Abstract:
A portable electronic device comprises a battery, a display, a switch and a processor. The battery is for supplying operating power. The switch includes a magnetic element and a sensor configured for detecting the magnetic flux of the magnetic element. The sensor has a first predetermined value for turning on the switch. The switch is turning on in response to the magnetic flux of the magnetic element detected by the sensor being equal to the first predetermined value of the sensor. The processor is coupled to the switch, the battery and the display. The processor responsive to turning on of the switch for controlling supply of operating power from the battery to the display. The processor maintains supply of operating power from the battery to the display in response to turning on of the switch.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to display blanking controllers, and particularly to display blanking controllers used in portable electronic devices. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Many portable electronic devices are mobile and operated on battery power. An example of such a portable electronic device is a telephone. To improve mobility and user convenience, many telephones are powered by rechargeable batteries. One design goal for portable electronic devices including telephones is minimization of power consumption from the battery. One reason for this goal is to permit the use of physically smaller, lighter batteries. Such smaller and lighter batteries permit the portable electronic device itself to be physically smaller and lighter, and thereby more convenient for the user. A second reason for minimizing power consumption in a portable electronic device is to extent the operating time of the portable electronic device, which also enhances convenience for the user. 
         [0005]    Displays in portable electronic devices are one source of substantial power consumption. One known method of reducing power consumption in a portable electronic device is blanking the display after a predetermined time. The display is blanked by removing power from portions of the display. Such portions include specific LED segments or LEDs used for backlighting a LCD display. Only one or a few isolated illuminated elements, such as LED indicators, remain energized to provide a visual indication that the portable electronic device is active. By blanking the display, power consumption can be substantially reduced. 
         [0006]    The rationale for blanking the display is that there are times when a user no longer needs to see the display. For example, once a user has initiated a telephone call, the user no longer needs to see the display. Also, when the user is not actively using the telephone and the user is awaiting an incoming call, the user does not need to see the display. 
         [0007]    In some instances, blanking the display can hinder user convenience. This can occur if the user is still holding the portable electronic device in his hand and still wants to see the information on the display. Blanking at such a time is inconvenient for the user. According to current designs, in order to get the information on the display to reappear, the user usually have to triggers the device by pressing a key or close and open the keypad cover. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, there is room for improvement within the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with references to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the exemplary display blanking controller and portable electronic device using the display blanking controller. Moreover, in the drawings like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of one embodiment of a display blanking controller used in a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device including the display blanking controller, a housing, and a display. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is an assembled, isometric view of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a partially enlarged view of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4 , but a switch is in an turned off status. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a partially enlarged view of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 5 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , one embodiment of a display blanking controller  70  (seen  FIG. 3 ) can be used on a portable electronic device  100 , such as a cellular phone or any electronic device where a display blanking controller  70  is desirable. The portable electronic device  100  includes a housing  30 , a display  20  disposed within the housing  30 , and a display blanking controller  70  disposed within the housing  30 . The portable electronic device  100  further includes a keypad  40  having a plurality of keys  42  and a battery  50  (seen in  FIG. 3 ) configured for accommodated in the housing  30  to provide operating power for the display  20 . 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the display blanking controller  70  includes a switch  10  and a processor  60  electrically coupled with the switch  10 . The switch  10  includes a trigger  12 , a slider  14 , a magnetic element  16 , an elastic member  18  and a sensor  19 . The trigger  12  forms a user interface for operation of the switch  10 , and the trigger  12  may be a stylus. The trigger  12  has a block  122  protruding from one end thereof and has an annular slot  124  defined at another end thereof. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 4 , the slider  14  includes a body section  142 , a positioning pole  144  protruding outwardly from the bottom wall of the body section  142 , a connecting section  146  perpendicularly protruding from a side wall of the body section  142  and a securing section  148  extending from a distal end of the connecting section  146 . The connecting section  146  is parallel to and opposite to the body section  142 , thus turned on the body section  142 , the connecting section  146  and the securing section  148  cooperatively define a securing portion  149 . The securing portion  149  is configured to accommodate the magnetic element  16  therein. 
         [0019]    The elastic member  18  provides an elastic force for restoration of the slider  14 . The elastic member  18  may be a compression spring winding on the positioning pole  144 . One end of the elastic member  18  is resisted against the bottom wall of the body section  142 , and anther end of the elastic member  18  is resisted against the housing  30 . 
         [0020]    The sensor  19  provides a first indication when the magnetic element  16  is located away from the sensor  19 , and provides a second indication when the magnetic element  16  is located adjacent to the sensor  19 . The sensor  19  is electrically coupled to the processor  60  for providing the first indication and the second indication to the processor  60 . The first indication and the second indication are provided for the sensor  19  to detect variation in magnetic flux when the magnetic element  16  is moved away from the sensor  19 . For illustration, the sensor  19  has a first predetermined value of the magnetic flux for providing the first indication, and a second predetermined value of the magnetic flux for providing the second indication. Once the magnetic flux of the magnetic element  16  detected by the sensor  19  is equal to the first predetermined value or the second predetermined value, the sensor  19  provides the first indication or the second indication, correspondingly. Any suitable sensor  19  can be used to detect distance to the magnetic element  16 , such as magnetic indication sensor  19 , remoteness detector or optoelectronic switch  10 . 
         [0021]    The processor  60  receives the first indication of the sensor  19  and generates a first blanking control signal according to the first indication. The processor  60  receives the second indication of the sensor  19  and generates a first blanking control signal according to the second indication. The first blanking control signal provides an indication that a user has turned on the switch  10  to operate the portable electronic device  100 , so the processor  60  maintains supply of operating power to the display  20  in response to the first blanking control signal. The second blanking control signal provides an indication that a user has turned off the switch  10  to finish operating the portable electronic device  100 , so the processor  60  cuts off supply of operating power to the display  20  in response to the second blanking control signal, to conserve battery power. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the housing  30  includes a bottom wall  31  and one or more sidewalls perpendicularly protruding from the bottom wall  31 . The sidewalls includes a first sidewall  32 , a second sidewall  34  opposite to the first sidewall  32 , a third sidewall  36  connected the first sidewall  32  with and the second sidewall  34 , and a fourth sidewall  37  opposite to the third sidewall  36 . The first sidewall  32  has a retaining base  38  protruding from an inner surface thereof and parallel to the third sidewall  36 . The retaining base  38  is a hollow pole having a blind hole  382  defined therein. The blind hole  382  extends along an axis of the retaining base  38 . The blind hole  382  has an opening  3822  defined in the first sidewall  32 , i.e., the opening  3822  communicates with an outer surface of the first sidewall  32 . 
         [0023]    The retaining base  38  has a trough  384  defined through the sidewall thereof and located adjacent to an end opposite to the opening  3822 . The trough  384  corresponds to the slider  14 , the body section  142  of the slider  14  enters into the blind hole  382  via the trough  384 . The retaining base  38  has two inner walls, including a first inner wall  385  situated parallel to and adjacent to the bottom portion of the blind hole  382 , and a second inner wall  386  situated opposite to the first inner wall  385 . The inner walls  385 ,  386  are configured to limit the moving distance of the slider  14 . The retaining base  38  has a plurality of protrusions  388  protruding from an inner surface thereof. The protrusions  388  are located between the opening  3822  and the trough  384 . The protrusions  388  are latched into the slot  124  of the trigger  12  when the trigger  12  is located in the blind hole  382 , to prevent the trigger  12  from detaching from the blind hole  382 . 
         [0024]    The housing  30  has a first compartment  35  defined between the retaining base  38  and the fourth sidewall  37  and a second compartment  39  defined adjacent to the first compartment  35 . The first compartment  35  is used for accommodating the battery  50  therein. The second compartment  39  is used for accommodating the processor  60  therein. 
         [0025]    Referring further to  FIG. 5 , to assemble the portable electronic device  100 , firstly, the sensor  19  is attached to the third sidewall  36  of the housing  30 . The elastic member  18  is winded to the positioning pole  144 . The magnetic element  16  is latched into securing portion  149  of the slider  14 . The body section  142  of the slider  14  is aligned with the trough  384  of the retaining base  38 . Then the slider  14  is pressed toward the retaining base  38 , so that the body section  142  passes through the trough  384  and enters into the blind hole  382 . At this time, the portion of the connecting section  146  is accommodated in the trough  384 , and the elastic member  18  is held between the bottom wall  31  of the body section  142  and the bottom wall  31  of the blind hole  382 . 
         [0026]    After that, the trigger  12  is aligned with and passes through the opening  3822  of retaining base  38 , until the protrusions  388  of the retaining base  38  slide into the slot  124  of the trigger  12  to stably maintain the trigger  12  in the blind hole  382 . At this stage, the trigger  12  continuously move downward to press the body section  142  to move toward the bottom wall  31  of the blind hole  382 , such that the elastic member  18  is compressed to accumulate elastic force. Additionally, the connecting section  146  is stopped by the first inner wall  385 , where the magnetic element  16  is located adjacent to the sensor  19  and the magnetic flux of the magnetic element  16  detected by the sensor  19  is equal to the second predetermined value of the sensor  19 , i.e., the switch  10  is turned off. Thereby the sensor  19  provides the second indication to conserve battery power. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , when using the display blanking controller  70 , the block  122  of the trigger  12  is pulled away from the housing  30 , such that the trigger  12  is pulled from the blind hole  382 . Once the protrusions  388  in the blind hole  382  are released from the slot  124  of the trigger  12 , the slider  14  is drove away from the bottom wall of the blind hole  382  under the elastic force accumulated in the elastic member  18 , until the connecting section  146  is stopped by the second inner wall  386  in the trough  384 . During this stage, moving slider  14  push the trigger  12  continuously to slide out of the blind hole  382 . When the connecting section  146  is stopped at the second inner wall  386 , where the magnetic element  16  is located away from the sensor  19  and the magnetic flux of the magnetic element  16  detected by the sensor  19  is equal to the first predetermined value of the sensor  19 , the sensor  19  provides the first indication, i.e., the switch  10  is turned on at this time. Then, the processor  60  receives the first indication of the sensor  19  and generates a first blanking control signal according to the first indication, i.e., the processor  60  maintains supply of operating power to the display  20  in response to the first blanking control signal. 
         [0028]    As the user finish operating the portable electronic device  100 , the trigger  12  is accommodated in the blind hole  382  to turn on the switch  10 , and the sensor  19  provides the second indication. Then, the processor  60  receives the second indication of the sensor  19  and generates a second blanking control signal according to the second indication., i.e., the processor  60  cuts off supply of operating power to the display  20  in response to the second blanking control signal, to conserve battery power immediately. 
         [0029]    Because the switch  10  is turned on whenever the magnetic flux of the magnetic element  16  detected by the sensor  19  is equal to the first predetermined value of the sensor  19 , thus the display  20  remains illuminated as the processor  60  maintains supply of operating power to the display  20 . Thereby the display blanking controller  70  can provide conveniences for the user to see the information on the display  20  at desired times. Additional, as the switch  10  is turned off whenever the magnetic flux of the magnetic element  16  detected by the sensor  19  is equal to the second predetermined value of the sensor  192 , thus the display  20  is blanked to conserve battery power as the processor  60  cuts off supply of operating power to the display  20 . 
         [0030]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disturning on is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.