MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE WITH DIRECTION INDICATOR

• US 20090227268A1
• Filed: 03/07/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: SORENSSON, Stefan, WEZOWSKI, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/047 Displays or indicators G01S1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

A mobile communication device includes a processor to identify a direction related to the geo-positioning signals; a display including a pre-defined shape to indicate the direction related to the geo-positioning signals, where the pre-defined shape is exhibited when an optical property of the pre-defined shape is altered; and a power source to supply voltage to the pre-defined shape, where the optical property of the pre-defined shape is altered by a burst of voltage.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a receiver to receive geo-positioning signals;

a processor to identify a direction related to the geo-positioning signals;

a display including a pre-defined shape to indicate the direction related to the geo-positioning signals, where the pre-defined shape is exhibited when an optical property of the pre-defined shape is altered; and

a power source to supply voltage to the pre-defined shape, where the optical property of the pre-defined shape is altered by a burst of voltage.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, where the optical property of the pre-defined shape remains substantially stable after the burst of voltage is removed.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 2, where the display is an electrochromic display.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 2, where the mobile communication device comprises a cellular radio telephone and where the optical property of the pre-defined shape remains substantially stable when the cellular radio telephone is in operation.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 1, where a plurality of pre-defined shapes each indicates a unique direction and where power is supplied to one of the pre-defined shapes based on the direction related to the geo-positioning signal.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising a backside cover, where the display is formed on the backside cover.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 6, where the backside cover comprises electrochromic glass.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

logic to automatically switch from displaying the pre-defined shape to displaying another pre-defined shape based on a change in the orientation of the mobile communication device.

9. The mobile communication device of claim 8, where the direction related to the geo-positioning signals is a direction to a target requested by a user.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 9, where the display further comprises at least one identifier for the target that is configured to remain exhibited after supplied power is removed from the display.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 9, where the target is another mobile communication device.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 9, further comprising:

a memory, where the target is a geographic location, and where the geographic coordinates for the target are stored in the memory.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 1, where the geo-positioning signals are Global Positioning System (GPS) signals.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 1, where the optical property is altered from a transparent state to a reflective state.

15. A method performed by a mobile device comprising:

receiving a request for a direction to a target;

determining a geo-spatial position of the mobile device;

determining a geo-spatial position of the target; and

indicating on the mobile device an approximate direction from the mobile device to the target, where the indicating comprises displaying a direction indicator on the mobile device that remains exhibited when no power is supplied.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring at least one of an orientation or the geo-spatial position of the mobile device; and

changing the direction indicator when the orientation or the geo-spatial position of the mobile device changes to an extent that the direction indicator no longer indicates the approximate direction to the target.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring the geo-spatial position of the target; and

updating the display of the direction indicator when the geo-spatial position of the target changes to an extent that the direction indicator no longer indicates the approximate direction to the target.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

indicating on the mobile device an identifier for the target, where the identifier remains exhibited when no power is supplied.

19. The method of claim 15, where indicating on the mobile device an approximate direction further comprises:

supplying a voltage burst to at least a portion of an electrochromic display.

20. A mobile device, comprising:

means for receiving a request for direction to a target;

means for determining a geo-spatial position of the mobile device;

means for determining a geo-spatial position of the target;

means for displaying an indicator on the mobile device, where the indicator provides an approximate direction from the mobile device to the target; and

means for providing power to alter the display of the indicator on the mobile device, where the indicator remains altered after power is no longer provided.

21. The device of claim 20, further comprising:

means for monitoring an orientation of the mobile device; and

means for monitoring the geo-spatial position of the target, where the display of the indicator is altered based on a change to the orientation of the mobile device and/or a change to the geo-spatial position of the target.

22. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a housing;

a power supply contained within the housing;

a rear cover secured to the housing and operatively connected to the power supply, the rear cover comprising a display including an indicator that toggles between a substantially transparent state and a substantially reflective state, where the display consumes power only when the state of the indicator is changed.

23. The mobile communication device of claim 22, further comprising:

a location identification device to transmit and receive geo-spatial position information; and

logic to alter the state of the indicator based on the geo-spatial position information.

24. A housing for a mobile communication device, comprising:

an indicator that changes a light transmission property in response to a first burst of applied power and substantially maintains the light transmission property until receiving a second burst of applied power.

25. The housing of claim 24, where the housing includes a plurality of indicators and where the light transmission properties of each of the indicators are selectively changed to identify a particular direction.