Removable housing cover for a portable radio communication device

Abstract

The invention provides an electronic mobile communications/entertainment device capable of a plurality of modes of operation, comprising a basic module having circuitry common to the operation of the device in said plurality of modes of operation, and a plurality of supplementary modules, each supplementary module being provided in the form of a housing cover for the device and including controlling means configured to provide for a corresponding mode of operation when coupled to the basic module, the supplementary modules being interchangeably attachable/detachable to the basic module so as to provide respective modes of operation, and the device only being operational when one of said plurality of supplementary modules is attached to the device.

1 . An electronic mobile communication/entertainment device capable of a plurality of modes of operation, comprising: 
 a basic module having circuitry common to the operation of the device in said plurality of modes of operation, and    one or more supplementary modules,    each supplementary module being provided in the form of a housing cover for the device and including controller means configured to provide for a corresponding mode of operation,    the supplementary modules being interchangeably attachable/detachable to the basic module so as to provide respective modes of operation,    and the device only being operational when one of said plurality of supplementary modules is attached to the device.    
     
     
         2 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller means of a supplementary module includes a mobile phone application for a telecommunications mode of operation.  
     
     
         3 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller means of a supplementary module includes an electronic gaming application for a gaming mode of operation.  
     
     
         4 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller means of a supplementary module includes an internet browsing application for a browsing mode of operation.  
     
     
         5 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller means of a supplementary module includes a pager application for a pager mode of operation.  
     
     
         6 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller means of a supplementary module includes a music application for a music mode of operation.  
     
     
         7 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller means of a supplementary module includes a PDA for a PDA mode of operation.  
     
     
         8 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller means of a supplementary module comprises one or more control elements for multi- functional modes of operation corresponding to two or more combinations of the control means of claims  2 .  
     
     
         9 . A device according to any preceding  claim 1 , wherein the basic module includes a microprocessor, a memory, a battery and a reader.  
     
     
         10 . A device according to any preceding  claim 1 , wherein the supplementary modules have a user interface dedicated to respective modes of operation.  
     
     
         11 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller means is configured to download a mode of operation from a remote server/service.  
     
     
         12 . A housing cover for an electronic device, 
 the housing cover being adapted to be removably detachable with respect to the electronic device, the device having means for interfacing with the housing cover and being inoperative when a housing cover is not attached to it,    said housing cover being a user selectable one of a range of different housing covers having different respective functionalities;    each housing cover having a respective control means, such that when a housing cover is coupled to the electronic device the control means of the housing cover couples with means for interfacing of the electronic device, whereby the electronic device is caused to be operational in accordance with the functionality associated with the coupled housing cover.    
     
     
         13 . An electronic mobile communication/entertainment device capable of a plurality of modes of operation, and adapted to be couplable to a housing cover of  claim 12 .  
     
     
         14 . An interface module for the electronic mobile communication/entertainment device of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         15 . (CANCELED)  
     
     
         16 . (CANCELED)