Hybrid mobile terminal and method for automatically powering on/off mobile phone

• US 20040121802A1
• Filed: 08/28/2003
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jin-Tae, Kim, Jeong-Ho
• Application Number:
  US10/651,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20040121802A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A hybrid mobile terminal for performing a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) function and a mobile phone function. The hybrid mobile terminal includes a PDA function module for controlling the PDA function, generating a GPIO (General Purpose Input Output) signal for initiating a mobile phone function on the basis of a prescribed condition for initiating the mobile phone function, and generating a termination command for terminating the mobile phone function on the basis of a prescribed condition for terminating the mobile phone function; and a mobile phone function module for controlling the mobile phone function after being activated upon receiving one of the GPIO signal received from the PDA function module and a power key entry signal of the hybrid mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A hybrid mobile terminal for performing a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) function and a mobile phone function, comprising:

a PDA function module for controlling the PDA function, generating a GPIO (General Purpose Input Output) signal for initiating a mobile phone function on the basis of a prescribed condition for initiating the mobile phone function, and generating a termination command for terminating the mobile phone function on the basis of a prescribed condition for terminating the mobile phone function; and

a mobile phone function module for controlling the mobile phone function after being activated upon receiving one of the GPIO signal received from the PDA function module and a power key entry signal of the hybrid mobile terminal.

2. The hybrid mobile terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein the PDA function module generates the GPIO signal on the basis of a result of comparison between a start time and a current time of the mobile phone function.

3. The hybrid mobile terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein the PDA function module generates the termination command on the basis of a result of comparison between a termination time and a current time of the mobile phone function.

4. The hybrid mobile terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein the mobile phone function module includes:

a mobile phone function processor for executing one or more mobile phone functions;

a power-supply controller for applying a power-supply voltage to the mobile phone function processor upon receiving the GPIO signal, and generating a reset signal for initiating the mobile phone function processor; and

a logic gate for transmitting a reset signal to the mobile phone function processor on the basis of at least one of the reset signal generated from the power-supply controller and a power key entry signal of the hybrid mobile terminal.

5. The hybrid mobile terminal as set forth in claim 4, wherein first and second inputs of the logic gate are connected to the reset signal generated from the power-supply controller and the reset signal generated by the power key entry signal of the hybrid mobile terminal, respectively, the output terminal of the logic gate connected to a reset signal input terminal of the mobile phone function processor, wherein the logic gate outputs a reset signal to initiate the mobile phone function processor in the case where one of the reset signal generated from the power-supply controller and the reset signal generated by the power key entry signal satisfies a prescribed condition for resetting the mobile phone function processor.

6. The hybrid mobile terminal as set forth in claim 5, wherein the logic gate is a single AND gate.

7. A method for powering on or off a mobile phone function module of a hybrid mobile terminal comprised of a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) function module and the mobile phone function module, comprising the steps of:

a) generating a GPIO (General Purpose Input Output) signal for initiating a mobile phone function on the basis of a prescribed condition for initiating the mobile phone function;

b) applying a power-supply voltage to the mobile phone function module upon receiving the GPIO signal, and initializing the mobile phone function module to start the mobile phone function;

c) generating a termination command for terminating the mobile phone function on the basis of a prescribed condition for terminating the mobile phone function; and

d) terminating the operation of the mobile phone function module in accordance with the termination command.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein step (a) generates the GPIO signal on the basis of a result of comparison between a start time and a current time of the mobile phone function.

9. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein step (c) generates the termination command on the basis of a result of comparison between a termination time and a current time of the mobile phone function.