MOBILE ELECTRICAL DEVICE

• US 20110181421A1
• Filed: 01/26/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: NABATA, Toshihisa, Hiramoto, Toshikazu
• Granted Patent: US 8,618,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 47/00 Smokers' requisites not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A mobile electronic device comprising an odor sensor and methods of operation are disclosed. An odor is detected using an odor sensor coupled to the mobile electronic device, and a predetermined process is performed if the odor is a predefined odor.

Claims

1. A mobile electronic device comprising:

at least one of;

a microphone, an operation module, a receiver and a display module;

an odor sensor located in proximity to at least one of the microphone, the operation module, the receiver and the display module, and operable to detect a predefined odor; and

a control module operable to perform a predetermined process, if the predefined odor is detected.

2. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control module is further operable to cause prompting a user to perform an operation at one or more previously set date and time, and to cause the odor sensor to start operating.

3. The mobile electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the prompting comprises at least one prompt selected from a group of:

audio and an image.

4. The mobile electronic device according to claim 3, further comprising an audio module, wherein the control module is further operable to cause the audio module to generate audio informing of an effect, if the odor sensor detects the predefined odor.

5. The mobile electronic device according to claim 3, further comprising an audio module, wherein the control module is further operable to cause the audio module to generate audio informing of not operating the operation, if the user does not perform an operation despite the at least one prompt.

6. The mobile electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the one or more previously set date and time comprises a first time on a weekday and a second time on a weekend day, wherein the first time and the second time are different.

7. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a communication module, wherein the control module is further operable to cause the odor sensor to start operating during a communication performed by the communication module.

8. The mobile electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the communication comprises a voice communication, an email communication and an internet communication.

9. The mobile electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the control module is further operable to cause the communication module to send an email indicating a detection of the predefined odor to a predefined communication receiver, if the predefined odor is detected.

10. The mobile electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the control module is further operable to cause the communication module to send an email indicating no user operation to a predefined communication receiver, if a user does not perform an operation despite a prompt.

11. The mobile electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the control module is further operable to cause facilitation of a fake communication by a user.

12. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising an operation module operable to receive an operation input by a user, wherein the control module is further operable to cause the odor sensor to start operating when the operation module receives an operation input by the user.

13. The mobile electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the control module is further operable to count time starting at a predetermined time until the predefined odor is detected.

14. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the predefined odor comprises at least one odor selected from the group consisting of:

cigarette odor, nicotine odor, tar odor, food odor, perfume odor, alcohol odor, drug odor, and oral malodor odor.

15. A method for operating a mobile electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting an odor using an odor sensor coupled to the mobile electronic device; and

performing a predetermined process, if the odor is a predefined odor.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising determining if the odor is the predefined odor.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the odor sensor is located in proximity to at least one of:

a microphone, an operation module, a receiver, and a display module, each coupled to the mobile electronic device.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the predefined odor comprises at least one odor selected from the group consisting of:

cigarette odor, nicotine odor, tar odor, food odor, perfume odor, alcohol odor, drug odor, and oral malodor odor.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising a scheduler mode prompting a user to move a body part in proximity to an odor sensor.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the body part comprises at least one part selected from the group consisting of:

a mouth, a finger, a hair, a skin, a nose, an eye.