Modular tablet case with environmental monitoring components

• US 10,678,310 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2017
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobelisk Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: Mobelisk Group, LLC
• Inventors: Hamann, Dennis, Robson, Chris, Bodnar, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony M
• Application Number:
  US16/463,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20190317564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1628 Carrying enclosures containing additional elements, e.g. case for a laptop and a printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/18 Packaging or power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034

Abstract

A tablet computer with modular assembly or smartcase having interchangeable accessory cap portions, and a method for using the same to monitor environmental conditions around the tablet computer and smartcase. The smartcase provides a universal design and customized features to a range of tablets. The smartcase has a tablet carrier connected to selected type of tablet computer and an exterior housing connected to the tablet carrier. The exterior housing/cap contains at least one battery, a memory, sensor(s) and a controller for communication with the selected tablet computer. The housing also includes accessory cap portions configured to communicate with the controller and implement a function. The data collected by the sensor(s) is utilized to monitor conditions associated with the smartcase such that preemptive or corrective action regarding the smartcase and/or tablet computer may be implemented. The smartcase can also include one or more programmable LED buttons and/or indicators.

Claims

1. A modular case assembly for a selected range of tablet computers, the modular assembly comprising:

a tablet carrier for encasing a selected tablet computer selected from the range of tablet computers, the selected tablet computer having one or more ports, a tablet battery, a tablet memory, and an external button configuration;

an exterior housing configured to connect to the tablet carrier, the exterior housing comprising at least one sensor, a housing memory, and a controller for communication with the selected tablet computer, the at least one sensor, and the housing memory;

and

at least one battery;

wherein the at least one battery and the controller contained by the exterior housing are configured to be operatively connected to the tablet computer so as to allow communication of power and data between the controller and the tablet computer,

wherein the at least one sensor is configured to sense an environmental condition and wherein the sensed data is stored within the housing memory of the exterior housing independently of a state of the selected tablet computer.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising an accessory cap configured to be attached to or incorporated with the exterior housing and including a functional device in communication with the controller along with the tablet computer.

3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor of the exterior housing is selected from the group consisting of:

accelerometer, gyroscope, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, and barometer.

4. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the accessory cap comprises at least one sensor therein, and wherein the at least one sensor is configured to sense an environmental condition different from the at least one sensor of the exterior housing, and wherein the sensed data of the at least one sensor of the accessory cap is stored within the housing memory of the exterior housing independently of a state of the selected tablet computer.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the exterior housing has an accelerometer and temperature sensor therein.

6. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the tablet carrier and/or exterior housing comprises at least one programmable button for communicating with the controller of the exterior housing to implement a specified function.

7. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein the at least one programmable button is contains an LED.

8. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the accessory cap is configured to be interchangeable with one or more replacement caps comprising different functional devices, wherein the one or more replacement caps is configured to communicate with the controller.

9. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein the one or more replacement caps are configured to be installed on the exterior housing.

10. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the functional device of the accessory cap is selected from the group consisting of:

a magnetic strip reader and/or writer, a smart card reader, a secure chip and pin access device, an RFID reader, a scanner, a battery, a power source, a camera, an image capture device, a geo-tracking device, serial DB9, laser distance, thermal/IR imager, UV imager scientific instrument, and CO2 sensor.

11. A modular case assembly for a selected range of tablet computers, the modular assembly comprising:

a tablet carrier for encasing a selected tablet computer selected from the range of tablet computers, the selected tablet computer having one or more ports, a tablet battery, a tablet memory, and an external button configuration;

an exterior housing configured to connect to the tablet carrier;

an accessory cap configured to be attached to or incorporated with the exterior housing and including a functional device in communication with the controller along with the tablet computer, the accessory cap further comprising at least one sensor, a housing memory, and a controller for communication with the selected tablet computer, the at least one sensor, and the housing memory; and

at least one battery;

wherein the at least one battery and the controller contained by the accessory cap are configured to be operatively connected to the tablet computer so as to allow communication of power and data between the controller and the tablet computer,

wherein the at least one sensor is configured to sense an environmental condition and wherein the sensed data is stored within the housing memory of the accessory cap independently of a state of the selected tablet computer.

12. The assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a connector configured to operatively connect the accessory cap and the tablet computer.

13. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein the at least one sensor of the accessory cap is selected from the group consisting of:

accelerometer, gyroscope, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, and barometer.

14. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein the accessory cap has an accelerometer and temperature sensor therein.

15. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein the exterior housing has an accelerometer and temperature sensor therein.

16. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein the tablet carrier and/or exterior housing comprises at least one programmable button for communicating with the controller of the exterior housing to implement a specified function.

17. The assembly according to claim 16, wherein the at least one programmable button is contains an LED.

18. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein the accessory cap is configured to be interchangeable with one or more replacement caps comprising different functional devices as well as a battery and controller therein.

19. The assembly according to claim 18, wherein the one or more replacement caps is configured to be installed on the exterior housing.

20. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein the functional device of the accessory cap is selected from the group consisting of:

a magnetic strip reader and/or writer, a smart card reader, a secure chip and pin access device, an RFID reader, a scanner, a battery, a power source, a camera, an image capture device, a geo-tracking device, serial DB9, laser distance, thermal/IR imager, UV imager scientific instrument, and CO2 sensor.

21. A method for automatically monitoring and storing environmental conditions of a tablet computer provided within a modular case assembly, the modular assembly comprising:

a tablet carrier for encasing a selected tablet computer, the selected tablet computer having one or more ports, a tablet battery, a tablet memory, and an external button configuration, an exterior housing configured to connect to the tablet carrier at least one sensor, a housing memory, and a controller for communication with the selected tablet computer, the at least one sensor, and the housing memory, and at least one battery, wherein the at least one battery and the controller are configured to be operatively connected to the tablet computer so as to allow communication of power and data between the controller and the tablet computer, and wherein the at least one sensor is configured to sense an environmental condition;

wherein the method comprises;

automatically monitoring a status of the tablet computer and communication between the tablet computer and the controller;

determining that communication between the tablet computer and the controller is unavailable;

sensing data using the at least one sensor; and

storing sensed data in the housing memory independently of a state of the tablet computer.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

reestablishing communication between the tablet computer and the controller; and

transferring stored sensed data in the housing memory to a remote server.

23. A modular case assembly for a selected range of tablet computers, the modular assembly comprising:

an exterior housing configured to connect to a selected tablet computer encased in a tablet carrier, the selected tablet computer being selected from the range of tablet computers, the selected tablet computer having one or more ports, a tablet battery, a tablet memory, and an external button configuration,

an accessory cap attached to or incorporated with the exterior housing and including a functional device in communication with the tablet computer;

a controller for communication with the selected tablet computer and being operatively connected thereto so as to allow communication of power and data between the controller and the tablet computer;

at least one sensor;

a housing memory; and

at least one battery;

wherein either the exterior housing or the accessory cap, or both, contain the at least one battery and/or the controller,

wherein the at least one sensor is configured to sense an environmental condition and wherein the sensed data is stored within the housing memory independently of a state of the selected tablet computer.

24. The modular case assembly according to claim 23, wherein the exterior housing has a connector configured to connect to a portion of the tablet carrier encased the selected tablet computer.

25. The modular case assembly according to claim 23, wherein the exterior housing has an interface configured to connect to a portion of the tablet carrier encased the selected tablet computer for establishing communication between the controller and tablet computer.