Protective case for mobile device with displaced camera control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10003370-B2
Application number	US-201414582146-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2014
Priority date	Dec 24, 2013
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

A protective case for a mobile device having an alternative user interface that is capable of wirelessly controlling the operations of the mobile device is disclosed. The alternative user interface is displaced from the corresponding user interface on the mobile device and is programmable and paired or otherwise wirelessly connected to the mobile device via a Bluetooth or other suitable wireless interface or protocol. A software application residing on the mobile can facilitate wireless operation of the mobile device features by the additional user interface on the case. Wireless user control via the alternative user interface controls on the case, for example, may be of one or more of the operations of a camera feature of the mobile device or may be any other operation of the mobile device. The protective case can be formed of multiple components that are user separable from another to allow for modular and independent functionality. An additional flash/lamp feature on the case is provided to improve flash and/or lighting and a stand feature is provided on the case to allow the case to stand the mobile device in a desired position and orientation while taking a photograph remotely with the user controls on a separated component of the case.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A user removable protective case for a mobile phone, wherein said phone includes a front face and a back face, a perimeter defined by a top, bottom, right, and left sides that reside between the front and back face, and a first user interface that controls a first operation of the mobile phone, said protective case comprising:
a user removable enclosure configured to receive the mobile phone;
said enclosure including a second user interface that is adapted to wirelessly interface with said mobile phone and control said first operation of the mobile phone; and
wherein said first operation of the mobile phone is a shutter control for a camera feature built into the mobile phone wherein said second user interface is adapted to wirelessly interface with said mobile phone and control said first operation of the mobile phone without said phone being received within said enclosure.

2. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein said second user interface is displaced to reside on a different side of said phone than said first user interface.

3. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein said enclosure is comprised of multiple components, each of which are configured to surround at least portions of the perimeter and back face and releasably interlock with one another.

4. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein said enclosure is comprised of a first component, and wherein said first component being configured to surround a first perimeter region of the mobile phone that extends on multiple sides of the mobile phone.

5. The protective case of claim 4 , wherein said enclosure further comprising a second component configured to surround a second perimeter region of the mobile phone and adapted to being detachable from the first component.

6. The protective case of claim 5 , wherein said first and second components, when positioned around the phone, are configured to mate with each other in at least one region.

7. The protective case of claim 5 , wherein said first and second components, when positioned around the phone, are configured to latch and lock to one another.

8. The protective case of claim 5 , wherein said first and second components, when positioned around the phone, are configured to cover a back face region of the device without obstructing a camera lens on the back of the phone.

9. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein said enclosure further includes a camera flash.

10. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein said enclosure includes a stand configured to support the case on edge on a flat surface at an angle of less than ninety degrees as measured by the angle formed beneath the phone and the region of the flat surface underlying the phone.

11. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein said second user interface is detachably connected to a first component of the user removable enclosure of the case.

12. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein said removable enclosure includes an aperture that is configured to reside adjacent a camera lens of the mobile phone device and a lens accessory secured to said aperture that includes one more lenses that are configured to be positioned within the field of view of the mobile device camera.

13. A user removable protective case for a mobile phone, wherein said phone includes a front face and a back face, a perimeter defined by a top, bottom, right, and left sides that reside between the front and back face, and a first user interface that controls a first operation of the mobile phone, said protective case comprising:
a user removable enclosure configured to receive the mobile phone;
said enclosure including a second user interface that is adapted to wirelessly interface with said mobile phone and control said first operation of the mobile phone; and
wherein said first operation of the mobile phone is a zoom control for a camera feature built into the mobile phone wherein said second user interface is adapted to wirelessly interface with said mobile phone and control said first operation of the mobile phone without said phone being received within said enclosure.

Assignees

• Incipio Tech Inc
• Incipio Llc

Inventors

• Fathollahi Andy

Classifications

• H04M1/04

  Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers · CPC title

• H04B1/3888 Primary

  Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers · CPC title

• H04M1/185

  Improving the shock resistance of the housing, e.g. by increasing the rigidity · CPC title