Absence reception information device and absence reception information method for folding portable cellular phone

• US 6,438,392 B1
• Filed: 04/16/1999
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Toba, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ GUTIERREZ, RAFAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/293,059
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/566, 455/550, 455/575, 455/90, 455/351, 455/445, 455/458, 379/428, 379/433, 379/428.01, 379/433.04, 379/433.06, 379/433.11, 379/433.13, 379/433.01
• US Class Current: 455/567
• 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 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• 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

An absence reception information device for informing the user of a folding portable cellular phone about occurrence of a call during the user'"'"'s absence is proposed. A folding portable cellular phone generally has a body, a cover section which is rotatably attached to the body, and an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) for displaying necessary information. The LCD is usually provided on the inner side of the body or the cover section and can not be seen by the user when the cover section is closed. The absence reception information device comprises an LED (Light-Emitting Diode) which is placed on the folding portable cellular phone so as to be seen by the user when the cover section is closed, and an open/close detection circuit. The open/close detection circuit detects whether the cover section is opened or closed. The LED executes absence reception information display for informing the user about occurrence of a call during the user'"'"'s absence, when the open/close detection circuit is detecting that the cover section is closed. The user can easily see the LED and check whether or not a call from a calling party occurred during the user'"'"'s absence, even if the cover section is closed, that is, even if the folding portable cellular phone is folded up.

Claims

1. An absence reception information method for a folding portable cellular phone which has a body, a cover section which is rotatably attached to the body, and an interior LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) which is placed inside the folding portable cellular phone when the cover section is closed, comprising the steps of:

a cover section open/close detection step in which a cover section open/close detection means of the folding portable cellular phone detects whether the cover section is opened or closed;

a user absence judgment step in which a user absence judgment means of the folding portable cellular phone judges that the user is absent when a call occurred if a predetermined period elapsed since reception of a call signal without a response by the user and without the cellular phone going off-hook; and

an absence reception display step in which an unanswered call display, which is placed on the folding portable cellular phone so as to be visible when the cover section is closed, executes absence reception information display for informing the user about occurrence of a call during the user'"'"'s absence if the user absence judgment means judged in the user absence judgment step that the user was absent, the unanswered call display being activated to indicate the unanswered call only if the cover section open/close detection means detects that the cover is closed, and the interior LCD being activated to indicate the unanswered call only if the cover section open/close detection means detects that the cover is open.

2. An absence reception information method for a folding portable cellular phone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unanswered call display comprises an LED (Light-Emitting Diode).

16. An absence reception information device for a folding portable cellular phone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unanswered call display comprises an LED (Light-Emitting Diode).

3. An absence reception information method for a folding portable cellular phone which has a body, a cover section which is rotatably attached to the body, and an interior LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) which is placed inside the folding portable cellular phone when the cover section is closed, comprising the steps of:

a cover section open/close detection step in which a cover section open/close detection means of the folding portable cellular phone detects whether the cover section is opened or closed; and

an absence reception display step in which an unanswered call display, which is placed on the folding portable cellular phone so as to be visible when the cover section is closed, executes absence reception information display for informing the user about occurrence of a call during the user'"'"'s absence, the unanswered call display being activated to indicate the unanswered call only if the cover section open/close detection means detects that the cover is closed, and the interior LCD being activated to indicate the unanswered call only if the cover section open/close detection means detects that the cover is open;

wherein in the absence reception display step, the unanswered call during the user'"'"'s absence identified as a received call that terminates without the cellular phone going off hook.

4. An absence reception information method for a folding portable cellular phone as claimed in claim 3, wherein the unanswered call display comprises an LED (Light-Emitting Diode).

5. An absence reception information device for a folding portable cellular phone which has a body, a cover section which is rotatably attached to the body, and an interior LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) which is placed inside the folding portable cellular phone when the cover section is closed, comprising:

a cover section open/close detection means for detecting whether the cover section is opened or closed;

a user absence judgment means which determines that the user is absent when a call occurred if a predetermined period elapsed since reception of a call signal without a response by the user and the cellular phone has not gone off hook; and

an unanswered call display disposed on the folding portable cellular phone so as to be visible when the cover section is closed,

wherein when the user absence judgment means has determined that the user is absent, the unanswered call display is activated to indicate the unanswered call only if the cover section open/close detection means detects that the cover is closed, and the interior LCD is activated to indicate the unanswered call only if the cover section open/close detection means detects that the cover is open.

6. An absence reception information device for a folding portable cellular phone as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a switching off means for switching the unanswered call display off when the cover section open/close detection means detects that the cover section is opened.

7. An absence reception information device for a folding portable cellular phone as claimed in claim 5, wherein the unanswered call display comprises an LED (Light-Emitting Diode).

8. An absence reception information device for a folding portable cellular phone which has a body, a cover section which is rotatably attached to the body, and an interior LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) which is placed inside the folding portable cellular phone when the cover section is closed, comprising:

a cover section open/close detection means for detecting whether the cover section is opened or closed; and

an unanswered call display arranged on the folding portable cellular phone so as to be visible when the cover section is closed;

wherein when the absence reception information device has determined that an incoming call has not been answered, the unanswered call display is activated to indicate the unanswered call only if the cover section open/close detection means detects that the cover is closed, and the interior LCD is activated to indicate the unanswered call only if the cover section open/close detection means detects that the cover is open; and

wherein the absence reception information device determines that the incoming call has not been answered when the call terminates without the cellular phone going off-hook.

9. The absence reception information device of claim 8, wherein the absence reception information device determines that the incoming call has not been answered by identifying that at least a predetermined time period has elapsed from a time that the incoming call was first received and the incoming call has not been answered.

10. An absence reception information device for a folding portable cellular phone as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a switching off means for switching the unanswered call display off when the cover section open/close detection means detects that the cover section is opened.

11. The absence reception information device of claim 8 wherein the absence reception information device determines that the incoming call has not been answered by identifying that the incoming call was terminated by a caller prior to being answered.

12. The absence reception information device of claim 8, wherein the absence reception information device continues to activate one of the unanswered call display and the interior LCD until an unanswered call condition is cleared.

13. The absence reception information device of claim 12, wherein the absence reception information device determines that the incoming call has not been answered by identifying that at least a predetermined time period has elapsed from a time that the incoming call was first received and the incoming call has not been answered.

14. The absence reception information device of claim 12, wherein the absence reception information device determines that the incoming call ha s not been answered by identifying that the incoming call was terminated by a caller prior to being answered.

15. The absence reception information device of claim 12, wherein the unanswered call condition is cleared by actuation of a clear button on the cellular phone.

17. A cellular phone comprising:

a folding body capable of open and closed positions;

an interior display device which is visible only when the body is in the open position; and

an exterior display device which is visible when the body is in the closed position;

wherein when an incoming call is unanswered, the exterior display is driven to indicate the unanswered call only while the folding body is in the closed position, the interior display being driven to indicate the unanswered call only when the folding body is in the open position; and

wherein the call is unanswered when the call terminates without the cellular phone going off-hook.

18. The cellular phone of claim 17, wherein an incoming call is determined to be unanswered when a predetermined time has passed from first receipt of the incoming call without the incoming call being answered.

19. The cellular phone of claim 17, wherein an incoming call is determined to be unanswered when the incoming call is terminated by a caller prior to being answered on the cellular phone.

20. The cellular phone of claim 17, wherein one of the interior and exterior displays continues to indicate the unanswered call until a clear button is actuated.

21. The cellular phone of claim 20, wherein an incoming call is determined to be unanswered when a predetermined time has passed from first receipt of the incoming call without the incoming call being answered.

22. The cellular phone of claim 20, wherein an incoming call is determined to be unanswered when the incoming call is terminated by a caller prior to being answered on the cellular phone.