Patent Application
20050170872
The present invention relates generally to mobile communication devices and more particularly to a function specific interchangeable cover for a mobile communication device such as a cellular telephone to add a functionality associated with the cover to the cellular telephone and more specifically Global Position System (GPS) location and mapping functionality to a cellular phone.
Stand alone hand held cellular telephone devices and stand alone hand held position locating devices such as GPS devices are well known in the art. Hand held cellular telephone devices and hand held GPS devices operate in different frequency spectrums and function independently of each other. Typical cellular telephone devices do not have GPS position location mapping function capability and typical hand held GPS position location mapping function devices do not have cellular telephone capability.
There have been attempts in the prior art to combine a stand alone conventional cellular telephone with a separate stand alone GPS position location mapping module to provide a single combined function unit. One such representative device is available from Benefon Oyj, Salo, Finland under the trade name Benefon Track Pro. A disadvantage of such a combination device is the additional expense, bulk and complexity associated with the combination device as compared to a cellular telephone alone may not appeal to a consumer at the time of purchase and/or the consumer may desire to add GPS position location mapping function capability to the cellular phone at a later time. U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,789 discloses a prior art hand held communication device such as shown in
Another prior art combination is illustrated for example in
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a mobile communication device such as a cellular telephone that provides additional functionalities without the requirement of a separate independent, function specific add-on module that is attached to the cellular telephone to provide the additional functionality.
It would be further desirable to provide a mobile communication device having cellular telephone capability and GPS position location mapping function capability while maintaining substantially the size and appearance of the original by purchased cellular telephone device.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a function specific interchangeable cover for use with a mobile communication device such as a cellular telephone to easily and conveniently add a desired functionality such as a GPS position location mapping function capability to the cellular telephone while maintaining the size and shape of the originally purchased cellular telephone device. The above objective has been achieved by providing an interchangeable cover piece having an associated specific function for use with a cellular telephone wherein the functionality associated with the cover piece interfaces with the cellular telephone to enable the cellular telephone to provide the functionality in addition to the cellular telephone desired functionality, for example, a GPS position location mapping functionality is provided without the need of an independent, separate function and specific add-on module. The function specific interchangeable cover piece may be implemented in any suitable and desired mechanical configuration to carry out the intended purposes, for example, the cover piece may be one of a front and back cover pair, or one of a top and bottom shell pair or any suitable mechanical configuration and style.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, an interchangeable cover piece for a mobile communication device of the type including a main body element having upper and lower faces relative to usage, a screen constructed in at least a portion of the upper face of the main body element to provide a visible display of information to the user and suitable electronic circuitry to control and carry out the intended operational functions of the mobile communication device is presented. The cover piece includes a first covering element having a general size and shape corresponding to the general size and shape of the main body element of the mobile communication device such as a cellular telephone arranged for cooperating engagement with the main body element in an overlapping alignment with the upper face of the main body element. The first covering element has a suitable screen window for viewing the visible display of information when the first covering element is engaged with the main body element. The first covering element also carries global positioning system (GPS) circuitry for detecting the geographic location of the cover piece and generating suitable position data to identify the detected geographic location. The first covering element also carries interface circuitry for transferring the position data from the GPS circuitry to the electronic circuitry carried by the main body element whereby the mobile communication device enabled to provide GPS operational functionality.
In one aspect of the invention, the interchangeable cover piece includes a keypad constructed in at least another portion of the upper face wherein the keypad has an array of keys consistent with the intended function, and the interchangeable cover piece further has apertures in a pattern corresponding to the array of keys whereby the keys are accessible to the user.
In another aspect of the invention, the GPS operational functionality further includes a mapping functionality for showing a map representation on the screen display corresponding to the position data identifying the detected geographic location.
In a further aspect of the invention, the GPS operational functionality further includes showing a map representation on the screen display corresponding to a route between the position data identifying the detected geographic location and a desired destination location entered by the user into the mobile communication device.
In a still further aspect of the invention, the GPS antenna is carried by the first covering element.
In yet a further aspect of the invention, a flexible transmission ribbon is provided for electrically coupling the GPS antenna to the electronic circuitry carried by the main body element.
In yet a further aspect of the invention, the keypad is a communication keypad.
In a still yet further aspect of the invention, the GPS antenna is sized and shaped to utilize the volume of the communication keypad.
In an even further aspect of the invention, the GPS antenna is carried on the surface of the array of keys assembly defining the keypad.
In a still further aspect of the invention, map data information is stored in a memory contained in the main body element electronic circuitry for subsequent retrieval and use in showing a map representation on the screen display.
An interchangeable cover piece for a mobile communication device having cellular telephone functionality is presented. The device has a main body element with upper and lower faces relative to usage, a screen constructed in at least a portion of the upper face of the main body element to provide a visible display of information to the user and a keypad constructed in at least another portion of the upper face and having an array of keys assembly defining a communication keypad. The main body element further includes a source of power and suitable electronic circuitry for controlling and carrying out the intended operational functions of the device. The cover piece includes a first covering element having a general size and shape corresponding to the general size and shape of the main body element of the mobile communication such as a cellular telephone. The covering element is arranged for cooperating engagement with the main body element in an overlapping alignment with the upper face of the main body element. The first covering element has a suitable screen window for viewing the visible display of information and apertures in a pattern corresponding to the array of keys whereby the keys are accessible to the user when the first covering element is engaged with the main body element. The first covering element also carries a circuitry for generating suitable identification information corresponding to a specific functionality associated with the cover piece. The first covering element also carries interface circuitry for electrically coupling the identification information to the electronic circuitry carried by the main body element whereby the mobile communication device is conditioned to carry out the specific functionality of the cover piece.
In an aspect of the invention, the cover piece identifies GPS position location and mapping functionality.
In another aspect of the invention, the first covering element carries a GPS antenna.
In a further aspect of the invention, a flexible transmission is ribbon is provided to electrically connect the GPS antenna to the electronic circuitry carried by the main body element.
In a yet further aspect of the invention, a memory chip stores encoded data information identifying the specific functionality associated with the cover piece.
Additional objects, features and benefits of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following written description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:
Now turning to the drawings and considering the invention in further detail a function specific interchangeable cover piece is presented in one illustrative embodiment for use with a mobile communication device such as a cellular telephone wherein the cover piece is designated generally 100 in
For purposes of the present example, the main body element 50 typically includes electronic and controller circuitry generally designated 56 and a power source such as a battery module generally designated 58 for powering the device. The main body element 50 further carries a user interface 80 in the form of a keypad generally designated 82 constructed in at least a portion of the upper face 54. The keypad 82 includes an array of keys or buttons 84, 84 assembly consistent with the intended function. For example, the keys may be used to enter alphanumeric character input signals to the device for dialing a number and the user interface 80 may further include various keys or buttons such as a menu select key 86 and function select keys 88, 90 and 92 associated with various operational features of the device for accessing features, entering data, and other such functions in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. The keys correspond to various functions and alphanumeric characters and cause the necessary signals to be generated for transfer to the electronic and controller circuitry 56 carried by the main body element 50 to activate the desired circuit operations or generate desired electrical signals in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. The user interface 80 and keypad module 82 may be of any suitable type now known or future developed to carry out the intended functions. The main body element 50 also includes display means or screen generally designated 96 constructed in another portion of the upper face 54 to provide a visible display of information to the user. The screen 96 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD) or other suitable display device technology well known by those skilled in the cellular telephone and display device art and also contemplates future developed displays.
The main body element 50 also carries an RF antenna generally designated 64 for sending and receiving the cellular telephone transmit and receive signals and operates in a manner well known to those skilled in the RF cellular telephone art. Circuitry for providing the RF functions is generally designated 74 and may be associated with the electronic and controller circuitry 56. The main body element 50 further includes a microphone 60 and a speaker 62 which microphone and speaker may be of any suitable type and design to carry out the intended functions. The main body element 50 in this example also includes an electrical contact arrangement carried by a connector 70 positioned for touching electrical contact with a correspondingly configured electrical contact arrangement carried by a connector or plug in the function specific interchangeable front cover piece 100 as explained below to condition the electronic and controller circuitry 56 to enable the cellular telephone to provide the specific function associated with the cover piece of the present invention. Optionally and as needed, a second connector 72 may be used and also has an electrical contact arrangement and is positioned and located in the main body element 50 for touching electrical contact with a correspondingly configured electrical contact arrangement carried by a connector or plug in the function specific interchangeable front cover piece. One purpose of the second connector 72 may be to provide a means for sensing the presence of the front cover piece and for identifying and distinguishing the functionality associated with and defined by the interchangeable front cover piece. The electrical contact arrangement is preferably coded to define the functionality and for sensing and detection purposes to cause the electronic and controller circuitry 56 to be conditioned to provide the specific functionality, such as, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) position location and mapping functionality. The connectors 70 and 72 and the electrical contact arrangement may be of any suitable type now known to those skilled in the art or future developed to carry out the intended function. The connectors 70 and 72 are also electrically connected to corresponding connection points within the electronic and controller circuitry and other components carried by the main body element 50 to form and define the necessary circuit configurations to carry out the intended operational functions of the mobile communication device when a respective function specific interchangeable front cover piece is placed in cooperating engagement with the main body element 50 in an overlapping alignment with the upper face 54 of the main body element.
The function specific interchangeable front cover piece 100 is illustrated in
Although the function specific interchangeable cover piece embodying the invention is presented by way of illustration herein in cooperating engagement with the main body element in overlapping alignment with the upper face of the main body element, the function specific interchangeable cover piece may be implemented in any suitable and desired mechanical configuration to carry out the intended purpose. For example, the function specific interchangeable cover piece may replace the front cover piece as described above or may replace the rear cover piece, or may be one of a top and bottom of a shell pair covering the main body element or any other suitable mechanical configuration and style as desired.
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The controller circuitry 56 thus conditions the operational circuitry of the mobile communication device to carry out the intended cellular telephone functionality and GPS position and mapping functionality. The various functions and features of the cellular telephone and the GPS functionality may be selected by the user through the menu select key 108 or any of the function keys 110, 112, 114 as desired through a menu sequence shown on the display 96 or may follow a predetermined sequence in accordance with an instruction set stored in and retrieved from a memory of a processor or a separate memory module in cooperation with suitable processing means carried in the electronic and controller circuitry 56. Likewise, the baseband circuitry associated with processing the audio signals and location generation and identification signals may be integrated with the electronic and controller circuitry 56 carried by the main body element 50.
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It is contemplated that the mobile communication device having a function specific interchangeable cover piece embodying the present invention also provides GPS position location and navigational features such as position coordinates, speed, heading, way-points, routes, trip odometer, distance measurement, compass guides, movement tracking and positional locating and other such desired features known in the art. In addition, it is contemplated that map data information may be downloaded to the electronic and controller circuitry 56 carried by the main body element utilizing standard mobile mapping services with personal computers, or Internet browsers. In this way, a user may select for viewing on the display of the mobile communication device a map representation according to the coordinates identifying the geographic location of the cover piece used with the mobile communication device. The coordinates may be entered via the user interface or may be automatically entered via the inherent GPS locating capability of the cellular telephone. Likewise, the coordinates corresponding to a desired geographic location such as a specific city or street address may be entered via the user interface to retrieve a map representation of the location. Likewise, one or more desired geographic locations can be entered or selected via the user interface to retrieve and display a map representation corresponding to a route or itinerary between the existing position location of the device and the entered or selected location. It is also contemplated that the location of the device along the route is shown on the map representation as the device physically travels.
Although it is contemplated that the connectors 66, 70, 72 carried by the main body element 50, 200 will mate with and connect to the connectors or plugs 152, 154, 170 carried by the respective function specific cover pieces 130, 160, 190, other connection means such as flat, ribbon cable or other galvanic connections known in the art may be used to carry analog and digital data signals and electrical power between and within the respective cover pieces. In addition, other suitable interconnection means now known or future developed are also contemplated to carry out the intended functions.
A function specific interchangeable cover piece for use with a mobile communication device such as a cellular telephone to add specific functionalities, such as GPS position location and mapping functionality to the cellular telephone has been presented above in several preferred embodiments. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that numerous changes and modifications may be made to the examples described above without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention has been presented by way of illustration rather than limitation.
