MXPA98006177A - A method and distribution in relation to movi telephone terminals - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to the automatic activation and deactivation of the keys on a terminal board of mobile telephony, wherein the terminal includes a screen and means for detecting the pressure of the keys. A time parameter indicates the length of time that has elapsed since the last time a key was pressed and was set to zero by means adapted for this purpose, and the count of the value of the time parameter begins subsequent to setting the time parameter to zero . The time parameter is compared with the threshold value (Tlock) and the automatic inactivation of the keys on the dashboard starts immediately when the time parameter of the threshold value (Tlock) is exceeded. An appropriately selected key is kept activated for activation during the time in which the board is in an inactivated mode and the terminal is set to a specific mode.

Description

A METHOD AND DISTRIBUTION IN RELATION TO MOBILE TELEPHONE TERMINALS Field of the Invention This invention relates to the field of mobile radio terminals, and more specifically to the calls pro: eccíón for terminal boards.

Description of the Previous Technique The complexity of modern mobile radio telephony equipment such as that of mobile phones is increasing progressively. It is possible for a mobile phone user to initiate a function by pressing only a single key on his board and thereby start a sympathetic traffic with another receiver. As a result of the development towards progressively smaller terminals, it is possible to keep the terminals in the pockets of the clothes of the users with the risk that as a result c more keys are pressed unintentionally on the mobile phone. The risk of this happening also increases with the time during which the phone is activated. This may result in the establishment of a call connection, for example. In the worst case, the call will not be released until the owner of the terminal realizes that the terminal is on. Mobile phone calls are expensive and mobile phones have a limited battery capacity. A person who is bothered by an unintentional phone call will be upset by the call, and the terminal owner may feel this as irritating, unnecessary and annoying. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid unintentionally pressing the keys of a terminal's numeric keypad without wishing to do so.

Various methods and distributions are known in the art for preventing unintentional pressure from the keys of the numeric keypad on the mobile radio communications equipment.

EP-A1-0 346 747 discloses the use of a hinged lid, which when lowered works to protect the numerical board while the mobile telephone is not in use.

The lid is lifted to expose the keyboard when you are going to use the phone. The cover, or cover as it is called, is held in place with the help of a spring or some other type of hook or means to hold it. The lid, the hinged lid and the hooking device are made of a plastic material. The hinged lid and the latching means are therefore subject to be used quickly, so as to cause the lid to detach from its joint and thereby leave the keyboard unprotected. It can be expensive to make repairs when, the construction of the folding or latching means is complicated. Furthermore, the lid or cover can be loosened from the telephone for reasons other than prolonged use. For example, the lid may loosen as a result of careless handling or as a result of damage caused by accidentally dropping the phone onto a hard surface.

In another variant known assembly of the cover, this or the cover can be moved towards the board or far to the east. However, the fact is that this distribution includes an additional loose element that can be loosened by phone in some way or another. In addition, the assembly of the cover or cover on the terminal involves an additional manufacturing step that is added to the cost of manufacturing the terminal. The handling of telephones Mobiles that are equipped with covers that protect the board, covers or blinds is also complicated by the fact that the user has to open and close the lid manually.

The mechanical protectors of boards mentioned above avoid the unintentional pressure of keys, since the keys can not be manipulated physically while the keyboard is covered.

The problem of the unintentional pressure of the keys of a terminal board can also be solved by closing the board unit, so that no signal will reach the data processing units even if the keys are activated, or so that no signal will be generated when a key is pressed. This solution can be achieved with a switching unit that is activated manually with the help of a separate insurance key. The board unit locks in one position of the switch and unlocks in the other position of the switch. However, a disadvantage to this solution is that the board lock can also be activated unintentionally, so that it causes the switch to change from the locked position to an unlocked one. This can occur when the terminal is placed in a bolus or in a bag between articles that They are loose. This solution also complicates the handling of a mobile phone by the user.

A user also wants the minimum possible number of keys on his terminal board. The small number of keys is also beneficial for manufacturing, since a large number of keys requires a larger amount of space. Both the manufacturer and the user want small, easy-to-use mobile phones.

All the devices for locking the aforementioned keyboards are basically mechanical devices. However, the electronic terminal locking equipment is also known in the art. This equipment is known, for example, from US-A-5, 212, 810. The purpose of this automatic installation to lock the telephone is to prevent unauthorized use of the telephone. The phone automatically locks when it exceeds a predetermined time period after being unlocked or after activating the phone. This prevents an unauthorized person from using the telephone.

US-A-4, 670, 747 discloses a mobile telephone equipped with an alphanumeric board and operating keys and a luminous screen. Menu icons are placed around from the surface of the luminous screen to the fanumérica. An icon is selected by sequentially scaling a cursor to the icon of the desired menu. The selection of the icon is made with a MENU key. The icon is activated with a STEP key. If the user wishes to lock the board, step to the cursor to the icon to lock with the help of the MENU key and press once on the STEP key. Then the board will lock until the user again presses on the STEP key. It can be said that the locking process has a menu support, since the procedure is a function stored in an icon on the screen. The procedure is manual.

US-A-5, 241, 583 discloses a similar function selection procedure based on the menu. However, locking the board differs from the locking process just described. In the latter case, the board locks or unlocks two separate keys in a particular sequence. This combination of key pressure is intended to be used only when the board is locked or unlocked, and should not be used during another use of the board. In addition, the relative keys of preference will sit as far as possible. This reduces the risk of unlocking the board unintentionally, unlike the previous case in which only you need to press a key to unlock the board. It is considered that there is less opportunity to press two widely spaced keys in a particular sequence than when only a single key should be pressed. The board is manually locked and no menu support is used. Alternatively, a time limit can be inserted between the pressure of the two keys in the lock sequence. This means that the second key in the sequence must be pressed within a given period of time in order to unlock the board.

Compendium of the Invention The present invention is concerned with the problems to avoid the unintentional pressure of the keys of the board on a mobile radio terminal. As will be apparent from the description of the prior art, several attempts have been made to solve this problem.

The problem includes how the activation and automatic inactivation of the board can be achieved in a mobile radio terminal.

Another problem is how this activation and inactivation can be achieved in a way that is easy to carry out by a terminal user.

Therefore, an additional objective of the present invention is to avoid undesirable consequences when the keys on the terminal board of the mobile radio are unintentionally depressed.

Another objective of the invention is to simplify the handling of the terminal when the terminal is going to be used and to simplify this handling before storing the terminal in a standby modc.

A further objective of the invention is to make it possible for the telephone to be kept in a standby mode in a way that is at least as safe as the security that can be obtained with the protecotres for previously known boards, such as the protective cover, the cover or shutter mounted in front of the board or the separate additional key or the separate additional keys that are used to activate and deactivate the board.

Another object of the invention is to provide a technical solution to a problem found in other technical fields where the boards are used, and which is quite suitable for mobile radio communications and their problems and conditions.

Still another objective of the invention is to provide a solution that does not use additional keys that require extra space and increase manufacturing costs.

These objectives are achieved with the help of the inventive method and the inventive distribution. In short, the problems are solved in that the automatic inactivation of the board starts in concsecuencia to the expiration of a given period of time after the last oppression of the key.

In accordance with this solution, a time parameter is set to zero with each key press and a process to measure the time that this time parameter uses is reinstalled, and then the time parameter is compared to a threshold value predetermined.

More specifically, the invention relates to the activation and automatic incativación of the keys on a board of a mobile telephone terminal, which also it includes a screen and means to detect the pressure of the keys. A time parameter that indicates the passage of time since the last arbitrary pressure of the key is set to zero by a device adapted for this and counting the value of the time parameter begins after setting the time parameter to zero. The time parameter is compared with a threshold value (Tlock) and an incativation of the keys on the board starts automatically immediately after the time parameter exceeds the threshold value (Tlock). At least one suitably selected key is kept active for inactivation during the time in which the board is in an inactivated mode and the terminal is set to its standby mode.

The advantages that are provided by this solution to the problem lie in the ease with which the user can handle and store the mobile telephone terminal. Maintaining the security of the mobile telephone terminal is at least as reliable as the other known solutions described in this document, although the way is er. which the terminal is secured or made secure is much easier than in the cases described. The terminals can also be offered in small dimensions, since it does not require consumption of additional equipment space in the form of a lid, cover or separate key to lock. This also makes it easy to keep manufacturing costs low. This invention also provides a well-suited solution for mobile radio communications, particularly when the terminal has a board inactivation function that can only be initiated manually.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to exemplary preferred embodiments thereof and also with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure la is a schematic front view of a telephone -rióvi 1.

Figure Ib is a schematic block illustrating the means included in the mobile telephone according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic flow chart illustrating an inventive method for activating and automatically disabling the mobile phone board.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Modalities Figure la is a schematic front view of a mobile telephone 2. The mobile telephone includes a screen 4 on which a called telephone number can be displayed, the strength of the received signals, the charging of the battery, and the different types of function menus. The mobile telephone has a board 6 that includes function keys 8-14, a right key 8 and a left key 10, a key-yes 12 and a key-no 14, and alphanumeric keys 16. A user of the mobile telephone can Start different functions with the help of the operation keys and a menu that controls and handles if system. The user can stagger between different menus in the menu system with the help of the Right and Left keys. When the menu functions are being used, the Yes and No keys can be used to answer questions that appear on the screen. So the Yes and No keys have several functions, depending on the situation in which they are pressed. For example, they can be used to reset or release a telephone call connection. A terminal of this kind, in some cases, already equipped with an inactivation function of the menu support and with means adapted to it. East type of inactivation is manually initiated by the user of the target.

Figure Ib is a schematic block illustrating the syncluding means in the mobile telephone according to the invention. The mobile telephone includes a control unit 20 that controls the inventive method. The control unit includes a microprocessor with associated connected circuits. Among other things, the control unit controls the scrutiny of a board unit 22, the display of the menus on the screen 24 through the middle of a control circuit 26 and the storage and reading of data in various memories 28 and 30 These memories can be RAM, ROM, EEPROM, etc. The control unit also communicates with other parts of the mobile telephone, such as with a radio communication unit 32, which can also be controlled by a microprocessor. The mobile phone also includes other means and function units, although these have not been shown, as they are irrelevant to the description of the present invention.

The control unit is connected to a timer 34 which includes a counter 34 which operates to count a time parameter t, and a comparator 42. The time parameter t You can start with a start signal and reset to zero with a zero signal from the control unit.

The control unit is connected to the board unit, which includes a board 38 and a device for detecting or sensing the pressures of the key 40. The device for detecting the pressure of the key registers an activation signal YO and applies the signal to the control unit each time the key is pressed, regardless of the nature of the key. In response to the activation signal Y2, the control unit first sends a signal to reset the counter to zero, thereby setting the time parameter t to zero and then sending a start signal y2 that starts counting time parameter t; this parameter is counted each time the key is pressed, until a new key pressure is recorded. The value of the time parameter t is periodically read and stored in the sharer 42, in which a value of the Tlock threshold is stored. This time value corresponds to the longest time the board is activated after the last key press.

The sharer 42 reads the time parameter t, compares the value of the lock threshold and decides whether the value of the time parameter t exceeds or not the value of the threshold Tlock, ie the comparator checks if t > Tlock or not. When this function is fulfilled, the comparator applies an alarm signal Y3 to the control unit 2, which then sends an inactivation signal Y4 to the board unit 22. This unit then immediately inactivates all the keys, except for one , which remains inactivated, in order to facilitate the user to reactivate what is left of the board.

By inactivated it is generally understood that when a key is pressed, the control unit will no longer register with the associated circuits any signal or information from the key or keys that are inactivated. The remaining circuits of the mobile phone are not affected. This process of inactivation should not therefore be confused with the known processes to lock. On the other hand, a terminal that is equipped with a manual inactivation function supported by the menu and that includes the manual inactivation means of the board adapted thereto, can be equipped with an automated function without requiring comprehensive structural modifications. These inactivation means can then be incorporated into the board unit.

The control unit also sends a zero signal to the counter, which causes the value of the time parameter to be set to zero. The control unit it also sends to the control circuit of the display 26 a lock key signal to lock 5 which causes the word lock key to be displayed, thereby informing the user of the mobile telephone that the board is inactive. The control unit also sends a radio signal to the radio communications unit 32 which places the radio communications unit in a standby mode. If the radio communication unit is not already in a standby mode, the unit switches to this mode when the signal Y6 is received.

The control unit is in a standby mode when the board is inactivated. In this modality, the control unit monitors and detects when a signal is recorded from the dashboard unit or the radio communications unit. An activation signal is sent to the board unit when one of the following events occurs, for example: The simple activation key (the Left or Right key) is activated. A new call is received through the radio communications unit. The battery needs recharging.

When a call is received, the radio communication unit sends a call signal Y7 to the control unit, which in turn sends an activation signal Y8 to the board unit 22, which activates all the keys in response to it When the control unit is in its standby mode, the board is deactivated and the radio communication unit is in its standby mode and a wait menu and the word Key to lock are displayed on the screen. When you want to activate the board, the user presses the only key activated (8 or 10). The device for detecting the pressure of the keys in the unit of the board sends a warning signal 9 to the control unit, which in turn sends the start signal of start Y2 to the counter, a signal of the switch of the menu Y10 to the control circuit of the screen 26, and the activation signal Y8 to the board unit. Since the display shows the key to lock in the wait menu, the switch signal of the Y10 menu will result in a change of menus to the menu of the key in which the question Unlock? it shows. As previously mentioned, the mobile phone equipped with the keys to answer the questions that are answered in a menu. Each question should answer with a Yes or No through the Yes key and the No key respectively.

This way if the first pressure of the key was unintentional, both the Telca Si and the No will be activated.

If the Yes key is pressed, a Yes Yll signal is sent to the control unit, which in turn sends an activation signal Y8 to the board unit, a signal to reset the counter and a switching signal to Y12. from menu Y10 to the control circuit of the screen. The radio communications unit is in the standby mode and therefore the wait menu is displayed, although without the key word to lock. The board is now activated and the control unit returns to its start mode.

If the No key is pressed, a No Y13 signal is sent to the control unit, which in turn sends the inactivation signal Y4 to the board unit, the signal to reset the counter Y12 and a signal to zero. switching of the Y10 menu to the control circuit of the screen. The radio communications unit is in a standby mode and therefore the hold menu and the key to lock are displayed. The board is again inactivated and the control unit in a standby mode for activating the board unit.

If on the other hand, the only activated key was unintentionally pressed, it is very likely that the value of the time parameter t will exceed the value of the threshold Tlock. (T. Lock). Because the terminal is based on the menu, the control unit will only accept one response to the menu question and therefore no signal other than Yes or No will be accepted. In practice, only the Yes and No keys will be activated during the short time Tlock that the board is activated. If any of these keys are inadvertently pressed during the activated time period, the pressure of the key will cause the terminal to activate, while the pressure of the Yes key will only reactivate the board for a period of time corresponding to Tlock. In the latter case, it is very likely that no additional mintentional pressure of a key will occur.

The Tlock of the preference threshold value is selected in a manner in which it will not put the terminal user under tension between the times the keys are pressed, due to the short lock time. On the other hand, the Tlock should not be selected, so lock would result in a high probability of unintentional pressure of a key. The more the board is activated, the greater the likelihood of inadvertently pressing a key. ? 1 Tlock value will preferably fall in the range of 15 - 60 seconds, although longer or shorter time intervals may be conceived.

The control unit maintains the inactivation process in a start mode until the part of the radio communications of the terminal offers a clear signal. If a call is coming in, the party, of the radio communications sends a call signal to the control unit. The control unit will then immediately interrupt the inactivation process, if this process is in progress and place the process in its startup mode and wait for a clear signal. A reset signal is automatically sent to the counter when the inactivation process is interrupted.

Figure 2 is a schematic flow chart illustrating an inventive method for automatically activating and deactivating the dashboard of a mobile phone.

When the method is started, the control unit is in a startup mode. The control unit detects that there are no calls and that the board is activated. Carrying out the starting conditions allows the control unit to initiate the inactivation process, which will now be described in more detail.

The time parameter t is set to zero in step 200, and the setting of the time parameter t is initiated in the next step 202. A check is carried out in step 204 to find out whether the pressure of a key has been Registered If the response is negative, a check is carried out in step 206 to find out whether or not the time parameter t is greater than the threshold value Tlock. If the answer is negative, an additional check is carried out to find out if a key pressure has been recorded in step 204.

If the response to verification in step 204 is affirmative, the time parameter t is set to zero in step 200 and the process is re-initiated.

When the response to verification in step 206 is affirmative, that is, the parameter of time t is greater than Tlock of the threshold value, the inactivation of the board is initialized in step 208.

When activating the board, the time parameter t is set to zero and the mobile phone is automatically set to a standby mode if the user has not already done so manually.

As a result of this inactivation, the key lock memory is displayed on the screen of the mobile phone in step 210. A check is carried out in step 212, to find out whether the activation key was pressed or not. If the answer is negative, a check is carried out in step 214 to find out whether or not the incoming call has been detected. If the answer is negative, a check is carried out in step 216 to find out whether or not a battery change has begun. If the answer is negative, the verification is repeated in step 212. These checks 121-216 are carried out until one of the verifications produces an affirmative answer.

When the response to the verification carried out in step 214 or step 216 is affirmative, the board is activated in step 218. This allows the telephone to be used mobile in a conventional manner for reception of the call input, for example.

When the response to the verification that was carried out in step 212 is affirmative, the count of the time parameter t at zero is initialized in step 220. The Unblock menu? is activated on the screen in step 222, which results in the activation of the keys Yes and No in step 224. A check is carried out in step 226 to find out whether the time parameter t is or not greater than the Tlock of the threshold value. If the answer is negative, it is verified in step 228 whether or not the No. key has been pressed. If the answer is negative, a check is carried out in step 230 to find out if the key S has been pressed or nc If the answer is negative, the verification in step 226 is repeated to find out whether the time parameter t is or not greater than the Tlock of the threshold value. When the response to the verification in step 226 is affirmative, for example, when the time parameter t is greater than the Tlock of the threshold value, the incativation of the board is restarted in step 208. The activation of the board in the step 208 also starts when an affirmative answer is given in step 228, that is, when the key has not been pressed.

If the answer in step 230 is affirmative, the activation of the board is made in step 232, whereby the telephone is ready to use for making a call, for example.

When the board is activated again, the method is started again, where the control unit returns to its start mode. As previously mentioned, the control unit detects that no call is in progress and the board is activated. When the starting conditions are met, the control unit again initiates the inactivation process in step 200.

As an alternative embodiment, the terminal may be equipped with a voice decoder. This allows the user to activate the board with a simple programmed command. The decoder sends signals to the control unit, which in turn sends an activation signal to the board. All the keys on the board can be kept inactive in this way.

Claims (6)

1. A method for automatically activating and deactivating the keys of a mobile telephone terminal board, wherein the terminal includes a radio communications unit, a control unit, a screen and a means for detecting the oppression of the keys, which is characterized because the method comprises the steps of - set to zero the time parameter that indicates the length of time that has passed since the keys were last pressed on the board; - start counting the value of the time parameter subsequent to setting the parameter to zero; - compare the time parameter with a threshold value (Tlock); - initiate the automatic inactivation of the keys on the board immediately after the time parameter exceeds the threshold value (Tlock), and; - keep a default password activated for activation during the period in which the board is in an inactivated mode.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the step of establishing the terminal in a standby mode.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the key that is kept activated for the activation of the other keys on the board is an operating key.

4. A distribution for automatically activating and deactivating the keys on a mobile telephone terminal board, wherein the terminal includes a radio communications unit, a control unit, a display, and a key pressure detecting means. , which is characterized because the distribution includes: - means for resetting a time parameter indicating the length of time that has elapsed since the last time any of the keys were pressed; - means for comparing the time parameter with a threshold value (Tlock); - means to initiate the automatic inactivation of the keys on the board immediately that the time parameter exceeds the threshold value (Tlock) - means to keep one of the keys selected appropriately activated for activation during the time in which the board is find in an inactivated mode.

5. A distribution according to Claim 4, characterized in that the distribution includes the means for establishing the terminal in a standby mode.

6. A distribution according to Claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the key that is held activated to allow activation of the other keys on the board is an operating key.