Disabling operation of a camera on a handheld mobile communication device based upon enabling or disabling devices

• US 7,953,436 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Ladouceur, Norman M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Mathew D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aminzay; Shaima Q
• Application Number:
  US12/718,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20100159985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/90.3, 455/403, 455/418, 455/550.1, 455/566, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 348/14.02, 348/176, 348/335, 348/374, 396/56
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/667 Preventing unauthorised calls from a telephone set H04M1/677 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes

Abstract

A handheld communication device capable of transmitting and receiving at least voice and text communication. The device has a body assembly including a front face arranged to be directed toward an operator of the device when held in a text communicating orientation. A display screen and a text-input keyboard are included and are each exposed at the front face of the body assembly. The keyboard has a plurality of keys that include a set of alphabetic keys with which either QWERTY-, QWERTZ- AZERTY- or Dvorak-arranged alphabetic characters are associated. An integrated camera assembly is also included that is configured for taking photographs and the communication device enabled to wirelessly communicate photographs taken with the camera assembly to a remote receiver. The camera assembly includes a photo-initiating actuator having an actuated position and an unactuated position and at least one of a selective enablement device or a selective disablement device.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a body;

a display and a keyboard coupled to the body;

an integrated camera assembly coupled to the body, said camera assembly including a photo-initiating actuator having an actuated position, an unactuated position, and a selective disablement device having a removable pin that when inserted into a pin-receiver prevents the photo-initiating actuator from moving from the unactuated position to the actuated position.

2. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein the selective disablement device further comprises a tamper-evidencing lock.

3. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein said body has a front face and said display and keyboard each being exposed at the front face of the body.

4. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein said keyboard comprises a plurality of keys with which alphabetic characters are associated.

5. The mobile device as recited in claim 4, wherein the alphabetic characters are arranged in a QWERTY arrangement.

6. The mobile device as recited in claim 5, wherein the alphabetic keys comprise twenty-six keys with one alphabetic character associated with each of the twenty-six keys.

7. The mobile device as recited in claim 5, wherein the alphabetic keys comprise fewer than twenty-six keys with at least some of the plurality of alphabetic keys having more than one alphabetic character associated therewith.

8. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a navigation tool.

9. The mobile device as recited in claim 8, wherein the navigation tool is exposed at a front face of the body.

10. The mobile device as recited in claim 8, wherein the navigation tool is a trackball navigation tool.

11. A mobile device comprising:

an integrated camera assembly including a photo-initiating actuator having an actuated position, an unactuated position, and a selective disablement device having a removable pin that when inserted into a pin-receiver prevents the photo-initiating actuator from moving from the unactuated position to the actuated position.

12. The mobile device as recited in claim 11, wherein the selective disablement device further comprises a tamper-evidencing lock.

13. The mobile device as recited in claim 11, further comprising a body wherein the body has a front face and a display and a keyboard each being exposed at the front face of the body.

14. The mobile device as recited in claim 13, wherein the keyboard comprises a plurality of keys with which alphabetic characters are associated.

15. The mobile device as recited in claim 11, further comprising a navigation tool.

16. The mobile device as recited in claim 15, wherein the navigation tool is a trackball navigation tool.

17. A mobile device comprising:

a body;

a display and a keyboard coupled to the body;

an integrated camera assembly coupled to the body, said camera assembly including a photo-initiating actuator having an actuated position, an unactuated position, and a selective disablement device having a sliding lens cover door that osbscures the lens of the camera assembly when closed, exposes the lens of the camera when open, and a tamper-evidencing lock.

18. The mobile device as recited in claim 17, wherein said body has a front face and said display and keyboard each being exposed at the front face of the body.

19. The mobile device as recited in claim 17, wherein said keyboard comprises a plurality of keys with which alphabetic characters are associated.

20. The mobile device as recited in claim 17, further comprising a navigation tool.