Granted Patent B2

US 9,402,452 · App. 14/020,710 · Granted Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

Claims (13)

1. A method of making a smartphone case with a battery, the method comprising:

providing a first case portion of a smartphone case comprising a base front surface and base back surface, wherein a housing of a smartphone will be placed against the base front surface;

enclosing a battery between the base front surface and base back surface;

connecting electronic circuitry to the battery, an inner connector, and an outer connector, wherein the inner connector is adapted to interface with a connector of the smartphone;

providing a second case portion for the smartphone case that couples onto the first case portion;

forming at least one sound channel in the case between a bottom inner side surface comprising the inner connector and a bottom outer side surface comprising the outer connector;

forming a right inside audio opening through the bottom inner side surface on a right side of the inner connector and configured to align with a speaker or a microphone of the smartphone, and forming a left inside audio opening through the bottom inner side surface on a left side of the inner connector and configured to align with a speaker or a microphone of the smartphone, wherein the right and left inside audio openings are coupled to the at least one sound channel; and

forming outside audio openings on the bottom outer side surface, wherein the outside audio openings are coupled to the at least one sound channel, the outside audio openings are adapted to receive sound waves from outside the case, such that the sound waves pass through the at least one sound channel to the right or left inside audio openings, thereby allowing the sound waves to be received by the microphone of the smartphone, and such that the speaker of the smartphone transmits sound through the at least one sound channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing cushion strips that comprise a material that has cushioning properties to protect and cushion the smartphone when in the case.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the base front surface includes the cushion strips.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the cushion strips comprise one or more of rubber, vinyl, polymer, plastic, foam, a material with bubbles, and silicone.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the case includes a front opening when the second case portion is coupled to the first case portion, the front opening configured such that a display of the smartphone is visible through the front opening, the front opening having a vertical length in a vertical direction from the bottom inner side surface toward a top of the case.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising providing cushion strips extending along the vertical direction and having a vertical length that is more than half the vertical length of the front opening, the cushion strips comprising a material that has cushioning properties to protect and cushion the smartphone when in the case.

Assignments (10)