Handheld electronic device with holster having a notification device

• US 7,863,862 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Litingtun, Siong, Idzik, Jacek S.
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US11/871,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20090096417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/112, 320/114, 320/115, 455/403
• US Class Current: 320/114
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A handheld electronic device that includes a first battery and a holster that includes a second battery and a charging apparatus. When the handheld electronic device and the holster are electrically connected together, the charging apparatus charges the first battery on the handheld electronic device from the second battery on the holster when the first battery charge has been depleted to a given level and the second battery charge is above a second given level. Alternatively, if the first battery charge is above a third given level the first battery charges the second battery if the second battery is not fully charged. The holster further includes a microcontroller that communicates with a microprocessor on the handheld electronic device to identify alerts and activate a notification device powered by the second battery on the holster.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a handheld electronic device having a first battery;

a holster for releasably receiving the handheld electronic device,

said handheld electronic device being electrically coupled to said holster; and

a notification device disposed on said holster and electrically coupled to the handheld electronic device, said notification device providing a signal that identifies a pre-selected state of the handheld electronic device and wherein the handheld electronic device inactivates the notification device after the notification device provides the signal that identifies the pre-selected state of the handheld electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said notification device is powered by said first battery.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 including a second battery disposed on said holster, wherein said notification device is powered by said second battery.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 wherein said second battery charges said first battery under pre-selected states of said first and second batteries when said handheld electronic device is in the holster.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the signal provided by the notification device is programmed to have a plurality of signal patterns each such signal pattern corresponding to a different state of the handheld electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 wherein the state of the handheld electronic device is the arrival of an email and the signal pattern corresponds to the relative importance of the email.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 wherein the importance of the email is determined by the address of a sender.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the notification device is a first vibrator.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein the holster includes a clip for fastening the holster to an apparel on a user and the first vibrator is situated close to the clip to effectively communicate vibrations from the vibrator to the user.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 including a second vibrator on the handheld electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein the second vibrator on the handheld electronic device is disconnected when the handheld electronic device is seated in the holster.

12. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein the first vibrator is more powerful than the second vibrator.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the notification device is an LED.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the notification device is a speaker.

15. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the electrical coupling between the notification device and the handheld electronic device is a wireless connection.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 wherein the wireless connection is a short-range wireless connection.

17. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said notification device provides the signal that identifies the pre-selected state of the handheld electronic device when said handheld electronic device is in said holster.

18. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the state of the notification device is checked to see if it is active before the handheld electronic device has the notification device provide the signal that identifies the pre-selected state of the handheld electronic device.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 wherein the notification device is activated if the notification device is identified as being inactivated before the handheld electronic device sends a command to the notification device to provide the signal that identifies the pre-selected state of the handheld electronic device.

20. A method of operating a handheld electronic device having a holster for conveniently carrying the handheld electronic device, the holster having a notification device disposed thereon, comprising the steps of:

electrically coupling the handheld electronic device to the holster;

electrically coupling the handheld electronic device to the notification device;

providing a signal from the notification device disposed on the holster, that identifies a pre-selected state of the handheld electronic device;

and inactivating the notification device after the notification device provides the signal that identifies the pre-selected state of the handheld electronic device.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the handheld electronic device has a first battery including the step of powering the notification device from said first battery.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said holster has a second battery disposed thereon including the step of powering the notification device from said second battery.

23. The method of claim 22 including the step of charging the first battery from the second battery under pre-selected states of said first and second batteries when said handheld electronic device is in the holster.

24. The method of claim 20 including the step of programming the signal provided by the notification device to have a plurality of signal patterns each such signal pattern corresponding to a different state of the handheld electronic device.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the state of the handheld electronic device is the arrival of an email and the signal pattern corresponds to the relative importance of the email.

26. The method of claim 25 including the step of determining the importance of the email from the address of the sender.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein the notification device is a first vibrator and the holster includes a clip for fastening the holster to an apparel on a user, including the step of situating the first vibrator close to the clip to effectively communicate vibrations from the vibrator to the user.

28. The method of claim 27 including the step of providing a second vibrator on the handheld electronic device.

29. The method of claim 28 including the step of disconnecting the second vibrator on the handheld electronic device when the handheld electronic device is seated in the holster.

30. The method of claim 28 including the step of making the first vibrator more powerful than the second vibrator.

31. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of coupling the handheld electronic device to the holster employs the step of wirelessly connecting the handheld device to the holster.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the wireless connection is a short-range wireless connection.

33. The method of claim 20 including the step of checking a state of the notification device to see if it is active before the handheld electronic device has the notification device provide the signal that identifies the pre-selected state of the handheld electronic device.

34. The method of claim 33 including the step of activating the notification device if the notification device is identified as being inactivated before the handheld electronic device sends a command to the notification device to provide the signal that identifies the pre-selected state of the handheld electronic device.

35. An electronic device comprising:

a handheld electronic device having a first battery;

a holster for releasably receiving the handheld electronic device,

said handheld electronic device being electrically coupled to said holster; and

a notification device disposed on said holster and electrically coupled to the handheld electronic device, said notification device providing a signal that identifies a pre-selected state of the handheld electronic device, wherein the signal provided by the notification device is programmed to have a plurality of signal patterns each such signal pattern corresponding to a different state of the handheld electronic device.

36. The electronic device of claim 35 wherein the state of the handheld electronic device is the arrival of an email and the signal pattern corresponds to the relative importance of the email.

37. The electronic device of claim 36 wherein the importance of the email is determined by the address of a sender.

38. An electronic device comprising:

a handheld electronic device having a first battery;

a holster for releasably receiving the handheld electronic device,

said handheld electronic device being electrically coupled to said holster; and

a notification device disposed on said holster and electrically coupled to the handheld electronic device, said notification device providing a signal that identifies a pre-selected state of the handheld electronic device wherein the electrical coupling between the notification device and the handheld electronic device is a wireless connection.

39. The electronic device of claim 38 wherein the wireless connection is a short-range wireless connection.

40. A method of operating a handheld electronic device having a holster for conveniently carrying the handheld electronic device, the holster having a notification device disposed thereon, comprising the steps of:

electrically coupling the handheld electronic device to the holster;

electrically coupling the handheld electronic device to the notification device;

providing a signal from the notification device disposed on the holster, that identifies a pre-selected state of the handheld electronic device; and

programming the signal provided by the notification device to have a plurality of signal patterns each such signal pattern corresponding to a different state of the handheld electronic device.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the state of the handheld electronic device is the arrival of an email and the signal pattern corresponds to the relative importance of the email.

42. The method of claim 41 including the step of determining the importance of the email from the address of the sender.

43. A method of operating a handheld electronic device having a holster for conveniently carrying the handheld electronic device, the holster having a notification device disposed thereon, comprising the steps of:

electrically coupling the handheld electronic device to the holster;

electrically coupling the handheld electronic device to the notification device; and

providing a signal from the notification device disposed on the holster, that identifies a pre-selected state of the handheld electronic device, wherein the step of electrically coupling the handheld electronic device to the holster employs the step of wirelessly connecting the handheld device to the holster.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the wireless connection is a short-range wireless connection.