Electrical devices

• US 7,376,439 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Innovision Research & Technology PLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Borrett, Marc Adrian, White, Andrew David, Mapleston, David Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US11/200,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20060030377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/558, 455/557, 235/375, 348/734
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 1/0009 Energy-transferring means or control lines for movable machine parts; Control panels or boxes; Control parts control handles for driving or feeding mechanisms B23Q5/54
• 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 1/0283 for providing a decorative aspect, e.g. customization of casings, exchangeable faceplate
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

An electrical device such as a portable communications device, domestic or personal care appliance has a main body adapted to couple to an accessory which may be in the form of a tool attachable to the main body or a housing portion. The accessory carries a passive data storage device having a memory (59) storing control data for controlling an operation or affecting a function of the device. The passive data storage device is arranged to derive a power supply from the main body when a first coupler carried by the main body is placed in proximity to a second coupler carried by the accessory (3). Where the electrical device is a portable communications device, then the accessory may be, for example, a fascia. The coupling between the first and second couplers may be inductive or capacitive.

Claims

1. A portable communications device comprising a first body portion and a second body portion, wherein:

the first body portion has a transceiver operable to enable transmission and reception of communications over a mobile telecommunications network, a controller operable to control operation of the device, and a signal supplier operable to supply a carrier signal;

the first body portion and the second body portion have respective first and second wireless couplers arranged in close proximity to one another to enable wireless coupling of the carrier signal from the first wireless coupler to the second wireless coupler;

the second body portion carries a data storage device having a memory storing data, a power supply deriver operable to derive a power supply from a carrier signal coupled to the second wireless coupler, a controller operable to read data from the memory in response to derivation of a power supply by the power supply deriver, and a modulator operable to modulate the carrier signal in accordance with data read from the memory;

the first body portion has a data extractor operable to extract data from the modulation of the carrier signal and a data supplier operable to supply the data to the controller of the first body portion to affect a function relating to the operation of the portable communications device.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the signal supplier comprises a radio frequency carrier signal supplier comprising a carrier signal generator of the transceiver.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the signal supplier includes a signal interrupter operable to periodically vary the signal and the data storage device has a clock signal deriver operable to derive a clock signal for the data storage device on the basis of the periodic variations.

4. A device according to claim 1, having at least one of the following features:

the second body portion is removable;

the second body portion is non-removable;

the coupling between the first and second couplers is inductive or capacitive;

the data storage device has a clock signal generator operable to generate a clock signal for the data storage device in response to derivation of a power supply by the power supply deriver;

the data storage device has a clock signal generator comprising a missing pulse detector operable to generate a clock signal for the data storage device in response to derivation of a power supply by the power supply deriver.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the memory is a writeable memory, the signal supplier includes a data supplier operable to modulate the carrier signal in accordance with data to be written to the memory and the data storage device has a writer operable to derive the data from the modulated carrier signal and to write the derived data into the memory.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the controller has a use information deriver operable to obtain information regarding use of the portable communications device and is operable to cause the carrier signal to be modulated in accordance with the use data so as to enable the writer to write the use data into the memory.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the controller of the first body portion is operable to cause the signal supplier to supply the carrier signal at a predetermined time such as on powering up of the device, when the second body portion is first coupled to the first body portion or at predetermined intervals.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein the data stored in the memory comprises at least one of:

software data comprising at least one of operation

software data for the portable communications device and games software data, identity data, access data to enable the controller to access operation software data or games software data, identity data and information data comprising at least one of graphics data, audio data, image data, video data and text data.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein a user operator is associated with the second body portion.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the user operator comprises at least one of a keyboard, a key pad, a touch screen, a joystick, a digitizing table or other input.

11. A device according to claim 9, further comprising an additional user interface device having a different form of configuration of user operator, the user interface device also having a passive control device, a power deriver operable to derive a power supply when a coupler of the user interface device is coupled to a coupler of the portable communications device and a data supplier operable to supply, in response to operation by a user of the user input device, user input data to the controller when the user interface device is coupled to the portable communications device.

12. A device according to claim 1, wherein a user operator is carried by the second body portion and the data storage device comprises a user operator controller operable to supply data regarding user operation of the user operator to the first body portion.

13. A device according to claim 12, wherein the user operator controller is operable to supply instructions to the controller to configure a display of the portable communications device for use in one of a number different orientations.

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein the data stored in the memory comprises data enabling the controller to identify the second body portion and the controller is operable to inhibit at least one function or operating characteristic of the portable communications device if the controller does not receive identification data or does not receive correct identification data.

15. A device according to claim 1, wherein the second body portion carries an orientation sensor and the data storage controller is operable, in response to an orientation signal from the orientation sensor to communicate to the controller data regarding the orientation of the device to cause the controller to control the orientation of a display screen accordingly.

16. A device according to claim 1, wherein the second body portion carries a display of the device.

17. A device according to claim 1, wherein the second body portion carries, instead of or in addition to the data storage device, at least one environmental sensor responsive, for example, to at least one of temperature, pressure, orientation, position, height, humidity, light, sound, a chemical, a fluid, water, magnetic field, an odour and the data storage device is operable to communicate to the controller data relating to an output of the sensor to affect an operation of the device.

18. A device according to claim 1, wherein the second body portion comprises a fascia of the device.

19. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first body portion comprises a main body portion and the second body portion comprises a housing portion of or an accessory for the main body portion.

20. A portable communications device comprising a first body portion and a second body portion, wherein:

the first body portion has a transceiver for enabling transmission and reception of communications over a mobile telecommunications network, control means for controlling operation of the device, and signal supplying means for supplying a carrier signal;

the first body portion and the second body portion have respective first and second wireless coupling means arranged in close proximity to one another to enable wireless coupling of the carrier signal from the first wireless coupling means to the second wireless coupling means;

the second body portion carries a data storage device having a memory storing data, power supply deriving means for deriving a power supply from a carrier signal coupled to the second wireless coupling means, control means for reading data from the memory in response to derivation of a power supply by the power supply deriving means, and modulating means for modulating the carrier signal in accordance with data read from the memory;

the first body portion has data extraction means for extracting data from the modulation of the carrier signal and data supplying means for supplying the data to the control means of the first body portion to affect a function relating to the operation of the portable communications device.