Patent Publication Number: US-2010117851-A1

Title: Electronic apparatus with incoming message prompt

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The disclosure relates to an electronic apparatus with incoming message prompt. 
     DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
     Electronic apparatuses such as mobile phones play an important role in people&#39;s life and are a necessary part of daily life. Those mobile phones can receive news, weather, e-mail, stock quotes, and so on. Generally, when there is an incoming message, a phone is set to play a melody, however, in hospitals, offices, libraries etc., the melody prompt may be unwelcome and intrusive. Of course, the phone can be set to a vibration mode, but the vibration prompt is easy to be missed if you are not near your phone. 
     An electronic apparatus that uses a light as a prompt seems to resolve the problems described above, for example, when there is an incoming call, a light on the phone can flash, but the light prompt cannot impart other information, such as types, and importance of incoming message, to the user other than alerting the user of an incoming information or message. Therefore, what is needed is an electronic apparatus with an incoming message prompt which can overcome the aforementioned shortcomings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The components of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of an electronic apparatus. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an electronic apparatus in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of an electronic book reading apparatus with an indicator light in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is an exemplary schematic diagram illustrating an incoming message ID table with an exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a hardware infrastructure of an electronic apparatus  10  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The electronic apparatus  10  includes at least one input unit  11 , a receiver  12 , a memory  13 , a processor  14 , an indicator light  15 , a display  16 , and a power supply  17 . 
     The input unit  11  is configured for receiving user input. 
     The receiver  12  is configured for receiving incoming message. Each message includes a message ID, wherein the message ID records at least type, and the level of importance of the message, for example, the message may be general, important, or urgent. In the exemplary embodiment, the message ID is coded (for example, in binary code), which can be recognized by the electronic apparatus  10 . The coded message ID includes, but is not limited to, type and the level of importance of the message. For easily understanding of the present disclosure, an exemplary binary code embodiment is illustrated hereinafter. For example, the message ID is composed of six bit binary code, the leftmost three bits identifies the message type, and the other three bits identify the level of importance of the message. Referring to  FIG. 3 , for message type 000 identifies that the message is a news story or headlines, 010 identifies the message is a weather report, and 011 identifies the message is stock quotes. For a level of importance of a message 000 means general message, 001 means important, and 010 means urgent message. Therefore, when the electronic apparatus  10  receives an urgent weather message for example, the code of the message ID is 010010. 
     The memory  13  is configured for storing a message ID table (see  FIG. 3 ), wherein the message ID table can be defined by a user manually. The message ID table includes, in this embodiment, a row for types of incoming message and a column for importance of the incoming message, an orthogonal array of rows and columns for associating various message IDs with specific color and behavior of a light. For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , an incoming important weather message associated with emitting a quickly flashing red light. 
     The indicator light  15  is configured for flashing light at different rates and in different colors. The indicator light  15  is installed in a visible place in the electronic apparatus. For example, in the exemplary embodiment as shown in  FIG. 2 , an indicator light  22  is installed in the front of the electronic book reading apparatus  21 . The display  16  is configured for displaying incoming message. 
     The power supply  17  is configured for supplying electrical power to all elements of the electronic apparatus. 
     The processor  14  is connected to the input unit  11 , the receiver  12 , the memory  13 , the indicator light  15 , the display  16 , and the power supply  17 . The processor  14  is configured for controlling the indicator light  15  to flash light at different rates and in different colors according to the message ID table while there is an incoming message. In the exemplary embodiment, when the incoming message is important news, the processor  14  controls the indicator light  15  to quickly flash green light as a prompt according to the message ID table in  FIG. 3 . 
     In the exemplary embodiment as shown in  FIG. 2 , the electronic book reading apparatus  20  is taken as the electronic apparatus  10 , and when there is an incoming message, the processor  14  controls the indicator light  22  to flash corresponding colored light with a pre-set pattern according to the message ID table. For example, when the electronic book reading apparatus  20  receives an urgent weather message, forecasting a hurricane will reach New Orleans at about 4:00 PM and could cause heavy rain, the processor  14  controls the indicator light  22  to flash green light more quickly. 
     Although the present disclosure has been specifically described on the basis of the exemplary embodiment thereof, the disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the embodiment without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure.