Patent Application
20080153543
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to a stylus, electrical connector, and carrying strap combination for a swivel-storage portable electronic device.
Increasingly, portable electronic devices are configured to provide a variety of functions to the user. For example, modern portable devices may combine the functions of a cellular phone, a persona digital assistant (PDA), a camera, a radio, a web browser, a gaming system, and the like into a single mobile terminal. Furthermore, such portable electronic devices can often hold very large amounts of data, some of which the user employs on a daily basis. Not only is the user often linking the portable device to the user's computer to do such things as upload pictures to the computer or download music files to the portable device, but a user may often want to share data with others when the user is out and about. As a result, a user often requires use of a cable for transmitting data to and from the user's portable electronic device to other electronic devices. However, it can be inconvenient for a user to carry a data cable wherever the user goes since it is cumbersome and would likely be misplaced.
Furthermore, portable electronic devices have rechargeable batteries and must be recharged fairly regularly. This is especially true if the portable device is used regularly by the user for performing power intensive tasks. As with the data cable, it is usually not convenient for the user to carry around a power cable for the portable device.
Along with the increased functionality, today's portable devices often have a variety of accessory components that the user can use with the portable device to enhance the user's experience. One common accessory component is the headset. In particular, wireless headsets having a speaker and a microphone have become popular accessories for mobile telephones. Headsets are also desired for such things as listening to music and other audio or for dictating to a recorder. Although the headsets are typically very small, fitting over a portion of the user's ear, they can still be inconvenient to carry. Often the small size of the headset makes it easy to misplace the headset, which can be very costly to the user since a good headset can be fairly costly. Headsets can also be easily damaged since the typical small size does not allow for much protection of the electronics contained therein.
Another common accessory for portable electronic devices is a stylus. With touch screen displays becoming much more common and with the increased resolution of such displays, a user can communicate a lot of information to the portable electronic device in a short amount of time using a stylus in combination with the touch screen display. Often the small size of the display on a portable device does not make it convenient for the user to enter input using a finger. Although the portable electronic devices that make use of a stylus often have a place to store the stylus, styluses are still often misplaced since they are so small and are generally not permanently attached to the portable device.
Many users also desire to have a wrist strap, a neck strap, or some other carrying strap attached to the portable electronic device to help carry the device. A carrying strap can be very important since modern portable electronic devices are not only expensive, but also may contain a large amount of often irreplaceable data that is important to the user. Misplacing or dropping a mobile terminal can be very costly both in terms of money and lost data.
Thus, it would be advantageous if a solution was developed that allowed a user to more easily carry around a portable electronic device with the device's data cable, power cable, headset, stylus, wrist strap, and other components and accessories. Preferably, the solution would allow the user carry around all these devices and accessories together in a space not much larger than the portable device itself.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a portable electronic device having a first housing portion, a second housing portion, and an accessory component. The first housing portion and the second housing portion are movably coupled such that the first housing portion can be moved relative to the second housing portion from a closed configuration to an opened configuration. The opened configuration exposes a recess in the first housing portion. The recess is structured to removably receive the accessory component when the first and second housing portions are in the opened configuration. The first and second housing portions are structured such that the accessory device is retainable in the recess when the first and second housing portions are in the closed configuration.
The accessory device may include an electrical connector for electrically coupling the portable electronic device to another electronic device. The accessory device may further include a cable having a first end extending from the electrical connector and a second end extending from one of the first and second housing portions of the portable electronic device. The recess may be structured to receive the electrical connector, and the electrical connector may be retained in the recess when the first and second housing portions are in the closed configuration. When the electrical connector is retained in the recess, the cable may be usable as a carrying strap for the portable electronic device.
In one embodiment, the portable electronic device further comprises a touch screen display and the accessory device comprises a cable where the electrical connector is structured to be convertible between an electrical connector and a stylus for use with the touch screen display. For example, the electrical connector may comprise a stylus portion that covers the end of the connector when the electrical connector is configured to be used as a stylus. The stylus portion may be movable to uncover the end of the electrical connector so that the electrical connector is configured to be used to electrically couple the portable electronic device to another electronic device.
In one embodiment, the electrical connector comprises a Universal Serial Bus type connector. Both the first and the second housing portions may contain electronics other than accessory device electronics. One of the first and second housing portions may include a camera. In one embodiment, the portable electronic device comprises a mobile telephone.
In one embodiment, the portable electronic device may comprise an accessory device comprising a headset having a speaker. One of the first and second housing portions may comprise a recess for removably receiving and retaining a wireless headset. The headset may comprise a wireless headset and the portable electronic device may be configured such that a battery in the wireless headset is chargeable by the portable electronic device when the headset is disposed in the recess. When the first and the second housing portions are in the closed configuration and when the headset is retained in the recess, portions of the first and second housing portions and a portion of the headset may form an external surface of the portable electronic device.
In one embodiment, the first housing portion and the second housing portion are pivotably connected. The accessory device may comprise a strap having a first end having a stylus and a second end extending from one of the first and second housing portions. The recess may be structured to receive the stylus, and the stylus may be retained in the recess when the first and second housing portions are in the closed configuration such that the strap is usable as a carrying strap for the portable electronic device.
Embodiments of the present invention also provide a portable electronic device comprising a cable for electrically coupling the portable electronic device to another electronic device. The cable has a first end physically and electrically connected to the portable electronic device. The cable has a second end including both a stylus and a connector for electrically coupling the cable to the other electronic device.
In one embodiment, the second end has a connector for electrically coupling the cable to the other electronic device, and a generally pointed stylus portion for use as a stylus. The stylus portion of the second end may be structured to be moveable between a first position where the stylus portion covers the connector, and a second position where the connector is exposed. The stylus portion may define a recess for receiving at least a portion of the connector when the stylus portion is in the first position. The stylus portion may be hingedly connected to the second end of the cable such that the stylus portion is movable from the first position to the second position while remaining connected to the second end of the cable when in both the first and second positions.
The second end of the cable may further be structured so that the stylus portion is moveable from the first position to the second position by sliding the stylus portion along an axis defined by the connector and in a direction generally away from the connector in order to remove the connector from the recess in the stylus portion, and rotating the stylus portion in order to uncover the connector. The portion of the second end of the cable containing the connector may comprise two pins oppositely disposed on each side of the connector. The stylus portion may comprise two oppositely disposed tracks that are structured to engage the two pins and allow the stylus portion to slide and rotate relative to the connector.
In one embodiment, the second end of the cable is removably attachable to a portion of the portable electronic device so that the cable generally forms a loop structured to be used as a carrying strap. The cable may be configured to be connectable to another electronic device for transferring data and power between the portable electronic device and the other electronic device. The connector may include a Universal Serial Bus type connector.
The portable electronic device may further comprise a touch screen display, and the stylus may be configured to enter data by touching the display or by moving the stylus over the display.
Embodiments of the present invention also provide a method of using an electronic cable as a carrying strap for a portable electronic device. The cable has a first end extending from the portable electronic device and a second end having an electrical connector. The method comprises (i) moving a first housing portion of the portable electronic device relative to a second housing portion of the portable electronic device from a first position to a second position exposing a recess in the first housing portion; (ii) placing the electrical connector into the recess; and (iii) rotating the first housing portion back to the first position.
The method may further include: (iv) moving the first housing portion relative to the second housing portion from the first position to the second position exposing the electrical connector in the first housing portion; (v) removing the electrical connector from the recess; and (vi) coupling the electrical connector to a corresponding connector in another electronic device.
The method may further include exposing the electrical connector by moving a stylus portion. The moving step of the method may further comprise pivoting the first housing portion relative to the second housing portion about a pivot point.
Embodiments of the present invention also provide a method of converting a stylus to an electrical connector, the stylus comprising a stylus portion coupled to an end of an electrical cable and covering an end of the electrical connector. The method includes rotating the stylus portion to one side of the electrical connector such that the end of the electrical connector is capable of connecting to a compatible connector. The method may further include, prior to the rotating of the stylus portion, sliding the stylus portion in a direction away from the end of the cable, thereby, exposing the end of the electrical connector. The method may also include coupling the electrical connector to a corresponding connector in another electronic device.
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed, these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
The portable electronic device 10 includes a communication interface comprising an antenna 12 in operable communication with a transmitter 14 and a receiver 16. The portable electronic device 10 further includes a processor 20 or other processing element that provides signals to and receives signals from the transmitter 14 and receiver 16, respectively. The signals include signaling information in accordance with the air interface standard of the applicable cellular system, and also user speech and/or user generated data. In this regard, the portable electronic device 10 is capable of operating with one or more air interface standards, communication protocols, modulation types, and access types. By way of illustration, the portable electronic device 10 is capable of operating in accordance with any of a number of first, second and/or third-generation communication protocols or the like. For example, the portable electronic device 10 may be capable of operating in accordance with second-generation (2G) wireless communication protocols IS-136 (TDMA), GSM, and IS-95 (CDMA) or third-generation wireless communication protocol Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA).
The portable electronic device 10 also includes a communication interface comprising a communication port 13 configured to be permanently or removably connected to a cable 15 that can be used to connect the portable electronic device 10 to other electronic devices. The processor 20 may provide signals to and receive signals from the communication port 13. The portable electronic device 10 may be configured to use the communication port 13 and the cable 15 to communicate with other electronic devices. The portable electronic device 10 and the cable 15 may be structured so that data and/or power may be communicated between the portable electronic device 10 and the other electronic device. For example, in one embodiment, the cable 15 comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable having data wires, a power wire, and a ground wire. Power received through the cable 15 may be used by the portable electronic device 10 to power various components of the device and/or charge a battery 34.
It is understood that the processor 20 includes circuitry required for implementing audio and logic functions of the portable electronic device 10. For example, the processor 20 may be comprised of a digital signal processor device, a microprocessor device, and various analog to digital converters, digital to analog converters, and other support circuits. Control and signal processing functions of the portable electronic device 10 are allocated between these devices according to their respective capabilities. The processor 20 thus may also include the functionality to convolutionally encode and interleave message and data prior to modulation and transmission. The processor 20 can additionally include an internal voice coder, and may include an internal data modem. Further, the processor 20 may include functionality to operate one or more software programs, which may be stored in memory. For example, the processor 20 may be capable of operating a connectivity program, such as a conventional Web browser. The connectivity program may then allow the portable electronic device 10 to transmit and receive Web content, such as location-based content, according to a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), for example.
The portable electronic device 10 also comprises a user interface including an output device such as a conventional earphone or speaker 24, a ringer 22, a microphone 26, a display 28, and a user input interface, all of which are coupled to the processor 20. The user input interface, which allows the portable electronic device 10 to receive data, may include any of a number of devices allowing the portable electronic device 10 to receive data, such as a keypad 30, a touch display (not shown) or other input device. In embodiments including the keypad 30, the keypad 30 may include the conventional numeric (0-9) and related keys (#, *), and other keys used for operating the portable electronic device 10. Alternatively, the keypad 30 may include a conventional QWERTY keypad. The portable electronic device 10 further includes a battery 34, such as a vibrating battery pack, for powering various circuits that are required to operate the portable electronic device 10, as well as optionally providing mechanical vibration as a detectable output.
In one embodiment, the portable electronic device 10 includes a headset (not shown). The headset may comprise a speaker and/or a microphone that may be used in addition to or as an alternative to speaker 24 and microphone 26. The headset may be wired to the portable electronic device 10 or the headset may be configured to wirelessly communicate with the portable electronic device 10 through one of the portable electronic device's communication interfaces. In one embodiment, the portable electronic device may use Bluetooth® wireless technology to communicate with the wireless headset. Bluetooth® is an open radio-frequency standard that enables cable-free voice and data communication between devices through short-range two-way radio (in the radio frequency range of 2.45 gigahertz).
In an exemplary embodiment, the portable electronic device 10 includes a camera 36 in communication with the processor 20. The camera 36 may be any means for capturing an image for storage, display or transmission. For example, the camera 36 may include a digital camera capable of forming a digital image file from a captured image. As such, the camera 36 includes all hardware, such as a lens or other optical device, and software necessary for creating a digital image file from a captured image. Alternatively, the camera 36 may include only the hardware needed to view an image, while a memory device of the portable electronic device 10 stores instructions for execution by the processor 20 in the form of software necessary to create a digital image file from a captured image. In an exemplary embodiment, the camera 36 may further include a processing element such as a co-processor which assists the processor 20 in processing image data and an encoder and/or decoder for compressing and/or decompressing image data. The encoder and/or decoder may encode and/or decode according to a JPEG or an MPEG standard format.
The portable electronic device 10 may further include a user identity module (UIM) 38. The UIM 38 is typically a memory device having a processor built in. The UIM 38 may include, for example, a subscriber identity module (SIM), a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), a removable user identity module (R-UIM), etc. The UIM 38 typically stores information elements related to a mobile subscriber. In addition to the UIM 38, the portable electronic device 10 may be equipped with memory. For example, the portable electronic device 10 may include volatile memory 40, such as volatile Random Access Memory (RAM) including a cache area for the temporary storage of data. The portable electronic device 10 may also include other non-volatile memory 42, which can be embedded and/or may be removable. The non-volatile memory 42 can additionally or alternatively comprise an EEPROM, flash memory or the like, such as that available from the SanDisk Corporation of Sunnyvale, Calif., or Lexar Media Inc. of Fremont, Calif. The memories can store any of a number of pieces of information, and data, used by the portable electronic device 10 to implement the functions of the portable electronic device 10. For example, the memories can include an identifier, such as an international mobile equipment identification (IMEI) code, capable of uniquely identifying the portable electronic device 10.
In the depicted embodiment, the portable electronic device 100 is divided into the two housing portions 101 and 102 by dividing the portable electronic device along a plane between and generally parallel to the first side 105 and the second side 106. In this regard, the first housing portion 101 comprises the first side 105 of the portable electronic device 100 and the second housing portion 102 comprises the second side 106 of the portable electronic device 100. As such, in the illustrated embodiment, the housing portions 101 and 102 each include electronics used for operating at least the electrical components housed by the respective housing portion. So that the electronics from the first housing portion 101 may communicate with the electronics in the second housing portion 102, the hinge is configured to allow electrical communication between the electronics in the first housing portion 101 and the second housing portion 102. For example, in one embodiment, the hinge may permit one or more cables to pass through the hinge proximate to the axis of rotation. In other embodiments, the hinge may be configured to have conductive elements that are movable relative to each other but maintain constant electrical contact throughout the movement.
In other embodiments of the present invention, the housing portions may be configured differently. For example, the portable electronic device may be divided in other ways and may be divided into more than two housing portions. Furthermore, in some embodiments, one or more of the housing portions do not contain electronics. Although the Figures and embodiments described herein illustrate two housing portions pivotally connected, in other embodiments two or more housing portions may be movably connected in other manners, such as by being hingedly connected by a door-like hinge or by being slidably connected using track-like devices.
As illustrated in
The inner side 105 of the first housing portion 101 includes a headset receiving area 182 for removably receiving the headset 146. However, the headset receiving area could be defined by the inner side of the second housing portion if desired. The headset receiving area 182 is deep enough to receive the headset 146 and allow the second housing portion 102 to rotate back over the first housing portion 101. In this way, when not being used, the headset 146 may be stored inside the portable electronic device 100 where it is more easily carried and better protected. The headset receiving area 182 may completely surround the perimeter of the wireless headset 146 or, as depicted in
In one embodiment of the invention, the portable electronic device 100 is configured so that the battery in the wireless headset 146 can be charged when the headset 146 is stored in the headset receiving area 182. The battery of the wireless headset 146 may be charged using power from the portable electronic device's main battery and/or from power received through cable 115 or some other power cable. The battery in the wireless headset 146 may be charged in a variety of ways in different embodiments of the present invention. For example, the wireless headset may comprise one or more conductive elements that contact corresponding conductive elements in the headset receiving area 182. The conductive elements in the headset receiving area 182 may be coupled to the portable electronic device's main battery and/or to a power wire in cable 115 or some other power cable. In another embodiment, the wireless headset battery is charged through a contactless charging method, such as induction charging.
As mentioned above, strap 150 comprises a cable 115. The cable 115 has a first end 155 and a second end 160. In the illustrated embodiment, the first end 155 extends from and is permanently connected to the first housing portion 101. More particularly, the cable 115 extends through an opening in the first housing portion 101 and connects to the electronics in the portable electronic device 100. In another embodiment, the first end 155 of the cable 115 may be removably attached to the first housing portion 101. In such an embodiment, if the cable 115 is to also perform the function of a carrying strap 150, then the removable connection between the first end 155 of the cable 115 and the housing portion 101 is advantageously configured such that the first end 155 of the cable 115 would not become disconnected when the cable 115 is being used as a strap 150.
The second end 160 of the cable comprises an electrical connector 192 for electrically connecting to a compatible connector on another electronic device. The cable 115 may be any number of cable types for transferring data and/or power to and from another electronic device. For example, the cable 115 may be a USB type cable that can be used for both transmitting data and power between the portable electronic device and another compatible electronic device, such as a computer, another portable electronic device, or a power source. As will be described in greater detail below with respect to
Referring again to
The first housing portion 101 is structured to have openings to permit the cable 115 to pass through when the second end 160 of the cable 115 is retained in the second end retaining area 180 and the portable electronic device 100 is in the closed configuration. Since the second end 160 of the cable 115 is larger in cross section dimensions then the cable 115, the second end 160 of the cable 115 is retained in the second end retaining area 180 when the second housing portion 102 is positioned over the second end retaining area 180 in the closed configuration. The second end receiving area 180 may loosely receive the second end 160 of the cable 115 or may be structured so that the second end 160 snugly fits into the receiving area 180, as shown in
Although the illustrated embodiment shows a strap 150 that includes a cable 115, an electrical connector 192, and a stylus 190, other embodiments of the present invention may comprises a strap 150 with a stylus 190, without the cable and the connector. Similarly, in some embodiments of the present invention, the strap 150 comprises a cable 115 and the associated electrical connector 192, but not the stylus 190.
Referring now to
When in the stylus configuration shown in
As depicted in
In another embodiment, such as the embodiment illustrated in
Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
