Power case for electronic device

• US 9,680,518 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2016
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Inventors: Center, Adam D., Wojcik, James J., Benzion, Adam, Joshi, Abhishek
• Primary Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JAMARA ALZAIDA
• Application Number:
  US14/986,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20160119013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 235375, 4555758, 4555751, 455573
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1628 Carrying enclosures containing additional elements, e.g. case for a laptop and a printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/01 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/082 using inductive or magnetic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/089 hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10544 by scanning of the records by radiation in the optical part of the electromagnetic spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• 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: H04B 1/3883 : Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 : Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers

Abstract

A protective case for an electronic device includes a cover, a rechargeable battery, first and second electrical connectors, and electrical circuitry. The first electrical connector is accessible at an outer surface of the cover for electrically connecting to an external power source. The second electrical connector is accessible at an inner surface of the cover for electrically connecting the protective case to the electronic device. The electrical circuitry distributes the received electrical power to the electronic device and to the rechargeable battery. The electrical circuitry also distributes stored electrical power from the rechargeable battery to the electronic device. Distribution of the stored electrical power to the electronic device is conditioned upon an input received from the electronic device, a mode of the protective case, and or a signal received at the protective case.

Claims

1. A protective cover for a mobile computing device having a touchscreen, the protective cover comprising:

a shell to at least partially surround the mobile computing device when the mobile computing device is installed in the shell, the shell having an outer surface and an inner surface, the shell providing access to the touchscreen of the installed mobile computing device;

a rechargeable energy storage device;

a first electrical connector accessible at the outer surface of the shell for temporarily electrically interconnecting the protective cover to an external power supply for receiving electrical power from the external power supply;

a second electrical connector attached to the inner surface of the shell for electrically interconnecting the protective cover to the installed mobile computing device; and

electrical circuitry configured such that;

when the protective cover is receiving the electrical power from the external power supply through the first electrical connector, the electrical circuitry distributes the received electrical power to the installed mobile computing device through the second electrical connector and to the rechargeable energy storage device of the protective cover to charge the rechargeable energy storage device; and

when the protective cover is not receiving the electrical power from the external power supply, the electrical circuitry distributes stored electrical power from the rechargeable energy storage device of the protective cover to the installed mobile computing device through the second electrical connector, wherein the distribution of the stored electrical power to the installed mobile computing device occurs only after receiving a data communication from the mobile computing device, and wherein the distribution is based on information included in the data communication received from the mobile computing device.

2. The protective cover of claim 1 wherein the rechargeable energy storage device includes a rechargeable battery.

3. The protective cover of claim 1 further comprising a speaker opening to accommodate a speaker of the installed mobile computing device.

4. The protective cover of claim 1 wherein the data communication from the mobile computing device is received through the second electrical connector.

5. The protective cover of claim 1 wherein the data communication from the mobile computing device is received wirelessly.

6. A protective case for an electronic device having a touchscreen interface, the protective case comprising:

a protective shell to at least partially enclose the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective shell, the protective shell having an outer surface and an inner surface, the protective shell permitting access to the touchscreen interface of the installed electronic device;

a first electrical connector at the outer surface of the protective shell for electrically connecting the protective case to an external power source and for receiving electrical power from the external power source when the external power source is electrically connected to the protective case through the first electrical connector;

a second electrical connector at the inner surface of the protective shell for electrically connecting the protective case to the installed electronic device;

a rechargeable battery; and

a computer processor configured for;

distributing a first portion of the received electrical power to the installed electronic device through the second electrical connector and distributing a second portion of the received electrical power to the rechargeable battery of the protective case; and

distributing stored electrical power from the rechargeable battery of the protective case to the installed electronic device through the second electrical connector when the protective case is not connected to the external power source, wherein distributing the stored electrical power to the installed electronic device is based on information indicating an operational mode of the installed electronic device, the information received before the distributing of the stored electrical power to the installed electronic device.

7. The protective case of claim 6 further comprising a memory storing non-transitory computer-executable instructions for execution by the computer processor to perform the distributing.

8. The protective case of claim 6 further comprising a transparent membrane that covers the touchscreen interface of the installed electronic device, protects the touchscreen interface of the installed electronic device, and enables operation of the touchscreen interface by a user through the transparent membrane.

9. The protective case of claim 6 further comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes controlled by the computer processor for indicating a state of the rechargeable battery of the protective case.

10. The protective case of claim 6 wherein the protective case exchanges data communications with the installed electronic device through the second electrical connector and the operational mode of the electronic device is determined based, at least in part, on the data communications.

11. A protective case for an electronic device having a touchscreen interface, the protective case comprising:

a cover that at least partially surrounds the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case, the cover having an outer surface and an inner surface, the cover permitting access to the touchscreen interface of the installed electronic device;

a rechargeable battery;

a first electrical connector accessible at the outer surface of the cover for electrically connecting the protective case to an external power source and for receiving electrical power from the external power source when the external power source is electrically connected to the protective case through the first electrical connector;

a second electrical connector accessible at the inner surface of the cover for electrically connecting the protective case to the installed electronic device; and

electrical circuitry to;

distribute a first portion of the received electrical power to the installed electronic device through the second electrical connector and distribute a second portion of the received electrical power to the rechargeable battery of the protective case when the protective case is connected to the external power source; and

distribute stored electrical power from the rechargeable battery of the protective case to the installed electronic device through the second electrical connector when the protective case is not connected to the external power source, wherein the stored electrical power is distributed to the installed electronic device only after receiving an electrical signal at the electrical circuitry from the installed electronic device.

12. The protective case of claim 11 wherein the electrical circuitry is further configured to:

determine a current limit for the external power source based on a characteristic of the external power source; and

limit the received electrical power based on the current limit.

13. The protective case of claim 12 wherein the electrical circuitry is further configured to determine the characteristic of the power source.

14. The protective case of claim 11 wherein the electrical circuitry is further configured to:

determine a current limit for the external power source based on a characteristic of the electrical connection to the external power source; and

limit the received electrical power based on the determined current limit.

15. The protective case of claim 11 wherein the electrical signal is received from the electronic device.

16. The protective case of claim 11 wherein the cover comprises a first case portion that is removably attachable to a second case portion to at least partially surround the electronic device.

17. The protective case of claim 11 wherein the first electrical connector includes one of a mini USB connector and a micro USB connector.

18. The protective case of claim 11 wherein to distribute the first portion of the received electrical power to the installed electronic device through the second electrical connector and distribute the second portion of the received electrical power to the rechargeable battery of the protective case includes to:

monitor an amount of the received electrical power consumed by the installed electronic device; and

distribute at least a portion of the received electrical power not consumed by the installed electronic device to the rechargeable battery of the protective case.

19. The protective case of claim 11 further comprising a flexible transparent membrane that extends over the touchscreen interface of the installed electronic device and allows operation of the touchscreen interface through the flexible transparent membrane.

20. The protective case of claim 11 further comprising one or more display elements for indicating a charge state of the rechargeable battery of the protective case.