Mobile electronic device having a geographical position dependent light and method and system for achieving the same

• US 7,627,330 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Knowles, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard; Patrick N
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELCENKO, ERIC J
• Application Number:
  US11/045,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20060172745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 370/331, 345/207
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for controlling an illuminating device on a mobile electronic device comprising determining in a global position of the device in real-time, determining a state of at least one light condition currently affecting ambient light at the global position and adjusting the intensity of the illuminating device in response to the state of the at least one light condition. Light conditions include weather conditions and a position of the sun at a particular global position. A mobile electronic device having a geographically dependent illuminating device is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for controlling backlighting of a display on a mobile electronic device, the method comprising steps of:

determining a current global position of the device;

enabling an outdoor mode of the device;

predicting ambient light at the current global position of the device based on a time of day and a time of year;

obtaining current weather conditions for the current global position by wirelessly accessing weather condition data stored in memory residing on a server connected to the mobile device via a wireless network;

calculating an ambient light value for the current global position of the device based on the predicted ambient light and the current weather conditions at the current global position of the device; and

dynamically adjusting the backlighting of the display in response to changes in the ambient light value.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein determining the current global position of the device comprises using a global positioning system.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of enabling a user to predefine a range of backlighting intensities corresponding to a predefined ambient light conditions.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of enabling an outdoor mode of the device is performed in response to a user selection.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of predicting whether the device is outdoors or indoors by comparing outdoor temperature conditions at the current global position of the device to an actual temperature measured by a temperature sensor on the device, the step of enabling an outdoor mode of the device being performed in response to the prediction of the device being outdoors.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of predicting whether the device is outdoors or indoors by comparing outdoor temperature conditions at the current global position of the device to an actual temperature measured by a temperature sensor on the device.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining the current weather conditions for the current global position comprises the step of downloading weather condition data through the wireless network.

8. A mobile electronic device having automatically controlled backlighting, the device comprising:

a backlit display having adjustable backlighting;

a means for determining a current global position of the device;

a means for obtaining current weather conditions for the current global position of the device;

a means for enabling an outdoor mode of the device; and

a microprocessor for dynamically adjusting the backlighting of the backlit display in response to ambient light conditions that are predicted based on a time of day, a time of year, and the current weather conditions for the current global position of the device,

wherein the means for obtaining current weather conditions for the current global position comprises a wireless data connection via a wireless network to a server that stores global weather data.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the means for determining the current global position of the device is a global positioning system.

10. The device as claimed in claim 8 further comprising a temperature sensor for measuring an actual outdoor temperature to enable the device to compare the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor to outdoor temperature conditions obtained wirelessly for the current global position of the device to thereby predict whether the device is indoors or outdoors, the enabling an outdoor mode of the device being performed in response to the prediction of the device being outdoors.

11. The device as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a temperature sensor for measuring an actual outdoor temperature to enable the device to compare the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor to outdoor temperature conditions obtained wirelessly for the current global position of the device to thereby predict whether the device is indoors or outdoors.

12. The device as claimed in claim 8 further comprising a temperature sensor for measuring an actual outdoor temperature to enable the device to compare the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor to outdoor temperature conditions obtained wirelessly for the current global position of the device to thereby predict whether the device is indoors or outdoors.

17. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the means for enabling the outdoor mode of the device is performed in response to a user selection.

13. A system for automatically controlling backlighting on a mobile electronic device connected to a wireless network, the system comprising:

a positioning system for determining a current global position of the device;

a server for storing data relating to current ambient light conditions and weather data at various global positions, the ambient light conditions being determined by a time of day, a time of year, and current weather conditions prevailing at the respective global positions; and

a wireless link connecting the mobile electronic device to the server for enabling the mobile device to retrieve an ambient light condition and current weather conditions for the current global position to thus enable the mobile device to dynamically adjust the backlighting of the display to provide suitable backlighting depending on the current ambient light conditions, the mobile electronic device operating in an outdoor mode.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the positioning system is a global positioning system.

15. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the device comprises a temperature sensor for measuring an actual outdoor temperature to enable the device to compare the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor to outdoor temperature conditions obtained wirelessly for the current global position of the device to thereby predict whether the device is indoors or outdoors, the outdoor mode of the device being enabled in response to the prediction of the device being outdoors.

16. The system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the device comprises a temperature sensor for measuring an actual outdoor temperature to enable the device to compare the actual temperature measured by the temperature sensor to outdoor temperature conditions obtained wirelessly for the current global position of the device to thereby predict whether the device is indoors or outdoors.

18. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the outdoor mode is enabled in response to a user selection.