Portable communication devices with accessory functions and related methods
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorBrian Scott Chapman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Portable communication devices and related methods for use in supporting voice and/or data communication are provided. One example portable communication device includes a housing, a display device disposed at said housing, a processor disposed at least partially within said housing, the processor coupled to said display device, and an interface connector disposed at said housing and coupled to said processor. The interface connector is configured to couple to a module. The processor is configured to communicate, through said interface connector, via a plurality of communication protocols. The processor is configured to select at least one of the plurality of communication protocols based on the module coupled to the interface connector.
Claims21
1-23. (canceled)
A portable communication device for use in supporting voice and/or data communication, said portable communication device comprising:
- a housing;
- a processor disposed at least partially within said housing;
- an interface connector disposed at said housing and coupled to said processor;
- and
- a back panel removably coupleable to said housing such that a module is coupleable to said portable communication device in place of said back panel when said back panel is uncoupled from said housing, said module is communicatively coupleable to said interface connector when said module is coupled to said portable communication device, said module is configured to provide at least one accessory function.
A method for use in appending at least one accessory function to a portable communication device, the portable communication device including a processor and an interface connector, said method comprising:
- uncoupling a back panel from a housing of the portable communication device;
- coupling a module to the housing in place of the back panel such that the module is communicatively coupled to the interface connector of the portable communication device, the module providing at least one accessory function;
- identifying, at the processor, the module;
- and
- communicating by the processor, through the interface connector with the module, based on the identity of the module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.