Portable communication terminal

• US 6,127,933 A
• Filed: 10/21/1998
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1997
• 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: Yoshida, Mamoru, Ohmura, Hiroshi, Otsuki, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US09/176,512
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 340/636, 340/635, 455/566, 455/575, 455/90, 379/428, 379/433
• US Class Current: 340/636.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/048 Arrangements providing optical indication of the incoming call, e.g. flasher circuits

Abstract

Warning indication means of a warning LED lamp 22, etc., is disposed in the vicinity of a transmitter section 1 within a filed of view 13 of the user during conversation and if the battery remaining quantity falls below a specified value or antenna sensitivity is degraded, interfering with conversation, the warning indication means is blinked for warning the user without interfering with conversation during the conversation. The user becomes aware of the blinking warning indication means and recognizes a warning issued by a portable communication terminal 24. Based on the recognition, the user can also know more detailed warning contents by seeing an LCD section during the conversation.

Claims

1. A portable communication terminal comprising:

a portable communication terminal main body including a transmitter section and a receiver section;

warning indication means placed at a position within a field of view of a user during usage of the portable communication terminal in a conversation, said warning indication means being in the vicinity of said transmitter section and is used to provide warnings for both low battery status and antenna sensitivity degradation;

wherein, if it is sensed during conversation that a battery remaining capacity falls below a specified value or an antenna sensitivity degradation interferes with conversation, an indication state of said warning indication means is changed to warn the user thereof, said warning indication means including an LED and the indication state of said warning indication means being changed by blinking said LED.

2. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein during a standby mode, the indication state is intermittently changed at given time intervals to indicate change in the battery remaining capacity or antenna sensitivity.

3. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein at incoming call time, an indication pattern of said warning indication means is changed to indicate the battery remaining capacity or antenna level.

4. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein a multi-color indicating device is used for said warning indication means.

5. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of said warning indication means are provided and are operable to emit light in different light emission colors and

an indication pattern of said warning indication means is changed by an internal microprocessor, so that different warnings are indicated.

6. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 5, wherein during a standby mode, the indication state is intermittently changed at given time intervals to indicate change in the battery remaining capacity or antenna sensitivity.

7. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 5, wherein a plurality of said warning indication means are provided, and a circuit element on which at least two warning indication means are mounted is used.

8. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 5, wherein the number and colors of the warning indication means are formed so as to correspond to those of traffic signal lights.

9. A portable communication terminal comprising:

a portable communication terminal main body including a transmitter section and a receiver section;

a warning indication means window placed at a position within a field of view of a user during usage of the portable communication terminal in a conversation, said warning indication means window being in the vicinity of said transmitter section, said warning indication means window and an incoming call indication means window being formed of a single light conduction member;

wherein a warning is indicated in such a manner that an indication state of said warning indication means window is changed at the same time as an indication state of the incoming call indication means window.

10. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein during a standby mode, the indication state is intermittently changed at given time intervals to indicate change in the battery remaining capacity or antenna sensitivity.

11. A portable communication terminal comprising:

a portable communication terminal main body including a receiver section;

a lid-like protective cover, said protective cover having an end that is rotationally secured to said terminal main body and comprising a transmitter section, said protective cover being movable between a closed position and an open position;

indication means which is used as both an incoming call lamp and a warning lamp, said indication means being disposed on said lid-like protective cover in the vicinity of said transmitter section.

12. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 11, wherein said indication means is used as the incoming call lamp when the lid-like protective cover is in said closed position and is used as the warning lamp for warning a user of a battery remaining capacity or change in antenna sensitivity during conversation when the lid-like protective cover is in said open position wherein said indication means is within a field of view of the user.

13. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 12, wherein a warning is indicated by changing an indication state of said indication means by an internal microprocessor.

14. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 11, wherein a multi-color indicating device is used for said indication means.

15. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 14, wherein the number and colors of the warning indication means are formed so as to correspond to those of traffic signal lights.

16. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 11, wherein a plurality of indication means are provided.

17. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 16, wherein said indication means is used as the incoming call lamp when the lid-like protective cover is in said closed position and is used as the warning lamp for warning a user of a battery remaining capacity or change in antenna sensitivity during conversation when the lid-like protective cover is in said open position wherein said indication means is within a field of view of the user.

18. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 17, wherein different warnings are indicated by changing an indication pattern by an internal microprocessor.

19. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 16, wherein a circuit element on which at least two warning indication means are mounted is used.

20. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 16, wherein the number and colors of the warning lamps are formed so as to correspond to those of traffic signal lights.

21. A portable communication terminal comprising:

a portable communication terminal main body including a receiver section;

a plurality of indication windows placed at a position within a field of view of a user during usage of the portable communication terminal in a conversation, said plurality of indication windows being in the vicinity of said transmitter section;

wherein an information of a calling person is indicated by changing an indication pattern of said indication windows during conversation.

22. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 21, wherein the number and colors of said indication windows are formed so as to correspond to those of traffic signal lights.

23. A portable communication terminal comprising:

a portable communication terminal main body including a receiver section;

a plurality of indication windows placed at a position within a field of view of a user during usage of the portable communication terminal in a conversation, said plurality of indication windows being in the vicinity of said transmitter section;

wherein an information of conversation time is indicated by changing an indication pattern of said indication windows during conversation.

24. The portable communication terminal as claimed in claim 23, wherein the number and colors of said indication windows are formed so as to correspond to those of traffic signal lights.