Method for visualizing the input and display components of terminal equipment and corresponding terminal equipment

• US 20050017064A1
• Filed: 06/23/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Saarinen, Kaj, Vayrynen, Antero
• Granted Patent: US 7,178,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/145.R
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for visualizing the input and display components of terminal equipment. The terminal equipment includes the said input component, for controlling the operations of the terminal equipment, and the display component. The terminal equipment (10) has at least two states, of which in the first, open, state, the terminal equipment implements the operations directed to it through the input component, and in which second, locked, state, the terminal equipment does not implement the operations directed to it through the input component, but instead implements an indicator effect in the input and/or the display component, in order to visualize the input and/or the display component.

Claims

1. A method for visualizing the input and display components of terminal equipment, in which the terminal equipment includes the said input component, for controlling the operations of the terminal equipment, and the display component, and in which terminal equipment there are at least two states, of which

in the first, open, state, the terminal equipment implements the operations directed to it through the input component, and in which

second, locked, state, the terminal equipment does not implement the operations directed to it through the input component, but instead implements an indicator effect in the input and/or the display component, in order to visualize the input and/or the display component,

characterized in that the said indicator effect is implemented with a short duration, for example, of 0.1-5 seconds and/or with a low luminance, for example, of 0.1-5 cd/m².

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the duration of the said indicator effect is 1-3 seconds.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the said indicator effect is implemented in at least the input component opening the locking of the terminal equipment, such as, for example, one or more keys.

4. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the said indicator effect is implemented additionally in at least part of the display component of the terminal equipment.

5. A method according to any of claim 1, characterized in that the implementation of the said indicator effect is synchronized with routine operations performed by the terminal equipment.

6. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the said indicator effect is implemented using a modulation functionality belonging to the terminal equipment, such as, for example, PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) or AM (Amplitude Modulation).

7. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal equipment includes means for defining the lighting conditions, by means of which the ambient lighting conditions at each moment are defined and the duration and/or the luminance of the indicator effect are adjusted on the basis of this definition data.

8. Terminal equipment, in which a keypad component and/or a display component is arranged that can be illuminated by lighting means and in which the said keypad component is arranged to be locked, in such a way that the terminal equipment will not implement the operations directed to it, but instead an operation, which is arranged to create an indicator effect in order to visualize the keypad component, characterized in that means are arranged in the terminal equipment for implementing the said indicator effect in the lighting means, with a short duration, such as, for example, 0.1-5 seconds, and/or with a low luminance, such as, for example, 0.1-5 cd/m².

9. Terminal equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that the said means include a modulation module, such as, for example, a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) or an AM (Amplitude Modulation) module.

10. Terminal equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that the said means include a functionality for synchronizing the implementation of the indicator effect with routine operations to be performed by the terminal equipment.