The patent, filed by Facebook in January but published on 20 July, details a "modular electromechanical device" made up of a chassis and a number of detachable components.
The different modules named in the patent include a speaker, microphone, touch display, and GPS. Depending on the components chosen by the user, the device would provide a different function.
The device would also allow users to replace specific parts of the phone when they become outdated or broken.
Facebook believes this could offer a solution to the current throwaway culture surrounding personal devices and smartphones with "short life-cycles".
"Consumers purchase consumer electronics that utilise cutting-edge technology only to find that their electronics are outdated in the near future," reads the patent. "The consumer electronics are then thrown away and replaced with the latest version of the electronics and the lifecycle of the electronics repeats."
"Typically, the hardware components included in the consumer electronics that are considered 'outdated' are still useable. However, the hardware components can no longer be reused since consumer electronics are designed as closed systems."
