Method and apparatus for a holster having a user interface

• US 7,386,325 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2001
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schirtzinger, Thomas, Steuer, Paul, Charlier, Michael L., Koo, Simone
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, SHEILA B
• Application Number:
  US09/968,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20030064751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,444 Days
• Field of Search: 455/557, 455/90.3, 455/556.1, 455/347, 455/575.1
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/401 for selecting or indicating operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724092 Interfacing with an external cover providing additional functionalities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation

Abstract

A holster 101 for a portable electronic device 116 having a user interface 108 disposed upon said holster. The user interface is electrically coupled, through an electrical connector 202 to the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device is inserted into a cavity 102 of the holster. The user interface rotates or unfolds from the holster so that the user can interact with the user interface.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device holster comprising:

a body having a portable electronic device reception cavity;

a flexible keypad disposed on said body of said holster, said flexible keypad wraps around an outer portion of said body, and wherein said flexible keypad unwraps from said body from said holster;

a portable electronic device electrical connector disposed on said holster, the electrical connector is coupled to said user interface flexible keypad; and

a belt clip in a first position is angularly displaced from said body and forms an angle such that said belt clip supports said portable electronic device in a upright position,

wherein said belt clip in a closed position holds a first edge portion and a second edge portion of said flexible keypad, between said body and said belt clip when said flexible keypad is wrapped at least partially around said body.

2. The holster of claim 1, wherein said flexible keypad is a textile keypad.

3. The holster of claim 2, wherein said textile keypad is a QWERTY keypad.

4. The holster of claim 1 wherein said portable electronic device electrical connector is a handheld wireless communication device electronic connector.

5. A mobile wireless communication handset holster comprising:

a body having a wireless communication device reception cavity;

a belt clip disposed upon said body;

a textile user interface wrapped at least partially around and coupled to said body, wherein said belt clip in a closed position holds a first edge portion and a second edge portion of said textile user interface, between said body and said belt clip when said textile user interface is wrapped around said body; and

an electrical connector disposed in said cavity of said body, said electrical connector electrically coupled to said textile user interface.

6. The holster of claim 5 wherein said textile user interface is coupled with a hinge to said holster, said hinge allowing said user interface to angularly displace from said holster in an open position.

7. The holster of claim 5 wherein said textile user interface is an electrotextile user interface wherein a portion of said electrotextile user interface is mechanically coupled to said holster, and wherein a user interface electrical coupling means is coupled to said wireless communication device through said portion of said electrotextile user interface.

8. The holster of claim 6 wherein the textile user interface is applied power when said textile user interface is in said open position.

9. The holster of claim 5 wherein said belt clip in an angularly displace position forms a stand allowing said holster to sit in an upright position.

10. The holster of claim 5 wherein a button of said textile user interface of said holster corresponds to a first function of a button having a plurality of functions on said mobile wireless communication handset.

11. A portable electronic device holster comprising:

a body having a portable electronic device reception cavity;

a belt clip coupled to the body;

a user interface disposed on said body of said holster,

wherein said user interface is a flexible keypad, said flexible keypad in a stowed position wraps around an outer portion of said body, and wherein, said flexible keypad in a user input mode position is unwrapped from said body from said holster, and

wherein said belt clip retains a first outer edge and a second outer edge of the flexible keypad retaining therein in said stowed configuration; and

a portable electronic device electrical connector disposed on said holster, the electrical connector is coupled to said user interface.

12. The holster of claim 11 wherein said flexible keypad is a textile keypad.

13. The holster of claim 12 wherein said textile keypad is a QWERTY keypad.

14. The holster of claim 13 wherein said belt clip in a first position is angularly displaced from said body and forms an angle such that said belt clip supports said portable electronic device in a upright position.