System and method for conserving battery power in a mobile station

• US 7,113,811 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Northern Research, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scheit, Wolfgang, Goris, Norman
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Application Number:
  US10/463,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20050003793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/41.2, 455/566, 455572-574, 455/575.1, 455/343.1, 455/343.2, 455/343.4, 455/343.5, 315/169.3, 345/211, 713/230
• US Class Current: 455/574
• 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 telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• 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 mobile station and a method of conserving battery power consumed thereby. In one embodiment, the mobile station includes: (1) a chassis having a display and (2) a proximity sensor coupled to the chassis and adapted to cause a power consumption of the display to be reduced when the display is within a predetermined range of an external object.

Claims

1. A mobile station, comprising:

a chassis having a display;

a power reducer configured to control power consumption of said display;

a proximity sensor coupled to said chassis and configured to cause said power consumption to be reduced when said display is within a predetermined range of an external object, and

a microprocessor coupled to said proximity sensor through a keypad of said mobile station and directly coupled to said display, said microprocessor configured to automatically activate said proximity sensor based on said mobile station receiving an incoming wireless telephone call.

2. The mobile station as recited in claim 1 wherein said proximity sensor causes said display to be turned off.

3. The mobile station as recited in claim 1 wherein said proximity sensor causes said power consumption to be reduced when said display is within said predetermined range during said telephone call.

4. The mobile station as recited in claim 1 wherein said proximity sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

a mechanical proximity sensor,

an optical sensor, and

a range detecting sensor.

5. The mobile station as recited in claim 1 wherein said proximity sensor is located proximate said display.

6. The mobile station as recited in claim 1 wherein said proximity sensor is activated manually when said mobile station initiates an outgoing wireless telephone call.

7. The mobile station as recited in claim 1 wherein said predetermined range is about five centimeters and said external object is selected from the group consisting of:

the ear of a user, and

a pocket.

8. A method of conserving battery power in a mobile station, comprising:

employing a microprocessor of said mobile station to automatically activate a proximity sensor when said mobile station receives an incoming wireless telephone call, said microprocessor coupled to said proximity sensor through a keypad of said mobile station and directly coupled to a display of said mobile station;

sensing with said proximity sensor when said display of said mobile station is within a predetermined distance of an external object; and

causing, in response thereto, a power consumption of said display to be reduced.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said causing comprises causing said display to be turned off.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said causing comprises causing said power consumption to be reduced when said display is within said predetermined range during said telephone call.

11. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said proximity sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

a mechanical proximity sensor,

an optical sensor, and

a range detecting sensor.

12. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising manually activating said proximity sensor based on user interaction with a keypad of said mobile station when said mobile station initiates an outgoing telephone call.

13. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said causing comprises causing said power consumption to be reduced independent of whether said mobile station is being used during said telephone call.

14. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said predetermined range is about five centimeters and said external object is selected from the group consisting of:

the ear of a user, and

a pocket.

15. A mobile station, comprising:

a chassis having a display;

a power reducer configured to control power consumption of said display;

a proximity sensor coupled to said chassis and configured to cause said display to be turned off when said display is within a predetermined range of an external object during an incoming wireless telephone call, and

a microprocessor coupled to said proximity sensor through a keypad of said mobile station and directly coupled to said display, said microprocessor configured to automatically activate said proximity sensor based on said mobile station receiving said incoming wireless telephone call.

16. The mobile station as recited in claim 15 wherein said proximity sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

a mechanical proximity sensor,

an optical sensor, and

a range detecting sensor.

17. The mobile station as recited in claim 15 wherein said proximity sensor is located proximate said display.

18. The mobile station as recited in claim 15 wherein said proximity sensor is located on a speaker side of said chassis.

19. The mobile station as recited in claim 15 wherein said predetermined range is about five centimeters and said external object is selected from the group consisting of:

the ear of a user, and

a pocket.

20. The mobile station as recited in claim 15 wherein said proximity sensor is activated manually when said mobile station initiates an outgoing wireless telephone call.