Abstract:
An electronic device protective case with a built-in capability to have a connector or cable that enables it to interface to power and communication sources without the need for a separate cable. The connector can be an AC connector for power, or a DC connector for power and/or signals, such as an universal serial bus (USB) connector or similar connector. The connector or cable can the move between a stowed position within the protective case housing and a deployed positions where it is external to said case.

Description:
PATENTS CITED 
     The following documents and references are incorporated by reference in their entirety, Morrison (U.S. Pat. No. 7,151,912), Bi (U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 2009/0128090), Bean et al (U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 2004/0036449), Groves et al (U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,546), Godovich (U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 2006/0267547), Jones, III et al (U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,178), Simon et al (U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 2009/0051312), Skowronski (U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,077) and Fan (U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,066). 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a shielding case for portable electronics devices, in particular to ones that house various connectors and cables in order to connect or power the device without the use of a separate cable. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     Most of us have a portable electronic device with wireless capabilities. These range from cellular Handsets and Smartphones (such as the iPhone, Android or other devices), Tablets (such as the iPad), eReaders (e.g. Nook, Kindle, Fire), Music players (iPod, Nano, etc.), game controller (such as Nintendo DS, Sony PSP and others), to laptop computers. Most of these devices perform all data communications via wireless protocols (e.g. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular protocols, 3 G, 4 G, WiMax and others), relegating cable connections to the occasional wired Ethernet and the ever important battery charging. 
     Charging is typically accomplished via a dedicated Direct Current (DC) connector (typically coming from an Alternate Current to DC (AC/DC) converter, or an Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector, which typically operates at 5V DC. Devices using the USB port for charging include many models of the Blackberry (e.g. Curve), and provide the advantage of allowing one&#39;s Smartphone to be charged from one&#39;s laptop USB port, obviating the need to carry two chargers when travelling. 
     What sadly is not obviated, is the requirement to carry a menagerie of cables (whether USB or custom device). Besides their bulk (given the propensity of devices to not require data interfacing via the cable, the extra shielding on these cables mean they are simply overbuilt), these cables constantly require winding and unwinding, which leads to internal conductor failure. 
     What is needed, is a way to be able to connect your handheld electronic device to a power supply source that does not exceedingly increase the bulk of the device, yet provide a convenient and safe (for the cable or connector integrity) way to store the cable or connector and protect it from damage. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This section is for the purpose of summarizing some aspects of the present invention and to briefly introduce some preferred embodiments. Simplifications or omissions may be made to avoid obscuring the purpose of the section. Such simplifications or omissions are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
     In one aspect, the invention comprises an electronic device protective case comprising a shield case designed to snugly fit around an electronic device, said case comprising one or more component cavities, internal electric connection means within said case volume for interfacing with said electronic device, external electric connecting means within said case capable of interfacing with external power sources suitable to powering said electronic device, electronic control circuitry means interfacing to both the internal and external electric connecting means and mechanical means to control the deployment of said external electronic connecting means. In another aspect, said case is pliable. In yet another aspect, said case is made primarily of silicone, or leather, leather imitation products (such as Naugahyde® and others) or Kevlar®. 
     In another aspect the mechanical means to control the deployment of said external electronic connecting means are comprised of a slidable mechanism. In yet another aspect, said external electric connecting means are comprised of a DC connector, such as an universal serial bus (USB) connector. In one aspect, the mechanical means to control the deployment of said external electronic connecting means are comprised of a swinging mechanism. In another aspect, said external electric connecting means are comprised of a DC connector. In another aspect the mechanical means to control the deployment of said external electronic connecting means are comprised of a spooling cable assembly. 
     In one aspect, the electronic control circuitry means further comprise a current limiting circuitry. In another aspect, said electronic control circuitry means are controllable via a software application running on said electronic device. In one aspect, said external electric connecting means are comprised of an AC connector and said electronic control circuitry means comprise a transformer rectifier circuitry capable of generating DC voltage. 
     In one aspect, the invention is an electronic device protective case comprising a flexible shield case designed to snugly fit around an electronic device, said case comprising one or more component cavities, an electronic device interface connector within the internal volume of said case, an external USB connector electrically connected to said electronic device interface connector, said external USB connector being part of a retractable mechanism capable of controlling its extension and retraction into said case cavity. In another aspect, an electronic current control circuit within the case cavity, said current control circuit being capable of limiting the current input to said electronic device. 
     In one aspect, the invention is an electronic device protective case comprising, a flexible shield case designed to snugly fit around an electronic device, said case comprising one or more component cavities, an electronic device interface connector within the internal volume of said case, a transformer/rectifier circuit within a cavity of said case, said t/r circuit being capable of converting AC voltage to DC voltage, external AC connector electrically connected to said electronic device interface connector, said external AC connector being part of a retractable mechanism capable of controlling its extension and retraction into said case cavity. 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon examining the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1A-1E  show various case and connector configurations, according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows an AC connector configuration, according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 3A-3C  show various case and connector configurations, according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows a horizontal spool configuration, according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 5A-5C  show various case and connector configurations, according to illustrative embodiments of the invention. 
         6 A- 6 C show various case and connector configurations, according to illustrative embodiments of the invention. 
         7 A- 7 B show various case and connector configurations, according to illustrative embodiments of the invention. 
         8 A- 8 B show various case and connector configurations, according to illustrative embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
    
     The above-described and other features will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, drawings, and appended claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     To provide an overall understanding of the invention, certain illustrative embodiments and examples will now be described. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. The compositions, apparatuses, systems and/or methods described herein may be adapted and modified as is appropriate for the application being addressed and that those described herein may be employed in other suitable applications, and that such other additions and modifications will not depart from the scope hereof. 
     A fuller understanding of the nature and the objects of the present invention will be more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1A-1E  we show an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a shield case  102  designed to cradle and snugly fit around the three or more sides of a portable electronic device  100  such as a cell phone, Smartphone, Tablet, game controller, or music player. One or more component cavities  104  on the sides or bottom of the case is used to house a variety of electronic components, including electrical (AC and DC) connectors and cables, including extending and retracting means, such as finger or thumb slides, cable winding mechanisms, etc. In the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1A-1C , the shield case  102  structure extends to one or more of the sides of the electronic device  100  in order to make use of this dimension without making the combination of the electronic device and case exceedingly bulky. 
     In the embodiment shown, the component cavity is used to house a USB connector  106  that extends in/out of the cavity  104  via a sliding tab  110  within a sliding mechanism  108 . In an alternate embodiment, the connector is a Firewire (IEEE-1394) connector, other electrical connectors may be used. While the primary connection desire is one of power, other electrical signals may be carried if desired. 
     One embodiment for the actual operation of the sliding mechanism is shown in  FIG. 1-D . In an alternate embodiment,  FIG. 1E  the USB connector  106  swivels out. While shown coming from the “bottom” of the case, it could if course also come from the side. 
     In one embodiment, the unit case  102  is made of a soft pliable material, creating a soft case or mold that in addition to performing the connector carrying function, additionally protects the electronics&#39; device surface from damage. In one embodiment, the case  102  is made of Silicone resin or rubber. Silicones are polymers that include silicon together with carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and sometimes other chemical elements. Some common forms include silicone oil, silicone grease, silicone rubber, and silicone resin. Such a soft case embodiment would have the advantage of securely attaching to the electronic device. In an alternate embodiment, the case may be constructed of Leather, Teflon, composites such as Kevlar or any other such suitable material 
     In another embodiment, either a semi-soft or even hard case could also be used. The various embodiments of the above units may be constructed of a variety of materials. The case  102  be polymer, plastic or thermoplastic, including such well known materials as nylon, ABS (“acrylonitrile butadiene styrene”) or other such moldable plastics. In one embodiment, a composite comprised of an outer silicone shell  102  with an internal housing  116  and/or backing  118  structure may be used to provide a soft feel to the user, while providing suitable structural support for the components. 
     In order to provide the required interfacing with the electronic device, a suitable connector  114  is situated within the case  102  volume, at a point that allows it to connect electrically with the input socket  112  of the electronic device. Said connection may be magnetic, or it may be by insertion within the electronic&#39;s device suitable socket. This connector  114  is electrically connected to the external connection connector  106  in order to transmit the outside power to the electronic device. In an alternate embodiment, such as for a BlackBerry Curve, the connector  114  would be located on left side  122  of the unit, other embodiments may have it located within any of the device&#39;s sides. Similarly, the connector  106  may be housed any of the sides or bottom of the case  102 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2A-2B , we illustrate an alternate embodiment, where the case  102  is equipped with an AC connector  202 . The two most common worldwide voltages are 120 VAC and 220 V AC, with various prongs used in various countries (parallel two bladed in the US, parts of the Caribbean), circular in Europe, tri-flat in England, and others. Of course, the larger challenge here is converting the AC voltage to DC for feeding to the electronic device&#39;s battery. In on embodiment, this is done by having the AC/AC transformer and rectifier (to create DC) within the cavity  104 . 
     In one embodiment, the transformer/rectifier circuitry itself is within a plastic enclosure forming the internal housing  116 , while in an alternate embodiment the transformer is directly encapsulated in a thermoplastic polyester resin, then inserted within the silicone, with the electrical leads coming to the outside also encapsulated within plastic (thus reducing the risk of high voltage contact to the customer). A suitable material for the above encapsulation would be Rynite® PET, Crastin PBT, Zytel HTN, Zytel PA (all from Dupont) or similar materials from other mfrs. As before, the connector  202  may not be restricted to an in/out configuration, but may also operate in a swivel assembly as shown in  FIG. 1E , or even swiveling out from the bottom. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3A-3B , we illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a solution using a cable dispenser/retractor system  302  hosting a cable  306  that has an USB connector  106  at one end, with the other end within the cavity  102  or the case  104 . Cable retractors are well known in the art (Morrison, Skorowonski), being comprised of a cylinder around which a cable winds, a cable, and some form of spring mechanism with a detent. In one embodiment, the cable is wound around the cylinder  308 . 
       FIG. 3C  illustrates a proposed cross section of the cable dispenser/retractor system  302 . The reel or cylinder  120  is constructed with a spool wall  310 , preferably with a circular in shape, which together with the outer surface of the hub  312  defines a circular cavity  314 . A spiral spring  316  is disposed within the cavity  314 . An outer end of the spiral spring  316  passes through an opening  320  in the spool wall  310 , and connects the retractable cable  112  at electrical connection  318 . 
     In one embodiment, the cable is made to come out by the user pulling the connector  106 , and made to retract by the client pushing a For example, the end of the spiral spring connector  246  can be soldered, as shown, to the end of the retractable cable  112 . An opposite end of the spiral telephone connector  246  is connected to the housing  102 . In one embodiment, a ratchet  322  is placed to prevent the spring force from rewinding the cable  306 . The user can reel out an appropriate length of cable and then slowly release the cable to enable the locking mechanism. To recoil the cable, the user tugs on the cable and releases. A spring inside the housing then pulls the cable into the housing. In an alternate embodiment, the ratchet  322  is completely released by the user pressing a rewind button  324 . 
     In an alternate embodiment, a current limiting circuit  326  is added to the case  102  or cavity enclosure  104 , or connector  106 . Such a circuit would control the maximum current allowed to run through the cable  306 . The USB specification allows the current to be within 500 and 900 mA, but the addition of this current limiting circuit would allow for the matching of the cable  306  thickness to match the optimal cable size. In this fashion, the thinnest enclosure (corresponding to the thinnest cable) could be construed (while remaining within the USB specification). 
     In effect, while this could in some situations delay the charging time for the unit, the advantage would be a thinner/smaller shield case. In an alternate embodiment, the above current limiting circuitry could be controlled by a software application or program (commonly called an app) running within the electronic device&#39;s operating system. 
     As before, the cable might be an AC cable (with a corresponding AC plug), and a transformer within the case  102  or cavity  104 . In an alternate embodiment  FIG. 4 , the cable dispenser/retractor  402  is laid horizontally or flat. As before the connector (whether DC  106 ) or AC  404 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5A-5C , we show an exemplary embodiment where the connector and/or cable retractor mechanism are both placed in a cavity  104  at the back of the case  102  that is placed snuggly around the electronic device  100  (In this case a unit with a touch screen  502 . Again, a connector suitable  504  for mating to the electronic device is placed within the volume of the case  102  at a position suitable to connect. In one embodiment, the cable spool mechanism  506  would take advantage of the larger area to store the cable. Again, the connector  520  may be a DC connector or an AC connector paired with an AC/DC transformer/rectifier as before. 
     In an alternate embodiment, the cable spool mechanism could be comprised of two or more spools  FIGS. 7A-7B , again to use the larger area. In an alternate embodiment, a roll mechanism as shown in  302  could also be used. As seen in  FIGS. 6A-6C , a slide DC (or AC) connector could also be used. 
     It is important to note the importance of an embodiment using a current limiting circuitry. Such a circuit would provide the opportunity to build the unit with a thin or even flat cable gaged for a maximum of 500 mA (or lower with minor software changes to the device, which could be part of an App), instead of one that meets the standard (500 mA to 900 mA), almost half as thick. 
     While shown in the bottom and side positions, there is no limitation that would preclude a configuration having components in both the bottom and side of the case  102 . In addition, another embodiment would foresee the use of the present volume dedicate to the battery being utilized. As seen in  FIGS. 8A-8B , such an embodiment would use the combination of a custom designed back  802  and cavity  804  to use some or all of the space presently dedicated to a battery. In one embodiment, a smaller sized battery could be separate procured, or one  806  could be built into the assembly. The connector  808  would then occupy the other half (or a connector/cable reel system as shown before), either in DC or AC configurations. 
     CONCLUSION 
     In concluding the detailed description, it should be noted that it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations and modifications can be made to the preferred embodiment without substantially departing from the principles of the present invention. Also, such variations and modifications are intended to be included herein within the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims. Further, in the claims hereafter, the structures, materials, acts and equivalents of all means or step-plus function elements are intended to include any structure, materials or acts for performing their cited functions. 
     It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present invention, particularly any “preferred embodiments” are merely possible examples of the implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Any variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of the invention without departing substantially from the spirit of the principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of the disclosure and present invention and protected by the following claims. 
     The present invention has been described in sufficient detail with a certain degree of particularity. The utilities thereof are appreciated by those skilled in the art. It is understood to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure of embodiments has been made by way of examples only and that numerous changes in the arrangement and combination of parts may be resorted without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the forgoing description of embodiments.