Modular wireless communicator

• US 8,391,921 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2012
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• 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:
  US13/471,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20120289291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 294 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: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0256 wherein the modules are operable in the detached state, e.g. one module for the user interface and one module for the transceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys

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 comprising 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 the enhanced function device at least partially instead of with said native user interface functionality, and for enabling the wireless communicator with wireless network connectivity that is inaccessible to the wireless communicator when the wireless communicator is not pouched with the 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 the parenting user interface functionality when said housing is oriented in the pouch of the enhanced function device.

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

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

configuration of said wireless communication functionality to be controlled by the parenting user interface functionality 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 the wireless communicator to transmit user interface data from the wireless communicator to the enhanced function device in conformance with the information relating to the parenting user interface functionality.

5. A wireless communicator according to claim 1 and wherein said pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality expands functionality of the wireless communicator, in addition to causing said wireless communication functionality to adapt to cooperating with the parenting user interface functionality 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 the wireless communicator by enabling access to functionality of the wireless communicator that is inaccessible to the wireless communicator when the wireless communicator is not pouched with the enhanced function device.

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

8. A wireless communicator according to claim 1 and wherein said housing comprises an at least partially transparent portion in an outer facing surface, wherein the wireless communicator further comprises a light source fastened inside of said housing, wherein said light source indicates when the wireless communicator is sufficiently pouched with the 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.

9. A wireless communicator according to claim 8 and wherein said light source indicates at least one of:

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

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. A wireless communicator according to claim 11 and wherein said pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality responsive to pouching orientation of said housing in said pouch of the enhanced function device restricts said dialing functionality.

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

a pouch;

parenting user interface functionality; and

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

wherein the enhanced function device is not able to operate unless the wireless communicator is pouched therewith.

14. An enhanced function device according to claim 13 and wherein said pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality automatically causes the wireless communication functionality to adapt to cooperating with said parenting user interface functionality when the housing is oriented in the pouch of the enhanced function device.

15. An enhanced function device according to claim 13 and further comprising:

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

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

16. 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; 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,

wherein said enhanced function device is not able to operate unless said wireless communicator is pouched therewith.

17. A wireless communicator system according to claim 16 and wherein said wireless communication functionality comprises a phone call dialing functionality.

18. A method for a pouchable wireless communicator, the wireless communicator having a native user interface, comprising in response to orienting the wireless communicator in a pouch of an enhanced function device:

adapting the wireless communicator to conform with a parent user interface forming part of the enhanced function device at least partially instead of with the native user interface; and

enabling the wireless communicator with wireless network connectivity that is inaccessible to the wireless communicator when the wireless communicator is not pouched with the enhanced function device.

19. A method according to claim 18 and wherein said adapting the wireless communicator to conform with a parent user interface comprises restricting the wireless communicator from using at least a portion of its native user interface.

20. A method according to claim 18 and further comprising wirelessly transmitting, by the wireless communicator, a report about the enhanced function device to a remote recipient.