Controlling a terminal of a communication system

• US 7,212,835 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2000
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Tuomela, Urpo Jalmari, Takaluoma, Antti Ilkka, Mantyjarvi, Jani Antero
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Nhan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/737,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20010044318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,329 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90.3, 455/344, 455/575.1, 455/550.1, 379/428.01, 379/429, 379/430, 379/433.01
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9645 Resistive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• 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 telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a terminal for a communication system. The terminal comprises detector means that are arranged to detect if there is a contact between at least one surface of the terminal and the skin of the user of the terminal. The detection means comprise at least two different detector arrangements for detecting a contact between the terminal and the user. The detector arrangements each comprise independently operating sensor means (7, 8, 30). At least one function of the terminal is arranged to be controlled based on a signal generated by the detecting means in response to the detection. The invention relates further to a detector arrangement for a communications terminal and a method for controlling a communications terminal.

Claims

1. A terminal for a communication system, the terminal comprising a first detector arrangement and a second detector arrangement, said first and second detector arrangements being based on different principles of detecting a contact between at least one surface of the terminal and the skin of the user of the terminal, wherein at least one function of the terminal is controlled based on signals from the first and second detector arrangements, and a control operation is provided only if said first and second detector arrangements both output a signal that indicates a contact between the terminal and the skin of the user.

2. A terminal according to claim 1 comprising a controller for controlling said at least one function of the terminal.

3. A terminal according to claim 2, wherein the controller is adjustable so that the controller provides different control instructions for the function controlled by the controller depending on the settings of the controller.

4. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein switching between different modes of operation of the terminal is arranged to be triggered based on signals from the detector arrangements.

5. A terminal according to claim 4, wherein the terminal is switched between a standby mode and an active mode.

6. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein a keypad lock of the terminal is operated based on signals from the detector arrangements.

7. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the operation of a display of the terminal is controlled based on signals from the detector arrangements.

8. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the operation of an alarm producing means is controlled based on signals from the detector arrangements.

9. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the detector arrangements are arranged to sense a contact between the terminal and the hand of the user.

10. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the detector arrangements are arranged to sense a contact between the terminal and the cheek and/or ear of the user.

11. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein one of the detector arrangements comprises a galvanic skin response detection arrangement.

12. A terminal according to claim 11, wherein the galvanic skin response detection arrangement is adapted to detect a gripping pressure caused by the hand of the user of the terminal.

13. A teriuinal according to claim 1, wherein one of the detector arrangements is arranged to detect a pressure caused by the hand of the user.

14. A terminal according to claim 13, wherein a predefined pressure pattern is arranged to be detected.

15. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein one of the detector arrangements comprises a capacitive proximity sensor.

16. A terminal according to claim 15, wherein the capacitive proximity sensor is placed on the inner surface of a cover of the terminal or an accessory thereof.

17. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of at least one detector arrangement is provided in a detachable part of the terminal.

18. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein at least one 0f the detector arrangements is integrated in the cover material of the terminal.

19. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the detector arrangements comprises at least three sensor elements, said at least three sensor elements being arranged in an array on the surf ace of the terminal.

20. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the control of the function is based on adaptive use of the information provided by the signals from the detector arrangements.

21. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the sensitivity of at least one of the detector arrangements is adjustable.

22. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the control of the function is based, in addition to signals from the detector arrangements, on at least one of the following:

the operational status of the terminal;

the location of the terminal;

the time of the day;

the time of the year;

temperature;

the type of the communication.

23. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the detector arrangements is provided in a handset or headset of the terminal.

24. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the terminal comprises a mobile station of a radio communication system.

25. A detector arrangement for a terminal of a communication system, the terminal comprising at least one element that is to be held against the skin of the user of the terminal, the detector arrangement comprising a first detector arrangement and a second detector arrangement, said first and second detector arrangements being based on different principles of detecting a contact between the terminal and the skin of the user, and circuitry adapted for generating an output signal based on signals from the first and second detector arrangements when the terminal touches in a predefined manner the skin of the user, the output signal being arranged to be employed in the control of at least one function of the terminal, wherein the output signal is provided only if said first and second detector arrangements both output a signal that indicates a contact between the terminal and the skin of the user.

26. A method of controlling at least one function of a terminal of a communication system, comprising the steps of:

detecting a contact between the terminal and the skin of the user of the terminal by means of a first detector arrangement;

detecting a contact between the terminal and the skin of the user of the terminal by means of a second detector arrangement, said second detector arrangement being different from the operational principles thereof from the first detector arrangement;

based on signals from the first and second detector arrangements, generating en output signal indicating that the surface of the terminal is in contact with the skin of the user; and

controlling said at least one function of the terminal based on the output signal;

wherein the generation of the output signal comprises steps of;

receiving signals from the first and second detector arrangements; and

generating the output signal only if said first and second signals indicate similar detection result.

27. An apparatus for controlling at least one function of a terminal of a communication system, comprising:

first means for detecting a contact between the terminal and the skin of a user of the terminal;

second means for detecting a contact between the terminal and the skin of the user of the terminal, the second means being different from the first means in operational principle;

means for receiving signals from the first and second detecting means and generating an output signal indicating that the surface of the terminal is in contact with the skin of the user only if the signals from the first and second detecting means indicate a similar detection result;

means for controlling at least one function of the terminal based on the output signal.

28. A terminal for a communication system, the terminal comprising a first detector arrangement and a second detector arrangement, said first and second detector arrangements being based on different principles of detecting a contact between at least one surface of the terminal and the skin of the user of the terminal, wherein at least one function of the terminal is controlled based on signals from the first arid second detector arrangements, and a control operation is provided only if said first and second detector arrangements both output a signal that indicates a contact between the terminal and the skin of the user, wherein at least one of the detector arrangements is integrated in cover material of the terminal.