Patent ID: 6647278
Filing Date: 2003-11-11
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
An electronic device comprising:an indicator that generates an indication of an event responsive to an indicator control signal; a processor that generates an indicator off-time value and an indicator on-time value when an indication is desired; an indicator control circuit coupled between the processor and the indicator wherein the indicator control circuit receives the indicator off-time value and the indicator on-time value from the processor and wherein the indicator control circuit includes, an off-time register coupled to the processor that stores the off-time value generated by the processor, an on-time register coupled to the processor that stores the on-time value generated by the processor, and an indicator control signal generator coupled to the off-time register and coupled to the on-time register wherein the indicator control signal generator alternatingly and repeatedly enables the indicator control signal for a period of time determined by the on-time value stored in the on-time register and disables the indicator control signal for a period of time determined by the off-time value stored in the off-time register; wherein the processor generates an indicator pulse-duty, wherein the indicator control circuit receives the indicator pulse-duty, the indicator control circuit further including, an indicator pulse-duty register coupled to the processor that stores the indicator pulse-duty generated by the processor, and a pulse width modulation circuit coupled to the indicator pulse-duty register wherein the pulse width modulation circuit modulates a pulse width of the enabled indicator control signal in response to the indicator pulse-duty stored in the indicator pulse-duty register.