GB2357388A

GB2357388A - Mobile phone torch

Info

Publication number: GB2357388A
Application number: GB0002860A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kalvinder Plaha; Adnan Gondal; Rajesh Seda
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-12-13
Filing date: 2000-02-08
Publication date: 2001-06-20
Also published as: GB0002860D0; GB9929454D0

Abstract

A mobile telephone incorporating one or more high intensity incandescent light bulbs 8 powered by a battery 12 and capable of projecting an illuminating beam of light 14 from the mobile telephone. The torch may be used to alert a user to an incoming call. The torch may emit coloured light e.g. red or amber for a warning.

Description

2357388 MOBILE PHONE TORCH The invention relates to mobile telephones. It

is particularly concerned with the use of a mobile telephone to provide a torch light.

Mobile telephones have come into widespread use all over the world and have been the subject of intense development activity. Much effort has been devoted to reducing the size and configuration of the telephones, especially in regard to making them sufficiently small to fit easily into a pocket in clothing or into a small handbag.

In parallel with such miniaturisation there have been considerable advances in rechargeable battery design, aimed at generating sufficient power from a small battery pack and for increasing the number of hours for which the battery can be used before recharging.

As a result of the increasing usage and development, a very large number of people now have a mobile telephone with them at substantially all times of day arid night.

This means that in regard to the battery they have with them at substantially all times a high-powered battery with the capability to perform tasks other than operating the telephone as such.

According to the present invention there is provided a mobile telephone incorporating a torch light. More specifically the invention provides a mobile telephone incorporating one or more high intensity incandescent light bulbs powered by a portable battery and capable of projecting an illuminating beam of light from the mobile telephone.

The provision of the high intensity incandescent bulb(s) on the mobile telephone ensures an immediate, convenient and reliable lighting source. This can be very useful for such needs as locating dropped keys in the car or street, finding a keyhole on a house or car door, checking house and shop numbers in a dark street, lighting a dark alleyway where there are no street lights, and shining a bright light into the eyes of suspicious night-time strangers.

2 Whereas the provision of lights on a mobile telephone is known for such duties as illuminating a display screen, an indicator showing that the telephone is switched on, or indicators showing the state of charge of the battery, such lights do not provide a sufficient beam for clearly illuminating an object beyond the telephone itself.

The portable battery used to power the torch, i.e. to illuminate the high intensity incandescent bulb(s), may be the telephone battery as such but may alternatively be a small battery independent of the telephone battery. Use of the telephone battery makes available its full and substantial power to create a strong and sustainable beam of light. If an independent battery is also present it should preferably be of sufficient power to operate either the torch light or the telephone alone. An independent battery can thus provide useful back-up for the telephone battery.

Suitable bulbs according to the invention include halogen bulbs and mercury vapour bulbs. They should have a voltage rating compatible with the battery employed, typically about 6 volts, and may have a different wattage selected according to the required intensity of light beam.

The bulb(s) may be incorporated in any applicable place on the mobile telephone.

Suitable locations include the front, back, top, bottom or either side of the telephone housing, the aerial, the LED light and the display screen. The or each bulb should preferably be located in a recess within the telephone housing, a location which provides protection against damage to the bulb. A transparent cover, for example of glass or clear plastic, may be provided in front of the bulb(s), again mainly with a view to protection from damage. Either the bulb(s) or the bulb cover can be coloured so as to provide a coloured light beam, for example red or amber as a warning light.

It is desirable that the means of attaching the bulb(s) to the telephone allow for easy bulb replacement. This is conveniently achieved by locating the bulb(s) in a recess as described above.

A reflecting surface is preferably provided in association with the or each of the bulbs. The said surface is preferably shaped to assist in forward projection of the light beam, for example it may be conical or parabolic. The surface is conveniently 3 provided by coating a reflective metal such as chromium or aluminium on a plastic base.

Switching the illuminating beam on or off may be achieved by one or more keys on the telephone keypad or by a switch independent of the keypad. A key-lock can be provided on the keypad to prevent the illuminating beam from being switched on unintentionally.

In one embodiment of the invention the high intensity incandescent bulb(s) may be so wired into the telephone circuitry as to light up, either continuously or by intermittent flashing, to indicate an incoming telephone call. Such lighting up may be additional to, or instead of, any audible or vibrating signal to mark an incoming call. It offers the advantage of being less disruptive than an audible signal, and less power-hungry than a vibrating signal. It offers the further advantage of helping in finding the phone in the dark to receive an incoming call.

The invention is further illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure I is a perspective view of a mobile telephone according to the invention, showing a projected light beam, and Figure 2 is a view, on a larger scale than Figure 1, of a bulb and reflector employed in the mobile telephone of Figure 1.

The illustrated mobile telephone comprises a housing 1 which includes a keypad 2, an earpiece 3, a microphone 4, a display panel 5, an aerial 6 and a detachable battery 12.

A recess 7 in the top of the housing 1 contains a high intensity incandescent halogen bulb 8. Within the recess 7 is a conical chromium-plated reflector 9 (see Figure 2).

The recess is covered by a transparent protective disc 10.

In the illustrated version the bulb is illuminated by keys on the keypad 2. When it is illuminated it projects a light beam 14 away from the housing 1, which can be directed at a chosen target by appropriate alignment of the housing 1.

4

Claims

1. A mobile telephone incorporating a torch light.

2. A mobile telephone incorporating one or more high intensity incandescent light bulbs (8) powered by a portable battery (12) and capable of projecting an illuminating beam of light (14) from the mobile telephone.

3. A mobile telephone as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the battery used to power the light is the battery which powers the telephone.

4. A mobile telephone as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the battery used to power the light is the battery is independent of the battery which powers the telephone.

5. A mobile telephone as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the or each light bulb is easily replaceable.

6. A mobile telephone as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the or each light bulb is coloured.

7. A mobile telephone as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the or each light bulb is located in a recess within the telephone housing.

8. A mobile telephone as claimed in claim 7, in which a protective transparent cover is provided in front of the bulb(s).

9. A mobile telephone as claimed in claim 8, in which the protective transparent cover is coloured.

10. A mobile telephone as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a reflecting surface is preferably provided in association with the or each of the bulbs..

11. A mobile telephone as claimed in claim 10, in which the reflecting surface has a conical or parabolic shape.

12. A mobile telephone as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the or each bulb is selected from halogen bulbs and mercury vapour bulbs.

13. A mobile telephone as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the light is switched on and off by one or more keys on the telephone keypad or by a switch independent of the keypad.

14. A mobile telephone as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a lock is provided on the keypad to prevent the light from being switched on unintentionally.

15. A mobile telephone as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the light is wired into the telephone circuitry so as to light up, either continuously or by intermittent flashing, to indicate an incoming telephone call.