Abstract:
Described is an accessory for a mobile computing device which has a first interface. The accessory include a second interface and a third interface. The second interface compliments the first interface for mating therewith to enable communication between the device and the accessory. The third interface is substantially similar to the first interface for mating with accessories adapted to mate with the first interface. The third interface is mounted on a first outward facing surface of the accessory so that, when the first and second interfaces are mated, the third interface faces outward.

Description:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION  
       [0001]     As advancements in mobile computing technology continue to allow for greater processing power in increasingly smaller devices, mobile computing terminals (“MCTs”, e.g., Personal Digital Assistants (“PDAs”), electronic organizers, mobile phones, etc.) have evolved into multi-purpose devices with the capability to perform the combined tasks of several other more traditional devices. Many of today&#39;s PDAs, for example, may also function as bar code scanners, magnetic stripe readers, music players, internet browsers, universal remote controls, cameras, gaming systems, etc. These multi-purpose MCTs are now commonly used by businesses and individuals alike for work and pleasure.  
         [0002]     In order to accommodate these additional functionalities, essential hardware components must often be added to the MCTs. For instance, a PDA with the ability to capture images must at a minimum contain a lense. For better image quality, a flash bulb may also need to be added. However, with each additional component, sacrifices are made to the terminal&#39;s portability due to added size and weight. In the interest of limiting the terminal&#39;s size and because usually not all functions are used at the same time, the additional functionalities are frequently facilitated by external accessories attachable to expansion interfaces (e.g., USB, firewire, parallel ports, serial ports, etc.) on the MCT. Today, many MCTs may be complemented with external scanners, cameras, wireless adapters, keyboards, cablecups, speakers, etc.  
         [0003]     Typically, these external accessories may be manufactured by various third parties and are created independent of each other. As a result, compatibility issues arise in which the insertion of one external accessory into an expansion interface prevents the insertion of another. With limited space for additional expansion interfaces, many MCTs are only able to function with one or two accessories at a time. Whenever a different accessory&#39;s functionality is desired, any interfering accessories must first be removed and therefore may not operate concurrently.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention relates to an accessory for a mobile computing device which has a first interface. The accessory include a second interface and a third interface. The second interface compliments the first interface for mating therewith to enable communication between the device and the accessory. The third interface is substantially similar to the first interface for mating with accessories adapted to mate with the first interface. The third interface is mounted on a first outward facing surface of the accessory so that, when the first and second interfaces are mated, the third interface faces outward. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of an MCT according to the present invention.  
         [0006]      FIG. 2   a  shows a front perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an external accessory according to the present invention.  
         [0007]      FIG. 2   b  shows a rear perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an external accessory according to the present invention.  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  shows an exemplary embodiment of the MCT with an attached external accessory according to the present invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 4   a  shows an exemplary embodiment of a charging cradle for the MCT according to the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 4   b  shows an exemplary embodiment of the MCT connected to the charging cradle according to the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4   c  shows an exemplary embodiment of the MCT with the attached external accessory connected to the charging cradle according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]     The present invention may be further understood with reference to the following description and the appended drawings, wherein like elements are provided with the same reference numerals. The present invention relates to a universal physical interface that allows for the quick and simple permanent or non-permanent attachment of multiple external accessories to a single MCT. The electrical contacts of the MCT&#39;s expansion interface are extended through each successive accessory so that the combined accessories may operate concurrently, eliminating the need to remove any previous attachments.  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of an MCT  100  according to the present invention. No external accessories are attached, exposing the universal physical interface components. The MCT  100  may be any type of computer or processor based mobile device (e.g., a bar code reader, a PDA, a two-way pager, a mobile phone, a mobile optical reader, a digital camera, a music player, etc.). The MCT  100  may be portable and sufficiently small to be easily carried. The MCT  100  may be designed for a plurality of different uses/functionalities (e.g., reading bar codes, capturing images, playing music, etc.) and may have a plurality of integrated software and/or hardware components. Various additional uses/functionalities may be added to the MCT  100  through separate software and/or hardware modules. The MCT  100  may take on one or more additional functionalities through at least one expansion interface. In one embodiment, the MCT  100  is based on a personal digital assistant (“PDA”) such as those running the Microsoft Pocket PC  2003  operating system, or similar.  
         [0014]     In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the MCT  100  includes a display  102 , hard keys  104 , an expansion interface  150 , and recess slots  110 ,  120 ,  130 , and  140 . The display  102  may be any screen that provides visual output to the user. Manual input by the user may be accomplished through the hard keys  104 , or if the display  102  is touch sensitive, through soft keys appearing on the display  102 , or a combination thereof. The expansion interface  150  may be an interface capable of connecting an external accessory  200  to at least a portion of an electrical architecture of the MCT  100  (e.g., a USB interface, a firewire interface, a parallel interface, a serial interface, etc.).  
         [0015]     The recess slots  110 - 140  facilitate the attachment of the external accessory  200  to the MCT  100  according to the present invention. Each of the recess slots  110 - 140  is a “female” receiving component that accepts a “male” counterpart of the external accessory  200 . In particular, the recess slots  110 - 140  form cavities on side surfaces of the MCT  100  that may be coupled with corresponding protrusions molded onto surfaces of the external accessory  200 . In order to avoid obstructing the display  102 , the hard keys  104 , or any other functional element on the MCT  100  surface, the expansion interface  150  and the recess slots  110 - 140  may be located together near either the top or bottom of the MCT  100 . Thus, with the external accessory  120  attached, only the areas immediately housing those components are blocked and unavailable to the user.  
         [0016]     Running up from both side surfaces of the MCT  100  are a first pair of identical recess slots  110 . Within the recess slots  110  are a second pair of smaller recess slots  120  that retreat deeper into the MCT  100  body, which allow the external accessory  200  with complementary tabs or wings to snap rigidly onto the MCT  100 . For a more permanent attachment, each of the recess slots  120  may house a brass insert recess slot  130  lined with spiral threads that may accept the treaded rod of a screw. Furthermore, to prevent the attached external accessory  200  from rotating around the MCT  100 , a third pair of recess slots  140  may be added to a plane on the bottom surface of the MCT  100 .  
         [0017]     The foregoing embodiment of the MCT  100  should not be construed so as to limit the present invention in any way. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, different types of MCTs may be used so long the recess slots  110 - 140  of the present invention are included and the MCTs may be expanded with additional accessories. The MCTs may be of any portable size and shape, and may also include additional functional components not present in this exemplary embodiment (e.g., speakers, microphones, wireless network antennas, toggle buttons, removable memory devices, etc.).  
         [0018]      FIG. 2   a  shows an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention of the external accessory  200  attachable to the MCT  100 . The main body of the accessory  200  houses components that provide one or more additional functionalities to the MCT  100 . For example, the accessory  200  may be a wireless adapter that connects the MCT  100  to a wireless local area network (“WLAN”), a cablecup for recharging and/or wired data transfer, a magnetic stripe reader, a bar code scanner, a keyboard, a digital camera, a set of speakers, a memory device, a cradle for recharging a battery of the MCT  100 , etc. Those of skill in the art will understand that the exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be used with any external accessory and that the accessory  200  is only exemplary.  
         [0019]     Extending from the body of the accessory  200  are a pair of wings  202  from which the “male” counterparts  210 ,  220  and  240  to the “female” recess slots  110 ,  120 , and  140  protrude. In particular, the protrusions  210 ,  220 , and  240  complement the recess slots  110 ,  120 , and  140 , respectively. In this exemplary embodiment of the present invention, attachment of the accessory  200  to the MCT  100  only requires that the wings  202  be slid over the sides of the MCT  100  so that the recess slots  110 ,  120 , and  140  are engaged by their counterparts of the accessory  200 . Once snapped into an attached position, the accessory  200  is rigidly secured and ready for operation with the MCT  100 , provided that any necessary software modules are loaded.  
         [0020]     Removal of the attached accessory  200  from the MCT  100  may be accomplished by a pair of buttons  204  located on the outside of the wings  202 . The buttons  204  are connected to the protrusions  210  and  220  such that, when depressed, the buttons  204  trigger a mechanism that lifts the protrusions  210  and  220  away from the recess slots  110  and  120 , respectively. This may be accomplished, for example, if the bases of the wings  202  were hinged to the accessory  200  body, enabling the wings  202  to pivot away from the MCT  100  sides when both the buttons  204  are depressed. With the protrusions  210  and  220  disengaged from the recess slots  110  and  120 , respectively, the accessory  200  and the MCT  100  may be separated simply by being pulled apart into a disattached position.  
         [0021]     For a more permanent attachment, the accessory  200  may be screwed into the MCT  100  through apertures  230 , which traverses the width of the wing  202  and through the protrusions  210  and  220 . Like the brass insert recess slots  130 , the apertures  230  are lined with spiral threats only large enough to allow the threaded rod, but not the head, of a screw to pass. When the accessory  200  is attached to the MCT  100  (i.e., in the attached position), the apertures  230  are aligned with the brass insert recess slots  130 .  
         [0022]     As indicated above, in addition to providing a quick and simple way to attach the external accessory  200  to the MCT  100 , the present invention also enables the concurrent operation of multiple external accessories  200 . An attached conventional external accessory may prevent further external accessories from operating with a mobile device. Consequently, only one accessory may be attached at a time. By extending the expansion interface and incorporating a set of recess slots into the accessory&#39;s body, however, the present invention allows an attachment of a potentially unlimited number of the accessories  200  to a single MCT  100 .  
         [0023]     Referring back to the exemplary embodiment of the accessory  200 , for example, the recess slots  310 - 340  of the accessory  200  body are substantially identical to the recess slots  110 - 140 , respectively, and thus, capable of engaging the physical interface components of another accessory. Moreover, the expansion interface  150  of the MCT  100  is duplicated by the expansion interface  350  of the accessory  200 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 2   b  shows a rear perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the accessory  200 . If the accessory  200  were the first accessory attached to the MCT  100 , electrical contacts  355  may connect to at least a portion of the electrical architecture of the MCT  100  through the expansion interface  150 . If instead the accessory  200  is to be attached to a further accessory (not shown) according to the present invention, the electrical contacts  355  may connect to at least a portion of an electrical architecture of that the further accessory through that other accessory&#39;s expansion interface. Therefore, the MCT  100  may be indirectly connected to and function with the further accessory which is not immediately attached to it. If the additional accessories lacked their own power source, power may also be provided by the MCT  100  via the inter-connected expansion interfaces.  
         [0025]      FIG. 3  shows an exemplary embodiment of an MCT  100  with the external accessory  200  is the attached position. The screws  125  may be used to permanently attached the accessory  200  to the MCT  100 .  
         [0026]     As an example of an additional accessory that may be attached to the attached accessory  200 ,  FIG. 4   a  shows an exemplary embodiment of a charging cradle  400 . In this exemplary embodiment, the charging cradle  400  includes an electrical plug  402  that may be plugged into an electrical outlet and at least one of the following physical interfaces: (1) a protrusion  410  and (2) a pair of guiderails  420 ,  440 . At least one of the protrusions  410  and the guiderails  420 ,  440  may engage either the recess slots  110 - 140 ,  310 - 340  of the MCT  100  or the accessory  200 . In a preferred embodiment, the guiderails  420 ,  440  are substantially aligned to slots  110  of the MCT  100  or slots  310  of the accessory  200 . The preferred embodiment prevents the misalignment of the “female” recessed slots  110 - 140 ,  310 - 340  and their “male” counterparts and ensures that the connectors are joined properly, while not limiting or constraining the removal or placement of the MCT  100  into the cradle  400 .  FIG. 4   b  shows an exemplary embodiment of the MCT  100  attached to the charging cradle  400 .  FIG. 4   c  shows an exemplary embodiment of the MCT  100 , the accessory  200  and the charging cradle  400  attached in succession. Thus, the MCT  100  may be charged without the need to remove the previously attached accessory  200 .  
         [0027]     The present invention has been described with the reference to the above exemplary embodiments. One skilled in the art would understand that the present invention may also be successfully implemented if modified. Accordingly, various modifications and changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the broadest spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings, accordingly, should be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.