Abstract:
A mobile communication terminal comprising a user interface and a processor. The mobile communication terminal receives color data, from which the processor generates a colour scheme for the user interface. The light generating means receive the color scheme and provide a colored light to user interface in accordance with the color scheme.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a mobile communication terminal, such as a mobile or cellular telephone, or rather relates to control of appearance and colour of the mobile communication terminal. 
   BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   In personal computers operating under Windows® or Apple® operating systems the user may change the wallpaper of the display into any desired colour or pattern and may in fact use a photograph as a wallpaper. Further, recent mobile telephones have been equipped with cameras so that a photograph taken by the mobile telephone may be used directly on the mobile telephone as a wallpaper. 
   Both in personal computers and in recent mobile telephones the wallpaper may be easily changed or altered. However, the colour scheme or pattern of the overall appearance of the mobile telephone is difficult to change (a differently coloured second physical cover may be required), which is time consuming and expensive. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile communication terminal having an overall appearance which easily is changed in accordance with any colour or pattern schemes. 
   A particular advantage of the present invention is provision of an appearance, which may be controlled by the mobile communication terminal in accordance with user preferences. 
   A particular feature of the present invention relates to the provision of a camera enabling a user of the mobile communication terminal to take a photograph and to utilize said photograph to generate a desired colour or pattern scheme. 
   The above object, advantage and feature together with numerous other objects, advantages and features, which will become evident from below detailed description, are obtained according to a first aspect of the present invention by a mobile communication terminal comprising a user interface and a processor, and wherein said mobile communication terminal is adapted to receive colour data, said processor is adapted to generate a colour scheme for said user interface based on said colour data, and wherein light generating means are adapted to receive said colour scheme and to provide a coloured light to said user interface in accordance with said colour scheme 
   In this context the term “mobile communication terminal” is to be construed as a mobile or cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, or a laptop computer. The term “colour scheme” is in this context to be construed as a colour theme or colour shade plan, which may be digitally stored and generated. 
   Further in this context the term “user interface” may be construed as a display and image(s) that provides the user with control information and are displayed on the display, and as the display together with a cover, a light guide, and a keypad. 
   The advantage of the mobile communication terminal according to the first aspect of the present invention is that the light generating means enable the operator of the terminal to control the colours of each of the elements of the mobile communication terminal. Hence the presentation or appearance of the mobile communication terminal may be matched to for example the operator&#39;s outfit or clothes. 
   The user of the mobile communication terminal may generate a photograph of the user&#39;s shirt, which photograph is then processed to generate a colour scheme for the terminal. The colour scheme may be generated to match the user&#39;s shirt. The colour scheme may comprise a colour pattern or a photograph, that is, the display of the terminal may present the photograph while the other elements of the terminal present colours matching the photograph. 
   The light generating means according to the first aspect of the present invention may comprise a light source having one or more multicoloured light diodes. In fact, the light source may have a plurality of sections of multicoloured light diodes adapted to be controlled by the processor. Alternatively or additionally, the light source may comprise a liquid crystal element or a series of liquid crystal elements adapted to be controlled by the processor. 
   The processor according to the first aspect of the present invention may further be adapted to perform:
         (a) receiving colour data from a colour data generator;   (b) indexing of colours of pixels of said colour data and generating an array of indexed colours;   (c) selecting a grouping parameter;   (d) grouping of said indexed colours in accordance with said grouping parameter; and   (e) allocating grouped colours to said user interface, keypad and cover of said mobile communication terminal.       

   By indexing the colours of the pixels of the photograph the processors may identify all colours of the photograph, and by grouping the indexed colours the processor may determine, which colours should be used for each element of the terminal, i.e. the display, keypad, or cover. This is particularly advantageous, since the display may present a photograph as a wallpaper, and the operational menus on the display are overlaying the wallpaper with colours in accordance with the colour grouping. 
   The above objects, advantages and features together with numerous other objects, advantages and features, which will become evident from below detailed description, are obtained according to a second aspect of the present invention by a method for generating a colour scheme for a mobile communication device comprising:
         (a) receiving colour data from a colour data generator;   (b) indexing of colours of pixels of said colour data and generating an array of indexed colours;   (c) selecting a grouping parameter;   (d) grouping of said indexed colours in accordance with said grouping parameter; and   (e) allocating grouped colours to a user interface, keypad and cover of said mobile communication terminal.       

   The colour data according to the second aspect may a photograph, a drawing, or any combination thereof. The colour data may be taken directly as a snapshot by the camera of the mobile communication terminal or be downloaded from a communication network. Alternatively, the colour data may be a piece of art generated or downloaded to the mobile communication terminal by the user. 
   The grouping parameter according to the second aspect of the present invention may comprise one or more elements establishing design criterion for the colour scheme. The grouping paramter may be selected by the user of the mobile communication terminal or may be a default value stored in the mobile communication terminal, or in fact, a combination thereof. 
   The colour scheme according to the second aspect of the present invention may comprise an overall plan for combining of colours and patterns that are to be applied to the display, keypad and cover of the mobile communication terminal. The colour scheme advantageously establishes a set of rules to be followed during the establishing a desired appearance of the mobile communication terminal. 
   The method according to the second aspect of the present invention may further comprise checking colour scheme output and feed back of an adjusted grouping parameter. The method thereby advantageously allows the mobile communication terminal for continuously make sure that the colour scheme utilized provides a visible user interface. 
   The above objects, advantages and features together with numerous other objects, advantages and features, which will become evident from below detailed description, are obtained according to a third aspect of the present invention by a computer program comprising code adapted to perform method according to the second aspect of the present invention when run on a mobile communication terminal according to the first aspect of the present invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the appended drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1 , shows a mobile communication terminal according to a first embodiment of the present invention, 
       FIG. 2 , shows a block diagram of the mobile communication terminal according to a first embodiment of the present invention, 
       FIG. 3 , shows a flow chart of a process utilised by the mobile communication terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   In the following description of the various embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which show by way of illustration various embodiments, in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     FIG. 1  shows a mobile communication terminal designated in entirety by reference numeral  100 . The mobile communication terminal  100  comprises a display  102  and a keypad  104  enabling the user of the mobile communication terminal  100  to interface with the mobile communication terminal  100 . The mobile communication terminal  100  further comprises a camera  106  for taking of photographs, which may be presented on the display  102  in accordance with the user&#39;s instructions. The camera  106  is shown in  FIG. 1  positioned on the front side of the mobile communication terminal  100  entirely for simplicity reasons, the camera  106  may appropriately be positioned on any surface of the mobile communication terminal  100 . In particular, the camera  106  may advantageously be positioned on the rear surface of the mobile communication terminal  100 , so that the user may concurrently see in the display  102  what is targeted in the the camera view. 
   The mobile communication terminal  100  further internally comprises a colour controlling device  108 , which enables the user to control the colour and thereby appearance of the mobile communication terminal  100 . For example, the user may take a photograph and apply this photograph as a wallpaper on the display  102  and further instruct the colour controlling device  108  to generate a colour scheme, which is implemented in the display  102 , in the keypad  104  and in selected cover parts  110 , such as for example the edge  112  of the cover  114 . 
     FIG. 2  shows a block diagram of the mobile communication terminal  100  described above. Further,  FIG. 2  shows in detail the colour controlling device  108  communicating with the display  102 , the keypad  104 , and the cover  114 . 
   The colour controlling device  108  receives colour data  116 , for example a photograph or video stream received from the camera  106  or downloaded from a communication network. The user of the mobile communication terminal  100  may use the camera  106  for panning over an area thereby generating a video sequence on the display  102  and at any point press a key on the keypad  104  so as to freeze the camera view as a photograph. This photograph may then be used for generating a colour scheme for the mobile communication terminal  100 . 
   The colour controlling device  108  comprises a processor  118 , such as a microprocessor or a micro-controller, which is adapted to receive the colour data  116 . The processor  118  indexes the colour data  116  in an array of colours, which are detected in the colour data  116 . For example, if the colour data is a photograph having 256 colours an index array of 16 by 16 is generated. Obviously, the photograph and the colour data  116  as such may have any number of colours, such as in the range between 3 to 1024. 
   The term “colour” should in this context include any scale of grey. That is, the colour data  116  may be a grey scaled photograph. 
   The processor  118  groups the colours of the index array in accordance with a selected design criterion. The processor  118  uses the grouped colours for generating a colour scheme to be loaded in to table  120 . The table  120  may be implemented as any ordinary random access memory. The colour scheme describes allowable combinations of colours, i.e. which colours may be used in combination with the colour data  116 . For example, the photograph may show a steel grey building, and therefore one design criterion may be to allow colours in the grey scale to be used for menus overwriting the photograph when used as wallpaper on the display  102 . Obviously, the design criterion may include physiological parameters, which define the most visible colour combinations. 
   The processor  118  forwards a control signal to a device driver  122  for controlling colours of the display  102  and a light source  124 . The display  102  and the light source  124  are driven by the device driver  122  in accordance with the colour scheme generated by the processor  118 . 
   The light source  124  may comprise one or more multicoloured light emitting diodes (LED) and/or liquid crystal panels. The light generated by the light source  124  is communicated to the keypad  104  and selected cover parts of the cover  114 . The light is shown in  FIG. 2  as further communicated to a light guide  126 . One or more LEDs may be positioned appropriately under the keypad  104  and under opaque parts of the cover  114 . 
     FIG. 3  shows a flow chart of a method  200  to be performed by the processor  118 . The method  200  may be implemented as a computer program to be run by the processor  118  in the mobile communication terminal  100 . 
   The method  200  initiates in step  202 , during which variables are initialized and constants recorded. Subsequently the processor  118  is ready for receiving colour data  116  during step  204 . The colour data  116  are indexed in an array as described above during step  206 . The colours of the array are to be grouped according to a design criterion established by grouping parameters. The grouping parameters are either manually (step  208 ) or automatically (step  210 ) selected. That is, the mobile communication terminal  100  enables the user to select amongst a wide varieties of design criterions, such as psychedelic, metallic or soft tone. The mobile communication terminal  100  further enables the user to download design criterions from the communication network. 
   The user of the mobile communication terminal  100  responds to the processor  118 , whether the grouping parameters are to be manually or automatically selected during step  212 . The mobile communication terminal  100  enables the user to pre-set responses to be given in step  212 , so that no user involvement is required during the method  200 . 
   The indexed colours are grouped together in accordance with the grouping parameters during step  214  and, subsequently, a colour scheme is generated. 
   During step  218  the colours in the colour scheme are allocated to menus to be presented in the display  102 , to parts of the cover  114 , and/or to the keypad  104 . 
   In order to ensure, in particular, that the menus are visible to a user in the display  102 , the colour scheme output, i.e. the menus overlaying a wallpaper in the display  102  and the colours of the keypad  104  and cover  114 , is checked during step  220 . If the colour scheme output is okay the method  200  terminates during step  222 . If on the other hand the colour scheme output is not okay, which is resolved during step  224 , the grouping parameters are adjusted during step  226  and fed back to the grouping step  214 .