Method and arrangement for improving the functions of the display unit of a portable device

• US 20070030259A1
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Karttunen, Juha
• Application Number:
  US10/576,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20070030259A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• 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 an arrangement and method for improving a display unit (101, 201, 301) of a portable device. In the method, in the surroundings of the display unit (101, 201, 301), there are arranged light units (102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, 102e, 102f, 102g, 102h, 202a, 202b, 202c, 202d, 202e, 202f, 302a, 302b, 302c, 302d, 302e, 302f), which are controlled through a light driver (304) with respect to the view shown in the display unit (101, 201, 301). More information to the view shown in the display unit (101, 201, 301) is indicated by means of light units (102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, 102e, 102f, 102e, 102f, 102g, 102h, 202a, 202b, 202c, 202d, 202e, 202f, 302a, 302b, 302c, 302d, 302e, 302f).

Claims

1. A portable device provided with a display unit with information-indicating light units in the surroundings of said display unit, characterized in that the portable device comprises:

a controller for defining control commands on the basis of a display unit application and an instantaneous view shown in the display unit;

a light driver for controlling the information-indicating light units based on the control commands, such that the information-indicating light units are arranged to indicate information concerning an object located outside the current view of the display unit.

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said device also includes a controller for generating control commands for the light units on the basis of the information transmitted by the display driver, to the light driver.

3. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that in the surroundings of the display unit, there are at least two light units or light unit groups formed of single light units, placed so that they are arranged at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to each other.

5. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with a light driver for controlling the light units or the light unit groups formed of single light units.

6. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with a controller and a light driver for controlling the light units according to the application shown in the display unit.

7. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with a controller for defining the control commands of the light units and for synchronizing the display unit with respect to the view.

8. A device according to claim 7, characterized in that it is provided with a light driver for controlling the functions and properties of the light units according to the control commands generated by the controller.

9. A method for improving information execution capability of a display unit of a portable device,

where in the surroundings of the display unit there are placed information indicating light units characterized in that the method comprises steps of

defining in a controller of the portable device a control command on the basis of a display unit application and an instantaneous view shown in the display unit in order to control the information-indicating light units;

controlling the information-indicating light units through a light driver based on the control command defined in the controller, such that information concerning an object located outside the current view of the display unit is indicated by means of the information-indicating light units.

4. A device according to claims 12, characterized in that the light units are placed around the display unit.

10. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that in the controller, there are generated functional commands to the light driver in order to control the light units on the basis of the information of the view in the display unit, transmitted by the display driver and the application of the display unit.

11. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that the light units are arranged in the surroundings of the display unit, at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to each other, in order to indicate the direction, with respect to the view shown in the display unit, by means of the light units.

12. A method according to claims 9, characterized in that the light units are arranged in light unit groups, each of which groups can be separately controlled by the light driver.

13. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that in the display unit, there are shown objects under observation, and simultaneously the light units controlled by the fight driver are used for generating information in the view of the display.

14. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that the approaching of an object located outside the view of the display unit to the area of the view shown in the display unit is indicated by generating in the light driver a sense stimulus by means of those light units that are located in the same direction with respect to the view as the target in question.

15. A method according to claim 14, characterized in that the light driver is used for controlling a controllable light unit group, located in a given direction with respect to the view of the display unit, so that the intensity of the light units is increased as the object approaches the display unit.

16. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that the threatening factors of the game application represented in the view are indicated by adjusting the controllable light unit group that is located in the direction of the threatening factor with respect to the view by means of the light driver to emit a given wavelength of light, and possible proceeding directions are indicted by controlling the controllable light unit group that is located in the direction of the proceeding direction with respect to the view by means of the light driver to emit another given wavelength of light.

17. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that in the application shown in the view, the direction of a given searched target that is located outside the view, with respect to the view is indicated by activating the controllable light unit group located in the direction of the target by means of the light driver in a given way defined in the application.

18. A software for improving information execution capability of a display unit of a portable device, characterized in that it includes steps:

there is defined a given controllable light unit group composed of light units arranged in the surroundings of the display unit on the basis of the application and an instantaneous view shown in the display unit;

there are generated, on the basis of the application of the display unit, certain control commands in order to control the defined light unit group according to the application and the instantaneous view of the display unit and an object located outside the current view, and;

the generated control commands are transmitted to a light driver in order to control the defined light unit group for giving information about the object located outside the current view of the display unit.

19. A system for improving information execution capability of a display unit of a portable device, characterized in that it includes

software means for defining a controllable light unit group on the basis of the information of the application shown in the display unit and an object located outside the current view of the display unit, and;

software means for generating certain control commands on the basis of the information of the application of the display unit and the object located outside the current view of the display unit in order to control a given light unit group for giving information about the object located outside the current view of the display unit.