Cases for mobile electronic devices configured to receive auxiliary optical devices

• US 9,571,151 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2015
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Portero Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Olloclip, LLC
• Inventors: O'Neill, Patrick D., Pak, Chong, Cantor, Joshua, Kong, Bobby
• Primary Examiner(s): Talukder, Md
• Application Number:
  US14/606,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20150222315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/185 Improving the rigidity of the casing or resistance to shocks

Abstract

Examples of cases and other accessories for mobile electronic devices are provided. Some cases are provided to protect mobile electronic devices from unintended forceful contact that could otherwise cause damage to the mobile electronic devices and/or to protect the mobile electronic devices against unwanted and potentially damaging ingress of harmful materials, such as water, dust, dirt, and/other potentially damaging materials. Some cases can include an attachment region that is configured to receive an auxiliary component to be used and/or attached with the mobile electronic device, such as an auxiliary lens or other optical device that can be used and/or attached with an onboard camera of the mobile electronic device.

Claims

1. A protective case for a mobile electronic device with multiple onboard cameras for use with an auxiliary component, the case comprising:

a case body configured to removably attach to the mobile electronic device, the case body comprising multiple openings or access regions for accessing the multiple onboard cameras of the mobile electronic device, each opening or access region being positioned in a different area of the case to correspond with a different location of a lens of each of the multiple onboard cameras, one of the openings or access regions being positioned within an attachment region, the opening or access region in the attachment region being surrounded by an arch, the attachment region being configured to receive an auxiliary component that is capable of directly forming a friction fit with the mobile electronic device by itself and that is functionally usable with the mobile electronic device when the mobile electronic device is attached to the case body such that one or more of interior side edges of the opening or access region in the attachment region are configured to abut against an edge of the auxiliary component when the auxiliary component is advanced onto the attachment region of the case body, and the case body is configured to permit the auxiliary component to contact both a front surface and a rear surface of the mobile electronic device at the same time;

a front-to-back thickness along the arch being less than a front-to-back thickness of the case along one or more interior side edges of the opening adjacent to the arch, and the front-to-back thickness of the arch being sufficiently close to a front-to-back thickness of the mobile electronic device to which the case is configured to attach that the case is configured to permit the auxiliary component to also form a friction fit on a combination of the case and mobile electronic device;

wherein the case is configured to provide protection for the mobile electronic device by resisting damage to the mobile electronic device during attachment and use of the auxiliary component.

2. The combination of the protective case of claim 1 and the mobile electronic device.

3. The combination of the protective case of claim 1 and the auxiliary component.

4. The protective case of claim 1 wherein the case is configured so that when the case receives the auxiliary component and the mobile electronic device, the attachment between the auxiliary component and the mobile electronic device and the case resists sliding during normal use.

5. The protective case of claim 1 wherein one or more of the interior side edges are curved.

6. The protective case of claim 1 wherein the opening of the attachment region is positioned in a corner of the case.

7. The protective case of claim 1 wherein the opening or access region of the attachment region is not a circle.

8. The protective case of claim 7 wherein the opening or access region of the attachment region has an upper edge that generally corresponds to the shape of a corner region of the case.

9. The protective case of claim 8 wherein a lower edge of the opening or access region of the attachment region is curved.

10. The protective case of claim 1 wherein the arch is positioned in a corner region of the case.

11. The protective case of claim 1 wherein the arch is positioned along an upper edge of the case.

21. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary component is an optical component.

22. The protective case of claim 21, wherein the optical component is a lens.

12. A protective case for a mobile electronic device for use with an auxiliary optical component, the case comprising:

a perimeter region configured to receive and generally surround a mobile electronic device to assist in protecting the mobile electronic device;

a movable arm assembly comprising a movable arm, a first pivot point, and a second rotation point, the movable arm forming a portion of the perimeter region that is adjacent to an onboard camera of the mobile electronic device when the case is attached to the mobile electronic device, the arm being pivotable and rotatable around two different, non-parallel axes; and

wherein the case comprises a standard stage in which the arm is positioned along and forms part of the perimeter region of a corner of the case and in which the arm is configured to cover a corner of the mobile electronic device, a transitory stage in which the arm is moved away from the perimeter region to create an opening in the perimeter region configured to receive an auxiliary optical component for use with the mobile electronic device, and a component-securing position configured to secure the auxiliary component, wherein a portion of the movable arm assembly is configured to contact the auxiliary optical component and secure the auxiliary optical component to the mobile electronic device when the case is attached to the mobile electronic device.

13. The combination of the protective case of claim 12 and the mobile electronic device.

14. The combination of the protective case of claim 12 and the auxiliary component.

15. The protective case of claim 12, wherein the case is a bumper case.

16. The protective case of claim 12, wherein the case comprises a rear face that extends across a rear portion of the mobile electronic device.

17. The protective case of claim 12, wherein the case is configured to retain the auxiliary optical component in a corner region of the case in the component securing position.

18. The protective case of claim 12, wherein the arm is positioned in a first corner region of the case in the standard stage.

19. The protective case of claim 18, wherein in the component-securing position the arm is positioned in a second corner region of the case that is different from the first corner region.

20. The protective case of claim 12, wherein the arm comprises two generally perpendicular portions.