Portable communication devices with accessory functions and related methods

• US 9,277,037 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Chapman, Brian Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US14/457,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20140349711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 455/344, 455/550.1, 455/558, 455/517, 455/66.1, 455/67.11, 455/556.1, 455/556.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4068 Electrical coupling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4286 using a handshaking protocol, e.g. RS232C link
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4295 using an embedded synchronisation
• 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 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0274 for an electrical connector module
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts

Abstract

Portable communication devices and related methods for use in supporting voice and/or data communication are provided. One example portable communication device includes a housing, a display device disposed at said housing, a processor disposed at least partially within said housing, the processor coupled to said display device, and an interface connector disposed at said housing and coupled to said processor. The interface connector is configured to couple to a module. The processor is configured to communicate, through said interface connector, via a plurality of communication protocols. The processor is configured to select at least one of the plurality of communication protocols based on the module coupled to the interface connector.

Claims

1. An accessory module for providing at least one accessory function to a portable communication device, the portable communication device including a processor and an interface connector, the interface connector disposed on a back side of a housing of said portable communication device such that the interface connector is positioned behind a removable back panel when coupled to the housing, said accessory module comprising:

an accessory module back panel;

a means for providing at least one accessory function;

a module connector configured to mate with the interface connector of the portable communication device; and

a means for coupling said accessory module back panel to the housing in place of the removable back panel of the portable communication device when the removable back panel is uncoupled from the housing, said module connector positioned on said accessory module back panel such that said module connector mates with the interface connector when said accessory module back panel is secured to the housing, and such that said accessory module is coupled to the portable communication device and communicates with the processor of the portable communication device via said module connector to provide said at least one accessory function.

2. The accessory module of claim 1, wherein said accessory module is configured to communicate with the processor using at least one of a USB interface, an I2C interface, an SPI interface, and a UART interface.

3. The accessory module of claim 1, wherein said accessory module comprises identify information interrogatable by the processor for authenticating said accessory module.

4. The accessory module of claim 1, wherein said accessory module is further configured to select at least one of a plurality of communication protocols available from the portable communication device.

5. The accessory module of claim 1, wherein a cross-section of said accessory module is substantially consistent with a cross-section of the housing of the portable communication device.

6. The accessory module of claim 1, wherein said accessory module comprises an encryption module, said encryption module configured to operate with or in place of a crypto processor of the portable communication device.

7. The accessory module of claim 1, wherein said module connector is configured to mate with the interface connector when the back panel is removed to provide access to the interface connector.

8. The accessory module of claim 7, wherein said accessory module is configured to slidably engage the housing of the portable communication device while simultaneously engaging said module connector of said accessory module with the interface connector.

9. The accessory module of claim 7, wherein said accessory module is configured to snap engage to the housing of the portable communication device to connect said accessory module and the interface connector.

10. The accessory module of claim 1, wherein said module connector is positionable in a void disposed within the housing of the portable communications device, such that said module connector is positioned proximate to the interface connector for sliding engagement with the interface connector.

11. The accessory module of claim 1, wherein said means for providing at least one accessory function comprises at least one of a display, a sensor, a radio, an external power source, a reader, a positioning hardware, an auxiliary processor, and an encryption module.

12. The accessory module of claim 1, wherein said means for coupling said accessory module to said housing comprises a plurality of mounting tabs disposed on said accessory module, said tabs configured to engage a corresponding plurality of latching mechanisms disposed on the housing.

13. A method for providing at least one accessory function to a portable communication device, the portable communication device including a processor and an interface connector, said method comprising:

uncoupling a back panel from a housing of the portable communication device, wherein the interface connector is disposed on a back side of the housing such that the interface connector is positioned behind the back panel when coupled to the housing;

coupling an accessory module back panel of an accessory module to the housing in place of the back panel, wherein a module connector of the accessory module is positioned on the accessory module back panel such that the module connector mates with the interface connector when the accessory module back panel is secured to the portable communication device such that the module connector of the accessory module is communicatively coupled to the interface connector of the portable communication device; and

communicating, by the processor through the interface connector, with the accessory module to provide the at least one accessory function.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising identifying, at the processor, the accessory module, and wherein said communicating by the processor is based on the identification of the accessory module.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the accessory module includes determining if the accessory module is an approved module for use with the portable communication device, based on the identity of the accessory module.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising selecting at least one of a plurality of communication protocols based on the identity of the accessory module and powering at least one communication channel between the accessory module and the portable communication device to support the selected communication protocol.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising disabling a component of the portable communication device and permitting the processor to utilize a similar component within the accessory module.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining if the accessory module includes at least one module battery;

presenting to a user a selection of a battery of the portable communication device and the at least one module battery; and

powering the portable communication device using the battery selected by the user.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving a user selection for a direction of charge to determine which of the portable communication device battery and the at least one module battery is charged from the other.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

powering the portable communication device from a module battery of the accessory module; and

maintaining uninterrupted power to the portable communication device when the accessory module is removed from the portable communication device.