Mobile communcation terminal

• US 20040204125A1
• Filed: 03/13/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: McKay, Michael, Jokinen, Tapani, Elomaa, Timo, Ferranti, Giovanni, Messel, Atle
• Granted Patent: US 7,373,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0283 for providing a decorative aspect, e.g. customization of casings, exchangeable faceplate
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/048 Arrangements providing optical indication of the incoming call, e.g. flasher circuits

Abstract

A mobile communication terminal which includes a plurality of lights, apparatus for controlling the activation of the lights, apparatus for storing a number of sequences of activation of the lights, and apparatus for assigning one of the stored sequences of the activation of the lights to a particular event in the mobile communication terminal.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal comprising a plurality of lights, means for controlling the activation of said lights, means for storing a number of sequences of activation of said lights, and means for selectively assigning one of said stored sequences of the activation of said lights to a particular event in said mobile communication terminal.

2. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said means for selectively assigning one of said stored sequences of the activation of said lights to a particular event in said mobile communication terminal comprises a keypad, a display, and means for displaying on said display an indication which keys of said keypad need to be pressed to assign one of said stored sequences of the activation of said lights to a particular event in said mobile communication terminal.

3. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said means for controlling the activation of said lights comprises means for controlling the color of said lights and/or for controlling the intensity level at which said lights are activated.

4. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 3, further comprising means for composing said sequences of activation of said lights.

5. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein said means for composing sequences of activation of said lights comprises a keypad, a display, and means for displaying on said display an indication which keys of said keypad need to be pressed to compose a sequence of activation of said lights.

6. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein said means for composing sequences of activation of said lights allows the user to select the intensity level of a light to be activated, preferably as low, middle, high, and/or allows the user to select the duration of the activation of a light to be activated, and/or allows selection of the timing between activations of said lights.

7. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 6, wherein said means for composing sequences of activation of said lights comprises a keypad, a display, and means for displaying on said display an indication which keys of said keypad need to be pressed to select the intensity level of a light to be activated, preferably as low, middle, high, and/or which keys need to be pressed to select the duration of the activation of a light to be activated, and/or which keys need to be pressed to select of the timing between activations of said lights.

8. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said events can be selected from the group comprising, incoming call, incoming call from a particular caller or caller group, key lock, key unlock, power on/off, calendar alarm, incoming SMS, high score, wake-up alarm, battery status indication and signal strength indication.

9. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the sequence of activation of said lights is synchronized with a vibrator of said mobile communication terminal.

10. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said lights comprise LEDs and/or electro luminescent foils and/or electro luminescent strings and/or optical fibers.

17. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of said plurality of lights is integrated in a removable cover.

11. A mobile communication terminal comprising a plurality of lights, means for controlling the activation of said lights and means for transforming an audio signal into a control signal for activation of said lights.

12. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 11, wherein said audio signal is provided by a microphone in said mobile communication terminal and/or by a digital audio player in said mobile communication terminal and/or by a radio in said mobile communication terminal and/or by a memory in said mobile communication terminal in which ringing tunes are stored.

13. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 12, wherein said audio signal is divided into two or more discrete frequency bands by filters, and the output of said filters is used to activate said lights, preferably with a light with a different color being assigned to each frequency band, and/or the intensity of said lights being modulated according to the output level from the filter driving the light.

14. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 13, further comprising means for recording and storing the activation of said lights in response to said audio signal.

15. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 14, wherein the intensity level and/or color during the activation of a light is recorded.

16. A mobile communication terminal according to claim 15, further comprising means for assigning a recorded and stored sequence of the activation of said lights to a particular event in said mobile communication terminal.

18. A method of composing a sequence of activation of lights on a mobile communication terminal, wherein said mobile communication terminal comprises a display, a keypad, lights and a memory, comprising the steps of:

displaying on said display a menu in which the activity of composing of a sequence of activation of lights can be selected by pressing one or more keys of said keypad, and when such keys have been pressed,

displaying on said display a menu in which the sequence of the activations of lights can be composed by pressing one or more keys of said keypad, and

storing the composed sequence of the activation of lights.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

displaying on said display a menu in which the color and/or intensity in which said lights are to be activated can be selected by pressing one or more keys of said keypad.

20. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

displaying on said display a menu in which the duration of an activation one of said lights can be selected pressing one or more keys of said keypad.

21. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

displaying on said display a menu in which a sequence of activation of lights can be saved to said memory by pressing one or more keys of said keypad.

22. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

displaying on said display a menu in which a stored sequence of activation of lights can be retrieved from said memory by pressing one or more keys of said keypad.

23. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

displaying on said display a menu in which the assignment of one of the stored sequences of activation of lights to a particular event in said mobile communication terminal can be selected by pressing one or more keys of said keypad.

24. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of:

displaying on said display a menu in which a stored sequence of activation of lights can be send to another mobile communication terminal by pressing one or more keys of said keypad.

25. A method of assigning a sequence of activation of lights on a mobile communication terminal to a particular event in said communication terminal, wherein said mobile communication terminal comprises a display, a keypad, lights and a memory in which at least one sequence of activation of lights is stored, comprising the steps of:

displaying on said display a menu in which the activity of assigning a sequence of activation of lights to a particular event in said mobile communication terminal can be selected by pressing one or more keys of said keypad, and when such keys have been pressed,

displaying on said display a menu in which the assignment of one of the stored sequences of activation of lights to a particular event in said mobile communication terminal can be selected by pressing one or more keys of said keypad, and when such keys have been pressed, assigning said one stored sequence of activation of lights to said particular event.

26. A cover for removable attachment to a mobile phone, comprising a plurality of lights, a connector for establishing an electrical connection to a counterpart on said mobile phone, and electric wiring connecting said connecter with said plurality of lights.

27. A cover according to claim 26, wherein said plurality of lights comprises one or more electro luminescent elements.

28. A cover according to claim 27, wherein said electro luminescent elements are foils and/or wires.

29. A cover according to claim 28, wherein said one or more electro luminescent foils are divided in a plurality of segments that can be individually activated.

30. A cover according to claim 28, wherein said one or more electro luminescent foils are provided with a two-dimensional wire net, whereby preferably parts of said two-dimensional wire net can be activated individually.

31. A cover according to claim 28, wherein two or more electro luminescent foils are placed one above another, with the upper electro luminescent foil or foils preferably being more transparent to light than the lower electro luminescent foil or foils.

32. A cover according to claim 31, wherein the each electro luminescent foil emits light of a different color.

33. A cover according to claim 26, wherein said connector comprises at least connecting members for voltage, ground and control.

34. A cover according to claim 26, wherein said plurality of lights comprises one or more LEDs.