Visualization supplemented wireless mobile telephony

• US 7,499,731 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Engstrom, G. Eric, Nash, Paul R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phu; Sanh D
• Application Number:
  US11/224,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20060084394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90.1, 455/566, 455/567, 455/575, 455/550, 455/575.1, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls

Abstract

A wireless mobile phone is provided with the capability to visually convey various information to users, using a number of light emitting devices (LEDs). The information may include notification of an incoming call, text messages of a call (in Morse code representations), complementary graphics for non-graphics contents, and visual representations of attributes of sound. In various embodiments, the implementations may include a visualization controller to selectively activate and deactivate the LEDs, and applicable ones of an event, text and sound visualization clients. In various embodiments, all or selected combinations of the elements may be part of the base unit of the wireless mobile phone, while the remaining elements, if any, may be part of an interchangeable face plate or a covering skin.

Claims

1. A wireless mobile phone comprising

a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs);

a visualization controller coupled to the LEDs to selectively activate and deactivate the LEDs as requested; and

a first and a second visualization client coupled to the visualization controller to request the visualization controller to selectively activate and deactivate the LEDs in corresponding first and second at least one desired manner to effectuate visualization of first and second at least one non-visual aspect of wireless mobile telephony.

2. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, wherein the wireless mobile phone further comprises display means of a second type, in addition to said LEDs, for displaying alphanumeric data including menu and commands.

3. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said first visualization client comprises an event visualization client configured to request the visualization controller to selectively activate and deactivate the LEDs to visualize an incoming call being placed to the wireless mobile phone, with a pattern of activation and deactivation of the LEDs to denote the arrival of the incoming call, and said second visualization client comprises another visualization client configured to request the visualization controller to selectively activate and deactivate the LEDs in a desired manner to visualize text or sound.

4. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said first visualization client comprises an event visualization client configured to request the visualization controller to selectively activate and deactivate the LEDs to visualize a menu item selection, with a pattern of activation and deactivation of the LEDs denoting a key stroking pattern corresponding to the menu item selected, and said second visualization client comprises another visualization client configured to request the visualization controller to selectively activate and deactivate the LEDs in a desired manner to visualize text or sound.

5. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said first visualization client comprises an event visualization client configured to request the visualization controller to selectively activate and deactivate the LEDs in at least one desired manner to effectuate visualization of an idle state, with a predetermined pattern of activation and deactivation of the LEDs, and said second visualization client comprises another visualization client configured to request the visualization controller to selectively activate and deactivate the LEDs in a desired manner to visualize text or sound.

6. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said first visualization client comprises a text visualization client configured to request the visualization controller to selectively activate and deactivate the LEDs to visualize non-graphics contents being rendered, with a pattern of activation and deactivation of the LEDs depicting various graphics, and said second visualization client comprises another visualization client configured to request the visualization controller to selectively activate and deactivate the LEDs in a desired manner to visualize text or sound.

7. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said first visualization client comprises a sound visualization client configured to request the visualization controller to selectively activate and deactivate the LEDs to visualize audio being rendered, with a pattern of activation and deactivation of the LEDs corresponding to attributes of the audio being rendered, and said second visualization client comprises another visualization client configured to request the visualization controller to selectively activate and deactivate the LEDs in a desired manner to visualize event or text.

8. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said wireless mobile phone further comprises a processor to execute programming instructions;

said visualizer controller comprises first programming instructions designed to perform said selective activation and deactivation of selected ones of said LEDs as requested; and

said first and second visualization clients comprise second and third programming instructions designed to respectively perform said requests of the visualization controller to effectuate said visualization of said first and second at least one non-visual aspect of wireless mobile telephony.

9. The wireless mobile phone of claim 8, wherein said first programming instructions of said visualization controller are designed to accept a request to activate/deactivate selected ones of said LEDs in at least one of a first form singularly specifying one round of activation and deactivation of said LEDs, and a second form simultaneously specifying a series of rounds of activations and deactivations of said LEDs.

10. The wireless mobile phone of claim 8, wherein said wireless mobile phone further comprises a first storage medium having stored therein at least said first programming instructions of said visualization controller.

11. The wireless mobile phone of claim 10, wherein said wireless mobile phone further comprises second storage medium having stored therein at least a portion of either said second programming instructions of said first visualization client or said third programming instructions of said second visualization client.

12. The wireless mobile phone of claim 11, wherein said wireless mobile phone further comprises a body having one of at least two designs, a first design where at least a face plate of said body is substitutable with any one of a plurality of embodiments of said face plate and a second design where said body is at least partially coverable by a selected one of a plurality of embodiments of a covering skin;

and each of said embodiments of said face plate and covering skin comprises an electronic component including at least said second storage medium.

13. The wireless mobile phone of claim 12, wherein said electronic component further comprises said first storage medium.

14. The wireless mobile phone of claim 13, wherein first and second storage medium are the same storage medium.

15. The wireless mobile phone of claim 12, wherein each of said embodiments of said face plate and covering skin comprises a front facing exterior surface, and said LEDs being disposed on said front facing exterior surface.

16. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said wireless mobile phone further comprises a body having an exterior surface, and said LEDs being disposed on said exterior surface.

17. The wireless mobile phone of claim 16, wherein said exterior surface is a selected one of a front exterior surface, a back exterior surface, a side exterior surface, a top exterior surface, and a bottom exterior surface of said body of said wireless mobile phone.

18. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said wireless mobile phone further comprises a key pad having a plurality of keys, and said LEDs being integrally disposed with said keys.

19. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said LEDs comprises single color LEDs of a plurality of colors, organized into groups.

20. The wireless mobile phone of claim 1, wherein said LEDs comprises at least one multi-color LED.

21. A method comprising:

monitoring a non-visual aspect of wireless mobile telephony of a wireless mobile phone; and

selectively activating and deactivate a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) of the wireless mobile phone to visualize the non-visual aspect of wireless mobile telephony of the wireless mobile phone based at least in part on the result of said monitoring;

wherein said non-visual aspect comprises textual content of a web page, and said visualization comprises a pattern of selective activation and deactivation of the LEDs depicting one or more graphics to complement the textual content.

22. the method of claim 21,

wherein said non-visual aspect further comprises either the wireless mobile phone being in an idle state or a menu item by a user of the wireless mobile phone, and said visualization comprises at least a pattern of selective activation and deactivation of the LEDs denoting said idle state, or a key stroking pattern to effectuate said selection of a menu item.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises monitoring another non-visual aspect of wireless mobile telephony of the wireless mobile phone;

said other non-visual aspects comprise sounds being rendered; and

said visualization comprises a pattern of selective activation and deactivation of the LEDs corresponding to one or more attributes of the sound being rendered.