Protective shroud for handheld device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9621214-B2
Application number	US-201213540558-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2012
Priority date	Feb 27, 2009
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus for communicating with a handheld device (e.g., a cellular telephone) is provided herein. A protective shroud is configured to enclose the handheld device and protect it against incidents that commonly cause damage to handheld devices. Integral to the protective shroud is at least one of an input component configured to receive user input and a wireless transceiver configured to transmit signals to and/or receive signals from the handheld device. In one example, where both the input component and the wireless transceiver are integral to the protective shroud, signals related to received user input (e.g., where the shroud serves as a keypad) may be transmitted to the handheld device even if the protective shroud is removed from the handheld device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for a handheld device, comprising:
a protective shroud selectively attachable to the handheld device and configured to protect at least a display portion of the handheld device when attached to the handheld device;
one or more electrical contacts integral with the protective shroud and configured to contact one or more electrical contacts of the handheld device when the protective shroud is attached to the handheld device;
and
an input component integral with the protective shroud and configured to generate an input signal based upon received user input and further configured to transmit the input signal to the handheld device through the one or more electrical contacts, the input component comprising an alphanumeric keypad and a touchpad adjacent to the alphanumeric keypad, the input component positioned on an interior wall of the protective shroud and configured to make physical contact with the handheld device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the alphanumeric keypad further comprises a plurality of mechanical keys.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the alphanumeric keypad further comprises a plurality of touch sensors.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , where the input component includes a non-uniform surface that differentiates at least some of the plurality of touch sensors as keys of the alphanumeric keypad.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , where the input component is configured to provide haptic feedback when a user contacts at least one key of the alphanumeric keypad.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a power source integral to the protective shroud.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , where the power source is configured to supply power to the handheld device through the one or more electrical contacts.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the protective shroud includes a hinge configured to allow the input component to be rotated with respect to the handheld device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , where the hinge is further configured to permit the input component to be rotated to a substantially perpendicular position with respect to the handheld device.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , where the hinge is further configured to permit the input component to be rotated to a position near a back-face of the handheld device when the input component is not in use.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the input component further comprises at least one of a keyboard, a game controller, or a handwriting input component.

12. An apparatus for a handheld device, comprising:
a protective shroud selectively attachable to the handheld device and configured to cover at least a portion of the handheld device when attached to the handheld device;
an alphanumeric keypad integral with the protective shroud;
a power source integral to the protective shroud; and
one or more electrical contacts integral with the protective shroud and configured to contact one or more electrical contacts of the handheld device when the protective shroud is attached to the handheld device and configured to provide for a transfer of information between the handheld device and the alphanumeric keypad, wherein the one or more electrical contacts integral with the protective shroud are configured to couple the power source to the handheld device, and the power source serves as a backup battery for the handheld device; and
at least one of:
a speaker integral with the protective shroud and configured to emit sound waves in response to receiving sound data from the handheld device through the one or more electrical contacts; or
a microphone integral with the protective shroud and configured to detect sound waves and generate sound data for transmission to the handheld device through the one or more electrical contacts.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , further including a hinge integral with the protective shroud and configured to rotate a portion of the protective shroud to which at least one of the alphanumeric keypad, the speaker, or the microphone is integrated relative to the handheld device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , where the protective shroud includes a substantially solid surface, the substantially solid surface including a plurality of touch sensors that comprise keys of the alphanumeric keypad.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , where the substantially solid surface further comprises a non-uniform surface that differentiates the keys of the alphanumeric keypad.

16. An apparatus for a handheld device, comprising:
a protective shroud selectively attachable to the handheld device and configured to protect at least a portion of the handheld device when attached to the handheld device;
an alphanumeric keypad positioned on a face of the protective shroud, wherein the alphanumeric keypad is embedded within the protective shroud;
a touchpad positioned on the face of the protective shroud, wherein the touchpad is integral with the protective shroud, separate from the alphanumeric keypad, and adjacent to the alphanumeric keypad;
a processing unit integral with the protective shroud;
one or more electrical contacts integral with the protective shroud and configured to contact one or more electrical contacts of the handheld device when the protective shroud is attached to the handheld device and configured to provide for a transfer of at least one of power or information between the handheld device and the alphanumeric keypad and between the handheld device and the processing unit; and
a hinge integral with the protective shroud and configured to rotate a portion of the protective shroud to which at least one of the alphanumeric keypad or the processing unit is integrated relative to the handheld device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , where the alphanumeric keypad further comprises a plurality of mechanical keys.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , where the alphanumeric keypad further comprises a plurality of touch sensors.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , where the protective shroud includes a non-uniform surface that differentiates at least some of the plurality of touch sensors as keys of the alphanumeric keypad.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , where the alphanumeric keypad is configured to provide haptic feedback when a user contacts at least one key of the alphanumeric keypad.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 , where the hinge is further configured to permit an input component to be rotated to a substantially perpendicular position with respect to the handheld device.

22. The apparatus of claim 16 , where the hinge is further configured to permit an input component to be rotated to a position near a back-face of the handheld device when the input component is not in use.

Assignees

• Paek Timothy S
• Badger Eric Norman
• Rosenfeld Daniel Allen
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Paek Timothy S
• Badger Eric Norman
• Rosenfeld Daniel Allen

Classifications

• G06F1/1616

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

  the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable · CPC title

• H04B1/3888 Primary

  Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers · CPC title

• H04M1/04 Primary

  Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers · CPC title

• H04M1/7253

  Electricity · mapped topic