Control mechanisms for mobile devices

• US 20060205432A1
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hawkins, Jeffrey Charles, Haitani, Robert Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,064,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2746 Sorting, e.g. according to history or frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57

Abstract

A control mechanism for a mobile communication device includes a first mode element, a second mode element and a third mode element. Each mode element corresponds to a distinct operational mode associated with a particular function of the mobile communication device. A physical switch mechanism, which has a first physical positional state corresponding to the first mode element, a second physical positional state corresponding to the second mode element, and a third physical positional state corresponding to the third mode element, is movable between each physical positional state to select an operational mode and to enable the mode element corresponding to the selected operational mode.

Claims

1. A control mechanism for a mobile communication device, the control mechanism comprising:

a first mode element, a second mode element and a third mode element, each mode element corresponding to a distinct operational mode associated with a particular function of the mobile communication device;

a physical switch mechanism having a first physical positional state corresponding to the first mode element, a second physical positional state corresponding to the second mode element, and a third physical positional state corresponding to the third mode element,

the positional switch movable between each physical positional state to select an operational mode and to enable the mode element corresponding to the selected operational mode.

2. The control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the particular function is a notification function.

3. The control mechanism of claim 2, wherein a first operational mode is a mute mode, a second operational mode is a sound enable mode, and a third operational mode is an actuator mode.

4. The control mechanism of claim 3, wherein the actuator mode is configured to actuate the mobile communication device in response to its selection.

5. The control mechanism of claim 3, wherein the actuator mode is configured to trigger a sound in response to its selection.

6. The control mechanism of claim 3, wherein the sound mode is configured to trigger a sound in response to its selection.

7. The control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the particular function is a wireless network connection function.

8. The control mechanism of claim 4, wherein a first operational mode is enable GSM mode, a second operational mode is enable CDMA mode, and a third operational mode is an OFF mode.

9. The control mechanism of claim 8, wherein each operational mode is configured to provide a notification through the mobile communication device in response to its selection.

10. The control mechanism of claim 9, wherein the notification is a vibration pattern.

11. A communications enablement physical switch for a mobile device, the switch comprising:

a first physical positional state corresponding to a first communication mode;

a second physical positional state corresponding to a second communication mode, each communication mode distinct from the other communication mode; and

a selector structured to move between each physical positional state and when set in a particular physical positional state enabling a communication mode corresponding to that physical positional state.

12. The switch of claim 11, wherein the first communication mode corresponds to enabling a sound playback through a speaker of the wireless communications device and the second communication mode corresponds to disabling the sound playback through the speaker of the mobile device and enabling a vibration mechanism in the mobile device.

13. The switch of claim 12, wherein a communication mode selected through the selector is triggered in response to receipt of a communications at the mobile device.

14. The switch of claim 11, wherein the first communication mode corresponds to placing a radio in an ON state and the second communication mode corresponds to placing the radio in an OFF state.

15. The switch of claim 11, wherein radio comprises one of a WiFi and WiMax radio.

16. The switch of claim 11, wherein the first communication mode corresponds to enabling GSM network connection and the second communication mode corresponds to enabling a CDMA network connection.

17. The switch of claim 11, wherein the first communication mode corresponds to enabling GSM network connection and the second communication mode corresponds to disabling the GSM network connection.

18. The switch of claim 11, wherein the first communication mode corresponds to enabling CDMA network connection and the second communication mode corresponds to disabling the CDMA network connection.

19. The switch of claim 11, further comprising a third physical positional state corresponding to a third communication mode, the third communication mode distinct from the first communication mode and the second communication mode.

20. The switch of claim 19, wherein the first communication mode corresponds to enabling GSM network connection, the second communication mode corresponds to enabling the CDMA network connection, and the third communication mode corresponds to disabling network connections.