System of stacked devices

• US 9,761,068 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: i-Blades Inc
• Original Assignee: i-Blades Inc
• Inventors: Salmon, Peter C., Fernandes, Jorge, Meissner, Paul, Panagrossi, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): Syed, Nabil
• Application Number:
  US14/671,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20150199858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00206 the keyless data carrier being hand operated
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/25 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16245 the item being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32245 the item being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48106 the connector being orthogonal to a side surface of the semiconductor or solid-state body, e.g. parallel layout
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48465 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area being a wedge bond, i.e. ball-to-wedge, regular stitch
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49513 having bonding material between chip and die pad
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49541 Geometry of the lead-frame
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/32 of an individual layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/86 Parallel contacts arranged about a common axis
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/26 for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0256 : wherein the modules are operable in the detached state, e.g. one module for the user interface and one module for the transceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 : User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 : using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/00 : Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 : Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A method of implementing use cases includes associating a use case with each of a plurality of devices capable of being used or accessed by a user. The method also includes providing a plurality of stackable blades, each providing a standard physical interface and being configured to implement a solution to the use case associated with each of the plurality of devices. The method further includes stacking the plurality of stackable blades to form an interconnected stack. Each of the plurality of stackable blades are coupled using the standard physical interface. The method also includes executing a first purpose corresponding to a first use case and executing a second purpose corresponding to a second use case. Embodiments provide an electronic ecosystem featuring ubiquitous connectivity in which a standard contact array in each component of the ecosystem assures interoperability between heterogeneous devices.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a base unit comprising a battery and a communications unit, wherein the base unit is associated with at least one use case, and wherein the base unit is capable of being used or accessed by a user;

a first stackable blade directly coupled to the base unit, wherein the first stackable blade is configured to implement a first solution corresponding to a use case of the at least one use case, wherein the first stackable blade includes a first physical interface; and

a second stackable blade directly coupled to the first blade, wherein the second stackable blade is configured to implement a second solution corresponding to a use case of the at least one use case, wherein the second stackable blade includes a second physical interface

wherein the first physical interface and the second physical interface are configured to directly couple the first stackable blade and the second stackable blade, and wherein the first physical interface and the second physical interface each include;

one or more magnets disposed on a planar coupling face, and

one or more terminals disposed on the planar coupling face,

wherein the planar coupling face of the first stackable blade couples with the planar coupling face of the second stackable blade.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the communications unit is operable to make and receive at least one of phone calls, messaging, or email.

3. The user companion device of claim 1 wherein the device further comprises a third stackable blade comprising a user-selectable, personalized hardware element.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is wearable.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising a third stackable blade directly coupled to the second stackable blade, the third stackable blade comprising a display screen.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the display screen is a touch screen.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more magnets of the coupling face of the first stackable blade align with the one or more magnets of the coupling face of the second stackable blade.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more terminals of the coupling face of the first stackable blade align with the one or more terminals of the coupling face of the second stackable blade.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein a periphery of the one or more magnets and the one or more terminals define a coupling area and wherein a peripheral area of at least one of the first stackable blade or the second stackable blade is greater than the coupling area.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the peripheral area of the at least one of the first stackable blade or the second stackable blade is independent of the coupling area.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the first physical interface and the second physical interface are each characterized by a bisector,

wherein the one or more magnets include at least a pair of magnets, each magnet of the at least the pair of magnets being positioned at an equal distance from the bisector, and

wherein the one or more terminals include at least a pair of terminals, each terminal the at least the pair of terminals being positioned at an equal distance from the bisector.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the first stackable blade is configured to be removed from the base unit without tools.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the second stackable blade is configured to be removed from the first stackable blade without tools.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the first physical interface and the second physical interface are standard.