Portable wireless telephone apparatus with use specific power monitoring

• US 5,497,507 A
• Filed: 10/20/1994
• Issued: 03/05/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Komaki, Norio
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Application Number:
  US08/327,791
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 455/89, 455/127, 455/343, 379/59, 379/61
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In a portable wireless telephone capable of providing a cellular mode which allows users to place or receive telephone calls through a cellular telephone network and a cordless mode which allows the users to place or receive telephone calls through an associated base unit of a cordless telephone, a battery condition is monitored to check whether or not the battery energy is so lowered that the cellular mode becomes inoperative. An LCD unit displays a warning if the battery energy is lowered down to such a low level. However, a micro computer equipped in this portable wireless telephone allows the users to use this portable wireless telephone as a cordless telephone, as long-as the remaining battery energy is sufficient enough to do so. Accordingly, this portable wireless telephone can be still activated in the cordless mode even if it cannot be no longer used as a cellular telephone.

Claims

1. A portable wireless telephone comprising:

an antenna;

a cellular transmit/receive means connected to said antenna for transmitting data to or receiving data from a cellular base station;

a cordless transmit/receive means connected to said antenna for transmitting data to or receiving data from a base unit of a cordless telephone;

a mode selecting means for selecting an operation mode of the portable wireless telephone between a cellular mode and a cordless mode;

a battery;

a battery condition detecting means connected to said battery for generating a detecting signal if battery condition is not sufficient enough to operate the portable wireless telephone in the cellular mode;

a display means;

a control means; and

said control means controlling said display means to generate a warning, which indicates that the cellular mode is no longer operative, whenever said battery condition detecting means generates the detecting signal when the portable wireless telephone is operated in the cellular mode, and for further controlling said mode selecting means to prevent selection of the cellular mode while permitting selection of the cordless mode as long as said battery condition is sufficient enough to operate the portable wireless telephone in the cordless mode.

2. A portable wireless telephone comprising:

an antenna;

a cellular transmit/receive means connected to said antenna for transmitting data to or receiving data from a cellular base station;

a cordless transmit/receive means connected to said antenna for transmitting data to or receiving data from a base unit of a cordless telephone;

a mode selecting means for selecting an operation mode of the portable wireless telephone between a cellular mode and a cordless mode;

a battery;

a first charge condition detecting means connected to said battery for generating a first charge signal if a battery charging condition is not sufficient enough to operate the portable wireless telephone in the cellular mode;

a second charge condition detecting means connected to said battery for generating a second charge signal if the battery charging condition is not sufficient enough to operate the portable wireless telephone in the cordless mode;

a display means; and

a control means, wherein said control means controls said display means to generate a first warning, which indicates that only the cellular mode is no longer operative, whenever said first charge condition detecting means generates the first charge signal, and further controls said display means to generate a second warning, which indicates that all the modes are no longer operative, whenever said second charge condition detecting means generates the second charge signal.

3. A portable wireless telephone in accordance with claim 2, wherein said control means further controls said mode selecting means not to select the cellular mode in response to a detection of said first charge signal.

4. A portable wireless telephone in accordance with claim 2, wherein said control means further controls said mode selecting means not to select both the cellular mode and the cordless mode in response to a detection of said second charge signal.

5. A portable wireless telephone comprising:

an antenna;

a cellular transmit/receive means connected to said antenna for transmitting data to or receiving data from a cellular base station;

a cordless transmit/receive means connected to said antenna for transmitting data to or receiving data from a base unit of a cordless telephone;

a mode selecting means for selecting an operation mode of the portable wireless telephone between a cellular mode and a cordless mode;

a battery;

a micro computer accommodating a counter and memorizing a first charge count required for operating the portable wireless telephone in the cellular mode and a second charge count required for operating the portable wireless telephone in the cordless telephone, so that said first and second charge counts can be used as reference values when checking a remaining energy of the battery; and

a display means,

wherein said micro computer causes said counter to count a value equivalent to electric current charged into or discharged from said battery and compares a present count value of said counter with said first charge count, so that said micro computer controls the display means to generate a warning for not operating the cellular mode if the remaining energy of the battery is not sufficient enough to operate the portable wireless telephone in the cellular mode, and further compares the present count value of said counter with said second charge count, so that said micro computer controls the display means to generate a warning for not operating the cordless mode if the remaining energy of the battery is not sufficient enough to operate the portable wireless telephone in the cordless mode.

6. A portable wireless telephone in accordance with claim 5, wherein said micro computer further controls said mode selecting means not to select the cellular mode when the remaining energy of the battery is lower than the first charge count.

7. A portable wireless telephone in accordance with claim 5, wherein said micro computer further controls said mode selecting means not to select the cordless mode when the remaining energy is lower than the second charge count.

8. A portable wireless telephone in accordance with claim 5, wherein said counter renews its count value periodically by adding a first value in response to charge current supplied to the battery and subtracting a second value in response to discharge current discharged from the battery.

9. A portable wireless telephone in accordance with claim 8, wherein said second value is differentiated in accordance with the operation mode of the portable wireless telephone.