Expanding capabilities of mobile computing devices

• US 9,658,651 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2015
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Moscase Inc.
• Original Assignee: MSC Accessories Corp.
• Inventors: Balogh, Akos
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain, Ankur
• Application Number:
  US14/670,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20160286014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0274 for an electrical connector module
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/185 Improving the rigidity of the casing or resistance to shocks
• 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 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A rim for protecting a handheld computing device, such as a smartphone, has left, right, top, and bottom edges sized to engage the corresponding edges of the handheld device. An electronic processor is disposed within at least one of the rim edges, and is able to communicatively connect to the handheld computing device when the handheld computing device is engaged by the rim. The rim resiliently stretches over the handheld device to engage the device, the resilient material further operative to protect the device from damage due to dropping. Sensors are communicatively coupled to the electronic processor, the sensors operable to detect a health parameter of the body of the user when the user grasps the rim engaged with the handheld computing device, and uses the handheld computing device in a normal manner. Electronic backplates having differing features can be attached to the rim and communicate with the rim.

Claims

1. A rim for protecting a handheld computing device, the rim comprising:

a left edge sized and dimensioned to engage a left edge of the handheld computing device;

a right edge sized and dimensioned to engage a right edge of the handheld computing device;

a top edge sized and dimensioned to engage a top edge of the handheld computing device;

a bottom edge sized and dimensioned to engage a bottom edge of the handheld computing device; and

an electronic processor disposed within at least one of the left, right, top, and bottom edges, the processor communicatively connectable to the handheld computing device when the handheld computing device is engaged by the rim;

a backplate positionable between the left and right edges of the rim and behind the handheld computing device when the handheld computing device is engaged by the rim, the backplate including an electronic device operative to communicate encoded identification information to the handheld computing device which is decodable by software executing upon the handheld computing device to identify the backplate; and

the left, right, top, and bottom edges including a resilient material.

2. The rim of claim 1, wherein the rim includes an aperture between the left, right, top, and bottom edges that is sized to reveal all of a display of the handheld computing device when the handheld computing device is engaged within the rim.

3. The rim of claim 1, wherein at least one of the left, right, top, and bottom edges includes a first connector for connecting to the handheld computing device, and wherein at least one of the left, right, top, and bottom edges includes a second connector for electrically connecting to a power supply and communication connector provided for the handheld computing device.

4. The rim of claim 3, wherein the first and second connector are connected to the same one of the left, right, top, and bottom edges.

5. The rim of claim 1, wherein the rim further includes an electronic sensor for detecting a parameter of an environment of the rim.

6. The rim of claim 5, wherein the electronic sensor is connected to the electronic processor.

7. The rim of claim 5, wherein the parameter of the environment is a body temperature of a user of the rim when the rim is engaged with the handheld computing device.

8. The rim of claim 5, wherein the sensor includes a first sensor on the left edge and a second sensor on the right edge, and wherein the parameter of the environment is an electrical property of the skin of a hand of a user of the rim when the rim is engaged with the handheld computing device, the electrical property measured by the first and second sensor at two different places of the hand.

9. The rim of claim 8, wherein the electronic sensor automatically detects the parameter when the user grasps the left and right edges of the rim with a single hand.

10. The rim of claim 9, wherein the electronic sensor automatically detects the parameter when the user grasps the rim.

11. The rim of claim 5, wherein the parameter of the environment is an electrical property of the heart of a user of the rim when the rim is engaged with the handheld computing device.

12. The rim of claim 5, wherein the parameter of the environment is the pulse of a user of the rim when the rim is engaged with the handheld computing device.

13. The rim of claim 5, wherein the rim further includes one or more LEDs for measuring the parameter of the environment.

14. The rim of claim 1, wherein the rim further includes at least one electronic sensor in each of the left and right edges for automatically detecting the body temperature and pulse of a user of the rim when the rim is engaged with the handheld computing device and the user grasps the left and right edges of the engaged rim with a single hand to use the handheld computing device during conversation.