Interchangeable cover for a mobile communications device

• US 6,975,888 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2001
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Smart Skins LLC
• Original Assignee: Wildseed Ltd. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ford, William K., Buesseler, Joshua R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, LANA N
• Application Number:
  US09/933,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20030036362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 4555751-5755, 455/550.1, 455 901- 903, 455/575, 455/550, D14/248, D14/137, D14/138, 379/433.11, 379/446, 379/452, 379/437, 206/320, 224/930, 243/06
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0283 for providing a decorative aspect, e.g. customization of casings, exchangeable faceplate
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts

Abstract

An interchangeable cover for a mobile communications device is provided. The interchangeable cover includes a a resilient three-sided semi-rigid shell having a substantially U-shaped profile adapted to wrap around a substantial portion of a front, back and side of the mobile communications device upon assembly over the device, without requiring any fasteners. In one embodiment, the cover is configured to fit a mobile communications device having a trapezoidal profile, whereby front and back face portions clasp around the front and back of the phone. In accordance with various embodiments, the cover may include holes and slots through which phone buttons pass, dumb buttons, or built-in buttons that enable users to provide inputs to the phone. The three-sided shell provides additional surface area when compared to conventional single-sided faceplates. Accordingly, the cover appears as a more integral part of the phone. Furthermore, the extra surface area may be used for advertisement purposes.

Claims

1. An interchangeable cover for a mobile communications device comprising:

a resilient semi-rigid shell including a front face and back face commonly connected to a side portion and having a substantially U-shaped profile adapted to wrap around a substantial portion of a front, back and side of the mobile communications device upon assembly over the mobile communications device, and

wherein the mobile communications device includes a display and the front face of the resilient semi-rigid shell further includes an aperture defined therein that enables a user to view the display when the interchangeable cover is assembled over the mobile communications device.

2. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, wherein the resilient semi-rigid shell is adapted to be secured to the mobile communications device without any fasteners.

3. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications device has a profile that is substantially trapezoidal in shape and the substantially U-shaped profile of the resilient semi-rigid shell is configured such that a distance between the front face and the back face is greater at a root of the U than at end of the U such that the resilient semi-rigid shell is adapted to clasp around the trapezoidal profile of the mobile communications device upon assembly of the interchangeable cover over the mobile communications device.

4. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications device includes a keypad including a plurality of keypad buttons, and the front face of the interchangeable cover includes a plurality of openings through which respective keypad buttons extend upon assembly of the interchangeable cover over the mobile communications device so as to enable a user to activate the keypad buttons.

5. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, further comprising a keypad operatively coupled to the front face including a plurality of keypad buttons, and means for coupling signals produced via an activation of said plurality of keypad buttons to the mobile communications device.

6. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications device includes a set of keypad buttons and one or more input buttons apart from the set of keypad buttons, and wherein the front face of the interchangeable cover includes one or more openings defined therein through which said one or more input buttons pass upon assembly of the interchangeable cover over the mobile communications device to enable a user to activate said on or more input buttons.

7. The interchangeable cover of claim 1 wherein the mobile communications device includes a keypad including a plurality of keypad switches, further comprising a membrane operative coupled upon assembly to an inside of the front face including a plurality of dumb buttons that are used to activate corresponding respective keypad switches on the mobile communications device.

8. The interchangeable cover of claim 7, wherein the mobile communications device further includes on or more input switches apart from the plurality of keypad switches, further comprising a membrane operatively coupled upon assembly to an inside portion of the resilient semi-rigid side including one or more dumb buttons that are used to activate corresponding respective input switches on the mobile communications device.

9. The interchangeable cover of claim 8, wherein said one or more input switches include a plurality of switches disposed on a side of the mobile communications device.

10. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, further including a lens disposed within the aperture.

11. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, further including a cutout region defined in the front face extending inwardly from a mid-portion thereof to enable actuation of one or more input buttons disposed on a font side of the mobile communications device upon assembly of the interchangeable cover over the mobile communications device.

12. The interchangeable cover of claim 11, wherein the cutout region comprises a radiused-V-shape configuration extending across a substantial portion of the front face.

13. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, further comprising a first substantially U-shaped cutout defined in the side portion so as to extend upwardly from a first end of the side portion, said first substantially U-shaped cutout defining respective shoulders in the front and back faces.

14. The interchangeable cover of claim 13, further comprising a second substantially U-shaped cutout defined in the side portion so as to extend from a second end of the side portion opposite of the first end, said second substantially U-shaped cutout defining respective shoulders in the front and back face.

15. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications device includes one or more side input buttons disposed on a side of the mobile communications device that is substantially covered by the side portion of the semi-rigid shell upon assembly, further including one or more corresponding openings defined in the side portion through which said one or more side input buttons respectively pass upon assembly to enable a user to activate said one or more side input button(s).

16. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, further comprising at least one input button operatively coupled to the front face of the resilient semi-rigid shell and means for coupling signals produced via an activation of said at least one input button to the mobile communications device.

17. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, further comprising at least one input button operatively coupled to the back face of the resilient semi-rigid shell and means for coupling signals produced via an activation of said at least one input button to the mobile communications device.

18. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, further comprising at least one input button operative coupled to the side portion of the resilient semi-rigid shell and means for coupling signals produced via an activation of said at least one input button to the mobile communications device.

19. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, further comprising one or more inwardly extending protrusions defined in at least one of the front face and/or back face that are adapted to fit into (a) respective recess(es) defined and/or back side of the mobile communications device upon assemble of the interchangeable cover over the mobile communications device.

20. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of inwardly extending cleats defined in at least one of the front face and/or back face that are adapted to engage respective recesses defined in a front and/or back side of the mobile communications device upon assemble of the interchangeable cover over the mobile communications device so as to assist in securing the interchangeable cover to the mobile communications device.

21. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, wherein the front face further includes a plurality of speaker slots that are used to enable audible speaker signals produced by the mobile communications device to pass through the interchangeable cover upon assembly to the mobile communications device.

22. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, wherein the front face further includes a microphone slot configured to enables verbal user input to be received by a microphone disposed within the mobile communications device.

23. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, further comprising:

an ornamental design disposed over the front face; and

a design containing indicia corresponding to at least one business entity on the back face.

24. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, further comprising:

an ornamental design over the front face; and

a first design containing indicia corresponding to a first business entity disposed on the back face; and

a second design containing indicia corresponding to a second business entity disposed on the back face.

25. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications device comprises a cellular phone.

26. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications device comprises a personal data assistant.

27. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications device comprises a two-way pager.

28. The interchangeable cover of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications device comprises a pocket PC.

29. The interchangeable cover claim 1, wherein the resilient semi-rigid shell has an arcuate segment configuration when viewed from a plan view.

30. An interchangeable cover for a mobile communications device having a body with a substantially tetrahedral profile, a front peripheral lip defined around a peripheral portion of a front of the body and a back peripheral lip defined around a peripheral potion of a back of the body, comprising:

a resilient semi-rigid shell including a front face and a back face commonly connected to a side portion and having substantially U-shaped profile adapted to wrap around a substantial portion of the front, back and side of the body of the mobile communications device and being secured to the mobile communications device by means of extending portions of the front and back faces that clasp around the substantially tetrahedral profile of the body, and whereupon assembly exterior edges of the front face and back faces are disposed adjacent to the front and back peripheral lips, respectively.

31. The interchangeable cover of claim 30, further including a radiused V-shaped cutout region defined in the front face extending inwardly from a mid-portion thereof to enable actuation of one or more input buttons disposed on the front of the mobile communications device upon assembly of the interchangeable cover over the mobile communications device.

32. The interchangeable cover of claim 30, further comprising a pair of substantially U-shaped cutouts defined in the side portion so as to extend inwardly from opposing ends of the side portion, each of said substantially U-shaped cutouts defining respective pairs of shoulders in the front and back faces of the resilient semi-rigid shell that are disposed adjacent inwardly extending portions of the front and back peripheral lips so as to partially encapsulate each of the front and back faces within the front and back peripheral lips upon assembly.

33. The interchangeable cover of claim 30, further comprising a pair of substantially U-shaped cutouts defined in the side portion so as to extend inwardly from opposing ends of the side portion, each of said substantially U-shaped cutout defining respective pairs of shoulders in the front and back faces of the resilient semi-rigid shell that are disposed adjacent inwardly extending portions of the front and back peripheral lips so as to partially encapsulate each of the font and back faces within the front and back peripheral lips upon assembly.

34. The interchangeable cover of claim 33, wherein an audible click is produced when the shoulders of the resilient semi-rigid shell pass over adjacent mating portions defined in the peripheral lip of the mobile communications device upon assembly of the interchangeable cover to the mobile communications device.

35. The interchangeable cover of claim 30, wherein the mobile device includes a keypad including a plurality of keypad switches, further comprising a membrane operative coupled upon assembly to an inside of the front face including a plurality of dumb buttons that are used to activate corresponding respective keypad switches on the mobile communications device.

36. The interchangeable cover of claim 35, wherein the mobile communications device further includes one or more input switches apart from the plurality of keypad switches, further comprising a membrane operatively coupled upon assembly to an inside portion of the resilient semi-rigid side including one or more dumb buttons that are used to activate corresponding respective input switches on the mobile communication device.

37. The interchangeable cover claim 30, wherein the mobile communications device includes a display and the front face of the resilient semi-rigid shell further includes an aperture defined therein that enables a user to view the display when the interchangeable cover is assembled over the mobile communications devices.

38. The interchangeable cover claim 37, further including a lens disposed within the aperture.

39. A method of distributing advertisements comprising:

authorizing manufacture of a plurality of interchangeable phone covers adapted to be attached to compatible mobile communications devices, each interchangeable cover comprising a surface having an advertisement of an advertiser;

distributing the interchangeable phone covers to end users for attachment to compatible mobile communications devices used by the end users; and

receiving compensation from said advertiser.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein either the advertisement comprises at least a selected one from the group consisting of a phone number, an URL and an email address, or the advertiser is a sponsor.