Adjustment of device operations based on an enclosure

Abstract

An electronic device is configured to detect the presence or absence of a case that is positioned over at least one surface of the electronic device. When a case is present, the electronic device is configured to determine one or more characteristics of the case and adjust one or more operations of the electronic device based on at least one characteristic of the case.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic device, comprising:
 a device housing;   a first electrical contact exposed at an exterior surface of the device housing, the first electrical contact being configured to mate with a second electrical contact of a case when the case is positioned at least partially about the device housing;   a vibratory device: and   a processor configured to:
 detect a type of the case when the first electrical contact is mated with the second electrical contact; and 
 in response to a detection of the type of the case, adjust an output of the vibratory device in accordance with the detected type of the case. 
   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the device housing comprises a first plurality of electrical contacts exposed at the exterior surface of the device housing, the first plurality of electrical contacts being configured to mate with a second plurality of electrical contacts of the case. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic device as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the first plurality of electrical contacts are disposed upon a side wall of the device housing. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein adjusting the output of the vibratory device comprises shifting a frequency spectrum of the output. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein adjusting the output of the vibratory device comprises disabling the vibratory device. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the vibratory device is a haptic device and adjusting the output of the haptic device comprises changing a strength of the output based on a thickness of the case. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the vibratory device is a haptic device and adjusting the output of the vibratory device comprises changing a strength of a haptic output. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the vibratory device is selected from a group consisting of a speaker, a microphone and a haptic device. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein mating the first electrical contact with the second electrical contact establishes a two-way communication channel between the case and the electronic device. 
     
     
         10 . A method of operating an electronic device, comprising:
 detecting a mating of a first electrical contact arranged along an exterior surface of the electronic device with a second electrical contact of a case positioned over the exterior surface of the electronic device;   identifying a case type based on the detected mating of the first and second electrical contacts;   determining a characteristic of the case based on the case type; and   adjusting an audio output of an audio component of the electronic device based on the characteristic of the case.   
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein detecting the mating of the first electrical contact with the second electrical contact comprises receiving a signal from the second electrical contact at the first electrical contact. 
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein identifying the case type comprises receiving an identification signal from the second plurality of electrical contacts of the case. 
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein determining the characteristic of the case comprises determining a material of the case. 
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the characteristic of the case comprises a portion of the case positioned to obstruct the audio component an input/output device of the electronic device. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving electrical energy from a battery disposed within the case at the first plurality of electrical contacts.   
     
     
         16 . A system, comprising:
 a case configured to be positioned at least partially about an electronic device, the case comprising a first electrical contact; and   the electronic device comprising:
 a second electrical contact arranged at an exterior surface of a housing of the electronic device and configured to mate with the first electrical contact; 
 an audio device; and 
 a processing device configured to:
 detect a type of the case when the second electrical contact is mated with the first electrical contact; and 
 in response to a detection of the type of the case, adjust an output of the audio device in accordance with the type of the case. 
 
   
     
     
         17 . The system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein adjusting the output of the audio device comprises muting audio playback of the audio device. 
     
     
         18 . The system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the electronic device further comprises a camera component and wherein the processing device is further configured to determine whether the type of the case indicates the camera component is being blocked and to change an operating mode of the camera component in response to a determination that the type of the case indicates the camera component is being blocked. 
     
     
         19 . The system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein adjusting the output of the audio device comprises adjusting an amplitude of an audio signal received by the audio device. 
     
     
         20 . The system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein adjusting an output of the audio device comprises adjusting a frequency spectrum of audio being played by the audio device.