Motion activated cell phone lighting

• US 7,856,214 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carmen Rapisarda
• Original Assignee: Carmen Rapisarda
• Inventors: Rapisarda, Carmen
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Lee
• Application Number:
  US11/831,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20090036156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90.3, 455/566, 455/567, 340/7.55, 340/7.58, 340/7.6, 340/7.61
• US Class Current: 455/90.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/048 Arrangements providing optical indication of the incoming call, e.g. flasher circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

A cell phone includes at least one motion switch and circuitry to control cell phone functions when the cell phone is moved. In one embodiment, the motion switch activates keyboard backlighting. A single motion switch may be used or two motion switches may be positioned approximately orthogonally, for example, a first motion switch to activate on motion along the cell phone'"'"'s length, and a second motion switch to activate on motion along the cell phone'"'"'s width. One simple and inexpensive motion switch is a cantilevered spring, another is to monitor current produced by a vibrator motor already present in a cell phone. The cell phone according to the present invention with lighting activated by cell phone motion is particularly useful for locating a dropped cell phone, and even more useful for a vehicle operator searching for a dropped cell phone.

Claims

1. A cell phone comprising:

a case;

a keypad having keys laid out in rows and in columns residing on a surface of the case for controlling device functions;

an electronic circuit inside the case receiving inputs from the keypad and performing communications functions;

a battery electrically connected to the electronic circuit for providing power to the electronic circuit; and

a motion switch comprising a first motion switch aligned to respond to motion along the columns of the keypad and a second motion switch aligned to respond to motion along the rows of the keypad, the motion switches comprising at least one generator having an off-center mass attached to a generator shaft and motion of the cell phone acts on the off-center mass to cause the generator shaft to rotate and the generator to generate electrical current and provide the electrical current to the electronic circuit, the motion switch providing a non-zero electrical signal to the electronic circuit during motion of the case and providing a zero electrical signal to the electronic circuit when the case is stationary, the motion switch electrically connected to the electronic circuit to control at least one of the device functions.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein one of the at least one generators comprises a vibrator motor provided for alerting a user to an incoming call, and electrical current generated by the vibrator motor is monitored by the electronic circuit to detect motion of the cell phone.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device functions include lighting for facilitating viewing of the device in low light environments and the motion switch is electrically connected to the electronic circuit to activate and to re-activate the lighting.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the lighting is keypad backlighting and the motion switch electrically connected to the circuit to activate and to re-activate the keypad backlighting.

5. A cell phone comprising:

a case;

keys residing on a surface of the case for controlling communications functions and initiating phone calls;

an electronic circuit inside the case for receiving inputs from the keys and for performing the communications functions;

a battery electrically connected to the electronic circuit for providing power to the electronic circuit;

keypad backlighting for facilitating viewing of the keypad in low light environments;

a vibrator motor for alerting a user to an incoming call, the vibrator motor including a motor shaft and an off-center mass attached to the motor shaft, and

an electrical signal sensing circuit connected to the vibrator motor and sensing current produced by the vibrator motor when the cell phone is moved and activating cell phone functions following the motion of the case.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein activating cell phone functions comprises activating the keypad backlighting for a period of time following the motion of the case.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the cell phone includes a backlit display and activating cell phone functions comprises activating the backlit display for a period of time following the motion of the case.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the cell phone includes external lighting and activating cell phone functions comprises activating the external lighting for a period of time following the motion of the case.

9. A hand held communications device comprising:

a case;

a keypad residing on a surface of the case for controlling communications functions;

an electronic circuit inside the case receiving inputs from the keypad and performing the communications functions;

a battery electrically connected to the circuit for providing power to the circuit;

lighting for facilitating viewing of the device in low light environments;

a base disposed within the case;

an inertially responsive spring-mass system having a fixed end attached to the base and a free end opposite the fixed end for electrically connecting the lighting during a movement in response to a force acting on the device, wherein the free end moves with respect to the base in response to a force acting on the device and makes an electrical connection switching on the lighting for a period of time.

10. The cell phone of claim 9, wherein the inertially responsive spring-mass system programably activates additional cell phone functions in response to motion of the cell phone.

11. The cell phone of claim 9, wherein the lighting is keypad backlighting.

12. The cell phone of claim 9, wherein the lighting is external backlighting.

13. The cell phone of claim 9, wherein the lighting is a backlit display.

14. A hand held communications device comprising:

a case;

a keypad residing on a surface of the case for controlling device functions;

an electronic circuit inside the case receiving inputs from the keypad and performing communications functions;

a battery electrically connected to the electronic circuit for providing power to the electronic circuit; and

a motion switch providing a non-zero electrical signal to the electronic circuit during motion of the case and providing a zero electrical signal to the electronic circuit when the case is stationary, the motion switch electrically connected to the electronic circuit to control at least one of the device functions, wherein the motion switch comprise a spring having a solidly attached first end and a cantilevered second end opposite the first end and a contact spaced apart laterally from and proximal to the cantilevered second end of the spring, wherein sufficient motion of the hand held communications device causes the cantilevered second end of the spring to deflect in a direction D perpendicular to a length L of the spring and to make an electrical connection with the contact to close a circuit to provide the non-zero electrical signal to the electronic circuit during motion of the case.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein :

the device comprises a cell phone including a cell phone keypad having keys laid out in rows and in columns; and

the motion switch comprises a first motion switch aligned to respond to motion along the columns of the keypad.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein :

the device comprises a cell phone including a cell phone keypad having keys laid out in rows and in columns; and

the motion switch comprises a second motion switch aligned to respond to motion along the rows of the keypad.