Sensor for handheld device control illumination

• US 20070171188A1
• Filed: 01/25/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Best Buy Enterprise Services Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Best Buy Enterprise Services Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Waites, Nigel
• Application Number:
  US11/339,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20070171188A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

The present invention is a sensor for installation within a handheld device, such as a portable media player or a mobile phone, that turns on illumination of controls for the device (graphical user interface, buttons, etc.) while the device is being gripped by a user, and turns off control illumination when the device leaves the hand of the user.

Claims

1. A handheld device, comprising:

a) a control;

b) a lighting apparatus, which when illuminated increases the visibility of the control to a user; and

c) a sensor that causes the lighting apparatus to become illuminated when a user grips the device, and to become unilluminated when the user releases the device.

2. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the control is a tactile control, a screen, a graphical user interface, a visual control displayed through a graphical user interface, a port, a connector, or an antenna.

3. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a conductive region exposed on the surface of the device, such that when the hand of a user makes contact with the conductive region, an electrical circuit through the device is dosed, thereby enabling the sensor to detect whether the device is being held by a user.

4. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes two conductive regions exposed on the surface of the device, such that when the hand of a user makes contact with both conductive regions simultaneously, an electrical circuit through the device is dosed, thereby enabling the sensor to detect whether the device is being held by a user.

5. The handheld device of claim 4, wherein each conductive region includes an exposed metal strip.

6. The handheld device of claim 4, wherein each conductive region is raised relative to the respective adjacent outside surface of the device.

7. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the sensor detects changes in voltage in an exposed touch zone to determine whether the device is being held by a user.

8. The handheld device of claim 7, wherein the sensor includes a capacitance-operated switch.

9. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the lighting apparatus is a backlight for a flat panel display.

10. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the device has the functionality of at least one of the set consisting of:

a media player, a telephone, a camera, a camcorder, a remote control unit, a personal organizer, a calculator, a computer, a geographic positioning unit, a home maintenance tool, and a construction tool.

11. The handheld device of claim 1, further comprising:

d) an override switch that disables the sensor from automatically operating the lighting apparatus.

12. The handheld device of claim 11, wherein the override switch is a pressure-operated toggle switch or button, or a voice-operated switch.

13. A method for illuminating a user control for a handheld device, comprising:

a) sensing whether the device is being held within a hand of a user;

b) illuminating the control when the device is being held within a hand of a user; and

c) turning off illumination of the control when the device is not being held within a hand of the user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein turning off illumination does not occur within a previously specified amount of time after the device has been held in the hand of a user.