Modular wireless communicator

• US 8,180,395 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2008
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Moran, Dov, Sherman, Itay, Bychkov, Eyal, Cohen, Itay, Segalov, Yaron, Demri, Tamir, Miller, Eran, Ron, Uri, Engelstein, Tal, Katz, Hagay, Perry, Hagit
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, NHAN T
• Application Number:
  US12/525,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20100093401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/551, 455/552.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455557-559, 455/575.1, 455/575.6, 455/575.7, 455/90.3
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724092 Interfacing with an external cover providing additional functionalities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless communicator including a housing, wireless communication functionality located within the housing, native user interface functionality cooperating with the wireless communication functionality and including user interface surfaces located on at least one outer facing surface of the housing, and pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality responsive to pouching orientation of the housing in a pouch of an enhanced function device for automatically causing the wireless communication functionality to adapt to interoperation with parenting user interface functionality forming part of the enhanced function device at least partially instead of with the native user interface functionality. A method is also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A wireless communicator comprising:

a housing;

wireless communication functionality located within said housing and including a phone call dialing functionality;

native user interface functionality cooperating with said wireless communication functionality and including user interface surfaces located on at least one outer facing surface of said housing; and

pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality responsive to pouching orientation of said housing in a pouch of an enhanced function device for causing said wireless communication functionality to adapt to cooperating with parenting user interface functionality forming part of said enhanced function device at least partially instead of with said native user interface functionality, the pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality including alien rejection functionality operative to prevent cooperation of said wireless communication functionality with user interface functionality of an alien enhanced function device notwithstanding existence of pouching orientation of said housing in a pouch of said alien enhanced function device.

2. A wireless communicator according to claim 1 and wherein said pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality automatically causes said wireless communication functionality to adapt to cooperating with said parenting user interface functionality when said housing is oriented in the pouch of said enhanced function device.

3. A wireless communicator according to claim 1 and wherein said adaptation to interoperation comprises:

transmission from said enhanced function device to said wireless communicator of information relating to parenting user interface functionality forming part of said enhanced function device; and

configuration of said wireless communication functionality to be controlled by said parenting user interface functionality forming part of said enhanced function device at least partially instead of by said native user interface functionality.

4. A wireless communicator according to claim 3 and wherein said pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality causes said wireless communicator to transmit user interface data from said wireless communicator to said enhanced function device in conformance with said information relating to parenting user interface functionality.

5. A wireless communicator according to claim 1 and wherein said pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality expands functionality of said wireless communicator, in addition to causing said wireless communication functionality to adapt to cooperating with parenting user interface functionality forming part of said enhanced function device at least partially instead of with said native user interface functionality.

6. A wireless communicator according to claim 5 and wherein said pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality expands functionality of said wireless communicator by enabling access to functionality of the wireless communicator that is inaccessible to said wireless communicator when said wireless communicator is not pouched with said enhanced function device.

7. A wireless communicator according to claim 1 wherein said enhanced function device provisions software to said wireless communicator when said wireless communicator is pouched with said enhanced function device.

8. A wireless communicator according to claim 1 and wherein said enhanced function device includes a subscriber identifier module, which enables wireless network connectivity that is inaccessible to said wireless communicator when said wireless communicator is not pouched with said enhanced function device.

9. A wireless communicator according to claim 1 and wherein said housing comprises an at least partially transparent portion in an outer facing surface, wherein said wireless communicator further comprises a light source fastened inside of said housing, wherein said light source indicates when said wireless communicator is sufficiently pouched with said enhanced function device so as to activate said pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality, and wherein the light of said light source shines through said at least partially transparent portion of said housing.

10. A wireless communicator according to claim 9 and wherein said light source indicates at least one of:

(i) a state of said wireless communicator, (ii) a battery status of said wireless communicator, (iii) a reception strength of said wireless communicator, (iv) an operational mode of said wireless communication functionality, (v) when said wireless communicator is in an audio conversation operational mode, (vi) when said wireless communicator is in a video conversation mode, (vii) when said wireless communicator has received a new text message, (viii) when said wireless communicator has sent a new text message, (ix) when said wireless communicator has an incoming phone call, (x) a status of said enhanced function device, and (xi) an operational mode of said enhanced function device.

11. A wireless communicator according to claim 1 and wherein said native user interface functionality comprises at least one of the group consisting of a keyboard, a display, a microphone, an earpiece, a headset port, a speaker and a vibrator.

12. A wireless communicator according to claim 1 and wherein said pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality responsive to pouching orientation of said housing in said pouch of said enhanced function device restricts said wireless communication functionality from using at least a portion of said native user interface functionality.

13. A wireless communicator according to claim 12 and wherein said pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality responsive to pouching orientation of said housing in said pouch of said enhanced function device restricts said dialing functionality.

14. An enhanced function device for use with a wireless communicator comprising a housing, wireless communication functionality located within said housing and native user interface functionality cooperating with said wireless communication functionality, said enhanced function device comprising:

a pouch;

parenting user interface functionality; and

pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality responsive to pouching orientation of said housing of said wireless communicator in said pouch for causing said wireless communication functionality to adapt to cooperating with said parenting user interface functionality at least partially instead of with said native user interface functionality, the pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality including alien rejection functionality operative to prevent cooperation of an alien wireless communicator with said parenting user interface functionality of said enhanced function device notwithstanding existence of pouching orientation of the alien wireless communicator in said pouch.

15. An enhanced function device according to claim 14 and wherein said pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality automatically causes said wireless communication functionality to adapt to cooperating with said parenting user interface functionality when said housing is oriented in the pouch of said enhanced function device.

16. An enhanced function device according to claim 14 and wherein said enhanced function device is not able to operate unless said wireless communicator is pouched therewith.

17. An enhanced function device according to claim 14 and further comprising:

a non-volatile storage positioned within said housing, for storing information relating to parenting user interface functionality; and

a controller positioned within said housing for transmitting from said enhanced function device to said wireless communicator said information relating to parenting user interface functionality, when said wireless communicator is pouched with said enhanced function device.

18. A wireless communication system comprising:

a wireless communicator, comprising;

a housing;

wireless communication functionality located within said housing;

native user interface functionality cooperating with said wireless communication functionality and including user interface surfaces located on at least one outer facing surface of said housing; and

pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality responsive to pouching orientation of said housing in a pouch of an enhanced function device for causing said wireless communication functionality to adapt to cooperating with parenting user interface functionality forming part of said enhanced function device at least partially instead of with said native user interface functionality, the pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality including alien rejection functionality operative to prevent cooperation of said wireless communication functionality with user interface functionality of an alien enhanced function device notwithstanding existence of pouching orientation of said housing in a pouch of said alien enhanced function device; and

an enhanced function device, comprising;

a pouch;

parenting user interface functionality; and

pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality responsive to pouching orientation of said housing of said wireless communicator in said pouch for causing said wireless communication functionality to adapt to cooperating with said parenting user interface functionality at least partially instead of with said native user interface functionality.

19. A wireless communicator system according to claim 18 and wherein said wireless communication functionality includes a phone call dialing functionality.

20. A method for a pouchable wireless communicator, the wireless communicator having a native user interface, the method comprising:

in response to orienting the wireless communicator in a pouch of an enhanced function device, adapting said wireless communicator to conform with a parent user interface forming part of said enhanced function device at least partially instead of with said native user interface; and

preventing said wireless communicator from adapting to conform with an alien enhanced function device, notwithstanding the wireless communicator being oriented in a pouched of said alien enhanced function device.

21. A method according to claim 20 and wherein said adapting said wireless communicator to conform with a parent user interface comprises restricting said wireless communicator from using at least a portion of its native user interface.

22. A method according to claim 20 and further comprising wirelessly transmitting, by said wireless communicator, a report about said enhanced function device to a remote recipient.

23. A wireless communication system comprising:

a plurality of wireless communicators, each wireless communicator comprising;

a housing;

wireless communication functionality located within said housing;

native user interface functionality cooperating with said wireless communication functionality and including user interface surfaces located on at least one outer facing surface of said housing; and

pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality responsive to pouching orientation of said housing in a pouch of an enhanced function device for automatically causing said wireless communication functionality to adapt to interoperation with parenting user interface functionality forming part of said enhanced function device at least partially instead of with said native user interface functionality; and

a plurality of distinguishable enhanced function devices, each enhanced function device comprising;

a pouch;

parenting user interface functionality; and

pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality responsive to pouching orientation of said housing of said wireless communicator in said pouch for automatically causing said wireless communication functionality to adapt to interoperation with said parenting user interface functionality at least partially instead of with said native user interface functionality,

wherein said plurality of wireless communicator pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionalities and said plurality of enhanced function device pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionalities enable each wireless communicator to identify which of said plurality of distinguishable enhanced function devices it is pouched in.

24. A wireless communication system according to claim 23 and wherein said wireless communication functionality wirelessly transmits to a remote recipient a report about an enhanced function device, when said wireless communicator identifies said enhanced function device as being pouched therewith.