Protective shroud for handheld device

Abstract

An apparatus described herein communicates with a handheld device. A protective shroud is configured to enclose the handheld device and to protect it against incidents that commonly cause damage to handheld devices. Integral to the protective shroud is at least one of an input component configured to receive user input or a wireless transceiver configured to transmit signals to and/or receive signals from the handheld device. In one example, where both the input component and the wireless transceiver are integral to the protective shroud, signals related to received user input (e.g., where the shroud serves as a keypad) may be transmitted to the handheld device, even if the protective shroud is removed from the handheld device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for a handheld device, comprising:
 a selectively removable protective shroud configured to enclose at least a portion of the handheld device when attached to the handheld device;   a wireless transceiver integral with the protective shroud and configured to facilitate selective wireless communication with the handheld device; and   a power source configured to supply power to the protective shroud.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising an input component integral with the protective shroud and configured to receive user input, the input component configured to transmit the received user input to the wireless transceiver. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , the input component comprising an alphanumeric keypad. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , the input component comprising one or more touch sensors. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , the input component comprising one or more user programmable portions. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the power source is battery integral with the protective shroud. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , the battery configured to supply power to the handheld device through an electrically operable contact point operably coupling the power source to the handheld device. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the power source is a battery integral with the handheld device, power transmitted through an electrically operable contact point operably coupling the handheld device to the wireless transceiver. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a sound transceiver integral with the protective shroud and configured to perform at least one of the following:
 emit sound waves based upon emission signals received by the sound transceiver from the wireless transceiver, wherein the wireless transceiver receives the emission signal from the handheld device, and   detect sound waves, the sound transceiver configured to transmit detection signals related to the detected sound waves to the wireless transceiver, wherein the wireless transceiver transmits the detection signals to the handheld device.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , the wireless transceiver facilitating the selective wireless communication through IEEE Standard 802.15.1. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a storage device integral with the protective shroud and configured to store data related to wireless communication received by the wireless transceiver. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for receiving user input, comprising:
 a selectively removable protective shroud configured to enclose at least a portion of a handheld device when attached to the handheld device;   an input component integral with the protective shroud and configured to receive user input, the input component configured generate an input signal based upon the received user input, wherein the input signal is transmitted to the handheld device; and   a power source integral with the protective shroud and configured to supply power to the protective shroud.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , comprising a wireless transceiver integral with the protective shroud and configured to transmit the input signal from the input component to the handheld device. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , the input component configured to transmit the input signal to the handheld device through an electrically operable contact point operably coupling the handheld device to the input component. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , the input component configured to selectively transmit data to a second device when not transmitting data to the handheld device. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , the second device not comprising a handheld device. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , the input component comprising an alphanumeric keypad. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , the input component comprising at least one touch sensor. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , the input component comprising one or more user programmable portions. 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus for communicating with a handheld device, comprising:
 a selectively removable protective shroud configured to enclose at least a portion of the handheld device when attached to the handheld device,
 the protective shroud comprising at least one of:
 a speaker, 
 a microphone, and 
 a storage device; 
 
   a wireless transceiver integral with the protective shroud and configured to facilitate selective wireless communication with the handheld device,
 the wireless transceiver facilitating the selective wireless communication through IEEE Standard 802.15.1; 
   an input component integral with the protective shroud and configured to receive user input, the input component configured generate an input signal based upon the received user input and to transmit the input signal to the wireless transceiver,
 the input component comprising at least one of:
 an alphanumeric keypad, 
 a touch sensor, and 
 a user programmable portion; and 
 
   a power source integral with the protective shroud and configured to supply power to the protective shroud,
 the power source configured to supply power to the handheld device through an electrically operable contact point operably coupling the power source to the handheld device.