Cellular phone with lighting device and method of controlling lighting device

• US 6,631,192 B1
• Filed: 09/22/1999
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Fukiharu, Eiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Application Number:
  US09/400,915
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 379/433, 379/368, 379/433.07, 379/433.04, 379/433.06, 455/575, 455/90, 455/567
• US Class Current: 379/433.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• 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

There is provided a cellular phone including (a) a display, (b) a key pad arrangement, (c) a lighting device which lights at least one of the display and the key pad arrangement, (d) a touch sensor which is turned on upon making contact with a user and transmits a first signal, and turned off upon making no contact with a user and transmits a second signal, and (e) a controller which turns the lighting device on upon receiving the second signal from the touch sensor, and turns the lighting device off upon receiving the first signal from the touch sensor. The cellular phone can reduce electric power consumption, because the lighting device does not consume electric power while the cellular phone is in use, enabling a use of a smaller-sized cell.

Claims

1. A cellular phone comprising:

(a) a display;

(b) a power switch for switching power to said cellular phone;

(c) a key pad arrangement;

(d) a lighting device which lights both of said display and said key pad arrangement together;

(e) a touch sensor which is turned on upon making contact with a user and transmits a first signal, and turned off upon making no contact with a user, and transmits a second signal;

(f) a display driver which drives said display; and

(g) a controller which turns said lighting device and said display driver on upon receiving said second signal from said touch sensor, and turns said lighting device and said display driver off upon receiving said first signal from said touch sensor, wherein said lighting device comprises a first lighting device for said display and a second lighting device for said key pad arrangement and wherein said key pad arrangement comprises another switch that activates said touch sensor.

2. The cellular phone as set forth in claim 1, wherein said touch sensor is formed at a surface of said cellular phone.

3. The cellular phone as set forth in claim 1, wherein said touch sensor is formed around a receiver of said cellular phone.

4. The cellular phone as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a display drive circuit which drives said display, and wherein said controller turns said display drive circuit on upon receiving said second signal from said touch sensor, and turns said display drive circuit off upon receiving said first signal from said touch sensor.

9. The cellular phone as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lighting device comprises first and second lighting devices.

10. The cellular phone as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a circuit electrically connected to the first lighting device, the second lighting device, and said controller, wherein the controller transmits signals to both the first lighting device and the second lighting device through the circuit.

5. A method of controlling a lighting device which lights both of a display and a key pad arrangement and a display driver for a display in a cellular phone, comprising:

(a) detecting whether said cellular phone is in contact with a user;

(b) turning said lighting device and said display driver on while said cellular phone is not in contact with a user; and

(c) turning said lighting device and said display driver off while said cellular phone is in contact with a user, wherein said lighting device comprises a first lighting device for said display and a second lighting device for said key pad arrangement, wherein said cellular phone comprises a power switch for switching power to said cellular phone and wherein said key pad arrangement comprises another switch that activates said touch sensor.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein it is detected whether said cellular phone is in contact at a surface thereof with a user in said step (a).

7. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein it is detected whether said cellular phone is in contact around a receiver of said cellular phone with a user in said step (a).

8. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein said cellular phone further comprises a display drive circuit which drives said display, and wherein said display drive circuit is also turned on in said step (b) while said cellular phone is not in contact with a user, and is also turned off in said step (c) while said cellular phone is in contact with a user.