Magnetically attachable accessories for a mobile unit

• US 7,966,040 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Roslak, Thomas K., Kim, Sunmee
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang; Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eisner; Ronald
• Application Number:
  US11/937,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20090122497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 4555501-559
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A mobile unit comprises a housing and a processor. The housing includes a frame configured to magnetically couple with an accessory. When the frame and the accessory are magnetically coupled, data signals and power are exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory via a wireless communication where the wireless communication includes at least one of an inductive coupling, a capacitive coupling and an optical coupling. The processor is disposed within the housing to process the data signals and control the power being exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory.

Claims

1. A mobile unit, comprising:

a housing including a frame configured to mechanically align with an accessory using at least one magnet, when the frame and the accessory are aligned, data signals can be exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory via a wireless coupling, and power can be exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory via an inductive coupling;

a processor disposed within the housing processing the data signals and detecting the power being exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory; and

a display disposed within the housing, wherein, when the accessory is coupled to the mobile unit, the processor automatically determines a type of the accessory as a function the amount of the exchange of power, and the accessory covers at least a portion of a viewable surface area of the display, and wherein the viewable surface area is automatically re-sized to be an uncovered area of the display.

2. The mobile unit of claim 1, wherein the magnets for alignment also provide the inductive coupling for the power exchange.

3. The mobile unit of claim 1, wherein the data signals are exchanged using capacitive coupling.

4. The mobile unit of claim 1, wherein the data signals are exchanged using optical coupling.

5. The mobile unit of claim 1, wherein the processor automatically determines a type of the accessory as a function of the amount of the exchange of power.

6. The mobile unit of claim 1, further comprising a display disposed within the housing, wherein, when the accessory is coupled to the mobile unit wherein the covered portion of the display is deactivated.

7. The mobile unit of claim 1, wherein the accessory is a key pad, and wherein the covered portion of the display serves as a backlight for the key pad.

8. An accessory for a mobile unit, comprising:

a housing configured to mechanically align to the mobile unit using at least one magnet, when the accessory and the mobile unit are aligned, data signals can be exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory via a wireless coupling, and power can be exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory via an inductive coupling, the accessory exchanging power with the mobile unit, which can be detected by the mobile unit; and

wherein, when the accessory is coupled to the mobile unit, the mobile unit automatically determines a type of the accessory as a function the amount of the exchange of power, and the accessory covers at least a portion of a viewable surface area of a display disposed within the housing of the mobile unit, and wherein the viewable surface area is automatically re-sized to be an uncovered area of the display.

9. A mobile system, comprising:

a mobile unit including a housing including a frame and a display disposed at least partially within the housing; and

at least one accessory capable of being mechanically aligned to the frame using at least one magnet, when the mobile unit and the accessory are aligned, data signals can be exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory via a wireless coupling, and power can be exchanged between the mobile unit and the accessory via an inductive coupling, the accessory exchanging power with the mobile unit, which can be detected by the mobile unit; and

a display disposed within the housing, wherein, when the accessory is coupled to the mobile unit, the mobile unit automatically determines a type of the accessory as a function the amount of the exchange of power, and the accessory covers at least a portion of a viewable surface area of the display, and wherein the viewable surface area is automatically re-sized to be an uncovered area of the display.