JPH1084408A - Portable electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the consumption of battery due to useless lighting by providing a means for detecting a surrounding lightness, a means detecting a specific time, and lighting a back light at a specific time, only when the surrounding lightness is a prescribed preset value or below. SOLUTION: A back light on signal is given to an input terminal 1 at a specific time (e.g. when power is applied to the portable electronic device being a portable telephone set, key is operated and an incoming call is received or the like). A light sensor is fitted to a proper position at the surrounding of the device to detect the lightness of the surrounding at all times, a voltage is received from an input terminal 2, the voltage is compared with a reference voltage received from an input terminal 3 at a comparator 4, and when the input voltage from the light sensor is lower than the reference voltage, the on signal is given to an AND circuit 5. Thus, only when the surrounding lightness is a prescribed predetermined value which has been decided by the reference voltage or below, is a back light 6 lit up at a specific time for lighting the display section.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to portable electronic equipment, and more particularly to lighting control of a backlight of a display section of a portable electronic equipment such as a portable telephone.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A mobile phone having an LCD display unit is generally provided with a backlight for illuminating the display with light so that the display can be viewed well in a dark place.
For example, when the power is turned on, when a key is operated,
The backlight is turned on for a certain period of time when there is an incoming call.

[0003] These techniques have already been put to practical use and commercialized. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 5-344022, "Portable Data Communication Apparatus", has a configuration in which the backlight is turned off even during data communication. In addition, the configuration is such that the consumption of the mounted battery is further suppressed, and the user can easily recognize the start / end of the data communication.

[0004]

However, in the backlight control of the conventional portable electronic apparatus as described above, the surrounding environment in daytime is sufficiently bright, and the display is sufficiently confirmed even if the backlight is not lit. Even when it is possible, the light is turned on, so that the battery is wasted accordingly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and a portable electronic device capable of controlling the lighting of a backlight capable of further reducing battery consumption without impairing the conventional functions. It is intended to provide.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A portable electronic device according to the present invention is a portable electronic device having a backlight on a display portion thereof. Means for detecting when the device is a mobile phone, when the power is turned on, when operating a key, when receiving a call, etc.) Is turned on.

A means for detecting nighttime from a clock function built in the apparatus and a specific time (for example, when the portable electronic device is a portable telephone, when the power is turned on, when operating keys, when receiving a call, etc.). Means for turning on the backlight at a specific time only at night.

Therefore, the portable electronic device of the present invention does not turn on the backlight when the surroundings are bright even at a specific time, or does not turn on the backlight in the daytime, thereby preventing consumption of the battery due to unnecessary lighting. It becomes possible.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram showing a configuration of a backlight lighting control circuit of a display unit as an embodiment of a portable electronic device according to the present invention. In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a backlight ON signal input terminal; Reference numeral 3 denotes a reference voltage input terminal, reference numeral 4 denotes a comparator, reference numeral 5 denotes an AND circuit, and reference numeral 6 denotes a backlight.

Next, the operation will be described. When the input terminal 1 is specified, for example, when the portable electronic device is a mobile phone, when the power is turned on as described above, when a key is operated, when an incoming call is received, etc. A write ON signal (generally, a signal of logic "H"level; the same applies hereinafter) is input. The configuration of the device for realizing this is the same as that of the conventional device, and a description thereof will be omitted. An optical sensor (not shown) is attached at an appropriate position on the outer periphery of the apparatus, and the brightness of the surroundings is always detected, the voltage is input from an input terminal 2, a reference voltage input from an input terminal 3 and a comparator. 4 and if the input voltage from the optical sensor is lower than the reference voltage,
The N signal is input to the AND circuit 5. Therefore, only when the ambient brightness is equal to or less than a predetermined value set by the reference voltage, the backlight is turned on at a specific time to illuminate the display unit, and unnecessary illumination is not performed. Thus, the battery can be prevented from being consumed.

FIG. 2 is a schematic circuit diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes an input terminal to which a night detection signal is input. In the above-described embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the brightness around the device is actually detected using an optical sensor or the like. However, in the daytime, even when there is an incoming call or the like in a dark place where the display is difficult to see in the daytime, the device can be immediately moved to a bright place, so that the backlight can be turned on only at night. On the other hand, most portable electronic devices have a built-in clock function.
It can detect whether it is daytime or nighttime. Therefore, if the night detection signal input from the input terminal 10 is set to the ON state at night, almost the same lighting control of the backlight can be performed without an optical sensor or the like.

[0012]

As described above, the portable electronic device of the present invention has a configuration in which the backlight for illuminating the display unit is not turned on even when the surroundings are bright or in the daytime even when the portable electronic device is in a specific time. This has the effect of preventing the consumption of the battery due to the delicate lighting.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration for realizing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration for realizing another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 backlight ON signal input terminal 2 voltage input terminal from optical sensor 3 reference voltage input terminal 4 comparator 5 AND circuit 6 backlight 10 night detection signal input terminal

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A portable electronic device having a backlight on its display unit, comprising: a means for detecting ambient brightness; and at a specific time (for example, when the portable electronic device is a mobile phone, when power is turned on, a key is pressed). A portable electronic device, comprising: means for detecting an operation, an incoming call, etc.), and turning on the backlight at a specific time only when the surrounding brightness is equal to or less than a predetermined value set in advance. 2. A means for detecting nighttime from a clock function built in the apparatus, and detecting a specific time (for example, when the portable electronic device is a mobile phone, when the power is turned on, when operating a key, when receiving a call, etc.). 2. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising means for turning on the backlight at a specific time only at night.