Interchangeable covering with keys for personalizing mobile electronic communication devices

• US 7,095,986 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2001
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Smart Skins LLC
• Original Assignee: Wildseed Ltd. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mager, Gary N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles N.
• Application Number:
  US09/908,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20030017839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,862 Days
• Field of Search: 455 901- 903, 455/550.1, 455/558, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 4555751-5758, 455/556.1, 379/433.11, 379/428.01, 379/429, 379/433.01, 379/434, 379/433.12
• US Class Current: 455/90.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting 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 covering for a mobile electronic communication device (mobile device) includes an electronic component having a switch unit, a personalization unit and an interface unit. The switch unit includes key(s) that are accessible to the user when the covering is fitted to the mobile device. The personalization unit stores information such as music data files, audio ring files, screen animation files, data files (e.g., telephone numbers, email addresses, URLs, radio channels, etc.) and/or instructions that can be executed by a processor in the mobile device. The user can use the switch unit to access the information in the personalization unit. The personalization unit interacts with the electronics of the mobile device via the interface unit.

Claims

1. An interchangeable covering for use with a mobile electronic communication device, the interchangeable covering comprising:

an electronic component, comprising;

a switch unit having a button, wherein the button is actuatable by a user of the mobile electronic device when the interchangeable covering is attached to the mobile electronic communication device;

a personalization unit coupled to the switch unit, wherein the personalization unit is configured to store personalized information and to access the personalized information in response to an actuation of the button of the switch unit; and

an interface unit coupled to the personalization unit, the interface unit being configured to electrically connect the electronic component to the mobile electronic communication device when the interchangeable covering is attached to the mobile electronic communication device.

2. The interchangeable covering of claim 1, wherein the electronic component is configurable to provide personalization information to the mobile electronic communication device through the interface unit.

3. The interchangeable covering of claim 1, wherein the switch unit comprises a plurality of buttons, the plurality of buttons being actuatable by the user when the interchangeable covering is attached to the mobile electronic communication device.

4. The interchangeable covering of claim 1, wherein the personalization unit is embedded within the interchangeable covering.

5. The interchangeable covering of claim 1, wherein the personalization unit is mounted on a surface of the interchangeable covering.

6. The interchangeable covering of claim 1, wherein the interface unit comprises a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART).

7. The interchangeable covering of claim 1, wherein the personalization information includes at least one of a music data file, a video data file, a telephone number, an email address, a universal resource locator (URL), a radio station identifier, a television station identifier, or a text file.

8. The interchangeable covering of claim 1, wherein the personalization information includes a command configured to cause the mobile electronic communication device to perform an operation specified by the command.

9. The interchangeable covering of claim 1, wherein the interchangeable covering comprises a rigid member.

10. The interchangeable covering of claim 1, wherein the interchangeable covering comprises an elastomeric covering.

11. The interchangeable covering of claim 1, wherein the personalization unit comprises a memory unit,.

12. The interchangeable covering of claim 11, wherein the personalization unit further comprises a controller coupled to the memory unit.

13. The interchangeable covering of claim 1, wherein the personalization unit is configured to provide the personalization information to the mobile electronic communication device during and initialization operation.

14. The interchangeable covering of claim 1, wherein the personalization unit is configured to provide a portion of the personalization information to the mobile electronic communication device in response to a button actuation.

15. An interchangeable covering for use with a mobile electronic communication device, the interchangeable covering comprising:

an electronic component, comprising;

switch means for initiating an accessing operation, wherein the switch means includes a button that is actuatable by a user of the mobile electronic device when the interchangeable covering is attached to the mobile electronic communication device;

personalization means for storing personalized information and for accessing the personalized information in response to an actuation of the button of the switch means; and

interface means for electrically connecting the electronic component to the mobile electronic communication device when the interchangeable covering is attached to the mobile electronic communication device.

16. The interchangeable covering of claim 15, wherein in response to an actuation of the button the personalization means provides personalization information to the mobile electronic communication device through the interface means.

17. The interchangeable covering of claim 15, wherein the personalization means provides a portion of the personalization information to the mobile electronic communication device through the interface means during an initialization period.

18. The interchangeable covering of claim 15, wherein the personalization information includes at least one of a music data file, a video data file, a telephone number, an email address, a universal resource locator (URL), a radio station identifier, a television station identifier, or a text file.

19. The interchangeable covering of claim 15, wherein the personalization means provides the personalization information to the mobile electronic communication device during an initialization operation.

20. The interchangeable covering of claim 19, wherein in response to a button actuation the personalization means causes the mobile electronic communication device to access the personalized information stored in the mobile electronic communication device.

21. The interchangeable covering of claim 15, wherein the personalization means provides a portion of the personalization information to the mobile electronic communication device in response to a button actuation.

22. A method, comprising:

enabling an electronic component of an interchangeable covering after the interchangeable covering is attached and electrically connected via an interface unit to a mobile electronic communication device, the electronic component storing personalization information in a personalization unit;

determining whether a button of the electronic component has been actuated by a user;

accessing personalization information in response to the button of a switch unit actuation; and

processing the accessed information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein processing the accessed information further comprises receiving information inputted via the mobile electronic communication device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the received information is inputted by a user via a keypad of the mobile electronic communication device.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the information includes at least one of a music data file, a video data file, a telephone number, an email address, a universal resource locator (URL), a radio station identifier, a television station identifier, or a text file.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein processing the accessed information includes providing information to the mobile electronic communication device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the information provided to the mobile electronic communication device includes a command configured to cause the mobile electronic communication device to perform an operation specified by the command.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein accessing information further comprises providing a portion of the personalization information to the mobile electronic communication device in response to the actuation of the button.

29. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing the personalization information to the mobile electronic communication device during an initialization operation.

30. An interchangeable covering for use with a mobile electronic communication device, the interchangeable covering comprising:

an electronic component having a button accessible to a user after the covering is attached to a mobile electronic communication device, the electronic component storing personalization information;

means for enabling the electronic component responsive to activation of the button by a user, after the interchangeable covering is attached to a mobile electronic communication device;

means for determining, after the interchangeable covering is attached to a mobile electronic communication device, whether the button of the electronic component has been actuated by a user;

means for accessing personalization information if the button has been actuated by a user after the interchangeable covering is attached to a mobile electronic communication device; and

means for processing the accessed information.

31. The interchangeable covering of claim 30, wherein the means for processing the accessed information is further configured to receive information inputted via the mobile electronic communication device.

32. The interchangeable covering of claim 31, wherein the received information is inputted by a user via a keypad of the mobile electronic communication device.

33. The interchangeable covering of claim 30, wherein the personalization information includes at least one of a music data file, a video data file, a telephone number, an email address, a universal resource locator (URL), a radio station identifier, a television station identifier, or a text file.

34. The interchangeable covering of claim 30, wherein the means for processing provides information to the mobile electronic communication device.

35. The interchangeable covering of claim 34, wherein the information provided to the mobile electronic communication device includes a command configured to cause the mobile electronic communication device to perform an operation specified by the command.

36. The interchangeable covering of claim 30, wherein the means for accessing provides the personalization information to the mobile electronic communication device during an initialization operation.

37. The interchangeable covering of claim 36, wherein in response to the button actuation the means for accessing causes the mobile electronic communication device to access the personalized information stored in the mobile electronic communication device.

38. A method, comprising:

creating personalized information related to a desired theme;

obtaining a plurality of interchangeable coverings, each interchangeable covering being configured for use with a mobile electronic communication device and including a button to be actuated by a user to activate application of the personalized information;

loading the personalized information into each of the interchangeable coverings of the plurality of interchangeable coverings; and

distributing the plurality of interchangeable coverings to a selected group of people.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising tracking usage of the plurality of interchangeable coverings.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the personalization information includes at least one of a music data file, a video data file, a telephone number, an email address, a universal resource locator (URL), a radio station identifier, a television station identifier, or a text file.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein each interchangeable covering of the plurality of interchangeable coverings is configurable to provide at least a portion of the loaded personalized information to a mobile electronic communication device when the interchangeable covering is attached to the mobile electronic communication device.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the portion of loaded personalized information includes a command configured to cause the mobile electronic communication device to perform an operation specified by the command.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising counting the number of times the operation is performed.

44. The method of claim 38, wherein the interchangeable covering includes an electronic component comprising:

a switch unit having a button, wherein the button is actuatable by a user of the mobile electronic device when the interchangeable covering is attached to the mobile electronic communication device;

a personalization unit coupled to the switch unit, wherein the personalization unit is configured to store the personalized information and to access the personalized information in response to an actuation of the button of the switch unit; and

an interface unit coupled to the personalization unit, the interface unit being configured to electrically connect the electronic component to the mobile electronic communication device when the interchangeable covering is attached to the mobile electronic communication device.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the personalization unit of each interchangeable covering of the plurality of interchangeable coverings is embedded in the interchangeable covering.

46. The method of claim 38, wherein the theme comprises a marketing campaign.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the marketing campaign is for a performance event.

48. A covering for a mobile electronic communication device, the mobile electronic communication device including a plurality of keys, the covering comprising:

a plurality of fittings, each fitting of the plurality of fittings being associated with a corresponding key of the plurality of keys, wherein at least one of the keys is positioned on the back side of the mobile electronic communication device when the covering is attached to the mobile electronic communication device, to facilitate activation of application of personalized information;

an interchangeable portion, comprising;

a switch unit having a button, wherein the button is actuatable by a user of the mobile electronic device when the covering is attached to the mobile electronic communication device;

a personalization unit coupled to the switch unit, wherein the personalization unit is configured to store personalized information and to access the personalized information in response to an actuation of the button of the switch unit; and

an interface coupled to the personalization unit, the interface unit being configured to electrically connect the personalization unit and the switch unit to the mobile electronic communication device when the covering is attached to the mobile electronic communication device.

49. A method of operating a mobile electronic communication device having a first input key on the back of the device, integrated with a cover of the device, and a second input key on the front of the device, exposed by the cover of the device, the method comprising:

determining whether the first input key integrated with the cover of the device has been activated by a user, the first input key indicative of a desired operation;

in response to the first input key activation, prompting the user for input on the second input key exposed by the cover of the device; and

in response to the input on the second input key, performing the desired operation.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the desired operation is an operation selected from the group consisting of playing an audio data file, tuning to a radio frequency, tuning to a television channel, sending a text message, and retrieving information from a remote server.