Portable telephone

• US 6,424,844 B1
• Filed: 11/18/1999
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lundqvist, Håkan
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, DORIS HA
• Application Number:
  US09/442,459
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575, 455/90, 455/566, 455/128, 455/351, 455/572, 455/550, 455/127, 379/428.01, 379/428.03, 379/433.04, 345/169, 345/173, 345/174
• US Class Current: 455/566
• 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 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable telephone, which can be switched on/off by using the touch screen (20) of the portable telephone (10)

Claims

1. A method for controlling connection of a power supply in a portable telephone having a touch screen display for powering-on the telephone, said touch screen controlled by a touch screen controller and being divided into at least a power-on section and a second section, and user-operable input means which can order a voltage controlled switch connected to said touch screen display to turn on the power of the portable telephone, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing if the touch screen display has been depressed by a user of the portable telephone, and if It has been depressed, enabling a voltage controlled switch by a signal originating from the touch screen display in order to turn on the power of the portable telephone, including powering up the touch screen controller that is otherwise powered down; and

detecting at least one touch position on the touch screen in which the outer plate is pressed against the inner plate, and if the touch position corresponds to the power-on area of the touch screen, maintaining the power to the telephone, and if not, turning the telephone off.

2. A portable telephone comprising:

an input means;

at least one power supply;

at least one touch screen display, said touch screen controlled by a touch screen controller and being divided into at least a power-on section and a second section and having at least one inner conducting plate and at least one outer conducting plate that are substantially transparent and movable in relation to one another between a first position in which the plates are spaced apart and a second position in which the plates are contacted to one another by the outer plate being pressed against the inner plate using the input means;

a voltage controlled switch coupled to the conducting plates and adapted to turn on the power of the portable telephone, including powering up the touch screen controller that is otherwise powered down, upon receipt of a signal indicating the outer plate being pressed against the inner plate from the input means; and

the touch screen controller adapted to detect at least one touch position on the touch screen in which the outer plate is pressed against the inner plate and keep the power on only if the touch position corresponds to a power-on area of the touch screen.

3. The portable telephone of claim 2, wherein the input means is at least one of a keypad having a plurality of keys and a direct activation means of providing pressure against the touch screen display.

4. The portable telephone according to claim 3, wherein the keypad is provided on a movable housing element coupled to the portable telephone, such as a flip.

5. The portable telephone according to claim 3, wherein the touch screen display further comprises a user data area divided into multiple sub-areas corresponding to the keys of the keypad.

6. The portable telephone of claim 2, wherein the power supply is a battery.

7. The portable telephone according to claim 2, wherein the voltage controlled switch comprise a control means adapted to enable a voltage controlled regulator to connect said power supply to said portable telephone.

8. The portable telephone according to claim 2, wherein when said plates are in said second position, both plates will obtain a same potential for transferring signals to the voltage controlled switch adapted to connect the power supply to the portable telephone.

9. The portable telephone according to claim 8, wherein said potential is low by means of both plates being connected to a ground potential.

10. The portable telephone according to claim 2, wherein when the plates are in the first position, an outer plate potential is high and an inner plate potential is low for transferring signals to the voltage controlled switch adapted to disconnect the power supply from the portable telephone.

11. The portable telephone according to claim 10, wherein said inner plate low potential is obtained by connecting the inner plate to a ground potential, and the outer plate high potential is obtained by using a pull up resistor connecting the outer plate to a voltage source.

12. The portable telephone according to claim 2, wherein the portable telephone is a mobile telephone.