Protective cases with integrated electronics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9723122-B2
Application number	US-201013499626-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2010
Priority date	Oct 1, 2009
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A protective case for a wireless electronics device includes one or more output devices integrated with or bonded to the protective case, from which a perceivable output (e.g., visible or audible indication) is generated. Various other electronics (e.g., circuit elements, ICs, microcontrollers, sensors) also may be integrated with or bonded to the protective case to provide power and/or one or more output signals to control the output device(s). In one example, a wireless signal generated by the wireless device is sensed by the integrated electronics, and the output device(s) are controlled based on the detected wireless signal. The protective case may be substantially rigid or at least partially deformable (flexible and/or stretchable), and the integrated electronics similarly may be at least partially deformable such that they may conform with various contours of the protective case and remain operative notwithstanding flexing and/or stretching of the case.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a case configured to at least partially envelop a mobile and/or wireless electronics device;
an electronic controller integrated with or bonded to the case such that the case serves as a substrate for the electronic controller, at least a portion of the electronic controller being deformable, the electronic controller providing an output signal, wherein the electronic controller comprises at least one sensor to sense at least one environmental condition proximate to the apparatus; and
at least one output device communicatively coupled to the electronic controller, and integrated with or bonded to the case, to provide at least one perceivable output based at least in part on the output signal provided by the electronic controller,
wherein the electronic controller comprises a plurality of electronic component islands and a plurality of stretchable conductive interconnects disposed so as to electrically interconnect at least some of the plurality of electronic component islands, and
wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one pressure sensor configured to measure a mechanical shock and/or impact to the apparatus or at least one temperature sensor configured to measure an ambient temperature proximate to the apparatus, and
wherein the at least one output device comprises a plurality light emitting diodes (LEDs) of different colors, and
wherein the output signal controls the LEDs to display different colors correlated to the measured degrees of shock and/or impact or correlated to the sensed ambient temperature.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the case is deformable.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the case is stretchable.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the case comprises a plurality of segments having respective different levels of rigidity or elasticity.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the case is one of translucent, transparent, or colored.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the case comprises an elastomer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the case partially encloses the mobile and/or wireless electronics device when placed in the case.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the case substantially encloses the mobile and/or wireless electronics device when placed in the case.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the case comprises at least one discontinuity or cut pattern to facilitate ventilation of the mobile and/or wireless electronics device when placed in the case.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the case is configured to protect the mobile and/or wireless electronics device, when placed in the case, from mechanical shock.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the case has a cross-sectional thickness in a range of between approximately 200 micrometers to 1 millimeter.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising the mobile and/or wireless electronics device.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mobile and/or wireless electronics device includes one of a cellular phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a gaming console, an electronic book reader, or a portable computing device.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller has a cross-sectional thickness in a range of between approximately 200 micrometers to 1 millimeter.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the electronic controller comprises a plurality of controller segments having respective different levels of rigidity or elasticity.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller comprises at least one electronic circuit element formed of a semiconductor material, and wherein the semiconductor material comprises at least one of amorphous silicon, polycrystalline silicon, single-crystal silicon, at least one conductive oxide, carbon nanotubes, or at least one organic material.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the at least one electronic circuit element is formed by a fabrication process comprising one of sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, ink jet printing, or organic material deposition combined with patterning techniques.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller comprises at least one commercial off the shelf (COTS) component.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least one COTS component is formed by a thinning process comprising at least one of mechanical grinding, chemical etching, or plasma etching.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of interconnects are formed by a fabrication process comprising at least one of sputtering, metal evaporation, or photolithography.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a layer of elastomeric material to at least partially encapsulate the electronic controller so as to protect the electronic controller from moisture and/or mechanical degradation.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller comprises:
at least one power source; and
at least one electronic circuit element to provide the output signal to the at least one output device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the at least one power source comprises at least one thin film battery, an array of solar cells, or at least one inductive coupling circuit.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the at least one electronic circuit element comprises at least one state machine/microcontroller or at least one output driver.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the at least one electronic circuit element comprises at least one of a resistor, a capacitor, a diode, a transistor, a logic gate, or an integrated circuit.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the electronic controller comprises at least one wireless sensing device to detect at least one wireless input signal; and
the output signal is based at least in part on the at least one wireless input signal.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the at least one wireless sensing device includes at least one sensor coil, or a Bluetooth device.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein:
the at least one wireless sensing device is configured to analyze a data content of the at least one wireless input signal; and
the output signal controls the at least one output device based at least in part on the data content of the at least one wireless input signal.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 , wherein the data content comprises at least one of a caller identification and a message type, and wherein the output signal controls the at least one output device to provide the at least one perceivable output based at least in part on the caller identification and/or the message type.

30. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the at least one wireless input signal is generated or received by the mobile and/or wireless device.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the at least one wireless input signal is representative of an incoming call, message and/or notification to the mobile and/or wireless device.

32. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor further includes at least one acoustic sensing device.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the at least one acoustic sensing de

Assignees

• Ghaffari Roozbeh
• Schlatka Benjamin
• Callsen Gilman
• De Graff Bassel
• Mc10 Inc

Inventors

• Ghaffari Roozbeh
• Schlatka Benjamin
• Callsen Gilman
• De Graff Bassel

Classifications

• H04M1/7253 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04M2250/16

  including more than one display unit · CPC title

• H04M1/04 Primary

  Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers · CPC title

• H04M1/72412 Primary

  using two-way short-range wireless interfaces · CPC title