Patent Publication Number: US-2005139683-A1

Title: Communication terminal equipped with a replaceable cover and method of changing themes of communication terminal using the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
      The present application is claiming priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2003-0097362, filed on Dec. 26, 2003, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a communication terminal equipped with a replaceable cover, and in particular to a communication terminal equipped with a replaceable cover and a method of changing themes of the communication terminal using the same.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Typically, communication terminals have been continuously developed to meet various needs of the customers. Particularly, a replaceable cover is used to satisfy needs of design changes. Such a replaceable cover has a structure to be mounted and separated to and from the communication terminal. A user can change an appearance of the communication terminal according to one&#39;s taste by replacing and mounting a replaceable cover.  
      In addition, a memory card has been mounted to the communication terminal to change display registration information of the communication terminal for various themes (for example, background screen, bell sound, effect sound, music data, menu, icon, screen, animation, alarm sound, user interface, etc.) that a user wants.  
      However, since the memory card can be separated from the communication terminal only after the replaceable cover is separated from the communication terminal, there are inconveniences in replacing the memory card when changing the display registration information for themes that a user wants.  
      Additionally, according to the prior art, since the memory card and a connector are physically connected to each other, so that there is a problem in that the memory card is broken due to an excessive force applied to the memory card when the memory card is connected and separated to and from the connector.  
      In particular, the memory card is very thin and small, so that there is a problem in that it is difficult for users to hold the memory card stably when separating the memory card from the communication terminal.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art. The object of the present invention is to provide a replaceable cover which can change themes as well as an appearance of a communication terminal and can easily connect and separate a memory card having display registration information to and from a connector of the communication terminal by just replacing the cover of the communication terminal.  
      In addition, the other object of the present invention is to provide a method of changing themes of a communication terminal, which can replace an appearance and themes of the communication terminal at the same time using a replaceable cover and can easily connect and separate a memory card having display registration information for the communication terminal to and from a connector of the communication terminal.  
      In order to accomplish the objects, there is provided a communication terminal equipped with a replaceable cover comprising a cover body; and a memory card, fixed to an inner surface of the cover body, for providing display registration information to the communication terminal, wherein the memory card is directly connected to a connector of the communication terminal when the cover is mounted to the communication terminal, and wherein themes of the communication terminal can be changed by replacing the cover according to the display registration information provided by the memory card.  
      Preferably, a plurality of terminals for signaling between the memory card and the connector of the communication terminal may be provided on one surface of the memory card to be in contact with the connector of the communication terminal.  
      Preferably, the cover body may comprise a front cover, a rear cover and a connecting member connecting the front cover and the rear cover, and the memory card may be fixed to an inner surface of the connecting member.  
      Preferably, the connecting member, the front cover and the rear cover may be integrated into one body.  
      Preferably, the cover body may be made of an elastic material.  
      Preferably, the memory card may be fixed to the cover body by being inserted into an insert recess formed in the inner surface of the cover body.  
      Preferably, the memory card may be fixed to the cover body by being adhered to the inner surface of the cover body with glue.  
      Preferably, replacing the replaceable cover results in a change of appearance of the communication terminal and a change of themes of the communication terminal at the same time.  
      In order to achieve the above objects, there is provided a method of changing themes of a communication terminal using a replaceable cover comprising: mounting a replaceable cover to which a memory card is fixed to a communication terminal, said memory card having display registration information; sensing the display registration information inputted in the memory card; reading the sensed display registration information; and changing themes of the communication terminal according to the read display registration information.  
      Preferably, the act of mounting the replaceable cover to the communication terminal may make the memory card and a connector of the communication terminal be in contact with each other directly.  
      Preferably, replacing the replaceable cover results in a change of appearance of the communication terminal and a change of themes of the communication terminal at the same time.  
      Preferably, the acts of sensing and reading the display registration information may be executed by the connector, a processor of the communication terminal may receive the display registration information read by the connector and the processor may change themes of the communication terminal in response to the display registration information.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view respectively illustrating a replaceable cover and a mobile communication terminal with the replaceable cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged sectional view illustrating that the replaceable cover and the mobile communication terminal illustrated in  FIG. 1  are combined;  
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged sectional view illustrating that a replaceable cover according to another embodiment of the invention and a mobile communication terminal are combined; and  
       FIG. 4  is a flow chart illustrating a method of changing themes of a communication terminal using a replaceable cover according to an embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view respectively illustrating a replaceable cover and a mobile communication terminal with the replaceable cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 2  is an enlarged sectional view illustrating that the replaceable cover and the mobile communication terminal illustrated in  FIG. 1  are combined.  
      As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the replaceable cover  10  comprises a front cover  12 , a rear cover  14  and a connecting member  16 . A memory card  22  is mounted on an inner surface of the connecting member  16 . Data capable of providing various themes to mobile communication terminal is installed in the memory card  22 . The front cover  12 , the rear cover  14  and the connecting member  16  constitute a cover body of the replaceable cover  10 . The cover body  12 ,  14 ,  16  is preferably formed in one united body and may be made of an elastic material.  
      The front cover  12  and the rear cover  14  have a predetermined area and various shapes and they are separated from each other at an interval “d.” The connecting member  16  connects one side of the front cover  12  and one side of the rear cover  14  together, maintaining the interval “d.” A holding part  20  is formed between the front cover  12  and the rear cover  14  so that the holding part can hold a mobile communication terminal  18  with each side of the front cover and the rear cover. The mobile communication terminal  18  is entirely pushed into the replaceable cover  10  through the holding part  20  to be fully in contact with the replaceable cover  10 . By doing so, the replaceable cover  10  is mounted to the mobile communication terminal  18 .  
      An insert recess  24  is formed in the inner surface of the connecting member  16 , so that a part of the memory card  22  is inserted into the insert recess  24  and thus fixed to the connecting member  16 . In addition, a plurality of terminals  26  for signaling between the memory card and a connector of the mobile communication terminal are provided on one surface of the memory card  22 .  
      The mobile communication terminal  18  comprises a connector  28  at a position corresponding to the memory card  22 . The connector  28  has a plurality of terminals  30  that senses display registration information inputted in the memory card  22  when being in contact with the memory card  22 .  
      As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , users can replace the replaceable cover  10  and the memory card  22  at the same time by just replacing the cover  10 . At this time, the memory card  22  is inserted in the insert recess  24  and thus fixed to the replaceable cover  10 .  
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged sectional view illustrating that a replaceable cover according to another embodiment of the invention and a mobile communication terminal are combined. In  FIG. 3 , reference numerals used in  FIG. 2  will be used to designate the same parts and overlapped explanations will be omitted.  
      As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the memory card  22  is adhered to the connecting member  16  of the replaceable cover  10  by glue  32 . Preferably, double sided tape, which is easily removable, may be used as the glue  32 .  
      As with the replaceable cover illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a user can replace the replaceable cover  10  and the memory card  22  at the same time by just replacing the cover  10 . At this time, as described above, the memory card  22  is adhered to the connecting member of the replaceable cover  10  by glue  32  and thus fixed to the replaceable cover  10 .  
      The replaceable cover  10  is mounted to the mobile communication terminal  18  by pushing the mobile communication terminal  18  through the holding part  20  of the replaceable cover  10 . Upon pushing the mobile communication terminal through the holding part  20  thoroughly, the terminals of the memory card  22  are in contact with terminals of the connector of the mobile communication terminal, signaling between the memory card  22  and the connector of the mobile communication terminal.  
      At the same time, the front cover  12  and the rear cover  14  of the replaceable cover  10  press the corresponding surfaces of the mobile communication terminal  18  with an elastic force, so that the combination of the replaceable cover  10  and the mobile communication terminal  18  is completed.  
      In particular, the memory card  22  of the replaceable cover  10  can provide different display registration information according to themes to be provided by the replaceable cover. Accordingly, replacing the cover  10  gives user a change of appearance of the mobile communication terminal and a change of themes of the mobile communication terminal at the same time.  
      In addition, when the user separates the cover  10  from the mobile communication terminal to change the themes, the memory card  22  and the connector  28  are easily separated from each other because the memory card  22  and the connector  28  are in contact with each other without a special physical connecting structure.  
      Meanwhile, when the user wants to replace only the cover  10  while maintaining the themes provided by the memory card  22 , the user can separate the mobile communication terminal  18  from the cover, unfolding the front cover  12  and the rear cover  14  of the replaceable cover  10  not to hold the mobile communication terminal any longer.  
      At that moment, since there is no physical connecting structure between the memory card  22  fixed to the replaceable cover  10  and the connector  28  of the mobile communication terminal  18 , the memory card  22  is easily disconnected from the connector  28 , upon trying to separate the replaceable cover  10  from the mobile communication terminal.  
      Then, after separating the memory card  22  from the replaceable cover  10 , the memory card  22  is fixed to a new replaceable cover by using an insert recess of the replaceable cover or glue. Thereafter, the replaceable cover is mounted to the mobile communication terminal.  
       FIG. 4  is a flow chart illustrating a method of changing themes of a communication terminal using a replaceable cover according to an embodiment of the invention. With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 4 , a method of changing themes using a replaceable cover will be explained as follows.  
      When changing themes of the mobile communication terminal  18  using the replaceable cover  10 , a replaceable cover is selected by a user and then mounted to the mobile communication terminal  18 . For example, after the existing replaceable cover is separated from the mobile communication terminal  18  a new replaceable cover  10  having design that the user wants or a new replaceable cover  10  having a memory card providing themes that the user wants is mounted to the mobile communication terminal  18  (S 41 ).  
      When the replaceable cover  10  is mounted to the mobile communication terminal  18  as described above, the connector  28  of the mobile communication terminal  18  is in contact with the memory card  22  and senses display registration information inputted in the memory card  22  (S 42 ).  
      The display registration information is read by the connector  28  (S 43 ) because the connector  28  for sensing the display registration information also has a function of reading the display registration information.  
      After that, the read display registration information is transmitted to a processor (not shown) in the mobile communication terminal  18 . The processor changes themes of the mobile communication terminal  18  in response to the transmitted display registration information (S 44 ).  
      As described above, according to the present invention, the themes of the mobile communication terminal can be changed by the replaceable cover while maintaining satisfaction provided by the replaceable cover giving a change of appearance of the mobile communication terminal.  
      In addition, since the memory card of the replaceable cover and the connector of the mobile communication terminal are connected without physical structure, it is possible to easily connect and disconnect the memory card and the connector and to improve an appearance of the mobile communication terminal.  
      While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.