Patent Publication Number: US-2005143150-A1

Title: Electricity saving device for a user interface terminal device of cellular phone

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
      The present invention relates to an electricity saving device for a user interface terminal device of a cellular phone, and more particularly to an electricity saving device for a user interface terminal device by pressing a retractable keyboard of a cellular phone back to touch a switch.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      An attestation procedure for a cellular phone is very complicated and time-consuming. The attestation procedure must be redone once a printed circuit board (PCB) is altered. The designs of a base frequency module and radio frequency module can be fixed if user interface terminal device of the cellular phone is formed to be a single unit so that every kind of shape of the user interface terminal device can be designed according to a market&#39;s need. Thus, the time for the attestation can be shortened and an attestation fee can be reduced. But, compactness must be held for the user interface terminal device if it wants to cater to the market&#39;s need, so that an electricity saving technology is needed to reduce the volume of a battery and further reduce the volume of the user interface terminal device.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The main object of the invention is to provide an electricity saving device for a user interface terminal device of a cellular phone, enabling a user interface terminal device with a retractable keyboard to acquire the purpose of electricity saving by pressing the keyboard back to cause a bluetooth module to enter into a park mode.  
      Another object of the invention is to provide an electricity saving device for a user interface terminal device of a cellular phone, enabling to reduce the volume of a battery through an electricity saving technology and further to reduce the volume of the user interface terminal device.  
      Accordingly, the present invention provides an electricity saving device for a cellular phone. The cellular phone comprises two devices, one of the two devices is a net communicator consisting of a base frequency module, radio frequency module and bluetooth module, which are responsible for building a communication between the cellular phone and a base station. The other device comprises a user interface terminal device consisting of a bluetooth module, a display, a keyboard, speaker, and a microphone. Said terminal device is responsible for outputting voices, displaying messages, accepting a user&#39;s key-in input and voice input. The above devices are maintained a communication by means of the bluetooth modules.  
      A retractable keyboard is installed in the user interface terminal device. Pressing the keyboard back touches a contact installed on the device. A voltage signal is generated and sent into a CPU of the user interface terminal device after the contact switch is touched. The CPU then commands the bluetooth module of the user interface terminal device to enter into a park mode to save electricity consumption.  
      When the user interface terminal device is in the parking mode, if a user draws the keyboard out, another voltage signal is yielded and input into the CPU of the user interface terminal device at an instant that the keyboard leaves the contact switch. And then, the CPU commands the bluetooth module back to a normal mode.  
      The net communicator asks the bluetooth module of the user interface terminal device back to the normal mode when the cellular phone receives a user&#39;s message (such as a phone call or SMS), and causes the user interface terminal device to warn the user (such as ringing bell or displaying messages). 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred but non-limiting embodiments. The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, showing a circuit of a net communicator of a cellular phone;  
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, showing a circuit of a user interface terminal device of a cellular phone;  
       FIG. 3  is a frontal schematic view of a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, showing a drawing-out state for a user interface terminal device;  
       FIG. 4  is a frontal schematic view of a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, showing a pressing-back state for a user interface terminal device; and  
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating an operation for entering a bluetooth module of a user interface terminal device into a parking mode. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      An electricity saving device for a user interface terminal device of a cellular phone according to the present invention is used on a cellular phone with two devices. One of two devices is a net communicator and another is a user interface terminal device. First, please refer to  FIG. 1  that shows a circuit block diagram for a net communicator of a cellular phone. The figure shows a circuit block diagram of a net communicator of a cellular phone. The net communicator comprises a base frequency module  11 , radio frequency module  12 , and bluetooth module  13 . Signals are transmitted to a base station from the radio frequency module  12  through an antenna  14  connected with it. The base module  11  comprises a memory  111  and CPU  112 , here; the base frequency module  11  is a handling and relay unit for signals, which is responsible for inputting and outputting the signals and handling them. The bluetooth module  13  comprises a base frequency unit  132 , radio frequency unit  131  and an antenna  15  disposed outside it, the bluetooth module  13  is a unit that is used to communicate with the bluetooth device of the bluetooth device of the user interface terminal device. Next, please refer to  FIG. 2 , which is a circuit block diagram of a user interface terminal device of a cellular phone. The user interface of the cellular phone mainly comprises a bluetooth module  22 , base frequency module  21 , speaker  4 , display  5 , keyboard  2 , microphone  3  and etc. The bluetooth module  22  comprises a base frequency unit  222  and radio frequency unit  221  and antenna  27  disposed outside it, which is used for communicating with the bluetooth module  22  of the net communicator. The base frequency module  21  is also a handling and relay unit for signals, responsible for inputting and outputting the signals and handling them. Here, a speaker  23  is responsible for voice output, and display  24  displays message. A keyboard  25  used in the present invention is a retractable keyboard which is responsible for accepting the user&#39;s key-in input, and a microphone  26  is responsible for accepting the user&#39;s voice input. From the figure, it also shows that a contact switch  60  is installed on the user interface terminal device according to the present invention.  
      Please refer to  FIG. 3  and  4 , which show a cellular phone. The cellular phone  1  mainly comprises a retractable keyboard  2 , microphone  3 , speaker  4 , display  5  and contact switch  6 . The retractable keyboard  2  is used for inputting commands through the keys thereon. The microphone  3  is used for speaking. The speaker  4  is used for answering. Also the display  5  is used for displaying messages. The retractable keyboard  2  activates (touches or is separated from) the contact switch  6  in order to answer and terminate a phone call. The contact switch  6  comprises two terminals  61  and  62 , one of the terminals  61  and  62  is connected to a high voltage signal and another is connected to a CPU  212 . Furthermore, an elastic plate  63  is disposed between the two terminals; the elastic plate  63  is fixed at one of the two terminals, and free to the other terminal. The topside of the keyboard presses the elastic plate  63  to contact the other terminal to form a conduction state between the two terminals when the keyboard  2  is retracted back to the cellular phone  1 , and the elastic plate  63  is separated from the other terminal when the keyboard  2  is drawn out from the cellular phone  1 . On the occasions of the contact and separation, the voltage signal is changed.  
      Please refer to  FIG. 2  again. The CPU  212  is connected to the contact switch  6  at a control signal input port  213 ; a ground resistance  65  is connected between them. It can clearly be seen that the CPU  212  handles the changed voltage signal of the contact switch  6 .  
      The contact switch  6  disposed on the user interface terminal device is touched when the retractable keyboard  2  in the user interface terminal device is pressed back. A voltage signal is generated and delivered into the CPU  212  of the user interface terminal device after the contact switch  6  is touched, then the CPU will command the bluetooth module  22  of the user interface terminal device to enter into a park mode in order to save electricity.  
      When the user interface terminal device is in the park mode and the keyboard  2  is drawn out, the keyboard will leave the contact switch  6  and generate another voltage signal to the CPU  212  of the user interface terminal device, then the CPU will command the bluetooth module to return to a normal mode.  
      Finally, please refer to  FIG. 5 , which shows an operation flow chart for a user interface terminal device to control a bluetooth module to enter into a park mode. First, the user interface terminal device is started (step  51 ). Next, build a communication between the device and the net communicator (step  52 ), then, check the state of the keyboard (step  53 ); if the keyboard is drawn out, go to an event waiting (step  55 ), otherwise, if the keyboard is pressed back, enter the device into a park mode (step  54 ), then go to the event waiting (step  55 ). After that, there are five routes to be followed: first, a message comes from the net communicator (step  561 ), then let the bluetooth module leave the park mode (step  562 ) to handle the message (step  562 ), finally, go back to step  53  to check the state of the keyboard. Second, a user presses back the keyboard (step  571 ), enter the bluetooth module into the park mode (step  572 ), and then go to the event waiting state (step  573 ). Third, if the keyboard is in a pressing-back state, the user draws it out (step  581 ), the bluetooth module leaves the park mode (step  582 ), and then enter into the event waiting state (step  583 ). Fourth, the net communicator asks for a phone call warning (step  591 ), the bluetooth module leaves the park mode immediately (step  592 ), the CPU of the device starts the incoming phone call warning (step  593 ), such as a bell ringing or vibration, and then enter into the event waiting state (step  594 ). Fifth, during the warning period, the net communicator asks for stopping the incoming phone call warning (step  601 ), the CPU of the device stops the incoming phone call warning (step  602 ), and then check the state of the keyboard (step  53 ).  
      The device according to the present invention is used to leave a park mode by drawing a retractable keyboard out and to enter into a park mode by pressing a retractable keyboard in, devices having same structures and purposes are not found till now. Besides, an effect of electricity saving can be achieved easily by means of the device according to the present invention.  
      It is noted that an electricity saving device for a user interface terminal device of a cellular phone described above are the preferred embodiments of the present invention for the purpose of illustration only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits and scope of the invention disclosed. Any modifications and variations that may be apparent to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.