Shell for mobile telephone with NFC functionality

• US 9,491,273 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2011
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Levionnais, Philippe, Picquenot, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Sams, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US13/699,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20130072258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,996 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724092 Interfacing with an external cover providing additional functionalities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID

Abstract

A shell for a mobile telephone able to comprise a subscriber identity card. The mobile telephone has, on the one hand, a front face exhibiting a user interface and, on the other hand, a rear face. The shell has an internal surface and an external surface. This shell has a suitable shape adapted for removably receiving the mobile telephone so that the rear face of the mobile telephone is held along the internal surface of the shell. The internal surface comprises: a first means adapted for holding a near-field communication device and an antenna associated therewith; and a second means adapted for guiding at least a portion of a wire-based interface intended to link the near-field communication device to the subscriber identity card.

Claims

1. A shell for a mobile telephone, said mobile telephone being able to comprise a subscriber identity card;

said mobile telephone having a front face exhibiting a user interface, and a rear face; and

the shell having an internal surface and an external surface;

said shell having a shape adapted for removably receiving the mobile telephone so that the rear face of the mobile telephone is held along the internal surface of the shell;

wherein the internal surface comprises;

a first recess adapted for releasably holding a near-field communication device and an associated antenna; and

a second recess adapted for guiding at least a portion of a wire-based interface intended to link the near-field communication device in the first recess to the subscriber identity card in a drawer of the mobile telephone; and

wherein the shape presents a curved edge in the area where the wire-based interface is intended to enter inside the mobile telephone, wherein the second recess runs along the internal surface of the shape on the curved edge in said area along a path which enables one end of the wire-based interface to be connected to the subscriber identity card inside the mobile telephone and another end of the wire-based interface to be connected to the near-field communication device outside the mobile telephone in the first recess.

2. The shell for a mobile telephone according to claim 1, wherein the near-field communication device and the antenna are designed on a substrate;

and

wherein the first recess is a recess in the thickness of the shell on the internal surface, said first recess being of a size suitable for receiving said substrate and holding it in place by the act of being recessed.

3. The shell for a mobile telephone according to claim 2, wherein the first recess is of a thickness such that, when the substrate is in place in the first recess, the surface of the substrate receiving the near-field communication device is level with the internal surface of the shell.

4. The shell for a mobile telephone according to claim 1, wherein the first recess makes use of resin to hold the near-field communication device and its associated antenna in place.

5. The shell for a mobile telephone according to claim 1, wherein the wire-based interface corresponds to a plastic ribbon holding a plurality of wires within it and having a ribbon width and length;

and

wherein the second recess is a recess in the thickness of the shell on its internal surface, said second recess being of a size appropriate for receiving the width of the wire ribbon and at least a portion of the length of the wire ribbon.

6. The shell for a mobile telephone according to claim 5, wherein the second recess is of a depth such that, when the wire ribbon is in place in the recess, the wire ribbon is flush with the internal surface of the shell.

7. The shell for a mobile telephone according to claim 1, wherein the second recess is a flat-bottomed recess for a ribbon cable extending from the first recess to the curved edge.

8. A mobile terminal comprising:

a mobile telephone having a subscriber identity card, a shell, a near-field communication device and an associated antenna, and a wire-based interface intended to link the near-field communication device to the subscriber identity card;

said mobile telephone having a front face exhibiting a user interface, and a rear face; and

the shell having an internal surface and an external surface;

said shell having a shape adapted for removably receiving the mobile telephone so that the rear face of the mobile telephone is held along the internal surface of the shell;

the internal surface comprising;

a first recess adapted for releasably holding the near-field communication device and associated antenna; and

a second recess adapted for guiding at least a portion of the wire-based interface intended to link the near-field communication device in the first recess to the subscriber identity card in a drawer of the mobile telephone; and

wherein the shape presents a curved edge in the area where the wire-based interface enters inside the mobile telephone, wherein the second recess runs along the internal surface of the shape on the curved edge in said area along a path which enables one end of the wire-based interface to be connected to the subscriber identity card inside the mobile telephone and another end of the wire-based interface to be connected to the near-field communication device outside the mobile telephone in the first recess, the wire-based interface fitting into the second recess.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 8,

wherein the near-field communication device and the antenna are designed on a substrate;

and

wherein the first recess is a recess in the thickness of the shell on the internal surface, said first recess being of a size suitable for receiving said substrate and holding it in place by the act of being recessed.

10. The mobile terminal according to claim 9, wherein the first recess is of a thickness such that, when the substrate is in place in the first recess, the surface of the substrate receiving the near-field communication device is level with the internal surface of the shell.

11. The mobile terminal according to claim 8, wherein the wire-based interface corresponds to a plastic ribbon holding a plurality of wires within it and having a ribbon width and length;

and

wherein the second recess is a recess in the thickness of the shell on its internal surface, said second recess being of a size appropriate for receiving the width of the wire ribbon and at least a portion of the length of the wire ribbon.

12. The mobile terminal according to claim 11, wherein the second recess is of a depth such that, when the wire ribbon is in place in the second recess, the wire ribbon is flush with the internal surface of the shell.

13. The mobile terminal according to claim 8, wherein the wire-based interface has a shape complementary to that of the second recess.

14. A mobile communication system comprising a plurality of mobile terminals according to claim 8.