Illumination system and method for a mobile computing device

• US 7,465,068 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IXI Mobile (R&D) Ltd. (IXI Mobile, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IXI Mobile (R&D) Ltd. (IXI Mobile, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fornell, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Bao Q
• Application Number:
  US10/817,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20050225983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 362/85, 362/88, 362/276, 362/552, 362/559, 362/642, 362/800, 362/802, 250/205, 250/214.AL, 455/566
• US Class Current: 362/276
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/042 by measuring the incident light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

A method of configuring one or more illumination states for illuminating at least two user interface devices of a mobile device, the method comprising assigning a first illumination state to first and second user interface devices, when intensity of ambient light is greater than a first threshold; assigning the first illumination state to the first interface device, and a second illumination state to the second interface device, when the intensity of the ambient light is between the first threshold and a second threshold; and assigning the second illumination state to the first and the second user interface devices, when the intensity of the ambient light is less than the second threshold.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an illumination system for a mobile device, the method comprising:

measuring a first intensity of ambient light for the mobile device using a light sensing mechanism;

receiving first and second ambient light intensity threshold values from the user of said mobile device;

storing said first and second ambient light intensity threshold values in said mobile device;

comparing the first intensity with said first and second ambient light intensity threshold values;

adjusting illumination intensity of a first illuminating mechanism that illuminates a first user interface component of the mobile device, when the first intensity is not approximately equal to the first ambient light intensity threshold value;

adjusting illumination intensity of a second illuminating mechanism that illuminates a second user interface component of the mobile device, when the first intensity is not approximately equal to the second ambient light intensity threshold value;

establishing a stable illumination intensity state for the first and second illumination mechanism wherein a user defined predetermined range about each of the first and second thresholds is established by a first and second lower bound and a first and second upper bound,

wherein the first illumination mechanism intensity is adjusted when the ambient light intensity is less than the first lower bound and greater than the first upper bound, and

wherein the second illumination mechanism intensity is adjusted when the ambient light intensity is less than the second lower bound and greater than the second upper bound.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises increasing the illumination intensity of the illuminating mechanism.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises decreasing the illumination intensity of the illuminating mechanism.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the adjusting takes place when the first intensity is less than the threshold value.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the adjusting takes place when the first intensity is greater than the threshold value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the illuminating mechanism is a backlight for lighting the user interface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the illuminating mechanism is a light emitting diode (LED).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises one or more keys on a keypad of the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a display screen of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a first illumination state to the first and second user interface components, when intensity of ambient light is greater than a first ambient light intensity threshold;

assigning the first illumination state to the first interface component, and a second illumination state to the second interface device, when the intensity of the ambient light is between the first ambient light intensity threshold and a second ambient light intensity threshold; and

assigning the second illumination state to the first and second user interface component, when the intensity of the ambient light is less than the second ambient light intensity threshold,

wherein the first illumination state represents an on state and the second illumination state represents an off state.

11. An illumination system for illuminating one or more user interface components of a mobile device, the illumination system comprising:

a light sensor for measuring intensity of ambient light;

a first illumination mechanism for illuminating a first user interface component;

a second illumination mechanism for illuminating a second user interface component;

input control means for entering illumination preferences into said mobile device comprising a first ambient light intensity threshold and a second ambient light intensity threshold;

storage means for storing said preferences; and

a power management module for adjusting illumination intensity of the first and second illumination mechanisms based on the intensity of the ambient light and said preferences and establishing a stable illumination intensity state for the first and second illumination mechanism wherein a user defined predetermined range about each of the first and second thresholds is established by a first and second lower bound and a first and second upper bound,

wherein the first illumination mechanism intensity is adjusted when the ambient light intensity is less than the first lower bound and greater than the first upper bound,

wherein the second illumination mechanism intensity is adjusted when the ambient light intensity is less than the second lower bound and greater than the second upper bound.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the power management module causes the illumination intensity of the first illumination mechanism to be increased, when the intensity of the ambient light is less than the first ambient light intensity threshold.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the power management module causes the illumination intensity of the first illumination mechanism to be decreased, when the intensity of the ambient light is more than the first ambient light intensity threshold.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the light sensor comprises a phototransistor.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the first illumination mechanism comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the power management module comprises:

a comparator for comparing a first signal generated by the light sensor with a second signal generated by a voltage source, wherein the first signal represents the intensity of the ambient light and the second signal represents the first ambient light intensity threshold value.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the power management module further comprises:

a converter for adjusting illumination intensity of the first illumination mechanism based on a third signal generated by the comparator, the third signal representing a relationship between values represented by the first signal and the second signal.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the power management module comprises:

a power management chip in communication with a microcontroller for determining a degree with which the illumination intensity of the first illumination mechanism is adjusted.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the power management chip comprises an analog to digital (A/D) converter for convening a first signal provided by the light sensor to a second signal provided to the microcontroller, wherein the first signal represents intensity of the ambient light, and the second signal represents a value used by the microcontroller to adjust the intensity of the first illumination mechanism.