SIGNAL STRENGTH ANNUNCIATORS FOR MULTI-MODE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICES

• US 20080009324A1
• Filed: 07/05/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Patel, Mehul B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,761,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method for indicating signal strength of a multi-mode wireless communication device is disclosed. The wireless communications device simultaneously displays signal strength indicators of multiple radio access technologies on the multi-mode wireless communication device. In an exemplary method, the multi-mode wireless device determines a first signal strength of a first radio access technology and displays the signal strength in a designated annunciator area of a display of the device. The device then determines availability and signal strength for a second radio access technology and further displays a second signal strength indicator in the annunciator area corresponding to the second determined signal strength of the second radio access technology.

Claims

1. A method for indicating signal strength of a multi-mode wireless communications device, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first signal strength of a first wireless technology on the multi-mode wireless communication device;

detecting a second signal strength of a second wireless technology on the multi-mode wireless communication device;

displaying a first signal strength indicator on the multi-mode wireless communication device, the first signal strength indicator corresponding to the detected first signal strength of the first wireless technology; and

simultaneously displaying a second signal strength indicator on the multi-mode wireless communication device if the second wireless technology is detected, the second signal strength indicator corresponding to the detected second signal strength of the second wireless technology.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless technology is an active mode of the multi-mode wireless communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically searching for at least one alternate signal strength of an alternate wireless technology; and

simultaneously displaying the at least one alternate signal strength indicator on the multi-mode wireless communication device if the at least one alternate wireless technology is detected in the periodic search, the at least one alternate signal strength indicator corresponding to the detected at least one signal strength of the alternate wireless technology.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting a second signal strength of a second wireless technology further comprises conducting a periodic search for the second wireless technology.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the periodic search is user controlled.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first wireless technology and the second wireless technology is Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first wireless technology and the second wireless technology is a wireless local area network (WLAN).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first wireless technology and the second wireless technology is wireless fidelity (WIFI).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first signal strength indicator and the second signal strength indicator is at least one bar of a plurality of signal strength graduated bars.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first signal strength indicator and the second signal strength indicator is at least one bar of a plurality of same-sized bars, wherein a number of bars of the plurality of same-sized bars is indicative of the signal strength.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying a text description of at least one of the first wireless technology and the second wireless technology on the multi-mode wireless communication device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first wireless technology and the second wireless technology is an active mode having an active mode signal strength and the other of the first wireless technology and the second wireless technology is an inactive mode having an inactive mode signal strength, wherein an active mode signal strength indicator corresponding to the active mode signal strength is displayed in a first display area and an inactive mode signal strength indicator corresponding to the inactive mode signal strength is displayed in a second display area, further comprising the steps of:

switching the inactive mode to a next active mode having a next active mode signal strength; and

displaying a next active mode signal strength indicator corresponding to the next active mode signal strength in the first display area.

13. A method for displaying signal strength indicators on a multi-mode wireless device, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting an active mode signal strength of a first wireless technology on the multi-mode wireless device;

displaying a first signal strength indicator in an active mode area of a display of the multi-mode wireless device, the first signal strength indicator corresponding to the detected active mode signal strength; and

detecting a second signal strength of a second wireless technology on the multi-mode wireless device;

simultaneously displaying a second signal strength indicator in an inactive mode area of the display if the second wireless technology is detected, the second signal strength indicator corresponding to the detected second signal strength of the second wireless technology.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first wireless technology and the second wireless technology is Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and the other of the first wireless technology and the second wireless technology is a wireless local area network (WLAN).

15. A multi-mode wireless device comprising:

a signal strength detector for detecting a first signal strength of a first wireless technology and for detecting a second signal strength of a second wireless technology;

a processor connected to the signal strength detector, the processor for selecting one of the first wireless technology and the second wireless technology as an active mode, and for selecting the other of the first wireless technology and the second wireless technology as the alternate mode; and

a display connected to the processor, the display comprising;

an active mode area for displaying an active mode indicator corresponding to an active mode signal strength of the selected active mode; and

an alternate mode area for simultaneously displaying an alternate mode indicator corresponding to an alternate mode signal strength of the selected alternate mode.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first wireless technology and the second wireless technology is Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and the other of the first wireless technology and the second wireless technology is a wireless local area network (WLAN).

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the active mode indicator and the alternate mode indicator are visually distinguishable bar-type indicators.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein at least one of the active mode indicator and the alternate mode indicator is at least one bar of a plurality of same-sized bars, wherein a number of bars of the plurality of same-sized bars is indicative of the signal strength.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the display further comprises:

a text description of at least one of the first wireless technology and the second wireless technology displayed in the alternate mode area.

20. The device of claim 15, further comprising:

a user interface for selecting the alternate mode displayed in the alternate mode area;

the processor for switching the alternate mode to a next active mode having a next active mode signal strength; and

displaying a next active mode signal strength indicator corresponding to the next active mode signal strength in active mode area.