MULTIFUNCTIONAL COVER INTEGRATED INTO SUB-PANEL OF PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20090268402A1
• Filed: 05/08/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wong, Yoon Kean, Hanson, William Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.560
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer

Abstract

A cover for an opening in the housing of a portable electronic device that provides a function in addition to that of protecting the opening from dirt. The cover can be coupled to the housing so that it can move between a closed position within the housing'"'"'s surface recess and an open position that allows access to the opening in the housing. In the closed position, the cover becomes part of the housing and the of the device is generally unchanged. The cover can function as an antenna for wireless communication between the device and a network or access point, and it can contain circuitry for devices such as transmitter/receivers. The cover can also function as a display device, a speaker, or an alarm. Thus an existing cover that occupies space within the volume of a handheld device can be utilized for expanding the functionality of the device while generally retaining the current form factor of the device.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing having an opening;

a bus disposed within said housing;

a processor disposed within said housing and coupled to said bus;

a connector disposed within said opening, said connector coupled to said bus and for connecting with an expansion device;

a cover for said opening, said cover coupleable to said housing, wherein said cover is adapted to perform a first function of enclosing said opening and said connector, and wherein said cover is further adapted to perform a second function in addition to said first function.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said second function comprises physically and functionally coupling a Secure Digital (SD) memory card to said electronic device.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said second function comprises physically and functionally coupling an antenna to a transceiver of said electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said second function comprises a memory functionally coupled to said electronic device.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said second function comprises a vibration motor for silently alerting a user of said electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said second function comprises a mobile phone transceiver.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said second function comprises a wireless network communication device.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said second function comprises a wired communications modem.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said second function comprises a Bluetooth transceiver.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said second function comprises a global positioning system (GPS) unit.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said second function comprises a receiver for terrestrial commercial broadcast radio.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said second function comprises a receiver for space-based commercial broadcast radio.

13. A device comprising:

circuitry for coupling said device to an electronic device; and

circuitry for performing a function synergistically with a function performed by said electronic device;

wherein said device is sized and shaped to serve as a cover for an opening in a housing of said electronic device, wherein said device performs a first function of enclosing said opening and performs a second function synergistically with said function performed by said electronic device.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein said device is removeably coupled to said housing.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein said device is pivotably coupled to said housing.

16. The device of claim 13 wherein said device is slideably coupled to said housing.

17. The device of claim 13 wherein said device is hingeably coupled to said housing.

18. The device of claim 13 wherein said device comprises an antenna.

19. The device of claim 13 wherein said device comprises a speaker.

20. The device of claim 13 wherein said device illuminates for alerting a user.