Wearable Electronic Devices with Electro-Mechanical Retention Portion and Related Systems and Methods

• US 20110230148A1
• Filed: 03/19/2010
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Thornton, Curtis W., Reier, Bart P., Demuynck, Randolph Cary
• Application Number:
  US12/727,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20110230148A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/90.3
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0516 Portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/02 Fastening articles to the garment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge

Abstract

A wearable mobile terminal that is configured to provide communications is provided. The wearable mobile terminal includes a primary housing that is configured to include a first portion of a plurality of electronic mobile terminal components therein and a retention member including a proximal end that is attached to a first side of the primary housing and a distal end that is biased towards the first side of the primary housing, the retention member including a second portion of the plurality of electronic mobile terminal components therein, the retention member configured to retain the wearable mobile terminal in a location proximate a user of the wearable mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A wearable mobile terminal configured to provide communications, the wearable mobile terminal comprising:

a primary housing that is configured to include a first portion of a plurality of electronic mobile terminal components therein; and

a retention member including a proximal end that is attached to a first side of the primary housing and a distal end that is biased towards the first side of the primary housing, the retention member including a second portion of the plurality of electronic mobile terminal components therein, the retention member configured to retain the wearable mobile terminal in a location proximate a user of the wearable mobile terminal.

2. The wearable mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first portion of the plurality of electronic mobile terminal components is electrically coupled to at least one of the second portion of the plurality of electronic mobile terminal components.

3. The wearable mobile terminal of claim 2, further comprising an interconnection component that is configured to electrically couple the at least one of the first portion of the plurality of electronic mobile terminal components to the at least one of the second portion of the plurality of electronic mobile terminal components.

4. The wearable mobile terminal of claim 3, further comprising a biasing element that is proximate the proximal end of the retention member, wherein the interconnection component is proximate the biasing element and is configured to maintain the electrical coupling independent of a position of the retention member to the primary housing.

5. The wearable mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the proximal end of the retention member is rotatably attached to the first side of the primary housing, and wherein the distal end of the retention member and the first side of the primary housing are configured to frictionally engage an article of clothing that is configured to be worn by the user of the wearable mobile terminal.

6. The wearable mobile terminal of claim 1,

wherein the first portion of the plurality of electronic mobile terminal components comprises a transceiver that is configured to provide wireless communications, an antenna that is coupled to the transceiver and a audio input component that is configured to receive an audible signal.

7. The wearable mobile terminal of claim 6,

wherein the second portion of the plurality of electronic mobile terminal components comprises at least one output device that is configured to communicate information to the user of the wearable mobile terminal.

8. The wearable mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the at least one output device comprises a speaker that is configured to transmit audible information to the user and/or a tactile output device that is configured to provide a vibratory output to the user.

9. The wearable mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising an identifier module interface that is configured to receive an identifier module that includes subscriber account identification data, wherein the identifier module interface is on a first side of the retention member, wherein the first side of the retention member is configured to engage the first side of the primary housing and is configured to be accessible to the user when the retention member is rotated away from the primary housing.

10. The wearable mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a removable memory interface that is on a first side of the retention member and that is configured to receive and conductively engage a removable memory module,

wherein the first side of the retention member is configured to engage the first side of the primary housing and is configured to be accessible to the user when the distal end of the retention member is rotated away from the primary housing to increase a gap between the distal end of the retention member and the first side of the primary housing and substantially concealed when the distal end of the retention member is in a rotated towards the primary housing to engage the first side of the primary housing and/or an article placed therebetween.

11. The wearable mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a data connector interface that is on the first side of the primary housing and that is configured to receive a data connector corresponding to an external data device,

wherein the first side of the primary housing is configured to engage a first side of the primary housing and is configured to be accessible to the user when the distal end of the retention member is rotated away from the primary housing to increase a gap therebetween.

12. The wearable mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the data connector interface is further configured to receive an electrical current to charge an on-board battery.

13. The wearable mobile terminal of claim 1, further comprising a reset switch that is configured to receive a user input that causes a switch output to change from a first state to a second state that is different from the first state,

wherein the wearable mobile terminal is operable to perform a device reset operation responsive to the second state of the switch output.

14. A retention member for a wearable portable electronic device that includes a plurality of electronic components and a primary housing that includes a first portion of the plurality of electronic components, the retention member comprising:

a second portion of the plurality of electronic components, at least one of which is electrically connected to at least one of the first portion of the plurality of electronic components; and

an attaching structure that is configured to movably attach the retention member to the primary housing structure.

15. The retention member of claim 14,

wherein the attaching structure is further configured to rotatably attach a proximal end of the retention member to the primary housing,

wherein a distal end of the retention member is configured to engage an attachment article on a user of the wearable portable electronic device to retain the portable electronic device proximate the attachment article, and

wherein the attaching structure comprises a biasing element that is configured to bias the distal end of the retention member towards the primary housing.

16. The retention member of claim 14, further comprising an identifier module interface that is configured to receive an identifier module that includes subscriber account identification data,

wherein the identifier module interface is on a first side of the retention member, and

wherein the first side of the retention member is configured to engage the first side of the primary housing and is configured to be accessible to the user when the retention member is rotated away from the primary housing.

17. The retention member of claim 14, further comprising a reset switch that is configured to receive a user input that causes a switch output to change from a first state to a second state that is different from the first state,

wherein the wearable portable electronic device is operable to perform a device reset operation responsive to the second state of the input component output.

18. A method of operating a wearable mobile terminal, the wearable mobile terminal including a primary housing and a retention member that is configured to removably attach the wearable mobile terminal to a user attachment article, the method comprising:

moving a distal end of the retention member relative to a first surface of the primary housing to increase a gap therebetween via a rotatable attachment between a proximal end of the retention member and the first side of the primary housing; and

accessing a first electronic interface that corresponds to a first portion of mobile terminal electronics in the retention member, the first electronic interface being accessible via the gap between the distal end of the retention member and the first side of the primary housing.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising accessing a second electronic interface that corresponds to a second portion of mobile terminal electronics in the primary housing, the second electronic interface being accessible via the gap between the distal end of the retention member and the first side of the primary housing.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising removably attaching the wearable mobile terminal to the user attachment article via a frictional engagement between the distal end of the retention member and the first surface of the primary housing.