Interchangeable intelligent accessories for mobile devices

• US 9,472,964 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2012
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chien-Chung Tseng
• Original Assignee: Chien-Chung Tseng
• Inventors: Tseng, Chien-Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): Amaya, Carlos
• Application Number:
  US13/585,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20130069431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 307/43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• 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

Abstract

Techniques for an interchangeable modular design for mobile device accessories by separating a mobile device accessory into two modules are disclosed herein. The power and data interfaces between a power module and an expansion adapter are predetermined as a standardized design. The power module includes a battery to supply electrical power. The power module has a form-fitting shape adapted to secure a particular mobile device with the power module. The expansion adapter includes interfaces to be connected to the mobile device and the power module. The power module can receive electrical power supplied from the battery of the power module. The expansion adapter and/or power module may include additional hardware functionalities.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a mobile device comprising:

a power module including a battery, a power output interface and a data interface, the power module having a shape adapted to secure the mobile device with the power module; and

an expansion adapter including

a device interface configured to detachably couple to the mobile device;

a power input interface configured to detachably couple to the power output interface of the power module such that the expansion adapter can draw electrical power from the battery of the power module via the power output interface; and

a power module communication interface configured to detachably couple to the data interface of the power module for data communications between the power module and the expansion adapter;

wherein the expansion adapter is interchangeable with an second expansion adaptor that includes a second device interface configured to detachably couple to a second mobile device, and wherein the mobile device and the second mobile device are different models, and wherein the device interface of the expansion adapter is different from the second device interface of the second expansion adapter;

wherein the expansion adapter is further configured to relay battery status information from the power module to the mobile device via the device interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrical power is supplied through the expansion adapter to the mobile device in a manner wherein both the mobile device and the expansion adapter can operate on the battery of the power module.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power module or the expansion adapter includes an expansion hardware configured to provide a hardware functionality;

and wherein the mobile device can conduct data communication with the expansion hardware via the device interface.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the expansion hardware includes at least one of the following data capturing devices:

barcode scanner, credit card reader, magnetic stripe reader, motion sensor, gyroscope, game controller, RFID receiver, radio receiver, short distance wireless data exchange receiver, WiFi receiver, thermometer, hygrometer, blood pressure monitor, electrocardiography (ECG) monitor, pulse oximeter, and remote health monitor.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the expansion hardware includes at least one of the following output devices:

projector, haptic feedback, flash light, LED, short distance wireless data exchange transmitter, and medical device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power module has a form-fitting shape that tightly follows contours of a part of the mobile device that is closely engaged to the power module when the mobile device is secured with the power module.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the expansion adapter is further configured to supply the mobile device with power that is drawn from the battery of the power module via the device interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the expansion adapter is further configured to receive power from the mobile device via the device interface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a smartphone, a tablet, a computer, a game console, a console controller, a remote controller, a media player, a digital camera, a video recorder, a personal digital assistant, a global positioning system (GPS) device, a portable medical device, or an electronic watch.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power module further includes a wireless charging component such that the power module can be charged wirelessly.

11. A method comprising:

drawing power by a mobile device from a power module via an expansion adapter, wherein the power module includes a battery and a power output interface, and further wherein the expansion adapter includes a power input interface coupled to the power output interface of the power module and a device interface coupled to the mobile device;

communicating data between the mobile device and an expansion hardware of the expansion adapter via the device interface, wherein the power module is secured to the mobile device;

relaying battery status information from the power module to the mobile device via the device interface of the expansion adapter; and

replacing the expansion adapter with a second expansion adapter and attaching the power module and the second expansion adapter to a second mobile device, wherein the second mobile device and the mobile device are different models.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

retrieving battery status information from the battery of the power module via a data interface of the power module.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

supplying the mobile device with electrical power that is drawn from the battery of the power module via the device interface of the expansion adapter.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the power module is form-fitted to contours of a part of the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

capturing data by the expansion adapter;

sending, to the mobile device, from the expansion hardware of the expansion adapter, the data includes at least one of the following captured data;

barcode data, credit card data, magnetic stripe data, motion sensor data, gyroscope data, game controlling data, audio data, video data, short distance wireless data exchange data, thermometer data, hygrometer data, blood pressure data, electrocardiography (ECG) data, pulse oximetry data, and remote health data.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, from the mobile device, at the expansion hardware of the expansion adapter, data outputted by one of the following output devices;

projector, haptic feedback, flash light, LED, short distance wireless data exchange transmitter, and medical device.

17. A power module for a mobile device comprising:

a battery;

a power output interface configured to supply power from the battery to the mobile device via an expansion adapter or a relay module when the expansion adapter or the relay module is electrically coupled to the power module via the power output interface and electrically coupled to the mobile device; and

the power output interface being further configured to draw power from the battery to an expansion hardware of the expansion adapter when the expansion adapter is electrically coupled to the power module via the power output interface and electrically coupled to the mobile device so that the mobile device can conduct data communication with the expansion hardware;

wherein the power module has a shape adapted to secure the mobile device with the power module;

wherein the expansion adapter is interchangeable with a second expansion adaptor that is configured to detachably couple to a second mobile device, and wherein the mobile device and the second mobile device are different models;

wherein the expansion adapter is further configured to relay battery status information from the power module to the mobile device.

18. The power module of claim 17, wherein the power module includes a data interface and a second expansion hardware configured to provide a hardware functionality;

and wherein the mobile device can conduct data communication with the second expansion hardware via the data interface.