ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH LOCATION-BASED AND PRESENCE-BASED PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING SAME

• US 20080242372A1
• Filed: 03/26/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• 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: Schmidt, Kurt, Camp, William O., Clagett, Scott
• Application Number:
  US11/690,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20080242372A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A mobile telephone includes a radio circuit for establishing a call over a communications network. The mobile telephone also includes a housing that retains the radio circuit and an illumination assembly. The illumination assembly is controlled to generate light in a color having a user specified relationship to a location of the mobile telephone. In one embodiment, the illumination assembly is controlled to generate light in a color having a user specified relationship to an electronic device that is detected to be in relative proximity to the mobile telephone.

Claims

1. A mobile telephone, comprising:

a radio circuit for establishing a call over a communications network;

a housing that retains the radio circuit; and

an illumination assembly retained by the housing and that is controlled to generate light in a color having a user specified relationship to a location of the mobile telephone.

2. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the illumination assembly includes one or more illuminators disposed under a clear or translucent casing that at least partially covers the housing of the mobile telephone.

3. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the illumination assembly includes one or more illuminators disclosed under a clear or translucent portion of the housing of the mobile telephone.

4. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the illumination assembly includes a display disposed under a translucent member.

5. The mobile telephone of claim 4, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display.

6. The mobile telephone of claim 5, wherein the translucent member is touch sensitive and forms part of a touch-sensitive keypad.

7. The mobile telephone of claim 1, further comprising a position data receiver for determining the location of the mobile telephone.

8. The mobile telephone of claim 1, wherein the illumination assembly is further controlled to generate light in a color having a user specified relationship to an electronic device that is detected to be in relative proximity to the mobile telephone.

9. A method of controlling a physical attribute of a mobile telephone, comprising:

determining a location of the mobile telephone; and

generating light with an illumination assembly of the mobile telephone in a color having a user specified relationship to the location of the mobile telephone.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating light with the illumination assembly in a color having a user specified relationship to an electronic device that is detected to be in relative proximity to the mobile telephone.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating light with the illumination assembly in a color having a user specified relationship to a time of day.

12. A mobile telephone, comprising:

a radio circuit for establishing a call over a communications network;

a housing that retains the radio circuit; and

an illumination assembly retained by the housing and that is controlled to generate light in a color having a user specified relationship to an electronic device that is detected to be in relative proximity to the mobile telephone.

13. The mobile telephone of claim 12, wherein the color is based on an identity of a user associated with the electronic device.

14. The mobile telephone of claim 12, wherein the color is based on a number of electronic devices detected to be in relative proximity to the mobile telephone.

15. The mobile telephone of claim 12, wherein the illumination assembly includes one or more illuminators disposed under a clear or translucent casing that at least partially covers the housing of the mobile telephone.

16. The mobile telephone of claim 12, wherein the illumination assembly includes one or more illuminators disclosed under a clear or translucent portion of the housing of the mobile telephone.

17. A method of controlling a physical attribute of a mobile telephone, comprising:

detecting presence of an electronic device having a known identity; and

generating light with an illumination assembly of the mobile telephone in a color having a user specified relationship to the detected electronic device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the color is based on an identity of a user associated with the electronic device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the color is based on a number of known electronic devices detected to be in relative proximity to the mobile telephone.