Electronic apparatus with backlighting device

• US 6,891,525 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2001
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ogoro, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, KENT WU
• Application Number:
  US09/773,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20010013854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102, 345/589, 345/690, 345/204, 345/211, 455/566, 455/574, 713/300, 713/320, 713/321, 713/323, 713/324
• US Class Current: 345/102
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/062 Adjustment of illumination source parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals
• 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

An electronic apparatus with backlit display and input device allowing reduced power consumption while maintaining necessary brightness is disclosed. A mode detecting section detects a currently set operation mode when performing a function. The brightness of the backlighting is controlled depending on the currently set operation mode. In the case of a data input mode, the brightness of the backlighting is reduced.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a display section;

an input section having a plurality of keys;

a backlighting section for backlighting the display section and/or the input section;

a mode detecting section for detecting a currently set operation mode that is one of a plurality of different predetermined operation modes, wherein the plurality of different predetermined operation modes include a data input mode and a data display mode, wherein the backlighting control section reduces the brightness of the backlighting section when the data input mode has been set; and

further comprising;

an information processing section on which one of a plurality of programs runs to generate a corresponding function; and

wherein the plurality of programs include a brightness designation program, wherein the backlighting control section controls brightness of the backlighting section depending on a designated brightness level obtained by running the brightness designation program on the information processing section.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mobile telephone section performing a mobile telephone function.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of different predetermined operation modes include a data input mode, a data display mode, and a communication status display mode.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the mobile telephone section has a plurality of functions including a voice communication function, a mailing function, a short-messaging function, a phone directory function, a scheduling function, and a game function.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the backlighting control section reduces the brightness of the backlighting section when the data input mode has been set.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of different predetermined operation modes include a text mode, a graphics mode, a display mode, a data input mode, and a data display mode, which are operation modes in a function that is one of previously installed functions and functions to be generated by a plurality of application programs.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the backlighting control section reduces the brightness of the backlighting section when the data input mode has been set.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a brightness-change selector for selecting one of a change mode and a no-change mode in brightness depending on a user'"'"'s instruction inputted through the input section,

wherein the backlighting control section changes the brightness of the backlighting section depending on the currently set operation mode when the change mode is selected and does not change the brightness of the backlighting section when the no-change mode is selected.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the backlighting control section comprises:

a brightness determining section for determining brightness of the backlighting depending on a currently set operation mode to produce a brightness determination signal; and

a brightness control section for controlling the brightness of the backlighting depending on the brightness determination signal.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the brightness determining section determines brightness of the backlighting as one of a plurality of brightness levels depending on the currently set operation mode, and

the brightness control section controls the brightness of the backlighting depending on a determined brightness level.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the brightness control section comprises:

a plurality of resister circuits connected to each of a plurality of light-emitting elements provided in the backlighting section, the resister circuits having different resistance values corresponding to the plurality of brightness levels, respectively; and

a selector for selecting one of the resister circuits depending on the determined brightness level to adjust an amount of current flowing through each of the light-emitting elements in the backlighting section.

12. The electronic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the brightness control section comprises:

a chopper circuit connecting a power supply to the backlighting section, for adjusting an amount of current flowing through each of the light-emitting elements in the backlighting section depending on the determined brightness level.

13. In an electronic apparatus having a display section, an input section having a plurality of keys, and a backlighting section for backlighting the display section and/or the input section, a method for controlling brightness of the backlighting section, comprising the steps of:

a) detecting a currently set operation mode that is one of a plurality of different predetermined operation modes when preforming a function; and

b) controlling brightness of the backlighting section depending on the currently set operation mode;

c) executing one of a plurality of programs to generate a corresponding one of the plurality of different predetermined operating modes wherein one of the plurality of programs includes a brightness designation program wherein backlighting is controlled depending on a designated brightness level obtained by running the brightness designation program;

wherein the plurality of different predetermined operation modes include a data input mode and a data display mode, wherein, in the step (b), when the data input mode has been set, the brightness of the backlighting section is reduced.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

c) selecting one of a change mode and a no-change mode in brightness depending on a user'"'"'s instruction inputted through the input section,

wherein, in the step (b), the brightness of the backlighting section is changed depending on the currently set operation mode when the change mode is selected and the brightness of the backlighting section is not changed depending on the currently set operation mode when the no-change mode is selected.