Patent Publication Number: US-2007123227-A1

Title: Light spot control system and method thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The invention relates to a light spot control system and a method of the system, and more particularly to the system constructed in a mobile communication device for disable persons to operate easily the mobile communication device.  
      2. Description of the Prior Art  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , a block diagram of a conventional control system for a typical mobile communication device is shown. The control system  12  applicable to the mobile communication device  11 , say a mobile phone, includes an input unit  121 , a processing unit  122 , a program cluster  123 , and an output unit  124 . The input unit  121  can be a keypad which is used as a signal input interface for the mobile phone. The processing unit  122  can receive an input signal from the input unit  121 , and then transfer the input signal into a respective output signal according to a system program obtained from the program cluster  123 . The program cluster  123  can include a plurality of system programs for various operations of the processing unit  122 . The output unit  124  can be a liquid crystal display (LCD) for imaging the output signal so as to illustrate the user of the mobile phone various operation instructions.  
      Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a flowchart of a typical control for the system of  FIG. 1  is shown. In particular, the control system is used to a mobile phone. The control begins at step S 21 . A user of the mobile phone can use a keypad as the input unit (S 22 ). According to input from the keypad, the input unit can generate an input signal (S 23 ). As soon as the processing unit receives the input signal, the processing unit can obtain a respective system program from the program cluster, in which the system program is determined by judging the input signal (S 24 ). Then, the processing unit can transform the input signal into a respective output signal according to the system program (S 25 ). The output signal can be finally imaged on the LCD of the output unit (S 26 ). In step S 27 , if a new input signal is generated from the keypad or not is determined. In the case that the answer of S 27  is negative, the control is over (S 28 ). In the case that the answer of S 27  is positive, then the control goes back to process S 22 . Upon such an arrangement, the mobile phone can be systematically controlled.  
      In the art, the mobile communication device includes an input unit and an output unit as respectively operation interfaces. Generally, the input unit is a keypad or a touch screen. Yet, it is noted that either of the foregoing conventional input units is not suitable to those disable or handicapped users. For those disable, to operate the normal mobile communication device is just a dream hard to achieve. Therefore, to help the disable to utilize a modern mobile communication device initiates the development of the present invention.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a light spot control system applicable to a mobile communication device.  
      The light spot control system, using a projection device to generate a projection light or light spot as a control to the mobile communication device, comprises at least an input/output (I/O) unit and a processing unit. The I/O unit is used to receive the projection light. The processing unit is used to provide a time counter and a position counter for generating a time value and a position value, respectively. The time and position values are respectively the duration and location that the projection light stays at the I/O unit. As the time value meets a default value, the position value is used to induce a respective control for driving the mobile communication device.  
      In the present invention, the light spot control method comprises steps of: defining an I/O unit for receiving a projection light to the mobile communication device, defining a processing unit for providing a time value and a position value to the mobile communication device which the time and position values are respectively the duration and location of the projection light stayed at the I/O unit, and using the position value to drive a respective control as the time value meeting a default value.  
      All these objects are achieved by the light spot control system and method thereof described below. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The present invention will now be specified with reference to its preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a conventional mobile communication device;  
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a typical control method for the mobile communication device of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the light spot control system in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  shows schematically a typical application of the system of  FIG. 3 ;  
       FIG. 5  shows schematically the position relationship between a user and the mobile communication device having the system of  FIG. 3 ; and  
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart of a preferred embodiment of the light spot control method in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      The invention disclosed herein is directed to a light spot control system and a method of the light spot control system. In the following description, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that variations of these specific details are possible while still achieving the results of the present invention. In other instance, well-known components are not described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention.  
      Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a preferred embodiment of the light spot control system in accordance with the present invention is shown. As shown, the light spot control system  33  is applied to a mobile communication device  32 , which can be a mobile phone. A projection unit  31  is used to generate a projection light as a control to the mobile communication device  32 . The light spot control system  33  comprises an I/O unit  34  and a processing unit  35 . The I/O unit  34  can further include a light detector  341  and a screen  342  (preferably an LCD screen). The processing unit  35  can further include a time counter  351 , a determinater  352  and a position counter  353 . The light detector  341  of the I/O unit  34  is used to receive the projection light from the projection device  31  (to form a light spot on the I/O unit  34 ). The processing unit  35  utilizes the time counter  351  and the position counter  353  to provide respectively a time value and a position value. The time value is the duration of the projection light stayed at the I/O unit  34 , and the position value defines the location of the I/O unit  34  where the projection light stays. As soon as the time value is increased to a default value in the determinater  352 , the respective position value is used to drive a respective system program in the program cluster  36  so as to initiate a system function in the I/O unit  34  and to perform the system function on the screen  342  of the I/O unit  34 .  
      In the present invention, the processing unit  35  can be a micro control chip.  
      Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a typical application of the light spot control system of  FIG. 3  is schematically shown. The spot control system is applied to a mobile phone. When a laser beam device  41  (as the projection unit) provides a laser beam  411  (as the projection light) to a LCD screen  42  of the mobile phone, the light detector  43  located under the LCD screen  42  can sense the laser beam  411  and determine the position where the laser beam  411  projects on the LCD screen  42 . In particular, in the case that the light detector  43  divides functionally the LCD screen  42  into four areas of different system functions; for example as shown, a “talk” system function area  431 , a “message” system function area  432 , an “assistance” system function area  433 , and a “default” system function area  434 . In  FIG. 4 , the laser beam  411  is stayed in the “talk” system function area  431  and thus the mobile is activated to perform the system function of talking.  
      Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the position relationship between a user and the mobile communication device having the light spot control system of  FIG. 3  is schematically shown. The spot control system is applied to a mobile phone. When a headset laser beam device  51  projects a laser beam to form a light spot  511  on the screen  521  of the mobile phone  52 , the internal system of the mobile phone  52  can then perform a respective system function to the screen  521 . Upon such an arrangement of the present invention, the laser beam device  51  and the light spot control system can help the disable users to operate the mobile phone  52 .  
      Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a flowchart of a preferred embodiment of the light spot control method in accordance with the present invention is shown. The light spot control method comprises steps of: beginning the control method (S 61 ), using a projection light of a projection device for initiating a control of the mobile communication device (S 62 ), defining an I/O unit for receiving the projection light to the mobile communication device (S 63 ), the I/O unit receiving the projection light (S 64 ), defining a processing unit to the mobile communication device (S 65 ), the processing unit providing a time value and a position value to the mobile communication device (S 66 ), defining the time and position values respectively as the duration and location of the projection light stayed at the I/O unit (S 67 ), using the position value to drive the respective control as the time value meeting a default value (S 68 ), and end of the light spot control method (S 69 ).  
      While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.