BATTERY SAVING SELECTIVE SCREEN CONTROL

• US 20080220820A1
• Filed: 03/09/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: FOXENLAND, Eral Denis
• Application Number:
  US11/684,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20080220820A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6008 in the transmitter circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• 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

A method determines when a user is talking on a mobile phone by monitoring a sound level of a user'"'"'s voice. If it is determined, based on the monitoring, that the mobile phone is near the user'"'"'s ear, the display of the mobile phone may be turned off to save battery power.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring a sound level of a voice of a first user of a mobile phone;

determining, based on the monitoring, whether the mobile phone is near an ear of the first user; and

turning off a display of the mobile phone when it is determined that the mobile phone is near the ear of the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sound level is detected with a microphone.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a sound level of a voice of a second user that is speaking to the first user; and

determining, based on the monitoring, whether the mobile phone is near an ear of the first user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises comparing the sound level to a threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining whether the mobile phone is near the ear of the first user comprises:

determining that the mobile phone is near the ear of the first user when the sound level is equal to or above the threshold; and

determining that the mobile phone is not near the ear of the first user when the sound level is below the threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises:

monitoring the sound level over a period of time; and

calculating a moving average of the sound level over the period of time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether the mobile phone is near the ear of the first user comprises:

determining that the mobile phone is near the ear of the first user when there is a sudden rise in the sound level based on the moving average; and

determining that the mobile phone is not near the ear of the first user when there is a sudden fall in the sound level based on the moving average.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein turning off the display includes turning off the display after a first period of time.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

turning on the display of the mobile phone when it is determined that the mobile phone is not near the ear of the first user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein turning on the display includes turning on the display after a second period of time.

11. A mobile phone comprising:

a memory;

a display; and

processing logic configured to;

monitor a sound level of a voice of a first user of a mobile phone;

determine, based on the monitoring, whether the mobile phone is near an ear of the first user; and

turn off a display of the mobile phone when it is determined that the mobile phone is near the ear of the first user.

12. The mobile phone of claim 11, further comprising a microphone to detect the sound level.

13. The mobile phone of claim 11, wherein the processing logic is further configured to:

monitor the sound level of a voice of a second user that is speaking to the first user; and

determine, based on the monitoring, whether the mobile phone is near an ear of the first user.

14. The mobile phone of claim 11, wherein the processing logic is further configured to compare the sound level to a threshold.

15. The mobile phone of claim 14, wherein the processing logic is further configured to:

determine that the mobile phone is near the ear of the first user when the sound level is equal to or above the threshold; and

determine that the mobile phone is not near the ear of the first user when the sound level is below the threshold.

16. The mobile phone of claim 11, wherein the processing logic is further configured to:

monitor the sound level over a period of time; and

calculate a moving average of the sound level over the period of time.

17. The mobile phone of claim 16, wherein the processing logic is further configured to:

determine that the mobile phone is near the ear of the first user when there is a sudden rise in the sound level based on the moving average; and

determine that the mobile phone is not near the ear of the first user when there is a sudden fall in the sound level based on the moving average.

18. The mobile phone of claim 11, wherein the processing logic is further configured to turn off the display after a first period of time.

19. The mobile phone of claim 11, wherein the processing logic is further configured to turn on the display when it is determined that the mobile phone is not near the ear of the first user.

20. The mobile phone of claim 19, wherein the processing logic is further configured to turn on the display after a second period of time.

21. A method comprising:

monitoring a sound level, at a mobile phone, of speakers in a conversation through the mobile phone;

determining whether the mobile phone is near an ear of a user based on the monitored sound levels of the speakers;

turning off the display when it is determined that the mobile phone is near the ear of the user; and

turning on the display when it is determined that the mobile phone is not near the ear of the user.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein turning off the display includes turning off the display after a first period of time and turning on the display includes turning on the display after a second period of time.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first period of time is equal to the second period of time.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the first period of time is not equal to the second period of time.