Abstract:
A portable device comprises a memory and a wireless signal receiver. The memory is used for storing a first internal setting and a second internal setting, wherein the first internal setting is capable of being determined by users, and the second internal setting is reserved and unchangeable. The wireless signal receiver is used for receiving a predetermined setting signal corresponding to the second internal setting. The portable device switches from the first state into the second state according to the second internal setting after the wireless signal receiver receives the predetermined setting signal.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The invention relates to a portable device, and more particularly, to a portable device capable of automatically changing the internal setting configuration when the user arriving a specific environment. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    With the rapid progression of technology, more and more people use the portable devices, such as PDA, smart phone, cell phone or tablet PC, in their daily life. However, the sound or ringtone of the portable devices is sometimes another kind of noise in some occasions. For example, the ringtone from cell phone is disgusted in the museum or theater, and we can always find some people negligently forget to turn off their cell phone in such occasions. In some circumstances, such as on the airplane or in the hospital, this kind of negligence may not only cause the displeasure from other people but also have safety issue. 
         [0005]    The internal configuration of present portable devices, such as ringtone or vibration, can be mostly changed by the user via the user interface of the portable device. Besides, some calendar software can also change the configuration of the portable devices by scheduling the program in the devices in advance. Nevertheless, the present operation of the portable devices needs user&#39;s input to change the configuration and cannot avoid the negligence or obliviousness of some users. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is therefore a primary objective of the claimed invention to provide a portable device. The claimed invention can automatically change the internal setting configuration of the portable device according to the location of the user. 
         [0007]    An embodiment of the invention discloses a portable device comprising a memory and a wireless signal receiver. The memory is used for storing a first internal setting and a second internal setting. The first internal setting is capable of being determined by users, and the second internal setting is reserved and unchangeable. The wireless signal receiver is used for receiving a predetermined setting signal corresponding to the second internal setting. The portable device switches from the first state into the second state according to the second internal setting after the wireless signal receiver receives the predetermined setting signal. 
         [0008]    Another embodiment of the invention discloses a portable device comprising a wireless signal receiver, an internal memory and a battery. The wireless signal receiver is used for receiving a setting signal provided by a communication base, the internal memory is used for storing an internal setting of the portable device, and the battery is used for providing power to the portable device. The setting signal is related to a property of a location where the communication base is located. The portable device switches from the first state into the second state according to the setting signal after the wireless signal receiver receives the setting signal. 
         [0009]    A further embodiment of the invention discloses a portable device comprising a wireless signal receiver, an internal memory and a battery. The wireless signal receiver is used for receiving a first setting signal when the portable device is entering a designated region, the internal memory is used for storing an internal setting of the portable device, and the battery is used for providing power to the portable device. The portable device switches from the first state into the second state when the wireless signal receiver receives the first setting signal, and the portable device switches from the second state back to the first state when the portable device is leaving the designated region. 
         [0010]    These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of the third embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of the fifth embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    Please refer to  FIG. 1 , which shows the first embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 1 , the mobile communication system  100  includes a mobile device  110  and a wireless access point  120 , and the mobile device  110  and the wireless access point  120  communicate each other via a wireless communication standard, such as infrared, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and so on. Every wireless access point or router is manufactured with a unique media access control (MAC) address, and the wireless access point  120  of this embodiment also has its own unique MAC address. When the mobile device  110  communicates with the wireless access point  120 , the mobile device  110  can read the MAC address of the wireless access point  120  and identify the location of the wireless access point  120 . The MAC address of the wireless access point  120  is one kind of location information, and the mobile device  110  can further compare the location information with a database to identify its location. In the database, some predetermined locations are categorized to, for example, normal area, silent area, no-flash area, no-camera area, machine-off area and so on, and the internal configuration of the mobile device  110  can be automatically changed according to the comparison result. For example, if the user of the mobile device  110  enters a library, the mobile device  110  will receive the location information via the communication with the wireless access point  120  located in the library to identify the mobile device is in a silent area, and then the mobile device  110  will be automatically switched to a silent mode. For another example, if the user of the mobile device  110  moves to a museum, the mobile device  110  will receive the location information via the communication with another wireless access point  120  located in the museum to identify the mobile device is in a silent, no-camera and no-flash area, and then the mobile device  110  will be automatically switched to a silent, no-camera and no-flash mode. 
         [0017]    In the present invention, the location categorization can be stored in the internal memory of the mobile device  110  or be stored in a remote database. Whenever the mobile device  110  obtains the location information, the mobile device  110  can access the internal memory or the remote database to identify it. 
         [0018]    Please refer to  FIG. 2 , which is the second embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 2 , the mobile communication system  200  includes a mobile phone  210  and a communication base  220 . In one example of this embodiment, the communication base  220  can be an access point (AP) or an internet router which communicates with the mobile phone  210  via infrared, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and so on. In other example of this embodiment, the communication base  220  can be a mobile phone base station which communicates with the mobile phone  210  via the mobile phone air interface standard. The mobile phone air interface standard is, for example, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), or other industry standard adopted by international standards bodies, such as the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the European Telecommunication Standard Institute (ETSI) or Japan&#39;s Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB). The mobile phone  210  has two internal setting states, in which the first internal setting state is defined by the user and the second internal setting state is configured by the manufacture and cannot be changed by the user. The first and second internal setting states are related to the functions of the mobile phone  210 , such as volume, camera or flash functions. The mobile phone  210  comprises a battery for providing power to the mobile phone  210 , a memory for storing the first and second internal setting, and a wireless signal receiver for receiving a predetermined setting signal. The predetermined setting signal is provided by the communication base  220 . When the mobile phone  210  receives the predetermined setting signal from the communication base  220 , which means the user is in a predefined environment, the mobile phone  210  will switch from the first internal setting state to the second internal setting state. The switching process can be automatically happened without user&#39;s input, or can switch after user&#39;s confirmation. 
         [0019]    For example, the communication base  220  is established near a hospital, and for safety reason, when a user enters the hospital area, the mobile phone  210  will obtain the setting signal from the communication base  220 . After receiving the setting signal, the mobile phone  210  is identified locating in the hospital area and will automatically switch to the second internal setting state, which turning off all wireless communication. In the present invention, when the user leaves the hospital area, the mobile phone  210  will switch back to the first internal setting state. 
         [0020]    In another example of the present invention, the first and second internal setting can be both defined by the user 
         [0021]    Please refer to  FIG. 3 , which is the third embodiment of the present invention. The mobile communication system  300  includes a mobile device  310  and a passive location circuitry  320 . The mobile device  310  sends out a radio signal to trigger the passive location circuitry  320 , such as the passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag or the passive near field communication (NFC) tag, and the passive location circuitry  320  can receive the radio signal from the mobile device  310  and send data back to the mobile device  310 . The data sent by the passive location circuitry  320  includes predetermined location information of the passive location circuitry  320 . Since the communication between the mobile device  310  and the passive location circuitry  320  includes the location information of the passive location circuitry  320 , the mobile device  310  can switch from a first state to a second state according to the predetermined location information. For example, the passive location circuitry  320  is established on the entrance of a hospital, and for safety reason, when a user enters the hospital area, the mobile device  310  will obtain the location information from the passive location circuitry  320 . After receiving the location information, the mobile device  310  will switch to the second internal setting state to turn off all wireless communication. In the present invention, the first internal setting is defined by the user, and the second internal setting can be defined by the user or configured by the manufacturer. The first and second internal settings are store in the internal memory of the mobile device  310 . 
         [0022]    Please refer to  FIG. 4 , which is the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The mobile communication system  400  includes a mobile device  410  and an active location indicator  420 . The active location indicator  420  can send out the radio signal and the radio signal includes the location information. For example, the active radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag or the active near field communication (NFC) tag can include its location information in the data communication to indicate a designated region. Since the communication between the mobile device  410  and the active location indicator  420  includes the location information of the active location indicator  420 , the mobile device  410  can switch from a first state to a second state according to the predetermined location information when the user enters the designated region. 
         [0023]    Please refer to  FIG. 5 , which is the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The mobile communication system  500  includes a mobile device  510  and a global positioning system (GPS) satellite  520 . The conventional mobile device can receive GPS signals and position the mobile device on the map after computing the GPS signals. The mobile device  510  in the present invention can further compare the location information from the GPS satellite  520  with a database to identify its location categorization. In the database, some predetermined locations are categorized to, for example, normal area, silent area, no-flash area, no-camera area, machine-off area and so on, and the internal configuration of the mobile device  510  can be automatically changed according to the comparison result. For example, when the mobile device  510  receives the location information from the GPS satellite  520  and compares the location information with the database to identify its location categorization, the mobile device  510  is identified locating in the hospital area and will be automatically switched to an “Airplane Mode” to turn off all wireless communication. 
         [0024]    In the present invention, the location categorization can be stored in the internal memory of the mobile device  510  or be stored in a remote database. Whenever the mobile device  510  obtains the location information, the mobile device  510  can access the internal memory or the remote database to identify it. 
         [0025]    Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.