Accessory devices for mobile phones

• US 8,630,684 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2008
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Felt, Michelle, Roberts, Brian F., Relyea, Donald H., Stallings, Heath
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour, Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US12/330,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20100144392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,863 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/90, 455/11.1, 455/66, 455/74, 455/556, 455/90.1, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

Implementations described herein relate to accessories for mobile phones. In one implementation, an accessory may include, a display to present information received from a mobile phone to a user of the accessory. The accessory may connect with the mobile phone to form a link to the mobile phone. The accessory may include a clothing attachment component to attach the accessory to the user or to clothing of the user.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a local connection component to;

form a link to a mobile phone;

a component to;

receive update information from the mobile phone,

the update information being received over the link,

receive, from a user of the device, parameters for displaying the update information,

the parameters being used by the device to customize the display of the update information,

determine that a connection with the mobile phone is broken,

perform, based on determining that the connection is broken, an action,

detect location information regarding another device,

establish, based on the received location information, a peer-to-peer connection with the other device, and

receive information from the other device using only a short-range wireless link;

a display to;

display, based on the received parameters, the update information, and

display the received information from the other device; and

an attachment component to attach the device to the user.

2. The device of claim 1, where the local connection component connects with the mobile phone using a local wireless connection or a local cable connection.

3. The device of claim 1, where the attachment component includes one of a pin, a band, a chain, a keychain ring, or a belt clip.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a speaker for outputting audio information.

5. The device of claim 1, where the display includes a display based on e-paper technology.

6. The device of claim 1, where the display includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) or light emitting diode (LED) display.

7. The device of claim 1, where the action includes turning off the device.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a speaker for outputting audio information, and

where the action includes playing a sound through the speaker to indicate that the link has been broken.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a part to actuate based on the update information received from the mobile phone.

22. The device of claim 1, where the update information includes one of:

score updates,

financial information, or

social networking information.

10. A method comprising:

detecting, by a first device associated with a first user, a presence of a second device in a local vicinity of the first device based on location information associated with the first device and location information associated with the second device;

establishing, by the first device and based on detecting the presence of the second device, a peer-to-peer connection with the second device;

exchanging, by the first device, information relating to a user of the second device using only a short-range wireless link;

presenting, by the first device, the exchanged information;

receiving, by the first device, update information from a mobile phone of the first user;

receiving, by the first device, parameters for displaying the update information,

the parameters being used by the first device to customize the display of the update information;

presenting, by the first device and based on the received parameters, the update information from the mobile phone;

determining, by the first device, that a link to the mobile phone is broken; and

performing, by the first device and based on determining that the connection is broken, an action.

11. The method of claim 10, where the first device is attached to the first user.

12. The method of claim 10, where the detection of the presence of the second device is performed via a local wireless connection implemented between the first device and the second device.

13. The method of claim 10, where the detection of the presence of the second device is performed by the mobile phone.

14. The method of claim 10, where presenting the information includes displaying the information or emitting an audible signal based on the information.

15. The method of claim 10, where the presented update information includes:

information relating to a location of the user of the second device;

information relating to a potential compatibility of the first user and the user of the second device;

or

at least one of a name, physical description, or distance from the first user to the user of the second device.

16. The method of claim 10, where the exchanging of information with the second device is performed when the first device and the second device are each members of a same social group.

23. The method of claim 10, where, when performing the action, the method includes one of:

turning off the device;

or

outputting a sound.

17. A system comprising:

an accessory device connected to a mobile phone, the accessory device including;

a local network connection component to connect to the mobile phone and receive update information from the mobile phone,

a component to;

receive the update information from the local network connection component,

receive, from a user of the accessory device, parameters for displaying the update information,

the parameters being used by the accessory device to customize the display of the update information,

determine that a link to the mobile phone is broken,

perform, based on determining that the connection is broken, an action,

detect location information regarding another accessory device,

establish, based on the received location information, a peer-to-peer connection with the other accessory device, and

receive information from the other accessory device, using only a short-range wireless link, and

a display to;

display the received information from the other accessory device; and

display, based on the received parameters, the update information.

18. The system of claim 17, where the accessory device further includes an attachment component to attach the accessory device to the user.

19. The system of claim 18, where the attachment component includes one of a pin, a band, a chain, a keychain ring, or a belt clip.

20. The system of claim 17, where the local network connection component includes a local wireless connection component or a local cable connection component.

21. The system of claim 17, where the display includes a display based on e-paper technology.