Auto font magnification mechanism

• US 6,995,749 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tamiras Per Pte Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Good Technology Incorporated (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Friend, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jinny H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLTON, STEVEN E
• Application Number:
  US10/401,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20040189610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 345/169, 345/472.2, 345/671, 345/102, 715/800
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1664 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a handheld device is disclosed. The handheld device includes a housing, a display mounted within the housing, and a font magnification mechanism. The font magnification mechanism automatically magnifies a font being displayed on the display to a larger font whenever the handheld device is operating in dim lighting conditions.

Claims

1. A handheld device comprising:

a housing;

a display mounted within the housing; and

a font magnification mechanism to automatically magnify a font being displayed on the display to a larger font whenever the handheld device is operating in dim lighting conditions, the font magnification mechanism including a backlight detection unit, to detect when a backlight for the display is illuminated.

2. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the font magnification mechanism comprises a magnification unit that magnifies the font in response to receiving an input indicating dim lighting conditions.

3. The handheld device of claim 2 wherein the magnification unit magnifies the font upon receiving a signal from the backlight detection unit indicating that the backlight has been illuminated.

4. The handheld device of claim 1 further comprising a light sensor, coupled to the display, to detect light beams from outside the display traveling into the display.

5. The handheld device of claim 1 further comprising:

a keyboard mounted within the housing;

a thumbwheel mounted on the housing;

a first button mounted on the housing next to the left side of the thumbwheel; and

a second button mounted on the housing next to the right side of the thumbwheel.

6. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the handheld device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

7. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the handheld device is a two-way pager.

8. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the handheld device is a wireless electronic mail (e-mail), calendar and contact list device.

9. A handheld device comprising:

a housing;

a display mounted within the housing;

a light sensor coupled to the display; and

a font magnification mechanism to automatically magnify a font being displayed on the display to a larger font whenever the handheld device is operating in dim lighting conditions, the font magnification mechanism including a magnification unit to magnify the font upon receiving a signal from the light sensor indicating that light conditions are below a predetermined threshold.

10. A handheld device comprising:

a housing;

a display mounted within the housing; and

a font magnification mechanism to automatically magnify a font being displayed on the display to a larger font whenever the handheld device is operating in dim lighting conditions, the font magnification mechanism including a magnification unit to magnify the font based upon a time range indicated by a system clock.

11. A method comprising:

detecting at a handheld device that dim lighting conditions exist;

receiving a signal at a magnification unit within the handheld device indicating the dim lighting conditions;

the magnification unit magnifying a font being displayed on the display to a larger font in response to receiving the signal; and

transmitting the signal from a backlight detection unit to the magnification unit whenever a backlight for the display is illuminated.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising transmitting the signal from a light sensor to the magnification unit whenever the sensor detects that light conditions are below a predetermined threshold.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising transmitting the signal from a system clock to the magnification unit during a time range indicated by the system clock.