Electric apparatus and an operation method thereof

• US 10,044,969 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2017
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hisense Co., Ltd. (Qingdao Huatong State-Owned Capital Operation (Group) Co., Ltd.), Hisense Electric Co., Ltd. (Qingdao Huatong State-Owned Capital Operation (Group) Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hisense Co., Ltd. (Qingdao Huatong State-Owned Capital Operation (Group) Co., Ltd.), Hisense Electric Co., Ltd. (Qingdao Huatong State-Owned Capital Operation (Group) Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hu, Minna, Gong, Lianfa
• Primary Examiner(s): Alizada, Omeed
• Application Number:
  US15/616,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20170272682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42212 Specific keyboard arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/57 Control of contrast or brightness
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06

Abstract

The present invention discloses an electric apparatus and operation method thereof. The electric apparatus includes: display unit to display the output content from said electric apparatus; operation unit used to operate said electric apparatus; the apparatus further includes: the primary indication unit, when the primary indication unit is started up, the operation unit is in visible status and otherwise the operation unit is in invisible status. The design of the present invention improves the front visual effect and the interactive performance of the electrical apparatus.

Claims

1. An electric apparatus, which includes:

a housing;

a display arranged within the housing configured to visually output content from the electric apparatus;

an operation circuit arranged within the housing and separate from the display that is coupled with user input controls that facilitate controlling aspects of the electric apparatus;

a primary indication circuit configured to illuminate the user input controls of the operation circuit such that when the primary indication circuit is in an illuminated state, the user input controls of the operation circuit are visible to a user of the electric apparatus, and when the primary indication circuit is in an unilluminated state and the display is outputting content, a visibility of the user input controls to the user of the electric apparatus is reduced.

2. The electric apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a secondary indication circuit configured to indicate a working condition of the electric apparatus; and

a triggering circuit configured to start the primary indication circuit when triggered;

wherein the secondary indication circuit corresponds to the triggering circuit.

3. The electric apparatus of claim 2, wherein the secondary indication circuit is further configured to control the primary indication unit to enter the started up state when the power source of the electric apparatus is in a working condition.

4. The electric apparatus of claim 1, wherein the primary indication circuit corresponds to an LED that is fixedly connected with a display module;

and wherein user input controls the operation circuit correspond to a plurality of touching-type keys.

5. The electric apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of LEDs, wherein a quantity of the LEDs matches a quantity of the touching-type keys and respective mounting positions of the plurality of LEDs correspond to respective positions of the plurality of touching-type keys.

6. The electric apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a translucent shell, wherein a color of the operation circuit matches a color of the translucent shell.

7. The electric apparatus of claim 6, wherein the operation circuit is located behind the translucent shell and is fixedly connected with the display.

8. The electric apparatus of claim 6, wherein a color of light emitted from the primary indication circuit is different from the color of the translucent shell.

9. The electric apparatus of claim 6, wherein the color of the translucent shell and the color of the operation circuit are black, and wherein light provided by the primary indication circuit is blue.

10. The electric apparatus of claim 1, is characterized in that each indication time of the primary indication circuit is determined.

11. The electric apparatus of claim 1, wherein the visibility of the user input controls is reduced to the point where it is no longer visible.

12. A method for controlling an electric apparatus comprising:

providing a housing, a display arranged within the housing configured to display the output content from the electric apparatus, an operation circuit arranged within the housing and separate from the display that is coupled with user input controls configured to operate the electric apparatus and a primary indication circuit;

the method comprising;

if the primary indication circuit is in a started up state, controlling the operation circuit to make the user input controls become visible to a user of the electric apparatus; and

if the primary indication circuit is not in a started up state and the electric apparatus is in a working condition, controlling the operation circuit to reduce a visibility of the user input controls to the user of the electric apparatus.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the visibility of the user input controls is reduced to the point where it is no longer visible.

14. A computing device, comprising:

a housing;

a display arranged within the housing configured to visually output content from the handheld device;

an operation circuit arranged within the housing and separate from the display that is coupled with user input controls that facilitate controlling aspects of the computing device;

a primary indication circuit configured illuminate the user input controls of the operation circuit such that when the primary indication circuit is in an illuminated state, the user input controls of the operation circuit are visible to a user of the computing device, and when the primary indication circuit is in an unilluminated state and the display is outputting content, a visibility of the user input controls to the user of the computing device is reduced.

15. The computing device according to claim 14, wherein the visibility of the user input controls is reduced to the point where it is no longer visible.