Biometric and proximity sensor compatible protective case for mobile device
View Patent ↗A protective case can be used with a mobile device having front and back surfaces and side surfaces extending between the front and back surfaces, including a top side, a bottom side, a right side, and a left side, the mobile device having a screen on the front surface. The protective case can include a shell configured to engage and substantially surround at least three of the surfaces of the mobile device and preferably all or nearly all surfaces of the mobile device while still capable of allowing the user to functionally interact with biometric sensor (such as a fingerprint sensor) and/or not interfere with the intended functionality of the proximity sensors of the mobile device.
1. A removable protective case for a mobile device, wherein said mobile device includes a touchscreen display and biometric sensor, said biometric sensor comprising an electrode element for emitting electric energy and a sensing element residing below a dielectric region for detecting emitted electric energy passing through a user's tissue, the protective case comprising:
an enclosure configured to reversibly receive and retain the mobile device therein, said enclosure including a panel structure having a first portion and a second portion, the panel structure being comprised of a polymer wherein said first portion is more transparent than the second portion and wherein said first portion of said panel structure having an inner surface, an opposing outer surface, and a first thickness defined between said inner and outer surfaces, said inner surface being configured to face and be in contact with the touchscreen display of said mobile device when said mobile device is received and retained within said enclosure and said outer surface being configured to face away from said mobile device when said mobile device is received and retained within said enclosure; and
a user interface coupled to said panel structure, said user interface having a first and second region, wherein said first region is configured to be in contact with the electrode element of the biometric sensor when the touchscreen display of the mobile device is received and retained within the enclosure in contact with the first portion, and wherein said second region is configured to be depressible when the touchscreen display of the mobile device is received and retained within the enclosure in contact with the first portion, and wherein said user interface is comprised of a flexible polymer layer having an outer face and an opposing inner face and a second thickness defined between said outer and inner faces, and wherein said second thickness is dimensioned to be less than said first thickness.
2. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein said flexible polymer layer is a film having a thickness of 0.03 mm to 0.5 mm.
3. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein said second portion resides around the perimeter regions of the panel structure.
4. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein said second portion includes a region that is configured to overlie a region between two light emitting proximity sensors on the mobile device.
5. The protective case of claim 4 , wherein said first portion is configured to reside over two light emitting proximity sensors on the mobile device.
6. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is configured to be waterproof when the mobile device is received and retained within the protective case.
7. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is adhesively attached to said panel structure.
8. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is defined by a perimeter that encircles the entirety of the user interface along a first plane and wherein said user interface is supported by said panel structure around the entirety of said perimeter.
9. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein said first portion of said panel structure is comprised of glass.
10. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein said first portion of said panel structure is comprised of a flexible polymer.
11. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is three-dimensionally formed to correspond in shape with at least some region of the biometric fingerprint sensor of the mobile device that it is configured to receive and retain.
12. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is at least partially interposed within an aperture of the panel structure.
13. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein biometric sensor is a fingerprint sensor.
14. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a conductive element comprising a material that includes a metallic element and wherein said conductive element is configured to be in contact with the electrode element of the biometric sensor when the touchscreen display of the mobile device is received and retained within the enclosure in contact with the first portion, and wherein said conductive element allows electric energy emitted by the electrode element to pass to a user's finger overlying said conductive element in sufficient quantity to allow for operation of said biometric sensor when said mobile device is received and retained within the protective case so that the touchscreen display of the mobile device is in contact with the first portion.
15. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein said panel structure includes multiple layers laminated together.
16. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein said second region of said user interface is concave in shape with the apex of the concavity being configured to reside proximate to the mobile device when the touchscreen display of the mobile device is received and retained within the enclosure in contact with the first portion of said panel structure.
17. The protective case of claim 4 , wherein said region of said second region that is configured to overlie a region between two light emitting proximity sensors on the mobile device includes a polarizing film element.
18. The protective case of claim 17 , wherein the polarizing element is positioned within an aperture within the panel structure, wherein said aperture is configured to overlie surrounding regions of the two proximity sensors of the mobile device.
19. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein said protective case is configured to be in contact with all external sides of the mobile device, when the touchscreen display of said mobile device is received and retained within the enclosure in contact with the first portion of said panel structure.
20. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein said protective case is formed of a first component and a second component that reversibly couples to one another around their respective perimeter regions, and wherein said first component comprises said panel structure and said user interface.