Mobile terminal provided with display controlling function by detecting insertion of earphone jack

• US 6,195,570 B1
• Filed: 09/28/1998
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ishida, Takayasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US09/161,509
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/568, 455/569, 455/550, 455/575, 455/90, 455/403, 455/425, 455/556, 455/557, 455/346, 455/347, 379/420, 379/433, 379/428, 379/430, 379/431
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/275 implemented by means of portable electronic directories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality

Abstract

When a power source is turned on, a menu screen is displayed on LCD. When the insertion of an earphone jack is detected with the menu screen displayed, display on LCD is automatically switched from the menu screen to a dialing screen. A user can have conversation with a desired party by dialing using the displayed dialing screen. If the insertion of an earphone jack is detected while another processing is executed using the menu screen after the power source is turned on, the processing is temporarily interrupted and the dialing screen is displayed on LCD. The temporarily interrupted processing is executed again when a call is finished. Even during a call, another processing can be executed using the menu screen.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

display means for displaying a menu screen;

detection means for detecting the insertion of an earphone jack;

control means for controlling said display means such that said menu screen is switched to a dialing screen for executing a telephone function based upon the output of said detection means; and

calling means for making a call using a telephone function,

wherein said display means displays said dialing screen.

2. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means controls said display means so that said menu screen is switched to said dialing screen if the insertion of said earphone jack is detected.

3. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dialing screen comprises a ten key screen or an address book screen.

4. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

selection means for selecting either said ten key screen or said address book screen.

5. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

operation means for operating to execute a function except said telephone function.

6. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

interruption means for interrupting the execution of the function except said telephone function if the insertion of said earphone jack is detected when the function except said telephone function is executed.

7. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

resumption means for resuming the execution of the function interrupted by said interruption means after a call is finished.

8. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 5, comprising:

judgment means for judging whether an earphone jack is extracted during a call or not.

9. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

call terminating processing means for executing the terminating processing of said call based upon the output of said judgment means.

10. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 8, wherein said control means controls said display means based upon the output of said judgment means.

11. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

judgment means for judging whether a protective cover for protecting said display means is open or not.

12. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

judgment means for judging whether an earphone jack is extracted during a call or not.

13. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

call terminating processing means for executing the terminating processing of said call based upon the output of said judgment means.

14. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 12, wherein said control means controls said display means based upon the output of said judgment means.

15. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 11, wherein said control means controls said display means based upon the output of said detection means and said judgment means.

16. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 15, wherein said display means displays said dialing screen if said protective cover is opened with said earphone jack inserted.

17. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

judgment means for judging whether the mobile terminal exists in a receivable area or not if said earphone jack is inserted with said protective cover closed.

18. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 17, wherein said display means displays a predetermined warning message if it is judged by said judgment means that the mobile terminal does not exist in a receivable area.

19. A mobile terminal, comprising:

display means for displaying a menu screen;

detection means for detecting the insertion of an earphone jack;

control means for switching said menu screen to a dialing screen for executing a telephone function based upon the output of said detection means; and

judgment means for judging whether the mobile terminal exists in a receivable area or not,

wherein said display means displays a predetermined warning message if the insertion of said earphone jack is detected in a state in which it is judged that the mobile terminal does not exist in a receivable area.

20. A mobile terminal, comprising:

display means for displaying a menu screen;

detection means for detecting the insertion of an earphone jack;

control means for switching said menu screen to a dialing screen for executing a telephone function based upon the output of said detection means;

a cell for driving said mobile terminal; and

comparison means for comparing the voltage value of said cell with a predetermined value,

wherein said display means displays a predetermined warning message if the insertion of said earphone jack is detected in a state in which the voltage value of said cell is a predetermined value or smaller.

21. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a liquid crystal display (LCD) for displaying a menu screen;

an earphone jack insertion detecting section for detecting the insertion of an earphone jack; and

a central processing unit (CPU) for controlling said LCD such that said menu screen display on said LCD is switched to a dialing screen for executing a telephone function based upon the output of said detecting section.

22. The mobile terminal as claimed in claim 21, further comprising:

a protective cover opening/closing detecting section for judging whether a protective cover for protecting said LCD is open or not.

23. A method of controlling a display of a mobile terminal, comprising:

turning on a power source;

displaying a menu screen on a display;

detecting the insertion of an earphone jack; and

controlling said display such that said menu screen is switched to a dialing screen for executing a telephone function based upon detection of said insertion.

24. The method of controlling the display of a mobile terminal as claimed in claim 23, further comprising:

judging whether the mobile terminal exists in a receivable area or not;

displaying information showing whether the mobile terminal exists in the receivable area or not; and

displaying a predetermined warning message if an earphone jack is inserted with the mobile terminal existing outside the receivable area.

25. The method of controlling the display of a mobile terminal as claimed in claim 23, further comprising:

comparing the voltage value of an included cell with a predetermined value; and

displaying a predetermined warning message if the voltage value of said cell is said predetermined value or smaller.

26. The method of controlling the display of a mobile as claimed in claim 23, further comprising:

dialing; and

having conversation.

27. The method of controlling the display of a mobile terminal as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

operating to execute another function different from said telephone function;

executing the function based upon said operation; and

interrupting the execution of said function if said earphone jack is inserted while the function based upon said operation is executed.

28. The method of controlling the display of a mobile terminal as claimed in claim 27, further comprising:

resuming the execution of said function interrupted when said call is finished.

29. The method of controlling the display of a mobile terminal as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

detecting the extraction of said earphone jack; and

terminating said call based upon detection of said extraction of said earphone jack.

30. The method of controlling the display of a mobile as claimed in claim 23, further comprising:

judging whether a protective cover is open or not; and

displaying a dialing screen when said protective cover is opened if said earphone jack is inserted with said protective cover closed.

31. The method of controlling the display of a mobile terminal as claimed in claim 30, further comprising:

judging whether the mobile terminal exists in a receivable area or not; and

displaying a predetermined warning message when said protective cover is opened while the mobile terminal does not exist in a receivable area.

32. The method of controlling the display of a mobile terminal as claimed in claim 23, further comprising:

detecting the extraction of said earphone jack; and

switching said dialing screen to said menu screen based upon detection of said extraction of said earphone jack.