Abstract:
A control method is applied to a handheld electronic device. The handheld electronic device comprising a display module, and a back light to drive the display module, the display module displaying information and sensing touches on the display module; the control method includes steps of: generating a power saving instruction in response to a user&#39;s command; turning off the backlight in response to the power saving instruction; determining whether an operation occurs; determining whether the operation is a predetermined operation and generating a control instruction to manipulate a household electronic device when the operation is the predetermined operation.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The disclosure relates to handheld electronic devices, and particularly to a handheld electronic device and control method for manipulating a household electronic device. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Most household electronic devices, such as a television, a fridge, an air condition, are manipulated by remote controls. Nowadays, handheld electronic devices, such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), function as the remote control for manipulating the household electronic device. However, when the handheld electronic device manipulates the household electronic device, a menu is always displayed on the handheld electronic device to be operated for controlling the household electronic devices. Thus, displaying the menu depletes the battery energy and this is an inconvenience. 
         [0005]    Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference 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 present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a handheld electronic device manipulating a household electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a function block diagram of the handheld electronic device in  FIG. 1 , the handheld electronic device comprises a remote control system and a storage. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a system menu provided by the handheld electronic device in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is function block diagram of the remote control system of the handheld electronic device in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  shows content stored in the storage in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a control menu provided by the handheld electronic device in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart of a control method in accordance with an embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    The disclosure, including the accompanying drawings, is illustrated by way of examples and not by way of limitation. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.” 
         [0015]    All of the processes described below may be embodied in, and fully automated via, functional code modules executed by one or more general purpose electronic devices or processors. The code modules may be stored in any type of non-transitory computer-readable medium or other storage device. Some or all of the methods may alternatively be embodied in specialized hardware. Depending on the embodiment, the non-transitory computer-readable medium may be a hard disk drive, a compact disc, a digital video disc, a tape drive or other suitable storage medium. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  shows a handheld electronic device  100  of an embodiment manipulating a household device  200 . The handheld electronic device  100  may be a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a palm computer, for example. The household electronic device  200  may be a TV, a fridge, an air conditioner, for example. In this embodiment, the handheld electronic device  100  is a mobile phone. The household electronic device is a TV. The handheld electronic device  100  communicates with the household electronic device  200  via known wireless technologies, such as an infra-red (IR) technology, a wireless fidelity (WI-FI) technology, a (radio frequency) RF technology, for example. 
         [0017]      FIG. 2  shows a functional block diagram of the handheld electronic device  100  of an embodiment. The handheld electronic device  100  includes a remote control system  60 . The handheld electronic device  100  further includes a display module  10 , a backlight module  20 , a control module  30 , a processor  40 , a number of function modules  50 , a transmitter  70 , and a senor  80 .  FIG. 2  illustrates only one example of the handheld electronic device  100  that may include more or fewer components than illustrated, or have a different configuration of the various components. 
         [0018]    Each function module  50  is configured to perform one particular function, such as a calling function, SMS sending function, an audio playing function, a video playing function, a computing function, for example. 
         [0019]    The backlight module  20  emits light to drive the display module  10 . 
         [0020]    The display module  10  is a touch panel that not only displays information, but also senses touches on the touch panel. 
         [0021]    The sensor  80  detects motions of the handheld electronic device  100 . 
         [0022]    In this embodiment, when the handheld electronic device  100  is started up, the control module  30  provides a system menu  300  to display on the display module  10  (see  FIG. 3 ). The system menu  300  includes a remote control icon  301  associated with the remote control system  60 , and a number of function icons  302  associated with the function modules  50 . 
         [0023]    When the remote control icon  301  is clicked, the processor  40  generates a start instruction. When the function icon  302  is clicked, the processor  40  generates a calling instruction. 
         [0024]    In response to the calling instruction, the control module  30  controls the corresponding function module  50  to perform the corresponding function. 
         [0025]    Furthermore, in response to the start instruction, the control module  30  controls the remote control system  60  to control the handheld electronic device  100  to enter into a remote mode of manipulating the household electronic device  100 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 4  shows a function block diagram of the remote control system  60 . The remote control system  60  includes a user interface (UI) provider  61 , an instruction generating unit  62 , a determining unit  63 , and a storage unit  64 . The storage unit  64  stores a number of operations and a number of control instructions associated with the operations. The operations include, but not limited to, touches on the display module  10  or/and the motions of the handheld electronic device  100 . When one of the stored operations occurs, the control instructions associated with the operation is generated to manipulate the household electronic device  200 . See  FIG. 5 , for several examples, when the user presses on the display module  10  for 2 s, a control instruction for controlling the household electronic device  200  to turn on or turn off is generated. When the touches on the display module  10  shift up and down, a control instruction for controlling the household electronic device  200  to change channels up and down is generated. When the touches on the display module  10  shifts right and left, a control instruction for controlling the household electronic device  200  to lower and raise the volume is generated. When the handheld electronic device  100  is shook a number is written on the display module  10 , a control instruction for inputting a channel number into the household electronic device  200  is generated. 
         [0027]      FIG. 6  shows that the UI provider  61  provides a remote control menu  601  to display on the display module  10  in response to the start instruction. The remote control menu  601  includes a power saving icon  601  and a number of control icons  602  associated with the control instructions. When the control icon  602  is clicked, the instruction generating unit  61  generates the control instructions associated with the clicked control icon  602 , and transmits the control instruction to the household electronic device  200  to manipulate the household electronic device  200 . When the power saving icon  601  is clicked, the instruction generating unit  61  generates a power saving instruction. 
         [0028]    The control module  30  is further configured to turn off the backlight module  20  to cause the handheld electronic device  100  to enter into the power saving mode. After the handheld electronic device  100  enters into the power saving mode, and the display module  10  detects a touch on or a motion of the handheld electronic device  100  is detected by the sensor  80 , the processor  40  generates input signals. 
         [0029]    The determining unit  63  is configured to determine whether the operation is a predetermined operation in response to the input signals. In detail, the determining unit  63  compares the operation with the stored operations, and generates a determining signal when the operation is one of the stored operations. 
         [0030]    The instruction generating unit  62  generates the control instructions associated with the operation in response to the determining signal. 
         [0031]      FIG. 7  shows a flowchart of a controlling method applied to the electronic device  100  to control the household electronic device  200 . 
         [0032]    In step S 701 , the control module  30  controls the backlight module  20  to turn on and provides a system menu  300  including a remote control icon  301  to display on the display module  10 . 
         [0033]    In step S 702 , the processor  40  determines whether the remote control icon  301  is activated. If the remote control icon  301  is activated, the process goes to step S 703  otherwise step S 702  is repeated. 
         [0034]    In step S 703 , when the remote control icon  301  is activated, the UI provider  61  provides a control menu including a power saving icon  601  and a number of control icons  602 . 
         [0035]    In step S 704 , the processor  40  determines whether the power saving icon  601  is activated. If the power saving icon  601  is activated the process goes to step S 705  otherwise step S 704  is repeated. 
         [0036]    In step S 705 , the control module  30  controls the backlight module  20  to turn off so that the handheld electronic device  100  enters into the power saving mode. 
         [0037]    In step S 706 , the processor  40  determines whether an operation occurs. If the operation occurs, the process goes to step S 707  otherwise step S 706  is repeated. 
         [0038]    In step S 707 , the determining unit  63  determines whether the operation is a predetermined operation. In detail, the determining unit  63  compares the operation with stored operations, when the operation is one of the stored operations, the determining unit  63  determines that the operation is the predetermined operation, and the process goes to step S 708  otherwise the process returns to step S 707 . 
         [0039]    In step S 708 , the instruction generating unit  62  generates the control instruction associated with the operation, and the transmitter  70  transmits the control instruction to the household electronic device  200  to manipulate the household electronic device  200 . 
         [0040]    As described above, the handheld electronic device  100  turns off the backlight module  20  to enter into the power saving mode to control the household electronic device  200 . Thus, the energy in the battery of the handheld electronic device  100  in the remote control is conserved. 
         [0041]    Even though relevant information and the advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the functions of the present embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only; and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present embodiments to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.