Portable electronic apparatus

• US 7,212,842 B1
• Filed: 12/10/1997
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Seymour, James Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour; Naghmeh
• Application Number:
  US08/987,995
• Time in Patent Office: 3,429 Days
• Field of Search: 455/572, 455/575, 455/410, 455/411, 455/67.1, 455/346, 455/573, 455/575.1, 455/90.3, 455/441, 340/825.54, 340/825.49, 340/572.1, 340/825.46, 340/825.45, 340/568.8, 340/689, 340/568.1, 340/545.5, 340/539, 340/426, 340/639, 340/855.8, 340/856.2, 340/856.3, 340/539.11, 379/445, 379/424, 379/446, 379/454, 379/42, 243/634, 243/551, 243/543
• US Class Current: 455/573
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1409 for removal detection of electrical appliances by detecting their physical disconnection from an electrical system, e.g. using a switch incorporated in the plug connector
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device

Abstract

Portable electronic apparatus is disclosed having a sensor for sensing the portable electronic apparatus coupled in intimate proximity to a rest. The rest may be a desk top, car instrument panel top or a special stand for the portable electronic apparatus. The portable electronic apparatus also has an inhibitor which inhibits operation of or locks the portable electronic apparatus, when the sensor senses absence of intimate proximity to the rest.

Claims

1. A radio telephone including a rechargeable power supply and having coupling means for connecting to a charging unit for charging the rechargeable power supply, the radio telephone comprising sensing means associated with the coupling means and operable to sense the absence or the presence of the charging unit being connected to the radio telephone, and inhibiting means configured to be responsive to the sensing means in such a manner that when the sensing means senses absence of the charging unit the inhibiting means automatically inhibits operation of the radio telephone.

2. A radio telephone according to claim 1, wherein the sensor and the inhibiting means are operative for a power on mode of the radio telephone.

3. A radio telephone according to claim 1, wherein the inhibiting means is adapted to inhibit access to information stored in the radio telephone.

4. A radio telephone according to claim 1, wherein the inhibiting mean is adapted to inhibit making an outgoing call from a radio telephone.

5. A radio telephone according to claim 1, further comprising a memory means for storing subscriber identity information, wherein the inhibiting means is adapted to inhibit access to subscriber identity information stored in the memory means.

6. A radio telephone according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is adapted to sense a charging voltage for charging the rechargeable power supply of the radio telephone.

7. A radio telephone according to claim 1, wherein operation of the radio telephone is restorable responsive to a security code input to the radio telephone.

8. A method for inhibiting unauthorized use of a radio telephone comprising the steps of sensing at the radio telephone whether the radio telephone is coupled to a charging device and automatically inhibiting operation of the radio telephone responsive to sensing absence of the charging device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein automatically inhibited operation is operative for a power on mode of the radio telephone.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein automatically inhibiting operation comprises particularly inhibiting access to information stored in the radio telephone.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein automatically inhibiting operation comprises particularly inhibiting making an outgoing call from a radio telephone.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein automatically inhibiting operation comprises particularly inhibiting access to subscriber identity information stored in the radio telephone.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

responsive to a security code input to the radio telephone, restoring the automatically inhibited operation.