Patent ID: 8185136

Claim:
A mobile communication device comprising: a transmitter arranged to generate radio waves used in a telecommunication function; a power switch arranged to switch the mobile communication device from an inoperative state to an operative state; a selector arranged to selectively switch the mobile communication device between a first mode of functioning in which the transmitter is enabled, and a second mode of functioning in which the transmitter is disabled after the mobile communication device has been switched to the operative state by the power switch; and a controller arranged to forcibly and automatically set the mobile communication device to the second mode in response to an operation of the power switch to switch the mobile communication device to the operative state regardless of whether the mobile communication device was in the first mode or in the second mode when the power switch was previously operated to switch the mobile communication device to the inoperative state, and then to automatically change the mobile communication device from the second mode to the first mode when a predetermined condition is confirmed, so as to prevent an unexpected accident due to radio wave transmission when the mobile communication device is unwittingly turned on at a place where radio wave transmission is prohibited.