Display control for cellular phone

• US 20080102882A1
• Filed: 11/01/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Sutardja, Sehat
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0267 by controlling user interface components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A cellular phone comprises a transceiver that wirelessly transmits and receives wireless cellular signals, a display, an input device, a microphone that generates audio signals and a light sensing module that senses ambient light. A control module communicates with the transceiver, the display, the input device, the microphone and the light sensing module, and comprises a comparing module that generates a first signal when the ambient light signal is less than a threshold, a timing module that determines a duration of the first signal and a selecting module that communicates with the timing module and that selectively deactivates the display and the input device when the duration is greater than a first period.

Claims

1. A cellular phone, comprising:

a transceiver that wirelessly transmits and receives wireless cellular signals;

a display;

an input device;

a microphone that generates audio signals;

a light sensing module that senses ambient light; and

a control module that communicates with the transceiver, the display, the input device, the microphone and the light sensing module, and that comprises;

a comparing module that generates a first signal when the ambient light signal is less than a threshold;

a timing module that determines a duration of the first signal; and

a selecting module that communicates with the timing module and that selectively deactivates the display and the input device when the duration is greater than a first period.

2. The cellular phone of claim 1 further comprising a camera module that includes the light sensing module.

3. The cellular phone of claim 1 wherein the selecting module selectively deactivates the microphone when the duration is greater than a first period.

4. The cellular phone of claim 3 wherein the selecting module disables changes to a ringer mode when the duration is greater than the first period.

5. The cellular phone of claim 3 wherein the selecting module changes a ringer mode when the duration is greater than the first period.

6. The cellular phone of claim 5 wherein the selecting module changes the ringer mode from one of an audible ringer mode, a vibration mode, and a silent mode to another of the audible ringer mode, the vibration mode, and the silent mode.

7. The cellular phone of claim 3 wherein the selecting module selectively deactivates the display and the input device further based on at least one of a time of day and a date.

8. The cellular phone of claim 3 wherein the threshold is adjusted based on at least one of a time of day and a date.

9. The cellular phone of claim 3 further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) module that outputs a location of the cellular phone, wherein the selecting module selectively deactivates the display and the input device further based on the location.

10. The cellular phone of claim 9 wherein the threshold is adjusted based on the location.

11. A control system for a mobile device, comprising:

a light sensing module that generates an ambient light signal based on a sensed ambient light level;

a comparing module that generates a first signal when the ambient light signal is less than a threshold;

a timing module that determines a duration of the first signal; and

a selecting module that communicates with the timing module and that selects one of an active mode and an inactive mode of the mobile device when the duration is greater than a first period.

12. The control system of claim 11 wherein the selecting module selects the one of the active mode and the inactive mode of at least one of a backlight, a display, and a user input of the mobile device.

13. The control system of claim 11 wherein the mobile device includes at least one of a cellular phone, a media player, a mobile gaming device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a mobile personal computer (PC).

14. The control system of claim 11 wherein the light sensing module includes one of a camera module and a light sensor.

15. The control system of claim 11 wherein the selecting module prevents changes to a ringer mode when the duration is greater than the first period.

16. The control system of claim 11 wherein the selecting module changes a ringer mode when the duration is greater than the first period.

17. The control system of claim 16 wherein the selecting module changes the ringer mode from one of an audible ringer mode, a vibration mode, and a silent mode to another of the audible ringer mode, the vibration mode, and the silent mode.

18. The control system of claim 11 wherein the selecting module selects the one of the active mode and the inactive mode further based on at least one of a time of day and a date.

19. The control system of claim 11 wherein the threshold is adjusted based on at least one of a time of day and a date.

20. The control system of claim 11 further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) module that outputs a location, wherein the selecting module selects the one of the active mode and the inactive mode further based on the location.

21. The control system of claim 20 wherein the threshold is adjusted based on the location.

22. An integrated circuit for a mobile device, comprising:

an input of the integrated circuit that receives a sensed ambient light level;

a comparing module that generates a first signal when the ambient light signal is less than a threshold;

a timing module that determines a duration of the first signal; and

a selecting module that communicates with the timing module and that selects one of an active mode and an inactive mode of the mobile device when the duration is greater than a first period.

23. The integrated circuit of claim 22 wherein the selecting module selects the one of the active mode and the inactive mode of at least one of a backlight, a display, and a user input of the mobile device.

24. The integrated circuit of claim 22 wherein the mobile device includes at least one of a cellular phone, a media player, a mobile gaming device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a mobile personal computer (PC).

25. The integrated circuit of claim 22 wherein the input receives the ambient light signal from one of a camera module and a light sensor.

26. The integrated circuit of claim 22 wherein the selecting module prevents changes to a ringer mode when the duration is greater than the first period.

27. The integrated circuit of claim 22 wherein the selecting module changes a ringer mode when the duration is greater than the first period.

28. The integrated circuit of claim 27 wherein the selecting module changes the ringer mode from one of an audible ringer mode, a vibration mode, and a silent mode to another of the audible ringer mode, the vibration mode, and the silent mode.

29. The integrated circuit of claim 22 wherein the selecting module selects the one of the active mode and the inactive mode further based on at least one of a time of day and a date.

30. The integrated circuit of claim 22 wherein the threshold is adjusted based on at least one of a time of day and a date.

31. The integrated circuit of claim 22 further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) module that outputs a location, wherein the selecting module selects the one of the active mode and the inactive mode further based on the location.

32. The integrated circuit of claim 31 wherein the threshold is adjusted based on the location.

33. A method for operating a mobile device, comprising:

receiving an ambient light signal based on a sensed ambient light level;

generating a first signal when the ambient light signal is less than a threshold;

determining a duration of the first signal; and

selecting one of an active mode and an inactive mode of the mobile device when the duration is greater than a first period.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein selecting includes selecting the one of the active mode and the inactive mode of at least one of a backlight, a display, and a user input of the mobile device.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the mobile device includes at least one of a cellular phone, a media player, a mobile gaming device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a mobile personal computer (PC).

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising preventing changes to a ringer mode when the duration is greater than the first period.

37. The method of claim 35 further comprising changing a ringer mode when the duration is greater than the first period.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein changing the ringer mode includes changing the ringer mode from one of an audible ringer mode, a vibration mode, and a silent mode to another of the audible ringer mode, the vibration mode, and the silent mode.

39. The method of claim 33 further comprising selecting the one of the active mode and the inactive mode further based on at least one of a time of day and a date.

40. The method of claim 33 wherein further comprising adjusting the threshold based on at least one of a time of day and a date.

41. The method of claim 33 further comprising selecting the one of the active mode and the inactive mode further based on a location.

42. The method of claim 41 further comprising adjusting the threshold based on the location.