Visual notification methods for candy-bar type cellphones

• US 8,134,306 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2008
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Drader, Marc, Robinson, James, Lowles, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tung X
• Application Number:
  US12/133,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20080297469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 315/129, 3151691-1694, 315/246, 315/247, 315/291, 315307-308, 315/312, 315/360, 345/102, 345/168, 345/204, 345/211
• US Class Current: 315/307
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0235 Field-sequential colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0237 Switching ON and OFF the backlight within one frame
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/066 Waveforms comprising a gently increasing or decreasing portion, e.g. ramp
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3413 Details of control of colour illumination sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3614 Control of polarity reversal in general
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless handheld communications device with a liquid crystal display, especially, a field sequential liquid crystal display, includes a visual notification for a powered up, inactive state. The visual notification is preferably through a light emitting diode that may be part of the backlighting system for the LCD or may be independent from the backlighting system. The waveforms, periodicity, color selection, and color sequencing may be customizable by one or both of the manufacturer and user.

Claims

1. A method of indicating inactivity of a powered on, inactive electronic device having a display, the display having a backlight comprising multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs), the method comprising:

tracking an inactivity time for the electronic device;

comparing the inactivity time against a threshold;

if the inactivity time exceeds the threshold, activating a visual notification on the electronic device to indicate inactivity of the electronic device to the user by using at least one LED of the backlight, but less than all of the LEDs of the backlight in a flashing pattern; and

synchronizing the display to set only pixels in the display that have a colour component corresponding to a colour of an LED that is being activated in the flashing pattern to a transmissive state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the flashing pattern is a pulsing light signal generated by one or more of but less than all of the LEDs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the LEDs emit light with a colour from the group consisting of red, green, and blue.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the LEDs emit light with a blended colour comprising a combination of two or more colours from the group comprising red, green, and blue.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the flashing pattern has an intensity cycle defined by any of a waveform, a square wave, a sinusoidal wave or a triangular wave.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the flashing pattern is activated on a regular interval.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the flashing pattern is activated on an irregular interval.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the flashing pattern comprises a signal having a first pulse occurring at a first time and a second pulse occurring at a second time and the signal is repeated at a regular interval.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first pulse and the second pulse have the same amplitude in intensity.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first pulse and the second pulse have different amplitudes in intensity.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the amplitude of the first pulse is about twice as great as the amplitude of the second pulse.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing the display to set pixels in the display that do not have a colour component corresponding to the colour of the LED that is being activated in the flashing pattern to an off state.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising inverting a common electrode of a light source in the display corresponding to a colour of an LED that is being activated in the flashing pattern from a first voltage bias level to a second voltage bias level.

14. An electronic device, comprising:

a liquid crystal display;

a backlight for the liquid crystal display comprising multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs);

a processor for controlling the liquid crystal display;

a keypad for providing input to the processor; and

a module to monitor any inactivity time of the electronic device, the module being configured to activate a visual notification on the electronic device of an inactive state of the electronic device with the liquid crystal display by using at least one LED of the backlight but less than all of the LEDs in a flashing pattern and by synchronizing the display to set only pixels in the display that have a colour component corresponding to a colour of an LED that is being activated in the flashing pattern to a transmissive state.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the liquid crystal display is a field sequential liquid crystal display.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the LEDs include red, green and blue light emitting diodes which are selectively activated to provide a colour feature to the visual notification.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the visual notification produced by the LEDs is a pulsing light signal having an intensity cycle defined by any of a waveform, a square wave, a sinusoidal wave or a triangular wave.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein:

the pulsing light signal has a first pulse occurring at a first time and a second pulse signal occurring at a second time; and

the pulsing light signal is repeated at a regular interval.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the first pulse and the second pulse have the same amplitude in intensity.

20. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the first pulse and the second pulse have different amplitudes in intensity.