Magnetically Attachable Accessories for a Mobile Unit

• US 20090122497A1
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Sunmee, Roslak, Thomas K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,966,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/747
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A mobile unit comprises a housing and a processor. The housing includes a frame configured to magnetically couple with an accessory. When the frame and the accessory are magnetically coupled, data signals and power are exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory via a wireless communication where the wireless communication includes at least one of an inductive coupling, a capacitive coupling and an optical coupling. The processor is disposed within the housing to process the data signals and control the power being exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory.

Claims

1. A mobile unit, comprising:

a housing including a frame configured to magnetically couple with an accessory, when the frame and the accessory are magnetically coupled, data signals and power being exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory via a wireless communication, the wireless communication including at least one of an inductive coupling, a capacitive coupling and an optical coupling; and

a processor disposed within the housing processing the data signals and controlling the power being exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory.

2. The mobile unit of claim 1, wherein the frame includes at least one magnet.

3. The mobile unit of claim 2, wherein the accessory includes at least one further magnet that is oppositely polarized and attracted to the at least one magnet.

4. The mobile unit of claim 1, wherein the frame includes at least one area which is at least partially composed of a ferro-magnetic material.

5. The mobile unit of claim 2, wherein the accessory includes at least one magnet that is attracted to the at least one area which is at least partially composed of the ferro-magnetic material.

6. The mobile unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a display.

7. The mobile unit of claim 6, wherein, when the accessory is coupled to the mobile unit, the accessory covers at least a portion of a viewable surface area of the display.

8. The mobile unit of claim 7, wherein the viewable surface area is automatically re-sized to be an uncovered area of the display.

9. The mobile unit of claim 1, wherein the mobile unit automatically determines a type of the accessory upon coupling as a function of one of the data signals, an amount of the power, and a combination thereof.

10. The mobile unit of claim 1, wherein the covered portion of the display one of is deactivated and serves as a backlight for the accessory.

11. The mobile unit of claim 1, wherein the accessory includes at least one of a key pad, a transceiver, a data acquisition module, a biometric module, a radio frequency identification reader, a magnetic strip reader, and a smart card reader.

17. The accessory of claim 11, wherein at least one of the data signals and an amount of the power indicates a type of the accessory to the mobile unit.

18. The accessory of claim 11, wherein the accessory covers at least a portion of a display of the mobile unit.

19. The accessory of claim 11, wherein the covered portion of the display one of is deactivated and serves as a backlight for the accessory.

12. An accessory for a mobile unit, comprising:

a housing configured to magnetically couple to the mobile unit, when the accessory and the mobile unit are magnetically coupled, data signals and power being exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory through a wireless communication, the wireless communication including at least one of an inductive coupling, a capacitive coupling, and an optical coupling; and

an interface disposed at least partially within the housing.

13. The accessory of claim 12, wherein the accessory includes at least one of a key pad, a transceiver, a data acquisition module, a biometric module, a radio frequency identification reader, a magnetic strip reader, and a smart card reader.

14. The accessory of claim 12, wherein the housing includes at least one magnet.

15. The accessory of claim 14, wherein the at least one magnet is attracted to one of areas of the mobile unit which are at least partially composed of a ferro-magnetic material and further magnets of the mobile unit which are oppositely polarized to the at least one magnet.

16. The accessory of claim 14, wherein the at least one magnet is disposed at a predetermined location so that the mobile unit automatically determines a type of the accessory.

20. A mobile system, comprising:

a mobile unit including a housing including a frame and a display disposed at least partially within the housing; and

at least one accessory capable of being magnetically coupled to the frame, when the mobile unit and the accessory are magnetically coupled, data signals and power being exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory through a wireless communication, the wireless communication including at least one of an inductive coupling, a capacitive coupling, and an optical coupling.

21. A mobile arrangement, comprising:

a housing means for including a coupling means for magnetically coupling an accessory, when the mobile arrangement and the accessory are magnetically coupled, the coupling means being configured so that data signals and power are exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory through a wireless communication including at least one an inductive coupling, a capacitive coupling, and an optical coupling; and

a processing means for processing the data signals and for controlling the power being exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory, the processing means being disposed within the housing means.