Mobile terminal apparatus, and power control method and storage medium recording program therefor

• US 20040204140A1
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nagata, Hideaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0267 by controlling user interface components
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A pen-input unit and a display unit of a mobile terminal apparatus are individually provided so that the display unit can be used only for display, thereby effectively reducing the power consumption of the pen-input unit. The operation panel of the mobile terminal apparatus includes a display unit for displaying a standby screen, a screen displaying the status of call-outgoing/incoming or telephone conversation, a mail-transmission/reception screen, etc. and a pen-input unit having an input panel into which hand-written pen-input is performed and a liquid crystal display unit for displaying a guide display, etc. for input in the input panel. A control unit and ROM start powering the pen-input unit when the display unit enters a display status requesting to perform inputting operation by the pen-input unit, and stop powering the pen-input unit when the display unit enters a display status not requesting to perform an inputting operation by the pen-input unit.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a display unit, provided on a surface of said housing, for displaying a control status, an operating status, or an execution status of a selected function;

a pen-input unit which inputs handwriting, and is provided on a surface which is in the same plane when said pen-input unit is operated as the surface on which said display unit is provided; and

control means for powering said pen-input unit when said display unit enters a display status of requesting an inputting operation by said pen-input unit, and powering off said pen-input unit when said display unit enters a display status not requiring an inputting operation by said pen-input unit.

2. The mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said housing comprises an upper housing portion positioned upward in use, and a lower housing portion coupled to said upper housing portion in a foldable structure by a hinge unit;

said display unit is mounted on said upper housing portion; and

said pen-input unit is mounted on said lower housing portion.

3. The mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said housing is one housing unit, and said display unit and said pen-input unit are in the same plane.

4. The mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said pen-input unit comprises an input panel on which pen-input is performed, and liquid crystal display means which is provided in said input panel and on which a guide display for input and input contents are displayed.

5. The mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said pen-input unit has an operation panel on which a guide for inputting handwriting is displayed when powered.

6. The mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said pen-input unit includes one or more cross marks in the guide for inputting handwriting.

7. The mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said pen-input unit includes two cross marks and one line mark between the cross marks as a guide for inputting handwriting.

8. The mobile terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said mobile terminal apparatus is a mobile phone.

9. A power control method for a mobile terminal apparatus having a pen-input unit, comprising:

a power control request detecting step of detecting a request as to whether or not the pen-input unit is to be powered, calling a power ON specifying unit when the pen-input unit is to be powered, and calling a power OFF specifying unit when the pen-input unit is not to be powered;

a power ON specifying step of a power control executing unit generating necessary information for powering the pen-input unit, and the power control executing unit being called according to the information;

a power OFF specifying step of the power control executing unit generating necessary information for powering down the pen-input unit, and the power control executing unit being called according to the information; and

a power control executing step of powering or powering down the pen-input unit.

10. A storage medium storing a program used to direct a computer to perform a power control method for a mobile terminal apparatus having a pen-input unit, comprising:

a power control request detecting step of detecting a request as to whether or not the pen-input unit is to be powered, calling a power ON specifying unit when the pen-input unit is to be powered, and calling a power OFF specifying unit when the pen-input unit is not to be powered;

a power ON specifying step of a power control executing unit generating necessary information for powering the pen-input unit, and the power control executing unit being called according to the information;

a power OFF specifying step of the power control executing unit generating necessary information for powering down the pen-input unit, and the power control executing unit being called according to the information; and

a power control executing step of powering or powering down the pen-input unit.