Removable housing cover for a portable radio communication device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a removable housing cover that is adapted to be detachably connectable to a mobile phone. The removable cover having a distinguishing identity means associated therewith, and the phone having a sensor for sensing the distinguishing identity means of the removable cover and a processor controlling the operating characteristics of the device. The arrangement being such that in use, the removable housing cover is mounted on the phone and the sensor senses the identity means and outputs a sensed parameter of the identity means to the processor; wherein, the processor is responsive to the sensed parameter to change selected ones of the operating characteristics of the phone. In this way, changing the phone cover causes a change in the internal operating characteristics of the phone.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A removable housing cover adapted to be detachably connectable to a portable radio communication device with a plurality of operating characteristics, the removable housing cover comprising: 
 an identity means; and    the portable radio communication device comprising: 
 a sensor for sensing the identity means of the removable cover; and  
 a processor for controlling the operating characteristics of the device, the arrangement being such that in use the removable housing cover is mounted on the portable radio communication device and the sensor senses the identity means and outputs a sensed parameter of the identity means to the processor, wherein the processor is responsive to the sensed parameter so as to change selected ones of the operating characteristics of the portable radio communication device.  
   
     
     
         2 . A removable housing cover according to  claim 1 , wherein the portable radio communication device is provided with a plurality of pre-defined and pre-stored operating characteristic configurations, and the processor is operable to change the operating characteristics of the portable radio communication device by selecting one of the pre-defined and pre-stored configurations in accordance with a corresponding predefined sensed parameter of the identity means.  
     
     
         3 . A removable housing cover according to  claim 2 , wherein the identity means causes the processor to change the operating characteristics of the portable radio communication device by selecting one or more of the plurality of operating characteristics pre-defined and pre-stored on the portable radio communication device.  
     
     
         4 . A removable housing cover according to  claim 1 , wherein the identity means is provided with a plurality of pre-defined and prestored operating characteristic configurations for the portable radio communication device, and the sensor comprises a reader for reading said operating characteristics of said identity means, whereby the identity means causes the processor to change the operating characteristics of the portable radio communication device by selecting one or more of the plurality of said operating characteristic configurations.  
     
     
         5 . A removable housing cover according to  claim 1 , wherein the identity means allows the portable radio communication device to access a pre-determined server or network and to download therefrom data comprising operating characteristic configurations for the portable radio communication device.  
     
     
         6 . A removable housing cover according to  claim 5 , wherein the pre-determined server or network corresponds to an internet website.  
     
     
         7 . A removable housing cover according to  claim 1 , wherein the identity means comprises one or more mechanical pegs and the sensor comprises contacts operable to sense the presence or absence of pre-defined combinations of said one or more pegs.  
     
     
         8 . A removable housing cover according to  claim 1 , wherein the identity means comprises an electrical resistance means and the sensor comprises a potential divider operable to sense the electrical resistance means.  
     
     
         9 . A removable housing cover according to  claim 1 , wherein the identity means comprises a memory or processor chip and the sensor comprises a reader for reading said memory or processor chip.  
     
     
         10 . A removable housing cover according to  claim 1 , wherein the operating characteristics of the portable radio communication device comprise one or more of: 
 ring tones and/or musical alerts;    animations/screen savers;    mode;    bookmarks and/or browser preferences;    phone memory preferences;    games and/or game elements;    UI screen colours and/or UI style;    input method;    audio set-up;    default messages;    display language;    agents and/or agent set-up;    security keys;    push message filters and/or accounts;    enabling of set-up and/or configuration settings;    sensor weighting;    outgoing call restrictions.    
     
     
         11 . A housing cover for a portable radio communication device with a sensor, the housing cover comprising: 
 an attaching means for removably attaching the cover to the portable radio communication device;    an identity means, such that, when the housing cover is mounted on the portable radio communication device, the identity means is coupled with the sensor of the portable radio communication, wherein the internal functionality of the portable radio communication device is dependent on the identity means.    
     
     
         12 . A housing cover according to  claim 11 , wherein the identity means has associated with it a Profiles setting indicative of a pre-defined operation state of the device, such that mounting the cover on a portable radio communications device changes the Profiles setting of the device in accordance with the Profile setting associated with the cover.  
     
     
         13 . A housing cover according to  claim 12 , wherein a selected removable cover having an associated Profiles setting is in use located on the portable radio communication device and controls the operating characteristics of the portable radio communication device so as to be set to the corresponding Profiles setting.  
     
     
         14 . A removable housing cover according to  claim 1 , wherein the removable cover carries indicia and graphics thereon, and the removable housing cover covers all or a part of the radio communication device.  
     
     
         15 . A portable radio communication device having a removable housing cover, the portable radio communication device comprising: 
 a sensor; and    a processor for controlling the operating characteristics of the device, and the removable housing cover comprising an identity means, the removable housing cover being configured to be mounted on and attached to the portable radio communication device, in which arrangement the sensor of the portable radio communication device is operable to sense the identity means of the removable housing cover and provide an input to the processor of a sensed feature of the identity means, such that the processor is controlled to alter one or more of the operating characteristics in accordance with the sensed feature of the identity means.    
     
     
         16 . A portable radio communication device according to  claim 15 , wherein the portable radio communication device includes a plurality of the pre-defined operating characteristics each of said operating characteristics being associated with a corresponding Profiles setting, and wherein a plurality of removal covers are associated with respective Profiles Setting, such that installation of a removable cover on the portable radio communication device activates the corresponding Profiles setting.