Mobile electronic communication device with lights to indicate received messages

• US 6,720,863 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2001
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Wildseed Ltd. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nelson, Jonathan O., Hull, Eric J., Mager, Gary N.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US09/931,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20030034878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.51, 340/7.61, 379/162, 701/3, 345/751, 455/412.2, 455/403, 455/462, 455/566
• US Class Current: 340/7.51
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• 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

A mobile electronic communication device includes a processor unit, a transceiver, a keypad and a light unit. Each key of the keypad is associated with a contact of a contact list. The light unit can perform light functions to notify a user of the reception and/or status of messages received via the transceiver. The light functions include providing an indication of the age of a received message that was sent by a contact in the contacts list. The age of the message is indicated by a modulation of the illuminating light. In one embodiment, the age of a message is indicated as one of a set of predetermined age ranges, with each age range being represented by a unique color.

Claims

1. A mobile electronic communication device comprising:

a transceiver;

a keypad having a plurality of keys;

a light unit coupled to the keypad; and

a processor unit coupled to the transceiver, keypad and light unit, wherein the processor unit is configured to cause the light unit to output light to light a selected one of the keys to indicate a source of a received message.

2. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 1, wherein each key of the plurality of keys is associated with a corresponding contact.

3. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 2, wherein keys corresponding to contacts are numeric keys of the keypad.

4. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 2, wherein, in response to an actuation of a key corresponding to a contact, the processor unit is configured to cause the mobile electronic communication device to dial a telephone number associated with that contact.

5. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 2 further comprising a display, wherein in response to an actuation of a key corresponding to a contact, the processor unit is configured to cause information related to a message received from that contact to be displayed on the display.

6. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 2, wherein the mobile electronic communication device is configured to receive messages of two or more types, wherein the processor unit is configured to cause the light unit to output the light with modulation that depends on the received message'"'"'s type.

7. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 1, wherein the received message includes an indication of its importance, wherein the processor unit is configured to cause the light unit to output the light with modulation that depends on the importance of the received message.

8. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 2, wherein the selected one of the keys being lit is associated with a contact, and the message is received from the associated contact.

9. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 8, wherein the light unit can simultaneously illuminate another key of the keypad to indicate that a message has been received from a contact associated with the other key.

10. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor unit is configured to cause the light unit to output light with modulation that depends on an age of a message received by the mobile electronic communication device.

11. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 10, wherein the modulated light has a color that depends on the relative age of a received message.

12. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 10, wherein the modulated light has a blinking rate that indicates a number of unread messages received from a contact.

13. The mobile electronic communication device in claim 10, wherein the message is a most recent message received from a contact.

14. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 13, wherein the message is an unread message received from the contact.

15. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 10, wherein the relative age is indicated using a plurality of predetermined age categories.

16. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 15, wherein each age category of the plurality of age categories is represented by a predetermined color of light that can be outputted by the light unit.

17. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 15, wherein each age category of the plurality of age categories is represented by a predetermined number of light flashes within a cycle.

18. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 1, wherein the message is a SMS message.

19. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic communication device further comprises a touch-screen display in addition to or in lieu of the light unit, and the processor emulates said causing of the light unit to light a selected one of a plurality of keys of a keypad to indicate receipt of a message from a source by rendering a virtual keypad having a plurality of virtual keys on the touch-screen display, with a selected one of the virtual keys manifesting an appearance of being illuminated.

20. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 1, wherein each key of the plurality of keys of the keypad is at least partially translucent.

21. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 1, wherein the light unit comprises an LED circuit configured to selectively output light having a color selected from a set of a plurality of preselected colors, the LED circuit having at least one LED coupled to each key of the plurality of keys of the keypad.

22. The mobile electronic communication device of claim 21, wherein a LED coupled to a key of the plurality of keys of the keypad is a multicolor LED.

23. A method for use with a mobile electronic communication having a plurality of keys, each key being associated with a corresponding contact, the method comprising:

receiving a message;

determining a sender of the received message; and

illuminating a key of the plurality of keys when the sender is the corresponding contact.

24. The method claim 23, further comprising determining an age of the received signal.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein determining the age of the received message comprises determining which age range of a plurality of predetermined age ranges contains the age of the received message.

26. The method claim 24, further comprising modulating the illumination as a function of the determined age.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein modulating the illumination comprises causing the illumination to have a color selected from a plurality of colors, each color of the plurality of colors corresponding to an age range of the plurality of predetermined age ranges.

28. The method claim 23, further comprising modulating the illumination to indicate a number of unread messages received by the contact corresponding to the key.

29. The method claim 28, wherein the modulation comprises causing the illumination to flash while illuminating the key, the illumination flashing a number of times in a cycle reflective of a number of unread messages sent by the contact corresponding to the key.

30. The method of claim 23, further comprising illuminating another key of the plurality of keys when a message from another contact has been received.

31. The method of claim 23, further comprising displaying a message log of stored messages received from the contact in response to the key corresponding to the contact being activated.