Abstract:
A protective cover allowing unrestricted functionality to an electronic device includes a foldable protective board and a receiving portion containing the electronic device. The protective cover also includes a solar panel, a keyboard with touch input function and a wireless module. The wireless module is configured for wirelessly connecting the keyboard with the electronic device. A method for operating the protective cover is also provided.

Description:
FIELD  
       [0001]    The subject matter herein generally relates to the field of protective covers. 
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]    Portable electronic devices provide great functionality and have capabilities in daily lives and can be a source of entertainment. Typically these devices are intended to be carried or moved about. As such, these devices are more vulnerable to damage. Protective cases are used to protect these devices from possible damage but the protective case may sometimes reduce the full functionality. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0003]    Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures. 
           [0004]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an embodiment of a protective cover over a portable electronic device. 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the protective cover as shown in  FIG. 1  from another angle. 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the protective cover as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a wireless module of the protective cover as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of a process for operation method of the protective cover. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0009]    It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure. 
         [0010]    Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented. 
         [0011]    The term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The connection can be such that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected. The term “substantially” is defined to be essentially conforming to the particular dimension, shape, or other feature that the term modifies, such that the component need not be exact. For example, “substantially cylindrical” means that the object resembles a cylinder, but can have one or more deviations from a true cylinder. The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series and the like. 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  illustrates a protective cover  100  according to an embodiment which can include a foldable protective board  10 , a hand strap  20 , a receiving portion  30 , a solar panel  40 , a keyboard  50  with touch function, and a wireless module  60 . 
         [0013]    The protective board  10  can include a latch board  11 , a first protective board  12  and a second protective board  13  coupled together. The hand strap  20  can be connected to an edge of the protective board  10  for carrying the protective cover  100  conveniently. The receiving portion  30  can be attached on the first protective board  12 . In at least one embodiment, the receiving portion  30  can be integrally formed with the first protective board  12 . The solar panel  40  can be located on the second protective board  13 . The keyboard  50  can be partly embedded in the second protective board  13 . 
         [0014]    The protective board  10  can be made of leather material. A connection between the latch board  11  and the first protective board  12  can include a crease  14 . The latch board  11  can include a first buckle  111 , and the first buckle  111  can be magnetic. In another embodiment, the first buckle  111  can be a snap-on button. A shape of the first protective board  12  can be substantially same as that of the second protective board  13 . A connection between the first protective board  12  and the second protective board  13  can include a crease  15 . A micro control unit (MCU) (not shown) and a wireless control chip (not shown) can be embedded in the protective board  10 . 
         [0015]    The hand strap  20  can be riveted for example to the protective board  10 , by a rivet  21 . In another embodiment, the hand strap  20  can be mounted to the protective board  10  by gluing, or other means of attachment, or integrally formed. The hand strap  20  can include a fastener  22  with a hole  221  defined therein. 
         [0016]      FIG. 2  illustrates that the protective board  10  can define a camera window  121  to correspond with a camera of the electronic device  200  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). The second protective board  13  can include a second buckle  131  to correspond with the first buckle  111  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). The second buckle  131  can be magnetic. In another embodiment, the second buckle  131  can be a snap-on button. The second protective board  13  can be folded along the crease  15  towards the first protective board  12 . Then, the latch board  11  can be folded along the crease  14  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) and towards the first protective board  12 . Thus, the latch board  11  can be attached to the second protective board  13 , and the first buckle  111  can be buckled to the second buckle  131  to lock the protective board  10 . 
         [0017]      FIG. 3  illustrates that the receiving portion  30  can include a bottom board  31  attached onto the first protective board  12  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ), a first sidewall  32 , a second sidewall  33 , a third sidewall  34 , a fourth opening  35  facing the second sidewall  33 , and a top board  36  facing the bottom board  31 . The first sidewall  32 , the second sidewall  33 , and the third sidewall  34  can extend vertically along the bottom board  31 . The electronic device  200  can be placed in the receiving portion  30  through the fourth opening  35 . The bottom board  31  can define a first opening  311  at a place corresponding to the camera window  121  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). The first sidewall  32  can define a second opening  321  at a place to allow fingertip access to a volume button of the electronic device  200  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). The second opening  321  can allow a user to directly operate the volume button. The second sidewall  33  can define a third opening  331  to expose a universal serial bus (USB) port of the electronic device  200 . The third sidewall  34  can define a fourth opening  341  to expose a power button of the electronic device  200 . The top board  36  can define a fifth opening  361  to expose a handset of the electronic device  200 , a sixth opening  362  to allow viewing of a display of the electronic device  200 , and a seventh opening  363  to expose a loudspeaker of the electronic device  200 . In another embodiment, openings of the receiving portion  30  can be as required and in such locations as necessary to accommodate a different electronic device  200 . 
         [0018]    The solar panel  40  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) can provide electrical energy for the keyboard  50  and the wireless module  60 . In another embodiment, the solar panel  40  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) can be located on suitable positions such as a topmost surface out of the protective board  10 . 
         [0019]    The keyboard  50  can be a touch panel, and can have a function of accepting handwriting input. The keyboard  50  can include a first keypad  51  and a second keypad  52 . The first keypad  51  can be same as computer keyboard, and can include numbers, letters, symbols, and other keys. The second keypad  52  can include a power key  521  and a backlight controlling key  522 . The touch function of the keyboard  50  can be started or stopped when the power key  521  is activated. The backlight source of the keyboard  50  can be turned on or off when the backlight controlling key  522  being touched. In another embodiment, other function keys can be added. 
         [0020]      FIG. 4  illustrates the wireless module  60 . In at least one embodiment, the wireless module  60  can be a BLUETOOTH module. The wireless module  60  can include a main body  61 , a linking rod  62  rotationally connected to the main body  61 , and a ring  63  connected to the linking rod  62 . The main body  61  can be substantially cubic. In another embodiment, the main body  61  can be substantially triangular or spherical. A surface of the main body  61  can include a decoration to enhance the aesthetic of the wireless module  60  (for example, a symbolism  611 ). A side surface of the main body  61  can define a micro universal serial bus (micro USB) port  612 . In another embodiment, the side surface of the main body  61  can define a USB port or other bus port. The linking rod  62  can be substantially a hollow column, and can define a hole  621  therein. The ring  63  can be connected to the linking rod  62  through the hole  621 . The wireless module  60  can further include a wire  64  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). One end of the wire  64  can be connected to the micro USB port  612 , and can pass out of the main body  61  through the linking rod  62 . The other end of the wire  64  can be embedded in the protective board  10 , and connected to the keyboard  50 . A different software can be downloaded into the protective cover  100  by the micro USB port  612  and the wire  64  to give the keyboard  50  wireless input functionality for a different electronic device  200 . The protective cover  100  can be connected to an external power supply by the micro USB port  612  to provide electrical energy for the keyboard  50  and the wireless module  60 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , a flowchart is presented in accordance with an example embodiment which is being thus illustrated. The example method is provided by way of example, as there are a variety of ways to carry out the method. The method described below can be carried out using the configurations illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , for example, and various elements of these figures are referenced in explaining example method. Each block shown in  FIG. 5  represents one or more processes, methods or subroutines, carried out in the example method. Additionally, the illustrated order of blocks is by example only and the order of the blocks can change according to the present disclosure. The example method can begin at block  301 . 
         [0022]    In block  301 , a power key  521  can be activated, and a touch function of the keyboard  50  can be initialized. 
         [0023]    In block  302 , the keyboard  50  can recognize touches, and can wait for an input. 
         [0024]    In block  303 , a signal can be input. The signal can be a backlight controlling signal, a virtual shortcut signal, an input signal of handwriting, or other signal. 
         [0025]    In block  304 , the input signal can be determined to be a backlight controlling signal. 
         [0026]    In block  305 , if the input signal is determined as being the backlight controlling signal, the backlight source of the keyboard  50  can be turned on, and the program can be ended. 
         [0027]    In block  306 , a determination can be made that the input signal is a shortcut signal. 
         [0028]    In block  307 , if the input signal is determined to be the shortcut signal, an MCU can confirm contents of the shortcut signal, and contents of the shortcut signal can include to return to the previous page, to send text message, to return to a home page, to copy, to paste, or other. The control chip of wireless transmission can change the shortcut signal into a signal that can be recognized by a wireless module  60 . 
         [0029]    In block  308 , a determination can be made that the signal is of input keys “Ctrl+Shift”. 
         [0030]    In block  309 , if a determination is made that the input signal is keys “Ctrl+Shift” being pressed, the keyboard  50  can cycle to the next input mode from the current input mode. The input mode can include Chinese input mode, other language input mode, and handwriting input mode. Then, the MCU can confirm the input mode of the keyboard  50 . 
         [0031]    In block  310 , the MCU can confirm the input mode of the keyboard  50 . 
         [0032]    In block  312 , the keyboard  50  can take touches and perform an input operation. The input contents can include numbers, Chinese language, English language, and handwriting and punctuation marks. 
         [0033]    In block  313 , the wireless control chip can change the input contents into signals that can be recognized by the wireless module  60 . 
         [0034]    In block  314 , the wireless module  60  can communicate with the electronic device  200 , and send the wireless signals to the electronic device  200  for the required commands to be executed. 
         [0035]    The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Many details are often found in the art such as the other features of the protective cover  100 . Therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, including in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure, up to and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the embodiments described above may be modified within the scope of the claims.