Radio communication apparatus capable of preventing unintentional display operation

• US 5,365,226 A
• Filed: 10/15/1993
• Issued: 11/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Morishima, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HILL, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US08/137,688
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.44, 340/825.45, 340/825.46, 340/825.47, 340/825.48, 340/825.65, 340/311.1, 455/38.2, 455/38.3, 455/38.4, 200/43.01
• US Class Current: 340/7.55
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/225 Display details

Abstract

In a radio communication apparatus having an individual call number for use in receiving a call signal and a message signal representing a message and following the call signal, the apparatus being capable of operating in one of a standby mode wherein the apparatus is waiting to receive a call signal that is coincident with the individual call number and a message received mode wherein the apparatus has received a call signal that is coincident with the individual call number, a push button switch (11 or 12) is provided for setting an operation mode of a display unit (24), and a control unit (32) is provided to control the display unit to make the display unit carry out a display operation of the received message. A slide switch (31) is provided to set an inhibition mode of operation, in which the slide switch is positioned at a predetermined position (P3), whereby operation of the push button switch is inhibited from controlling the display unit to carry out a display operation when the apparatus is in the standby mode of operation, and therefore prevent unintentional operation of the display unit caused by undesired activation of the push button switch and consequently conserve battery power. Further, the control unit cancels the inhibition operation mode in response to receiving a call signal having said individual call number, whereby standby operation mode is necessarily changed to the message received.

Claims

1. A radio communication apparatus having an individual call number and being capable of operating in one of a standby mode wherein the apparatus is waiting to receive a call signal that is coincident with the individual call number and a message received mode wherein the apparatus has received a call signal that is coincident with the individual call number, the apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving a call signal as a received call signal, and a message signal representing a message;

judging means connected to said receiving means for judging whether or not said received call signal is coincident with said individual call number, said judging means producing said message signal when said received call signal is coincident with said individual call number;

display means connected to said judging means for displaying said message;

display mode setting means operatively connected to said judging means for setting a display mode of said display means, wherein said display means is operable to display said message;

prevention means for preventing an unintentional display operation of said display means while said radio communication apparatus is in the standby mode, said prevention means including inhibition means having an active state and an inactive state and operatively connected to said display mode setting means for inhibiting said display mode setting means from setting said display mode while said inhibition means is in said active state and while said radio communication apparatus is in the standby mode;

slide switch means connected to said inhibition means for putting said inhibition means into said active state while said slide switch means is positioned at a predetermined position and for putting said inhibition means into said inactive state while said slide switch means is positioned at a preselected position that is different from said predetermined position;

detecting means connected to said slide switch means for detecting whether said slide switch means is positioned at said predetermined position;

accepting means connected to said detecting means for permitting said display mode setting means to set said display mode while said slide switch means is positioned at said preselected position; and

cancel means operatively connected to said judging means, said inhibition means, and said detecting means for cancelling an inhibition operation of said inhibition means in response to said judging means judging a coincidence between said received call signal and said individual call number.

2. A radio communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said apparatus further comprises:

push switch means connected to said display mode setting means for putting said mode setting means into operation.