Abstract:
A case for an electronic device such as a smart phone includes a handle with a trigger element. The handle is selectively rotatable from a closed position in which the handle is disposed adjacent to the case and an active position in which the electronic device is positioned and oriented to take a picture in a predetermined direction (for example for taking a “selfie.”) The handle preferably includes several telescoping sections to extend the effective length of the handle.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 62/129,203 filed on Mar. 6, 2015 and incorporated herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     a. Field of Invention 
     This application pertains to a case for an electronic portable device, such as a smart phone, tablet or video recorder and the like that has an integral handle. The handle can be selectively extended to allow a person to hold the portable electronic device while taking pictures. 
     b. Description of the Prior Art 
     Many portable electronic devices, such as smart phones, music players, and the like, have a built in camera that can be used to take still and moving images. Early versions of these types of devices included relatively unsophisticated cameras and images obtained from these cameras were not very high quality. Moreover their optical characteristics were limited so that they could not be used to take close-up pictures. 
     However recent advances in these cameras lead to tremendous improvements in the quality of images that can be obtained using mobile electronic devices. Moreover, because the devices can now much better close-up pictures, taking pictures of oneself (colloquially known as a ‘selfie’) has become tremendously popular. Most people take such selfies by just holding the device in the palm of the hand at an arm&#39;s length. Of course, this position is rather awkward especially since the button for triggering the ‘camera’ is difficult to reach and activate. Alternatively, the picture must be taken using a timer. However, not all phones are equipped with timers and, since the subjects do not know when the picture is going to be taken, they make look away, close their eyes or make an undesirable phase, resulting in unacceptable images. 
     In addition, auxiliary devices have become available (colloquially known as “selfie sticks”), that are telescopically extendible, like an umbrella or a monopod with one end adapted to receive and hold an electronic device while taking “selfies.”. However these types of auxiliary devices are still difficult to use, especially if the electronic mobile device is relatively heavy. Moreover, the auxiliary device has to be packed and carried separately and assembled and extended before each use. Alternatively, the mobile electronic device and the auxiliary arm can be carried together between the taking of images. Of course, this latter combination defeats the whole purpose of having a small, light, pocketable electronic device in the first place. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, the present invention pertains to a case for an electronic device, such a smart phone, having an internal camera for making electronic images. The case includes a body sized and shaped to form an enclosure for the electronic device; a handle having a first end and a second end; and a coupling connecting said handle at said first end with said body. Preferably, the coupling is sized and shape to fold the handle in a first position in which said handle is disposed adjacent to said body and a second position in which the handle expends away from the body to position an electronic device within the enclosure to a picture taking orientation. 
     In one embodiment, the case further includes a trigger member disposed at said second end and configured to selectively trigger the electronic device to take a picture. 
     The handle may include a sleeve and at least one section telescopically extendable from the sleeve to increase the effective length of the handle. 
     In one embodiment, the handle also includes a center portion a first element with a first end. This first end is attached to said coupling, the handle further including a hinge connecting the first element to the central portion. The hinge is configured to position the central portion at a predetermined angle with respect to the body. Preferably, the body includes a back disposed in a plane and the hinge is configured to selectively pivot the central portion to said angle with respect to said plane. 
     In one embodiment, a case for a device, is provided, the device being configured to take selected pictures. The case includes a housing with a top a bottom and a back configured to define a cavity selectively receiving the electronic device. The case further includes a handle having a first handle end and a distal end. A coupling attaches the first handle end to the back with the handle being rotatable with respect to the housing to position the electronic device into a picture taking configuration. 
     The back may define a back plane and the coupling is configured to selectively position the handle to a first position in which the handle is disposed adjacent to the back and a second position by rotating said handle in a plante parallel to the back plane. 
     Preferably handle includes second portion connected to the first portion by a hinge, the second portion being selectively rotated to a position at an angle with respect to the back plane. 
     In one embodiment, the second portion includes a central portion that is hollow and a plurality of segments telescopically sliding into the central portion. 
     Preferably one of the segments has an outer end with a trigger element selectively activated to trigger the electronic device. 
     In one embodiment, the handle includes a distal end and electronic components selectively electronically connected to the electronic device. The electronic components includes a battery, an IC chip with a communication module selectively establishing wireless communication with the electronic device and a switch activated by the user to activate the electronic device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a rear perspective view of an assembly including an electronic device inserted into a case constructed in accordance with this invention with handle being in fully retracted position: 
         FIG. 2  shows a top perspective view of the assembly with the handle fully extended; 
         FIG. 3  shows a bottom perspective view of the assembly with the handle fully extended; 
         FIG. 4  shows a top view of the case with the handle fully extended; 
         FIG. 5  shows a side view of the assembly with the handle fully extended; 
         FIG. 6  shows a bottom view of the assembly with the handle fully extended; 
         FIG. 7  shows a cross sectional view of the assembly with the handle fully extended talen along lines VII-VII in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  shows a perspective view with the smart phone tilted to take a portrait image; and 
         FIG. 9  shows a perspective view with the smart phone tilted to take a landscape image. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in the  FIGS. 1-5 , an assembly  100  constructed in accordance with this invention includes an electronic device  102  inserted into a case  110 . As previously mentioned, the device  102  can be a smart phone (such as an Apple Iphone  6 , or other similar electronic device that preferably may be used to take a “selfie.” In  FIG. 4 , the electronic device has been omitted for the sake of clarity. 
     The case  110  includes a body  112  sized and shaped to form a cavity  108  housing the device  102 . The body  112  also includes a bottom  113 , a top  114  and a back  116  and sidewalls  117 A.  117 B. Mounted preferably on the back  116  is a rotatable and expendable handle  118 . The handle  118  includes a telescoping arm  120  with a mounting end  122  and a free end  124 . The mounting end  122  is arranged and constructed so that it is rotatably attached to the body  112  by a coupling such as a ball-joint  123  or other similar conventional means. This mounting end  122  allows the handle  112  to pivot in a plane parallel to the plane of the back  116  by any arbitrary angle. For example, in  FIG. 1  the handle  118  is shown folded over the case body  112 . In  FIGS. 2-7  the handle  118  is shown as being rotated by about 180 degrees. The coupling for this motion is relatively stiff to insure that the case and the device housed therein do not flop around. The back  116  may be formed with an indentation  126  (see  FIG. 6 ) for housing the arm  118 . 
     Preferably, the arm  118  includes several components, such as a central sleeve  130 , a first section  132  connecting the central sleeve  130  to end  122 , a second section  134 , a third section  136  and a fourth section  138  terminating with free end  124 . The sections  134 ,  136  and  138  are sized, shaped and configured so that they can be selectively, extended out of or contracted into sleeve  130  as required. 
     Importantly, the arm  120  can not only rotate with respect to case  110  it is articulated so that it can bent to position the case  110  in either position shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . This is accomplished by using a connection to pivotably couple the section  132  to sleeve  130 . The connection could be a hinge  138  as shown in  FIGS. 5-7 . Such a hinge may include formed of interlocking leaves  140 ,  142  connected by a pin  152 . This configuration allows the sleeve  130  (and the sections supported thereon) to pivot with respect to end  122 , and therefore case  110 . 
     Preferably the various sections of handle  120  are formed a frictional interference fit there between which allows the sections  134 ,  136 ,  138  to slide telescopically in and out of sleeve  130  to any desired length. Thus the handle  118  can take on various the configurations as shown to either store the handle  118  on case  110 , or to deploy the handle to the positions such as the ones shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . In these latter positions, the assembly  100  can be gripped by handle  118  and hold the device  102  within the case  110  in a position suitable for taking a “selfie.” 
     More specifically, in  FIG. 8 , the device  102  is held in a vertical position suitable for a portrait image. In  FIG. 9  the device is held in a horizontal position suitable for a landscape image. 
     Preferably, section  138  is provided with an activation member such as a button  160 , an LED indicator light  162  and a battery chamber  166  holding a button-type battery  164 . A chamber  168  is provided below the button  160 . An IC chip  170  with a microswitch  172  is disposed in the chamber  170 . The IC chip  170  is arranged so that the microswitch  172  is selectively operated by button  160 . The IC chip also includes a communication module (not shown) that can communicate with the device  102  using any standard protocol such as BlueTooth. Alternatively, the button  160  may be directly wired to the device  102  by a pair of wires (not shown) extending through arm  118 . Optionally, an ON-Off switch (not shown) is also provided for activating the IC-chip  170 . 
     The handle is operated as follows. When not in use, the handle  118  is folded into a closed position in which it is adjacent to the case  110  as shown in  FIG. 1 . IN this position, the IC chip  170  can be Off and the case  110  is used merely as a means of protecting the device  102 . When a user desires to take a picture, such as a “selfie”, the handle  118  is rotated to an open position of either 90 degrees or 180 degrees. The elements  134 ,  136 ,  138  are pulled out of the sleeve  130  until a desired length for the handle  118  is obtained. The elements  130 - 138  are also pivoted with on hinge  139  to position the device  102  so that it is directed correctly to take a desired image. The IC chip  170  is activated so that it communicates with the device  102 . For example, if a Bluetooth protocol is used, the IC chip  170  is paired with the device  102 . When pairing is complete, the LED  162  lights up. The LED  162  may also be turned on to show the status of battery  164 . The user then pushes button  160  causing the device  102  to “shoot a picture.” If direct wiring is used, the activation of the button triggers device  102  in a conventional manner. 
     Cutouts are provided at various locations on body  112  to provide access to various functions of device  102 . For example, device  102  may be connected to a cable  180  for charging it or an audio component (not shown) such as a headphone through a cable  182 . Appropriate cutouts are made in the bottom  122  to accommodate these cables  180 ,  182  (see  FIG. 1 ). 
     Numerous modifications may be made to this invention without departing from its scope as defined in the appended claims.