Exchangeable Module for Additional Functionality

• US 20070247136A1
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Jonsson, Mattias, Wallmark, Marcus
• Granted Patent: US 7,477,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/371
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts

Abstract

The invention refers to an exchangeable power-supplying unit (200, 300) arranged to supply electric power to a device (100, 400). The power-supplying unit (200, 300) is arranged so as to provide the device (100, 400) with one or several additional functionalities and it can preferably be attached so as to form an integral part of the device (100, 400). The additional functionality is accomplished by one or several processing units (220, 312, 319) contained in the power-supplying unit (200, 300) for pre-processing information, which is subsequently communicated from the power-supplying unit (200, 300) to the device (100, 400).

Claims

1. An exchangeable power-supplying unit arranged to supply electric power to a device,

said power-supplying unit comprising:

one or several processing units arranged to pre-process information and to communicate said pre-processed information to the device for providing said device with one or several additional functionalities.

2. The power-supplying unit according to claim 1,

wherein said power-supplying unit is connectable to form an integral part of the device.

3. The power-supplying unit according to claim 1,

wherein

said unit comprises a communication link for communicating said pre-processed information to the device.

4. The power-supplying unit according to claim 3, wherein

said communication link is a high-speed data-bus.

5. The power-supplying unit according to claim 1, wherein

said unit comprises one or several circuit boards and/or one or several integrated circuits, comprising hardware and possible software to form one or several processing units.

6. The power-supplying unit according to claim 5, wherein

a circuit board and/or an integrated circuit comprises one or several of a cryptographic circuitry, a mass-storage, a WLAN-modem or a positioning device.

7. The power-supplying unit according to claim 1, wherein

said unit is a battery.

8. A device comprising an exchangeable power-supplying unit arranged to supply electric power to said device, wherein

said power-supplying unit comprises one or several processing units arranged to pre-process information and to communicate said pre-processed information to the device for providing said device with one or several additional functionalities.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein

said device is a wireless handheld device, being a mobile phone, a PDA, a digital notebook, a land-radio, a two-way radio, a walkie-talkie or a similar intelligent device.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein

the power-supplying unit has access to a receive/transmit channel of the wireless device.

11. A telecommunication system comprising a device, which device comprises an exchangeable power-supplying unit arranged to supply electric power to said device,

said power-supplying unit comprising one or several processing units arranged to pre-process information and to communicate said pre-processed information to the device for providing said device with one or several additional functionalities.

13. An method according to claim 11, wherein

said communication is performed through a high-speed communication link.

14. An method according to claim 11, wherein

said additional functionality is one or several of a cryptographic functionality, a mass-storage functionality, a WLAN functionality or a positioning functionality.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein

said device is a wireless handheld device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA, a digital notebook, a land-radio, a two-way radio, a walkie-talkie or a similar intelligent device.

12. A method for providing a device with one or several additional functionalities, using an exchangeable power-supplying unit arranged to supply electric power to the device and connected to said power-supplying unit to form an integral part of the device, where said method comprises,

pre-processing information in one or several processing units arranged in said power-supplying unit,

communicating said pre-processed information to the device.