Portable communication device and method for dialing phone numbers on keypad of the portable communication device

• US 8,971,953 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chi Mei Communication Systems Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Company Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Chi Mei Communication Systems Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Company Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Qu, Kai-Bo
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Steve D
• Application Number:
  US13/653,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20130225231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/418, 455/460, 455/550.1, 379/355.01, 379/93.23, 715/780
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• 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 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27463 Predictive input, predictive dialling by comparing the dialled sequence with the content of a telephone directory
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27467 Methods of retrieving data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

In a method for dialing phone numbers using a portable communication device, the device includes a keypad including numeric keys and an LED driver. Each of the numeric keys is equipped with a first color LED light and a second color LED light. The LED driver drives the first LED light under each of the numeric keys to emit a first color light. The LED driver turns off the first LED light under the numeric key and turns on the second LED light under the numeric key to emit a second color light according to an LED control signal. The LED driver further turns off the second LED light and turns on the first LED light to emit the first color light when the digit input from the keypad is in a digital group.

Claims

1. A portable communication device, comprising:

a keypad comprising a plurality of numeric keys and an LED driver, each of the numeric keys equipped with a first color LED light and a second color LED light, wherein the first color LED light emits a blue light or a green light; and

a telephone dialing system comprising one or more programs that is stored in a storage system and executed by at least one microprocessor, the one or more programs comprising;

an initialization module that drives the first LED to light under each of the numeric keys to emit a first color light using the LED driver when a user inputs a first digit of a phone number from the keypad;

a number obtaining module that receives a digit inputted from a numeric key of the keypad, searches all phone numbers having the inputted digit in a phone number list stored in the storage system, obtains a subsequent digit following the inputted digit from each of the phone numbers, and generates a digital group according to all the subsequent digits; and

an LED control module that generates an LED control signal according to the digital group, drives the LED driver to turn off the first LED light under the numeric key in digital group and turn on the second LED light under the numeric key to emit a second color light according to the LED control signal, determines whether a next digit input from the keypad is in the digit group, and drives the LED driver to turn off the second LED light under a numeric key corresponding to the next inputted digit and turn on the first LED light under the numeric key to emit the first color light when the next inputted digit is in the digital group;

wherein the number obtaining module further determines whether all digits of the phone number have been inputted from the keypad according to a length of the phone number; and

wherein the LED control module further turns off the first LED light and the second LED light under all the numeric keys using the LED driver when all the digits of the phone number have been inputted from the keypad.

2. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the keypad further comprises a plurality of symbol keys, and each of the symbol keys is equipped with the first color LED light and the second color LED light.

3. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the second color LED light emits a red light or a yellow light.

4. A method for dialing a phone number using a portable communication device, the method comprising:

driving a first LED light under each numeric key to emit a first color light using an LED driver when a user inputs a first digit of the phone number from a keypad, wherein the keypad comprises a plurality of numeric keys and the LED driver, and each of the numeric keys is equipped with the first color LED light and a second color LED light, wherein the first color LED light emits a blue light or a green light;

receiving a digit inputted from a numeric key of the keypad, and searching all phone numbers having the inputted digit in a phone number list stored in a storage system;

obtaining a subsequent digit following the inputted digit from each of the phone numbers, and generating a digital group according to all the subsequent digits;

generating an LED control signal according to the digital group;

driving the LED driver to turn off the first LED light under the numeric key in the digital group and turn on the second LED light under the numeric key to emit a second color light according to the LED control signal;

determining whether a next digit input from the keypad is in the digital group;

driving the LED driver to turn off the second LED light under a numeric key corresponding to the next inputted digit and turn on the first LED light under the numeric key to emit the first color light when the next inputted digit is in the digital group;

determining whether all digits of the phone number have been inputted from the keypad according to a length of the phone number; and

turning off the first LED light and the second LED light under all the numeric keys using the LED driver when all the digits of the phone number have been inputted from the keypad.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the keypad further comprises a plurality of symbol keys, and each of the symbol keys is equipped with the first color LED light and the second color LED light.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second color LED light emits a red light or a yellow light.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by at least one microprocessor of a portable communication device, causes the device to perform a method for dialing a phone number, the method comprising:

driving a first LED light under each numeric key to emit a first color light using an LED driver when a user inputs a first digit of the phone number from a keypad, wherein the keypad comprises a plurality of numeric keys and the LED driver, and each of the numeric keys is equipped with the first color LED light and a second color LED light, wherein the first color LED light emits a blue light or a green light;

receiving a digit inputted from a numeric key of the keypad, and searching all phone numbers having the inputted digit in a phone number list stored in a storage system;

obtaining a subsequent digit following the inputted digit from each of the phone numbers, and generating a digital group according to all the subsequent digits;

generating an LED control signal according to the digital group;

driving the LED driver to turn off the first LED light under the numeric key in the digital group and turn on the second LED light under the numeric key to emit a second color light according to the LED control signal;

determining whether a next digit input from the keypad is in the digital group;

driving the LED driver to turn off the second LED light under a numeric key corresponding to the next inputted digit and turn on the first LED light under the numeric key to emit the first color light when the next inputted digit is in the digital group;

determining whether all digits of the phone number have been inputted from the keypad according to a length of the phone number; and

turning off the first LED light and the second LED light under all the numeric keys using the LED driver when all the digits of the phone number have been inputted from the keypad.

8. The storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the keypad further comprises a plurality of symbol keys, and each of the symbol keys is equipped with the first color LED light and the second color LED light.

9. The storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the second color LED light emits a red light or a yellow light.