One-handed control for wireless telephone

• US 6,292,674 B1
• Filed: 08/05/1998
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Davis, Gerald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US09/135,315
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90, 455/575, 455/569, 455/550, 379/433, 379/430, 379/428, 236/51, 89/11.1
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0281 for providing single handed use or left/right hand conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

A control apparatus for a hand-held wireless telephone having a housing and operating in a first operational state of a plurality of sequential operational states. The control apparatus changes the operational state of the wireless telephone from the first operational state to a second operational state. The control apparatus itself comprises a detector that produces a signal responsive to a user grasping the housing of the wireless telephone and a controller responsive to receiving the signal produced by the detector and configured to select another operational state following the first operational state in a predetermined sequence of operational states.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a hand-held wireless telephone having a housing with a motion sensor and operating in a first operational state comprising one of a plurality of sequential operational states, said control apparatus changing said operational state of said wireless telephone from said first operational state to a second operational state, said control apparatus comprising:

a timer;

a detector that produces a signal responsive to moving of said housing by a user, said detector further generating said signal when said housing is stationary for a predetermined time after movement;

an OR gate receiving input from a microphone, a speaker, and the motion sensor, the detector being connected to said OR gate such that the detector does not send the signal when there is input from said microphone, speaker or said motion detector; and

a controller responsive to receiving the signal produced by said detector and configured to select a next sequential operational state of said first operational state as the second operational state.

2. The control apparatus of claim 1 wherein said detector comprises a light-sensitive element that generates the signal responsive to the user'"'"'s hand cutting off light to the element.

3. A control apparatus for a hand-held wireless telephone having a housing, a microphone and a speaker and operating in an active state and a second state, comprising:

a detector that produces a first signal responsive to a user holding the housing of the wireless telephone;

an OR gate receiving input from said detector and at least one of said microphone and speaker and outputting a second signal when any signal is input to said OR gate; and

a controller maintaining the telephone in said active state responsive to receiving said second signal output by said OR gate and changing from said active state responsive to not receiving said second signal from said OR gate.

4. The control apparatus of claim 3, wherein said OR gate outputs no signal when no input is received and said controller responds to receiving no output from said OR gate by placing said telephone in said second state.

5. The control apparatus of claim 4, wherein said second state is a standby state.

6. The control apparatus of claim 3, wherein said OR gate receives input from both said microphone and said speaker.

7. The control apparatus of claim 3, wherein said detector comprises a motion sensor, and said detector produces said first signal responsive to motion of the housing.

8. The control apparatus of claim 7, wherein said detector further comprises a timer, and said detector produces said first signal for a selected period of time measured by said timer after said motion sensor ceases to sense motion of said telephone.

9. The control apparatus of claim 3, wherein said detector comprises a grasp-sensitive switch.

10. The control apparatus of claim 9 wherein said detector comprises a thermal sensor embedded in said housing that generates the signal responsive to a rise in temperature around said housing.

11. The control apparatus of claim 9 wherein said housing has at least one flexible side, and wherein said detector comprises a pressure sensitive switch under said flexible side that generates said signal when the user squeezes said flexible side and said flexible side contacts said switch.

12. The control apparatus of claim 9 wherein said housing has first and second spaced locations, and wherein said detector comprises a first pressure sensitive switch under the first spaced location and a second pressure sensitive switch under the second spaced location, said detector generating said signal when the user squeezes either of said first and said second spaced locations and either of said spaced locations switches one of said first and said second switches.

13. The control apparatus of claim 9 wherein said telephone has sequential operational states and

and said housing has first and second spaced locations;

said detector comprises a first pressure sensitive switch under the first spaced location and a second pressure sensitive switch under the second flexible spaced location, said detector generating a first signal when the user squeezes the first said spaced location and the first spaced location switches the first switch, and generates a second signal when the user squeezes the second spaced location and the second spaced location switches the second switch; and

the controller is configured to select a next sequential operational state responsive to receiving the first signal, and selects a further sequential operational state responsive to receiving the second signal.

14. The control apparatus of claim 13 wherein, when said wireless telephone is operating in a function state, said controller is configured to change said function state to a standby state responsive to said grasp-sensitive switch.

15. The control apparatus of claim 14 wherein, when said wireless telephone is operating in a function state, said controller is configured to change to a positive state responsive to the first signal and a negative state responsive to the second signal.

16. The control apparatus of claim 9 wherein said detector comprises a capacitance sensor enclosed in said housing that generates the signal responsive to the user'"'"'s grasp completing a circuit through said capacitance sensor.

17. The control apparatus of claim 9 wherein, when said wireless telephone is operating in an alerting state, said controller is configured to change said alerting state to a send state responsive to said grasp-sensitive switch.

18. The control apparatus of claim 9 wherein, when said wireless telephone is operating in a send state, said controller is configured to change said send state to a standby state responsive to said grasp-sensitive switch.

19. The control apparatus of claim 9 wherein, when said wireless telephone is operating in a standby state, said controller is configured to change said standby state to a redialing state responsive to said grasp-sensitive switch.

20. The control apparatus of claim 9 wherein, when said wireless telephone is operating in an alerting state, said controller is configured to change said operational state to a send state responsive to said grasp-sensitive switch.