Portable telephone with liquid crystal display

• US 6,426,736 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1999
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ishihara, Junji
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US09/471,271
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102, 345/169, 345/156, 345/168, 345/172, 345/173, 345/170, 455/566, 455/575, 341/22, 341/23, 341/34
• US Class Current: 345/102
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A portable telephone having a liquid crystal display with a backlight includes a touch sensor arranged on a side surface of a main body, and an operation unit arranged on a front surface of the main body which has the liquid crystal display to input a telephone number or the like. The portable telephone has two modes, i.e., a touch mode for the touch sensor in lighting the backlight and a key operation mode by the operation unit in lighting the backlight. The backlight is lit in accordance with one of the two modes which is previously selected by a user.

Claims

1. A portable telephone having a liquid crystal display with a backlight, comprising a touch sensor arranged on a side surface of a main body, and an operation unit arranged on a front surface of the main body which has said liquid crystal display to input a telephone number, wherein said portable telephone has two modes, a touch mode for said touch sensor in lighting said backlight and a key operation mode by said operation unit in lighting said backlight, and said backlight is lit in accordance with one of the two modes which is selected by a user.

2. A telephone according to claim 1, wherein the touch mode by said touch sensor is a mode for activating a sensor detector for detecting a sensor signal from said touch sensor to detect contact to said touch sensor, the key operation mode by said operation unit is a mode for detecting a key input (key-in) on said operation unit, and said telephone further comprises means for setting a backlight lighting flag ON or OFF in setting each of the two modes.

3. A telephone according to claim 1, wherein each of the two modes is previously set in accordance with a key input on said operation unit.

4. A telephone according to claim 2, wherein each of the two modes is set by a speech input.

5. A telephone according to claim 1, wherein when no key input is entered on said operation unit a predetermined period of time after said backlight is lit in the touch mode, said backlight is turned off.

6. A portable telephone having a liquid crystal display with a backlight, comprising a touch sensor arranged on a side surface of a main body, a photosensor for detecting an ambient lightness, an operation detector for detecting an operation of an operation unit for inputting a telephone number, and a sound sensor for detecting a speech input, wherein said telephone has two modes, a first mode of lighting said backlight upon detecting signals from said touch sensor, photosensor, and sound sensor, and a second mode of lighting said backlight upon detecting signals from said operation detector, photosensor, and sound sensor, and said backlight is lit in accordance with one of the two modes which is selected by a user.

7. A telephone according to claim 6, further comprising means for setting a backlight lighting flag ON or OFF in setting the two modes.

8. A telephone according to claim 7, wherein each of the two modes is previously set in accordance with a key input on said operation unit.

9. A telephone according to claim 7, wherein each of the two modes is set by a speech input.

10. A portable telephone having an illumination light with a reflection liquid crystal display, comprising a touch sensor arranged on a side surface of a main body, a photosensor for detecting an ambient lightness, an operation detector for detecting an operation of an operation unit for inputting a telephone number, and a sound sensor for detecting a speech input, wherein said telephone has two modes, a first mode of lighting said illumination light upon detecting signals from said touch sensor, photosensor, and sound sensor, and a second mode of lighting said illumination light upon detecting signals from said operation detector, photosensor, and sound sensor, and said illumination light is lit in accordance with one of the two modes which is selected by a user.

11. A telephone according to claim 10, further comprising means for setting an illumination light lighting flag ON or OFF in setting the two modes.

12. A telephone according to claim 11, wherein each of the two modes is previously set in accordance with a key input on said operation unit.

13. A telephone according to claim 11, wherein each of the two modes is set by a speech input.

14. A portable telephone comprising:

a display coupled to said portable telephone;

an operation unit coupled to said telephone, said operation unit adapted to input a telephone number;

a light connected to illuminate at least one of said display and said operation unit; and

a touch sensor arranged on a side surface of said telephone,

wherein said light is controlled according to one of two modes designated by a user independently from other function settings of said telephone, said two modes comprising a touch mode in which said light is lit in response to a signal from at least one of said touch sensor and a sound sensor coupled to said telephone, said sound sensor connected to detect speech input from a user, and an operation mode in which said light is lit in response to a signal from at least one of said operation unit and said sound sensor.

15. A portable telephone according to claim 14, wherein said light is comprised of at least one of a backlight and an illumination light, said illumination light being used in conjunction with a reflection liquid crystal display.

16. A portable telephone according to claim 14, wherein said light is further controlled by at least one of a sound sensor and a photosensor.

17. A method of controlling a light on a portable telephone, said method comprising:

receiving user input designating one of two modes for controlling a light connected to illuminate at least one of a display coupled to said telephone and an operation unit coupled to said telephone, said operation unit adapted to input a telephone number,

said two modes comprised of a touch mode in which said light is lit in response to a signal from at least one of a touch sensor arranged on a side surface of said telephone and a sound sensor coupled to said telephone, said sound sensor connected to detect speech input from a user, and an operation mode in which said light is lit in response to a signal from at least one of said operation unit and said sound sensor.

18. A portable telephone comprising:

display means for displaying information coupled to said portable telephone;

operation means for inputting a telephone number, said operation means being coupled to said telephone;

lighting means for illuminating at least one of said display means and said operation means; and

touch sensor means for sensing a user'"'"'s touch, said touch sensor being arranged on a side surface of said telephone,

wherein said lighting means are controlled according to one of two modes set by a user, a touch mode in which said lighting means is lit in response to a signal from at least one of said touch sensor means and a sound sensor means coupled to said telephone, said sound sensor means connected to detect speech input from a user, and an operation mode in which said lighting means is lit in response to a signal from at least one of said operation means and said sound sensor means.