Abstract:
The present application is directed to a case and analog port adaptor for use with a phone. The case includes a body configured to be engaged around the perimeter of a phone. The case includes an electronic package that has an analog port for receipt of a TRS plug of an electronic accessory such as headphones. The electronics package also includes an electronic plug and an electronic pathway. The electronic plug interfaces with an electronic port of the phone. The electronic pathway provides the mechanism for power and data communication between the phone and the analog port via the interface of the case&#39;s electronic plug to the electronic port of the phone.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure is directed to a dual function case and adaptor for use with a cellular phone (smart phone), portable media player, computer or other mobile electronic device, hereinafter referred to collectively with the term “phone”. The present phone case and adaptor includes one or more auxiliary electronic ports for use with common phone accessories such as audio headphones. The case is configured to engage the universal serial bus port (USB Type-C, etc.) or lightning port common on most phones and interface the case with the electronics of the phone therethrough, so as to provide the phone with functional access to the auxiliary port or ports of the case. 
     More specifically, the case is configured to provide a phone that may be lacking a 3.5 mm analog port with at least one such port via electronic engagement of the case to the USB or lightning port of the phone. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Existing phones, an example of which  100  is illustrated in PRIOR ART  FIG. 1 a   , have sufficient surface area and thickness to provide a variety of user controls  110  and ports  120  and  130  for use. In the example shown, phone  100  includes a USB or lightning port  120  whereby the phone may receive power (to charge the phone&#39;s battery), electronically communicate with other devices, etc. Such phones may also include auxiliary ports  130  such as a 3.5 mm analog port  120  through which accessories such as speakers or headphones (not shown) equipped with an appropriately sized TRS connector may be plugged directly into the phone. 
     As technology has advanced the thickness  140  of phones has been reduced and phone manufacturers and their customers alike continue to strive for even greater reductions in phone thickness. As this trend is expected to continue it is reasonable to conclude that future “ultra-thin” phones, an example of which  102  is shown in  FIG. 1 b   , will at some point be so thin as to no longer have sufficient room to include auxiliary ports such as a 3.5 mm analog port  130  (shown in PRIOR ART  FIG. 1 a   ). With such phones, it will be necessary for users to replace their existing headphones (typically used with the 3.5 mm analog port) with new accessories that are capable of plugging into and accessing the phone exclusively through the USB or lightning port  120 . 
     It is noted that headphones for use with the 3.5 mm analog port, common on nearly all existing phones, are available in a wide range of styles, qualities and costs. It is expected that many consumers will want to continue using their existing headphones, particularly those headphones of the highest quality and cost, even after ultra-thin phones, such as phone  102  shown in  FIG. 1 b   , become ubiquitous. Thus, there will be a need to provide the users of such ultra-thin phones with some way to continue to use their existing headphones or other accessories that rely on a 3.5 mm analog port, even after that port is no longer available. 
     Thus, it is a goal of the present disclosure to provide a mechanism that will allow an ultra-thin phone (or even an existing style of phones), which lacks a 3.5 mm analog port, with an auxiliary 3.5 mm analog port that is in electronic communication with the phone via the USB or lightning port of the phone. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1 a    is a front perspective view of a PRIOR ART phone. 
         FIG. 1 b    is a front perspective view of an ultra-thin phone. 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a phone case and analog port adaptor for use with a phone such as is depicted in  FIG. 1   b.    
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective, view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , wherein the body of the case is shown in separate upper and lower portions. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  with the phone in place and prior to engagement of the upper portion of the body to the lower portion of the body. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4  following engagement of the upper portion of the body to the lower portion of the body around the perimeter of the phone. 
         FIG. 6  is an illustration of the electronic pathway of various components of the phone and case shown in  FIGS. 1 b   - 5 . 
         FIGS. 7 and 8  show a TSR plug of an accessory device and the manner in which such a plug engages the analog port of the case. 
         FIG. 9  shows the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 b   - 7  wherein a cap is shown disengaged from the analog port. 
         FIG. 10  shows an alternative embodiment of the case wherein all the electronics of the case are contained in an electronics package that is capable of being removeably engaged from the adjacent portions of the body. 
         FIG. 11  shows an exploded view of the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Turning to  FIGS. 2-5 , a first embodiment of the disclosure is shown in the form of a phone case  10 . Case  10  is configured to provide a protective frame or body  12  around the perimeter of phone such as phone  102  shown in  FIG. 4 . In the embodiment shown, case  10  includes a two-piece frame having an upper portion  14  and a lower portion  16  with a linking mechanism  18  therebetween. This two-piece construction allows the case  10  to be separated so as to allow the phone  102  to be engaged within the receiving area  20  of the lower portion  16  of the body  12 . Once the phone  102  is properly engaged to the lower portion  16 , the upper portion  14  of the body  12  is connected to the lower portion  16  of the body  12  via the linking mechanism  18  shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
     Linking mechanism  18  may be any form of linkage capable of releasably securing the upper portion  14  and lower portion  16  to one another. Examples of such mechanisms include but are not limited to frictional interfaces such as snap-fit connections, lock and key assemblies; magnetic connections, or other mechanisms. 
     As indicated, body  12  functions to provide a protective encasement of the phone  102  that is secured therein. As such the body  12  is constructed of durable material capable of resisting impacts, abrasions, and other events that would otherwise harm an unprotected phone. In at least one embodiment the case is constructed of one or more high strength resins, polymers, plastics. 
     In some embodiments the body  12  of the case  10  is made of a flexible material (e.g. synthetic or natural rubber, etc.) cable of being stretched or temporarily deformed to allow the phone  102  to be inserted into the receiving area  20  of the case, even where the case defines a single piece that surrounds the perimeter of the phone. 
     The case  10  includes various openings or ancillary control features that are defined by or positioned on the body  12  to allow a user (not shown) to control the normal control mechanisms inherent to the phone. For example, in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2-5  an opening  22  through which the on/off (wake/sleep, home, etc.) control  110  common to most phones is provided. Other openings or control mechanisms are provided for access to volume controls, etc. (not shown). 
     While one function of the case  10  is to provide protection to a phone  102  that is properly positioned within the body  12 , an additional feature of the case is to provide a phone  102  with one or more ancillary connections  30  through which electronic accessories, such as audio speakers or headphones may interface with the case  10  and phone  102 . 
     As mentioned above, as technology advances it is expected that as phones will be reduced in profile or “thinness”. By removing the 3.5 mm analog audio port from a phone, future phones can be made thinner than they would be with such an audio port present. By providing the case  10  with a 3.5 mm analog port  30  such as is shown in  FIG. 5 , the case  10  allows any phone  102  properly engaged to the case  10  to utilize such a port  30  even when the phone  102  lacks such a port itself (see  FIG. 1 b   ). 
     In order to allow the phone  102  to electronically communicate with the port  30 , the case  10  includes an electronic male interface or plug  40  through which the case is mechanically and electronically connected to the phone  102  via the female electronic interface or port  120 . 
     The plug  40  may take the form of any sort of commonly used computer bus and power connector plug suitable for use with a phone  102 . For example, the plug  40  may comprise, in at least one embodiment, an 8 pin lightning plug (male) such as are commonly used with the APPLE® IPHONE®. In another embodiment, the interface  40  comprises a 5 pin Micro-USB plug (male) such as is commonly used with various brands of ANDROID® based phones. Other types of connections that plug  40  may be configured as include USB-A, USB-B, USB-C, USB Micro-A, USB Micro-B, USB Mini-A, USB Mini-B, USB 2.0-3.1, INTEL® THUNDERBOLT™, or any other universal serial bus connector and power supply adaptor 
     In addition to the plug  40 , the case  10  includes electronic components which provide a pathway  50 , an example of which is depicted in  FIG. 6 , to allow power and data signals to be transmitted between the audio port  30  and the electronic port  120  of the phone  102 . 
     In some embodiments the case  10  is also provided with a female electronic interface or port  60 . The case port  60  communicates with the electronic port  120  of the phone  102  via the pathway  50  and plug  40 , thereby allowing the phone  102  to be charged or electronically communicate with other devices (represented generally by cord  74 ) that are connected to the port  60  of the case  10 , such as in the manner depicted in  FIGS. 4-6 . 
     A 3.5 mm TRS connector jack or plug  70  such as is shown in  FIGS. 6-8  can interface with the 3.5 mm analog port  30 , and using pathway  50  (see  FIG. 6 ) likewise communicate with the phone  102  via the interface of the plug  40  of the case  10  and port  120  of the phone  102 . The electronics of the case  30  act to convert the digital signal transmitted from the phone  102  into an analog signal which is received by the headphones  72 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , it will be appreciated that the position of the analog port  30  in close proximity to the electronic port  60  allows the electronics of the case to be very compact thereby minimizing the bulk of the case  10 . Moreover, the medial position of the analog port  30  on the body  12  of the case  10 , helps to minimize the protrusion of the TRS plug  70  beyond the dimensions of the case  10  when engaged thereto. 
     In some embodiments, such as are depicted in  FIGS. 2-5 and 9-11 , when the port  30  is not in use, a cap  80  may be positioned over the port  30  and/or be engaged thereto. Cap  80  may be of the same composition as the body  12  and/or may be a portion thereof. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2-5 , it is seen that the cap  80  is configured to provide the case  10  with a uniform shape when the cap  80  is engaged to the body  12  such as in the manner shown. As is shown in  FIG. 7-9 , the cap  80  may be readily removed from the body  12  so as to provide access to the port  30 . In some embodiments the cap  80  may be engaged to the body  12  by mechanical (such as by a friction fit with the port  30  and/or adjacent region of the body  12 ) or magnetic engagement. 
     In some embodiments, the case  10  is constructed to provide a secondary region of attachment for the cap  80 , whereby the cap  80  can be engaged to the body  12  when removed from its secured position over the port  30  so as to minimize the chance that the cap  80  is lost when not engaged to the body  12  and port  30 . 
     Turning now to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 10-11 . In this embodiment all of the features previously shown and described are included with the case  10  shown. In this embodiment however, the body  12  includes an electronics package  90  that is self-contained and removeably engaged to the body  12 . Electronics package  90  includes all of the elements of the case  10  as are shown in  FIG. 6  including the plug  40 , analog port  30 , female port  60  and all electronic components and pathway  50  extending therebetween. 
     Electronics package  90  is configured to be engaged to the body  12  and phone  102  by via the mating of the plug  40  to the port  120  (hidden from view here, see  FIG. 1 b    for context) and/or via a mating surface  92  such as in the manner shown in  FIG. 11 . Mating surface  92  is configured to allow the electronics package  90  to be frictionally engaged, such as by a snap-fit relationship, with the region of the body  12  adjacent to the base of the phone  102 . In some embodiments the engagement of the electronics package  90  to the body  12  may be by any known engagement mechanism. 
     In some embodiments the electronics package  90  is configured for use with any commercially available phone and/or phone case. By plugging plug  40  of the electronic package into the female BUS port of a phone or phone equipped with an existing protective case, such a phone may be provided with the auxiliary analog port  30  for use therewith. Though engagement of the plug  40  to pre-existing phones and/or cases should be sufficient to ensure that the electronics package remains in place during use. In some embodiments, various engagement mechanisms may be incorporated between the package  90  and/or phone to which it is to be used so as to improve and maintain the securement of the electronics package  90  to such pre-existing phones and/or cases. Such mechanisms include magnetic interfaces, temporary adhesives, hook and loop fasteners (e.g. VELCRO®), etc. 
     The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the above description. Numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Since such modifications are possible, the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described. Rather, the present invention should be limited only by the following claims.