Customized hardware selection for a mobile phone

• US 9,143,605 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Chan, Alistair K., Eckhoff, Philip A., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Tuckerman, David B., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US14/635,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 204 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A mobile phone includes a shell and a hardware component coupled to the shell, wherein the hardware component is selected from a set of interchangeable components having substantially the same size but different functions.

Claims

1. A mobile phone, comprising:

a shell including a receiver and a cover movable to provide access to the receiver; and

a hardware component coupled to the shell by the receiver, wherein the hardware component is selected from a set of interchangeable components having substantially the same size but different functions.

2. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the hardware components of the set of interchangeable hardware components have substantially the same shape.

3. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the mobile phone is configured such that a second hardware component selected from the set of interchangeable components may be interchanged with the first hardware component.

4. The mobile phone of claim 1 further comprising one or more non-interchangeable hardware components.

5. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the hardware component is selected by an end user.

6. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the set of interchangeable components includes a connector.

7. The mobile phone of claim 6, wherein the connector may include one of a Universal Serial Bus connector, an IEEE 1394 connector, a DisplayPort connector, a Digital Visual Interface connector, a coaxial cable connector, a High Definition Multimedia Interface connector, a registered jack, a TRS connector, or miniaturized versions thereof.

8. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the interchangeable components occupy at least 50 percent of the volume of the shell.

9. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the interchangeable components occupy at least 90 percent of the volume of the shell.

10. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the set of interchangeable components includes a blood glucose tester.

11. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the set of interchangeable components includes a magnetic stripe reader.

12. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the set of interchangeable components includes a battery.

13. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the set of interchangeable components includes an accident data recorder.

14. The mobile phone of claim 13, wherein the accident data recorder comprises an accelerometer.

15. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the set of interchangeable components includes a microprocessor.

16. The mobile phone of claim 15, wherein the microprocessor comprises a graphics processing unit.

17. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the set of interchangeable components includes a speaker.

18. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the set of interchangeable components includes a microphone.

19. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the set of interchangeable components includes an RFID reader.

20. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the set of interchangeable components includes a display.

21. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the set of interchangeable components includes a keyboard.

22. The mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the set of interchangeable components includes an antenna.

23. The mobile phone of claim 1 further comprising an antenna configured for communication with a cellular network.

24. A mobile phone, comprising:

a shell;

a first hardware component coupled to the shell, wherein the first hardware component is selected from a first set of interchangeable components having substantially the same size but different functions; and

a second hardware component coupled to the shell and selected from a second set of interchangeable components having substantially the same size but different functions;

wherein the size of the second hardware component is different than the size of the first hardware component so that the first hardware component cannot replace the second hardware component.

25. The mobile phone of claim 24, wherein the first hardware component is disposed in a first portion of the shell configured to receive hardware components of the first set of interchangeable hardware components, and the second hardware component is disposed in a second portion of the shell configured to receive hardware components of the second set of interchangeable hardware components.

26. The mobile phone of claim 25, wherein the mobile phone is configured such that a third hardware component may be exchanged with the first hardware component and the second hardware component such that the third hardware component is disposed in a combination of the first portion and the second portion of the shell.

27. The mobile phone of claim 26, wherein third hardware component is selected from a third set of interchangeable components having substantially the same size but different functions.

34. The mobile phone of claim 24, wherein the shell includes a first receiver, a second receiver, and a cover movable to provide access to the first and second receivers and wherein the first hardware component is coupled to the shell by the first receiver and the second hardware component is coupled to the shell by the second receiver.

35. The mobile phone of claim 24, wherein the second hardware component cannot replace the first hardware component.

28. A mobile phone, comprising:

a shell, wherein the shell is selected from a set of shells having different sizes; and

a hardware component coupled to the shell, wherein the hardware component is selected from a set of interchangeable components having substantially the same size but different functions.

29. The mobile phone of claim 28 further comprising one or more non-interchangeable hardware components.

30. The mobile phone of claim 29, wherein the non-interchangeable hardware component comprises a display.

31. The mobile phone of claim 29, wherein the interchangeable components occupy a greater portion of the volume of the shell than the non-interchangeable hardware components.

32. The mobile phone of claim 29, wherein the interchangeable components occupy at least 50 percent of the volume of the shell.

33. The mobile phone of claim 29, wherein the interchangeable components occupy at least 90 percent of the volume of the shell.