Smartphone with integrated pager

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11606451-B2
Application number	US-202017038228-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2020
Priority date	Sep 30, 2020
Publication date	Mar 14, 2023
Grant date	Mar 14, 2023

Abstract

A smartphone case includes an integrated pager processor and pager antenna. The pager processor interfaces with the smartphone via physical connection such as USB or a wireless connection such as Bluetooth. A battery embedded in the smartphone case powers the pager processor and may be shared with the smartphone via a physical connection. The pager processor may display messages via the smartphone or independently via a speaker embedded in the smartphone case. The smartphone may communicate with a paging source via a cellular network to confirm receipt of one or both of a pager signal or a cellular network signal so that the paging source may produce maps of where various communication methods are useable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smartphone case comprising:
a case body configured to surround a smartphone and retain the case body on a rear surface of the smartphone;
a battery embedded in the case body;
a pager antenna embedded in the case body;
a pager processing element embedded in the case body, the pager processing element connected to the battery and the pager antenna, and configured to interface with a pager network via the pager antenna; and
a smartphone interface element connected to the pager processing element and configured to provide data and electrical connectivity to the smartphone,
wherein:
the pager processing element is further configured to receive periodic test messages from a paging source via the pager antenna and report back location and signal strength via the smartphone interface element and a cellular connection in response to the periodic test messages.

2. The smartphone case of claim 1 , further comprising a speaker and haptic alert device embedded in the case body and connected to the pager processing element.

3. The smartphone case of claim 1 , wherein the smartphone interface element is configured to provide power from the battery to the smartphone.

4. The smartphone case of claim 3 , wherein the pager processing element is configured to continuously monitor a power level of the battery and prevent the smartphone from drawing power from the battery when the power level falls before a defined threshold.

5. The smartphone case of claim 1 , wherein the pager processing element is configured to:
receive a page; and
communicate the page with the smartphone via the smartphone interface element.

6. The smartphone case of claim 1 , wherein the smartphone interface element comprises a wireless datalink.

7. The smartphone case of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless charging element embedded in the case body and connected to the battery.

8. The smartphone case of claim 7 , wherein the wireless charging element is further configured to charge the smartphone via the smartphone interface element.

9. A system comprising:
a paging source comprising:
a pager transmitter; and
a cellular network interface element; and

a pager enabled smartphone comprising:
a smartphone; and
a smartphone case comprising:
a case body surrounding the smartphone and retaining the case body on a rear surface of the smartphone;
a battery embedded in the case body;
a pager antenna embedded in the case body;
a pager processing element embedded in the case body, the pager processing element connected to the battery and the pager antenna, and configured to interface with a pager network via the pager antenna; and
a smartphone interface element connected to the pager processing element and configured to provide data and electrical connectivity to the smartphone,
wherein:
the pager source is configured to:
 transmit a pager signal via the pager transmitter; and
 transmit a cellular network signal via the cellular network interface element; and
the pager enabled smartphone is configured to:
 determine if the pager enabled smartphone received the pager signal;
 determine if the pager enabled smartphone received the cellular network signal; and
 transmit a cellular return signal to the paging source indicating which of the pager signal and cellular network signal were received.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein
the pager source is configured to:
receive the cellular return signal;
determine a location associated with the cellular return signal;
record the cellular return signal and location to produce maps of locations accessible by pager signals and cellular network signals.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the pager processing element is configured to:
receive a pager signal; and
send the pager signal content to the smartphone via the smartphone interface element; and

the smartphone is configured to display the pager signal content.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the smartphone is configured to modify settings on the pager processor via the smartphone interface element based on user interaction.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the smartphone interface element is configured to provide power from the battery to the smartphone; and
the pager processing element is further configured to:
continuously monitor a power level of the battery; and
prevent the smartphone from drawing power from the battery when the power level falls before a defined threshold.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
the paging source is configured to send periodic test messages to the pager enabled smartphone; and
the pager processor is further configured to report back location and signal strength via a cellular connection in response to the periodic test messages.

Assignees

• Rockwell Collins Inc

Inventors

• Box Jeffrey L

Classifications

• A45C11/002

  for storing portable handheld communication devices, e.g. pagers or smart phones · CPC title

• G08B6/00

  Tactile signalling systems, e.g. tactile personal calling systems · CPC title

• H04W88/023

  with message or information receiving capability · CPC title

• H04W52/0261

  managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title