US5881377A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Communication device and display blanking control method therefor
Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC
•
Filing: 1996-08-29
•
Granted: 1999-03-09
•
Expires: 2016-08-29
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus control blanking of a display (106) in a communication device (100) such as a battery powered radiotelephone. The communication device (100) includes a clock operated blanking timer 317. When the blanking timer 317 elapses, the communication device (100) blanks the display (106) a predetermined time after a key press of a keypad (108). A switch (310) detects when the communication device (100) is in use. In response to this detection, the communication device (100) maintains supply of operating power to the display (106), overriding the blanking timer 317. When a user is holding the communication device (100) adjacent to the user's head, an earpiece sensor (312) provides an indication of this condition. In response to the indication, the display (106) is immediately blanked to conserve operating power in the battery (124).
Inventors
- 👤 James Giel
- 👤 Gary A. Welsch
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 18:05
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M1/00; H04M1/02; H04M1/0202; H04M1/23; H04W; H04W52/00; H04W52/02; H04W52/0209; H04W52/0251; H04W52/0254; H04M2250/00; H04M2250/12; H04M2250/22; H04W52/0261; H04W52/0267; H04W52/027; Y; Y02; Y02D; Y02D30/00; Y02D30/70
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
78 words
A communication device comprising: a battery for supplying operating power; a display; a switch closeable in response to grasping of the communication device by a user; and a controller coupled to the switch, the battery and the display, the controller responsive to closure of the switch for controlling supply of operating power from the battery to the display, the controller maintaining supply of operating power from the battery to the display in response to closure of the switch.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
78 words
A communication device comprising: a battery for supplying operating power; a display; a switch closeable in response to grasping of the communication device by a user; and a controller coupled to the switch, the battery and the display, the controller responsive to closure of the switch for controlling supply of operating power from the battery to the display, the controller maintaining supply of operating power from the battery to the display in response to closure of the switch.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
A communication device as recited in claim 1 further comprising an earpiece sensor coupled to the controller for providing an indication when the communication device is located adjacent to a user's head, the controller responsive to the indication for interrupting supply of operating power from the battery to the display.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
A communication device as recited in claim 1 wherein the display comprises one or more light emitting diodes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A communication device as recited in claim 3 wherein the display further comprises a back-lit liquid crystal display.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A communication device as recited in claim 3 wherein the communication device comprises a keypad and wherein the display further comprises one or more light emitting diodes for illuminating the keypad.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
83 words
A battery operated radiotelephone comprising: a housing; a display disposed within the housing; one or more grips disposed on the housing and configured for grasping by a user; a switch responsive to grasping of the one or more grips for providing a blanking control signal; and a controller disposed within the housing, the controller interrupting supply of operating power to the display following a predetermined time, the controller maintaining supply of operating power to the display in response to the blanking control signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
83 words
A battery operated radiotelephone comprising: a housing; a display disposed within the housing; one or more grips disposed on the housing and configured for grasping by a user; a switch responsive to grasping of the one or more grips for providing a blanking control signal; and a controller disposed within the housing, the controller interrupting supply of operating power to the display following a predetermined time, the controller maintaining supply of operating power to the display in response to the blanking control signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A battery operated radiotelephone as recited in claim 6 wherein the controller comprises a blanking timer for timing the predetermined time.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
A battery operated radiotelephone as recited in claim 7 wherein the battery operated radiotelephone further comprises a keypad including a plurality of keys, the blanking timer starting timing in response to a press of one key of the plurality of keys.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
56 words
A battery operated radiotelephone as recited in claim 6 wherein the battery operated radiotelephone further comprises an earpiece sensor coupled to the controller for providing an indication when the battery operated radiotelephone is located adjacent to a user's head, and wherein the controller responds to the indication by interrupting supply of operating power to the display.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
A battery operated radiotelephone as recited in claim 6 wherein the battery operated radiotelephone is a cellular telephone.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for limiting battery power dissipation in a battery powered radiotelephone, the battery powered radiotelephone including a keypad and a display, the method comprising the steps of: providing a switch responsive to grasping of the battery powered radiotelephone; starting a blanking timer; blanking the display upon expiration of the blanking timer; detecting a switch actuation of the switch; and in response to the switch actuation, un-blanking the display.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for limiting battery power dissipation in a battery powered radiotelephone, the battery powered radiotelephone including a keypad and a display, the method comprising the steps of: providing a switch responsive to grasping of the battery powered radiotelephone; starting a blanking timer; blanking the display upon expiration of the blanking timer; detecting a switch actuation of the switch; and in response to the switch actuation, un-blanking the display.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method as recited in claim 11 wherein the step of blanking the display comprises the step of interrupting supply of battery power to the display and wherein the step of un-blanking the display comprises the step of establishing supply of battery power to the display.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method as recited in claim 11 wherein the method further comprises the steps of: providing an earpiece sensor, the earpiece sensor being activated when the battery powered radiotelephone is located adjacent to a user's head; and if the earpiece sensor is activated, blanking the display.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
76 words
A radiotelephone comprising a keypad, a display, a switch closeable in response to engagement of the radiotelephone by a user's hand, and a controller coupled to the keypad and the display, the controller blanking the display a predetermined time following actuation of the keypad, the controller illuminating the display in response to closure of the switch, and the controller blanking the display in response to placing the radiotelephone in a position adjacent to a user's head.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
76 words
A radiotelephone comprising a keypad, a display, a switch closeable in response to engagement of the radiotelephone by a user's hand, and a controller coupled to the keypad and the display, the controller blanking the display a predetermined time following actuation of the keypad, the controller illuminating the display in response to closure of the switch, and the controller blanking the display in response to placing the radiotelephone in a position adjacent to a user's head.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
A radiotelephone as recited in claim 14 wherein engagement of the radiotelephone comprises grasping of the radiotelephone so as to close the switch.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
A radiotelephone as recited in claim 14 wherein the display comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
166 words
A radiotelephone comprising: a housing; a battery configured for attachment to the housing; a display disposed within the housing; a keypad disposed within the housing; one or more grips disposed on the housing and configured for manual grasping by a user of the radiotelephone; a switch responsive to grasping of the one or more grips for providing a blanking control signal; an earpiece sensor disposed within the housing for providing an indication when the radiotelephone is located adjacent to a user's head; and a controller disposed within the housing and coupled to the battery, the display, the keypad, the switch and the earpiece sensor, the controller interrupting supply of battery power from the battery to the display after a predetermined time following actuation of the keypad and interrupting supply of battery power from the battery to the display in response to the indication, the controller maintaining supply of battery power from the battery to the controller to the display in response to the blanking control signal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
166 words
A radiotelephone comprising: a housing; a battery configured for attachment to the housing; a display disposed within the housing; a keypad disposed within the housing; one or more grips disposed on the housing and configured for manual grasping by a user of the radiotelephone; a switch responsive to grasping of the one or more grips for providing a blanking control signal; an earpiece sensor disposed within the housing for providing an indication when the radiotelephone is located adjacent to a user's head; and a controller disposed within the housing and coupled to the battery, the display, the keypad, the switch and the earpiece sensor, the controller interrupting supply of battery power from the battery to the display after a predetermined time following actuation of the keypad and interrupting supply of battery power from the battery to the display in response to the indication, the controller maintaining supply of battery power from the battery to the controller to the display in response to the blanking control signal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
A radiotelephone as recited in claim 17 wherein the display comprises one or more light emitting diodes.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
17 words
A radiotelephone as recited in claim 18 wherein at least one light emitting diode illuminated the keypad.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
A radiotelephone as recited in claim 18 wherein the display further comprises a liquid crystal display and wherein at least one light emitting diode illuminates the liquid crystal display.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
131 words
A radiotelephone comprising: a housing; a battery configured for attachment to the housing; a keypad disposed within the housing; a switch responsive to a user's touching of the radiotelephone for providing a blanking control signal; an earpiece sensor disposed within the housing for providing an indication when the radiotelephone is located adjacent to the user's head; and a controller disposed within the housing, the controller interrupting supply of battery power from the battery to a portion of the radiotelephone after a predetermined time following actuation of the keypad and interrupting supply of battery power from the battery to the portion of the radiotelephone in response to the indication, the controller maintaining supply of battery power from the battery to the portion of the radiotelephone in response to the blanking control signal.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
131 words
A radiotelephone comprising: a housing; a battery configured for attachment to the housing; a keypad disposed within the housing; a switch responsive to a user's touching of the radiotelephone for providing a blanking control signal; an earpiece sensor disposed within the housing for providing an indication when the radiotelephone is located adjacent to the user's head; and a controller disposed within the housing, the controller interrupting supply of battery power from the battery to a portion of the radiotelephone after a predetermined time following actuation of the keypad and interrupting supply of battery power from the battery to the portion of the radiotelephone in response to the indication, the controller maintaining supply of battery power from the battery to the portion of the radiotelephone in response to the blanking control signal.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
20 words
A radiotelephone as recited in claim 21 wherein the portion of the radiotelephone comprises a display disposed within the housing.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
14 words
A radiotelephone as recited in claim 22 wherein the display comprises an illuminated keypad.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
23 words
A communication device as recited in claim 21 wherein the switch comprises a grip switch responsive to the user grasping the communication device.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3109893A
Cited
US5222076A
Cited
US5204986A
Cited
US5010566A
Cited
USD305427S
Cited
US5175759A
Cited
US5463380A
Cited
US5394166A
Cited
US5446759A
Cited
US5224151A
Cited
US5606740A
Cited
US5586182A
Cited
US5548832A
Cited
US5594951A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-03-08 | 2002-09-07 | 2003-03-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-03-08 | 2006-09-07 | 2007-03-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-03-08 | 2010-09-07 | 2011-03-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |