Adapters for connecting handheld electronic devices.

Abstract

This disclosure relates to combinations of multiple handheld electronic devices. The technology of this disclosure enables the simultaneous 1. wired connection and coupling of multiple handheld electronic devices when used in combination, 2. the elimination of cable-related problems in wired connections, and 3. the ability to stably grip and operate both devices when one device is a camera, with the camera and the other handheld information processing device integrated into one unit. In some embodiments, the user inserts a device housed in a case (e.g., a smartphone) into a case mount attached to the other device (e.g., a camera). The case mount has two wired connection points that mediate the connection between the devices. In some embodiments, the case mount is omitted, and the case has two wired connection points. In some embodiments, the camera has a vertical housing, which has a grippable portion below the lens module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a combination of multiple handheld electronic devices.

Background Art

[0002] When two handheld electronic devices (hereinafter referred to as "handheld devices") are used with a wired connection, two types of problems occur. The first type of problem is caused by cable attachment / detachment and wiring management. For example, attaching and detaching cables is troublesome. Also, the cable may get caught on surrounding objects and come loose. At this time, one of the devices may fall. In addition, the user may buy or connect an incorrect cable that is not suitable for the application.

[0003] The second type of problem is that these two devices are not integrated. When two handheld devices are connected by a cable, holding each in one's hand, holding them together with one hand, or putting one in a bag, pocket of clothing, etc. and constantly paying attention to its position and the cable is troublesome and inconvenient.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Non-Patent Documents

[0005]

Non-Patent Document 1

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] A perspective view illustrating the camera, case mount, case, and smartphone in a separated state. [Figure 2] Side view illustrating the camera, case mount, case, and smartphone in a separated state. [Figure 3] Perspective view illustrating case mounting (Part 1) [Figure 4] Perspective view illustrating case mounting (part 2) [Figure 5] Perspective view illustrating a case [Figure 6] An oblique view illustrating the combined state of the camera, case mount, case, and smartphone. [Figure 7] Perspective view illustrating the method of joining the case mount (screw fastening). [Figure 8] Perspective view (Part 1) illustrating the method of joining (insertion) the case mount. [Figure 9] Perspective view (part 2) illustrating the method of joining (insertion) the case mount. [Figure 10] Perspective view (part 3) illustrating the method of joining (insertion) the case mount. [Figure 11] Side view illustrating the state in which both hinges of the movable part to which the case mount connects are open. [Figure 12] Perspective view illustrating the method of joining the case mount (screw fastening). [Figure 13] Plan view illustrating the case mount and camera combined. [Figure 14] Enlarged view (part 1) illustrating the case mount and camera combined. [Figure 15] Enlarged view (part 2) illustrating the case mount and camera combined. [Figure 16] Side view illustrating the case mount positioned at an angle to the camera. [Figure 17] Side view illustrating the closed position of both hinges on the movable part to which the case mount is attached. [Figure 18] System architecture diagram of the camera in the example system [Figure 19] System architecture diagram of external devices in the example system [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] One way to solve the two aforementioned problems might be to pre-install a connector, including a wired connection terminal, in the device's casing. However, handheld devices come in a variety of shapes. Smartphones, in particular, are often housed in various cases. Designing a device that can be used in combination with an unspecified number of devices owned by users, has a connector that can adapt to the shapes of these unspecified devices, and includes a wired connection terminal in that connector would be difficult.

[0008] This specification reveals an adapter that allows users of a first handheld device and a second handheld device to connect and wire the devices together without having to connect or disconnect cables or manage wiring, and without having to attach or detach the case of the second handheld device. Furthermore, this specification illustrates the claims of this disclosure by illustrating an imaging system that can be realized by combining a handheld digital camera (hereinafter also referred to as "camera") as the first handheld device and an information processing device such as a smartphone as the second handheld device (the illustrated system is hereinafter referred to as the "exemplary system").

[0009] <Definition> In this disclosure, a handheld device means a device that can be grasped by two or more fingers of one hand and is primarily used while held in the hand. The second handheld device in this disclosure is a general-purpose computer, i.e., an information processing device applicable to a wide range of computing uses such as a smartphone or tablet computer. In contexts where hand size is relevant, the dimensions of each part of the hand are assumed to be the average values ​​for women as shown in Non-Patent Document 1.

[0010] In this specification, "coupling" means that any part of one of the objects to be coupled is fixed to any part of the other object, either directly or indirectly, whether or not other components that are not the objects to be coupled are used for the coupling. In the present disclosure, "connection" means "functionally connected", whether direct or indirect, and whether or not other components that are not the objects to be connected are used for the connection. Also, in the present disclosure, "simultaneously" in "coupling both devices and performing a wired connection at the same time" means that when these devices are combined and used by means of a wired connection, both the coupling and the connection of the devices are achieved by the coupling.

[0011] In this specification, "a person skilled in the art" refers to an imaginary person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field of this specification. In this specification, descriptions of techniques, numerical values or mathematical formulas, operations or a series of operations, processes, parts, circuits, networks, protocols, structures, materials, and features that are widely known in the technical field of this specification are not given at all or are simplified. For example, descriptions of error handling and the like that are obvious to a person skilled in the art are omitted. In this specification, "an implementer" refers to a person who implements the content of this specification.

[0012] In this specification, the description of the adapter or the exemplary system is an explanation of the claims of the present disclosure, and is not a complete or comprehensive description of the requirements or specifications of the adapter or the imaging system that can be realized by the present disclosure. In this specification, the components appearing in the description of the adapter or the exemplary system are limited to the components necessary for the explanation of the claims. However, this limitation does not exclude the existence or addition of other components.

[0013] In this specification, “Embodiment” is a representation that exemplifies either a) any part or all of any one or more claims of this disclosure, or b) prior art, by visual means such as drawings, graphs, photographs, videos, computer graphics, three-dimensional computer models, or physical models. The terms used to describe the various embodiments included herein are intended to describe, and not limit, any particular embodiment. No embodiment is intended to limit what it represents to one preferred form. Rather, the various embodiments herein are intended to encompass substitutes, modifications, and equivalents that may fall within the spirit and scope of the claims.

[0014] The various computers, components, modules, algorithms, protocols, programs, and networks included in the embodiment of this specification can be arranged in various ways by hardware, software, or a combination of both. Listing these various arrangements is not meaningful in this specification, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that implementers may arrange them as appropriate in light of various requirements and constraints. Each block included in the embodiment of this specification describes the function of that block collectively, and does not mean that the block is a physically or logically independent component from other components. The system architecture diagrams in this disclosure are conceptual diagrams and do not necessarily represent all or all physical connections or signal flows between components. In this disclosure, when a device “equips” a program, it means that the device physically, logically, or functionally possesses the program, including cases where the device realizes some or all of the functions of the program by obtaining data from other devices via a network.

[0015] In the figures of this disclosure, the three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system is a right-handed system.

[0016] In this specification or the claims of this disclosure, the order of blocks, processes, or operations is illustrative and does not preclude the possibility of these orders being rearranged or parallelized. For example, if five processes A, B, C, D, and E are described in this order, and their rearrangement does not affect the overall process, the order of these processes is not limited to A, B, C, D, and E unless explicitly limited, even though the remaining 119 possible orders of these processes are not enumerated.

[0017] For each countable noun in this disclosure, unless otherwise explicitly stated, the number of objects it refers to is one or more. In this disclosure, “several” means that there is one or more objects it refers to. Furthermore, modifiers that generally indicate order, such as “first,” are merely labels used to distinguish the objects that a noun refers to, unless the order is clear from the context, and do not imply any kind of order (e.g., spatial, temporal, logical).

[0018] In this disclosure, the conjunction "or" is used as a conjunction that encompasses any combination of the elements it brings together. For example, "A, B, or C" could be A alone, A and B, or A, B, and C. Also, when the terms "include" or "constitute" are used in this disclosure, these terms mean the presence of the elements they refer to, but do not exclude the presence or addition of other elements.

[0019] In this disclosure, if there is a phrase that includes a verb or verbal phrase but does not include an agent, such as "screw holes for attaching an adapter," the agent, such as a user or manufacturer, is not limited.

[0020] In this disclosure, terms used to describe elements of a user interface refer to elements of a physical user interface or a graphical user interface (GUI). Furthermore, terms used in this disclosure are selected to reflect common usage in the art as defined herein. For example, "button" refers to a pressable user interface element, which may be a physical button or a button on a GUI, but not a button on clothing.

[0021] Where this disclosure includes descriptions or illustrations of a computer program, its process, or its thread as the operating entity, such descriptions or illustrations summarize, from a functional standpoint, a series of processes that the computer performs by referring to the instructions and data in the program. A computer program itself is a collection of instructions and data and cannot be an operating entity. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, in general, in descriptions or recognition of processes that a computer performs by referring to a program, a program, its process, or its thread may be represented or understood as an imaginary operating entity. In this disclosure, for example, descriptions of processes that involve a program or its process as the operating entity, such as "Program X performs process Y" or "Program X does Y," mean "A computer equipped with Program X performs process Y by referring to Program X." Similarly, descriptions of processes that have a program or its process as the object, such as "Send Y to Program X," mean a process performed on the computer equipped with this program.

[0022] In general, a running computer program often consists of multiple processes or threads that run in parallel. In this disclosure, unless the number of processes or threads in a running computer program is specified, the number of processes or threads in the running program is one or more, but not limited to one. In this disclosure, if a single computer is shown in a single figure with multiple processes or threads running in parallel, these processes or threads are depicted as imaginary entities instead of the computer. If some of the multiple processes or threads running in parallel on a single computer are the target of processing (e.g., data transmission or authentication), these processes or threads are described as imaginary entities instead of the computer.

[0023] In this specification, lines beginning with an opening angle bracket and ending with a closing angle bracket are headings. These headings exist solely for reference and to improve readability and should not be used to interpret the content.

[0024] <adapter> The adapter includes a case mount and a case. The case mount has structures or components such as screw holes, hook-and-loop fasteners, and mating parts. These structures or components are for connecting the case mount to a first handheld device. For example, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first handheld device is a camera, the second handheld device is a smartphone, the case mount has hook-and-loop fasteners, and the case is the case for this smartphone. Figures 1 and 2 show the camera, case mount, case, and smartphone separated in this example. The configuration of the adapter will be described below using this example.

[0025] Figure 1 includes the case mount 0001 and case 0002 included in the adapter. Figure 1 also includes the camera 0003 and smartphone 0004. In Figures 1 and 2, one of the two sheets 0005 that make up the hook-and-loop fastener is attached to the camera 0003.

[0026] Figures 3 and 4 show the structure of the case mount 0001. The case mount 0001 includes an insertion part 0006 for inserting the case 0002. The insertion part 0006 is for inserting the smartphone 0004 while it is housed in the case 0002. The first connection part 0007 of the case mount 0001 is used for a wired connection to the camera 0003. This connection part is, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector and is for connecting to the USB port on the camera 0003. The second connection part 0008 of the case mount 0001 is also a USB connector and is for connecting to the USB port on the smartphone 0004. The case mount 0001 is equipped with a hook-and-loop fastener, which consists of a sheet 0009 and a sheet 0005. One sheet 0009 is attached to the insertion part 0006. The other sheet 0005 is attached to the camera 0003.

[0027] Figure 5 illustrates case 0002. Case 0002 has a structure for housing a smartphone 0004 and is made of a flexible material. Case 0002 has a hole 0010 for passing through the second connection part of the case mount 0001. Case 0002 protects the smartphone 0004 from scratches and impact from drops.

[0028] The positions and orientations of the first connection part 0007 and the second connection part 0008 are designed so that a wired connection is established between the camera 0003 and the smartphone 0004 by inserting the case 0002 containing the smartphone 0004 into the insertion part 0006 with the case mount 0001 attached to the camera 0003, as shown by the dashed lines 0011 and 0012 in Figures 1 and 2. Furthermore, the first connection part 0007 and the second connection part 0008 are wired together inside the wiring enclosure 0013 to establish this wired connection. The wiring enclosure shown in any embodiment of this disclosure may also include a chip that mediates communication between the first handheld device and the second handheld device.

[0029] Figure 6 shows the state in which the camera 0003 and smartphone 0004 are connected via the case mount 0001 and case 0002. The user pre-attaches the case mount 0001 to the camera 0003 using hook-and-loop fasteners consisting of sheets 0009 and 0005, and when using the camera 0003, inserts the smartphone 0004, which is still in the case 0002, into the case mount 0001.

[0030] In various embodiments, the case included by the adapter is not an arbitrary case, but rather a case designed as part of the adapter to match the shape of the case mount. The adapter designer may design the case mount to match a known case.

[0031] In the adapter configuration, the method of connecting the case mount and the first handheld device is not limited to hook-and-loop fasteners; any removable connection method is acceptable, such as a releaseable latch, bayonet, or latch. For example, as shown in Figure 7, this connection method may be a screw. In this case, the camera 0014 is provided with screw holes for attaching the case mount 0015 to the housing.

[0032] Alternatively, for example, the method of connecting the case mount and the first handheld device may be by insertion, as shown in Figures 8 to 10. In Figure 8, the camera 0016 has a mating portion 0017 and an electrical connection portion 0018. The electrical connection portion 0018 has electrical contacts. The insertion portion 0017 has a screw hole 0019. The case mount 0020 also has a mating portion 0021. In Figure 9, the insertion portion 0021 has an electrical connection portion 0022 as a first connection portion. The electrical connection portion 0022 and the second connection portion 0023 are connected inside the wiring enclosure 0024. The user inserts the case mount 0020 into the insertion portion 0017 of the camera 0016, and then fixes the case mount 0020 to the screw hole 0019 of the camera 0016 with a screw 0025. The electrical connection part 0018 and the electrical connection part 0022 are connected by inserting the case mount 0020. When the user inserts the second handheld device housed in the case into the case mount 0020, a wired connection is established between the camera 0016 and the second handheld device.

[0033] The adapter does not rule out the possibility of a cable between the camera's wired connection port and the first connection point of the case mount. A cable may exist that does not cause the first type of problem described in the background of this specification, namely problems arising from attachment / detachment and wiring management. One possible configuration made possible by such a cable is one in which the camera and the case mount are connected via a movable part so that the position or angle of the smartphone 0004 relative to the camera 0003 in Figure 6 can be adjusted during shooting. Figures 11 to 17 illustrate this connection via a movable part.

[0034] In Figures 11 to 17, the camera 0026 comprises a pair of arms 0027 and 0028. These arms 0027 and 0028 are formed as extensions of the folded walls at both ends of the plate 0029. One end of each arm 0027 and 0028 is attached to an arm mounting portion 0030 on the back of the camera 0026 housing. The arm mounting portion 0030 may be detachable from the camera 0026 housing by means of screws or other means. The pair of arms 0027 and 0028 and the arm mounting portion 0030 form a hinge mechanism that opens the plate 0029 away from the camera 0026. The other end of each arm 0027 and 0028 is attached to a plate 0032 for attaching a case mount 0031. The pair of arms 0027 and 0028 and the plate 0032 also form a hinge mechanism. Figure 17 shows both hinges in the closed position. Figures 11 to 16 show the state with both hinges open.

[0035] Cable 0033 is a flat cable that connects the connection part 0034 of the case mount 0031 to the camera 0026. Cable 0033 is detachable from the camera 0026. Cable 0033 may also be detachable from the case mount 0031.

[0036] The pair of arms 0027 and 0028 and the plate 0032 are part of the camera 0026, whether they are detachable from the camera 0026's housing or not. The case mount 0031 is fixed to the plate 0032 by means of screws or the like. Therefore, the case mount 0031 is not in contact with the camera 0026's housing, but it is fixed to a part of the camera 0026.

[0037] Cable 0033 is a custom-designed component that conforms to the range of motion of the case mount 0031. The likelihood of this cable 0033 causing the aforementioned problems related to attachment / detachment and wiring management is small. For example, a cable may exist between the camera, i.e., the first handheld device, and the case mount to enable the connection via the aforementioned movable component.

[0038] The adapter disclosed herein has at least three significances. The first significance is that it allows for easy simultaneous integration and wired connection of the second handheld device and the first handheld device while the second handheld device remains in its case. The second significance is that it eliminates the problem of cable connection / detachment and wiring management when using these two devices. The third significance is that a variety of second handheld devices can be coupled and connected to the first handheld device through a combination of interchangeable cases and case mounts. Who manufactures each of the four elements—the first handheld device, the second handheld device, the case mount, and the case—does not affect these three significances. Therefore, for example, the manufacturer of the first handheld device may manufacture the case mount and have another party manufacture the case. By having multiple third parties manufacture the case mount or case, the manufacturer of the first handheld device can, to some extent, accommodate the diversity of second handheld devices owned by users and the diversity of users' preferences for cases.

[0039] <Example System> By combining a handheld digital camera and a handheld information processing device using the aforementioned adapter, various imaging systems can be realized. The example systems described below are just a few examples of these systems.

[0040] The example system includes a handheld information processing device equipped with a camera as the first handheld device and a touchscreen as the second handheld device. In the example system, this handheld information processing device is assumed to be a smartphone, but is not limited to it. For convenience, the smartphone in the example system will be referred to as the "external device" below.

[0041] The exemplary system consists, for example, of a camera 0035 and an external device 0036. Figure 18 shows the components that make up the camera 0035 and the connections between these components. The camera 0035 includes a lens module 0037, an image sensor 0038, an image processor 0039, a system controller 0040, and a wired communication interface 0041. The camera 0035 may also include non-volatile internal data storage 0042, such as an SSD (Solid-State Drive). The camera 0035 may also include a removable recording media drive 0043. If the camera 0035 includes a removable recording media drive 0043, the user can insert a removable recording medium 0044 into it.

[0042] The system controller 0040 includes semiconductor components: a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 0045, RAM (Random-Access Memory) 0046, and ROM (Read-Only Memory) 0047. The CPU 0045 loads a program (hereinafter referred to as the "camera control program") recorded in the ROM 0047 or the built-in data storage 0042 into the RAM 0046 and controls various parts of the camera 0035 by executing this program. The camera control program contains various instructions and data necessary for controlling various parts of the camera 0035. The CPU 0045 also uses the RAM 0046 as a temporary storage area for various data such as metadata associated with still images or videos (hereinafter, still images and videos are collectively referred to as "images"; videos include audio) taken by the user.

[0043] The lens module 0037 consists of optical components such as a lens 0048 and aperture blades 0049, and a lens controller 0050 that drives them. The housing of the lens module 0037 may be detachable from the housing of the camera 0035. The lens module 0037 directs incident light from the subject to the image sensor 0038. The image sensor 0038 converts the optical image obtained through the lens module 0037 into an electrical signal. The image sensor 0038 also digitizes this electrical signal by A / D conversion. The image processor 0039 performs image processing such as demosaicing, noise reduction, and resolution conversion on the electrical signal from the image sensor 0038.

[0044] The wired communication interface 0041 of camera 0035 includes a communication controller 0051 and a port 0052, and relays communication between the camera control program and the shooting application program on the external device 0036 (hereinafter referred to as the "shooting application"). Port 0052 may conform to known standards such as USB.

[0045] Figure 19 shows the components that make up the external device 0036 of the exemplary system and the connections between these components. The external device 0036 comprises a CPU 0053, RAM 0054, ROM 0055, data storage 0056, a wired communication interface 0057, and a touchscreen system 0058. The CPU 0053 loads various programs recorded in ROM 0055 or data storage 0056 into RAM 0054 and executes them. The CPU 0053 records the data obtained by executing these programs into data storage 0056. The wired communication interface 0057 comprises a communication controller 0059 and port 0060. Port 0060 is used to connect to port 0052 of camera 0035. The touchscreen system 0058 includes a touchscreen 0061 and its controller 0062. The user operates the external device 0036 mainly by touching the touchscreen 0061.

[0046] The data storage 0056 of the external device 0036 stores the shooting application. In the example system, the user primarily uses this shooting application to control the camera 0035. The shooting application displays a GUI to the user and includes various commands and data for receiving and processing user operations. During shooting, the camera control program continuously transmits images obtained from the image sensor 0038 to the shooting application through the camera's wired communication interface 0041. The GUI of the shooting application displays the images received from the camera control program to the user and also accepts user operations. The shooting application interprets user operations as instructions and transmits these instructions to the camera control program. These instructions include instructions for saving images by releasing the shutter or starting recording, determining shooting parameters such as specifying the focus area, and instructions for changing the settings of the camera 0035.

[0047] When the camera control program receives an instruction to save an image, it generates an image file from the output of the image processor 0039 and saves it to the removable recording medium 0044 or the built-in data storage 0042. Alternatively, the camera control program may send the image file to the external device 0036. If the image file is sent to the external device 0036, the shooting application may save this image file to the data storage 0056 of the external device 0036.

[0048] The example system includes the aforementioned adapter, referred to as <Adapter>. This adapter connects the camera 0035 to the external device 0036. For example, the camera 0035 has a structure or components equivalent to the insertion part 0017, electrical connection part 0018, and screw hole 0019 shown in Figures 8 to 10, and the adapter includes a case mount 0020 and a case that fits it. This adapter is designed by the designer of the camera 0035 or another party to match the shape of the external device 0036. In this example, before shooting, the user attaches the case mount 0020 to the housing of the camera 0035. The manufacturer or distributor of the camera 0035 may install the case mount 0020 as a CTO (Customize to Order) service for the camera 0035 before shipment. When shooting, the user inserts the external device 0036, still in its case (this case is not included in Figures 8 to 10), into the case mount 0020 and controls the camera 0035 using a shooting application. The camera 0035 may be equipped with a physical user interface such as a shutter button on its housing.

Claims

1. An adapter for connecting a first handheld electronic device and a second handheld electronic device, The aforementioned adapter includes a case mount and a case. The case mount has a coupling portion consisting of a structure or component for coupling the case mount to the first handheld electronic device, The case mount includes a fitting portion for fitting the case, The case mount includes a first connection portion for wired connection to the first handheld electronic device. The case mount includes a second connection part for wired connection to the second handheld electronic device. The second connection part is positioned such that when the second handheld electronic device is placed in the case and inserted into the insertion part, the second handheld electronic device and the second connection part are connected by a wire. The first connection part and the second connection part are wired together such that when the case is fitted into the insertion part with the first connection part wired to the first handheld electronic device, a wired connection is established between the first handheld electronic device and the second handheld electronic device inside the case. An adapter characterized by the following features.

2. An adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that when the case mount according to claim 1 is connected to the first handheld electronic device according to claim 1 using the coupling part according to claim 1, the first connection part according to claim 1 and the first handheld electronic device according to claim 1 are arranged such that they are connected by a wire.

3. An adapter for connecting a first handheld electronic device and a second handheld electronic device, The aforementioned adapter includes a case mount. The case mount has a coupling portion consisting of a structure or component for coupling the case mount to the first handheld electronic device, The case mount includes a fitting portion for fitting a case containing the second handheld electronic device, The case mount includes a first connection portion for wired connection to the first handheld electronic device. The case mount includes a second connection part for wired connection to the second handheld electronic device. The second connection part is positioned such that when the second handheld electronic device is placed in the case and inserted into the insertion part, the second handheld electronic device and the second connection part are connected by a wire. The first connection part and the second connection part are wired together such that when the case is fitted into the insertion part with the first connection part wired to the first handheld electronic device, a wired connection is established between the first handheld electronic device and the second handheld electronic device inside the case. An adapter characterized by the following features.

4. An adapter according to claim 3, characterized in that when the case mount according to claim 3 is connected to the first handheld electronic device according to claim 3 using the coupling part according to claim 3, the first connection part according to claim 3 and the first handheld electronic device according to claim 3 are arranged such that they are connected by a wire.

5. A method for allowing a user of a first handheld electronic device to connect a second handheld electronic device, The aforementioned connection uses one case mount and one case. The case mount has a coupling portion consisting of a structure or component for coupling the case mount to the first handheld electronic device, The case mount includes a fitting portion for fitting the case, The case mount includes a first connection portion for wired connection to the first handheld electronic device. The case mount includes a second connection part for wired connection to the second handheld electronic device. The second connection part is positioned such that when the second handheld electronic device is placed in the case and inserted into the insertion part, the second handheld electronic device and the second connection part are connected by a wire. The first connection part and the second connection part are wired together so that when the case is fitted into the insertion part with the first connection part wired to the first handheld electronic device, the first handheld electronic device and the second handheld electronic device inside the case are wired together. A method for simultaneously establishing a wired connection and coupling between the first handheld electronic device and the second handheld electronic device.

6. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that when the case mount of claim 5 is connected to the first handheld electronic device of claim 5 using the coupling part of claim 5, the first connection part of claim 5 and the first handheld electronic device of claim 5 are arranged such that they are wired together.

7. It is a handheld camera, The handheld camera is the first handheld electronic device according to claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, or claim 4. Operated by instructions received from a second handheld electronic device of claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, or claim 4, connected via an adapter of claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, or claim 4, A handheld camera characterized by the following features.

8. A method for allowing users of these devices to connect a handheld camera to a second, separate handheld electronic device, The handheld camera is the first handheld electronic device according to claim 5 or claim 6. The second handheld electronic device is the second handheld electronic device according to claim 5 or claim 6, The method of claim 5 or claim 6 simultaneously establishes a wired connection and coupling between the handheld camera and the second handheld electronic device. A method characterized by the following:

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