, wherein the notification comprises the light pattern associated with the mobile application, the type of communication, or the contact, and wherein the light pattern is displayed according to the one or more light pattern parameters.

2. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the mobile phone and the mobile phone cover are physically separated.

3. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the one or more light pattern parameters comprise one or more of the following:

a display duration, a display speed, and an animation.

4. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the light pattern for the mobile application comprises a lightshow.

5. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the light pattern for the mobile application comprises an icon or an emoji, and the one or more light pattern parameters comprise animation.

6. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the selected light pattern comprises text, and the one or more light pattern parameters comprise scrolling.

7. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

provide a graphical user interface configured to select the contact and the type of communication;

provide a graphical user interface configured to select a second light pattern and one or more second light pattern parameters;

associate the contact and the type of communication with the second light pattern; and

cause the mobile phone cover to display the second light pattern according to the one or more second light pattern parameters when the mobile phone receives the type of communication from the contact.

8. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to send information relating to the light pattern and the one or more light pattern parameters to the mobile phone cover for storage in the mobile phone cover to support the mobile phone cover displaying the notification.

9. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processor are configured to:

provide a graphical user interface to update, via a network, software running on the mobile phone and the mobile phone cover; and

provide a graphical user interface to reset software running on the mobile phone and the mobile phone cover to initial conditions based on data and initial settings stored on the mobile phone cover.

10. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processor are configured to:

provide a graphical user interface to configure functionality for use by another graphical user interface provided on the mobile phone cover, wherein the another graphical user interface provided on the mobile phone cover is accessed and navigated by a single button on the mobile phone cover.

11. The mobile phone according to claim 10,

wherein the graphical user interface sets up an ordered list of lighting options that causes the mobile phone cover to operate according to the lighting options, and

wherein the another graphical user interface lists the ordered list of lighting options that is accessed and navigated by a single button on the mobile phone cover.