POWER SAVING SYSTEM FOR A WIRELESS HANDHELD COMMUNICATION DEVICE
Method and arrangement that provides a power-saving mode for a wireless handheld electronic device. The power-saving mode is enabled through disabling a sensor that detects motion of a ball of the trackball navigation tool and disabling the display screen of the handheld electronic device. The power-saving mode may be exited before disablement of the sensor when the display screen is disabled first.
1 . A method for reducing power consumption during periods of non-use by a wireless handheld electronic device having a trackball navigation tool exposed at a face thereof, said method comprising effecting a power-saving mode by disabling a power-consuming sensor that detects motion of a ball of the trackball navigation tool when non-use of the device is determined, said device comprising a radio transmitter capable of transmitting data to a communication network utilizing radio frequency signals and a radio receiver capable of receiving data from the communication network utilizing radio frequency signals that support voice and textual messaging.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said determination of non-use of the device is based on a preselected period of time elapsing between sensor-detected movements of the ball of the trackball navigation tool.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said determination of non-use of the device is based on user actuation of a preset key combination.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein said actuation of a preset key combination comprises depressing and holding the ball of the ball of the trackball navigation tool for longer than a preset time period.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the power-consuming sensor is one of a plurality of power-consuming sensors, each of which is positioned adjacent the trackball navigation tool for determining increments of rotation of the ball of the tool about a particular axis of rotation.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein each of the power-consuming sensors is a hall effect sensor.
7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of power-consuming sensors number four and are arranged at ninety degree intervals about the trackball navigation tool.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein disabling the power-consuming sensor is effected by removing power supplied thereto and thereby reducing power consumption by the device.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising disabling a display screen of the wireless handheld electronic device upon entering the power-saving mode and thereby reducing power consumption by the device.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising disabling a display screen of the wireless handheld electronic device upon entering the power-saving mode and before disabling the power-consuming sensor thereby instituting a display screen sleep mode which reduces power consumption by the device.
11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising exiting the display screen sleep mode when motion of the ball of the trackball navigation tool is detected before disablement of the power-consuming sensor is effected.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein power consumption is stepwise reduced in degree with an initial amount of power-savings being experienced from the institution of the display screen sleep mode and an incremental increase in power-savings being experienced when the power-consuming sensor is disabled.
13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising restoring the device to a use-mode in response to user actuation of a preset wakeup key combination.
14 . The method of claim 5 , wherein said plurality of power-consuming sensors produce x-direction signals and y-direction signals based on sensed movement of the ball of the trackball navigation tool and a processor analyzes the produced x-direction signals and y-direction signals and outputs a cursor control signal based thereupon.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein said each of the power-consuming sensors is a hall effect sensor.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said device further comprises a keyboard comprising a plurality of keys with which alphabetic letters are associated, one letter per key.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein said alphabetic letters are configured in one of a QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY, and Dvorak layout.
18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said device further comprises a keyboard comprising a plurality of keys with which alphabetic letters are associated and wherein at least a portion of the individual keys have multiple letters associated therewith.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein said alphabetic letters are configured in one of a QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY, and Dvorak layout.
20 . A wireless handheld electronic device, comprising:
a trackball navigation tool having a freely rotatable ball exposed for user manipulation at an exterior face of the device;
a power-consuming sensor capable of sensing movement of the ball of the trackball navigation tool indicative of the user's desire to effect corresponding cursor movement on a display screen of the device;
a processor programmed to reduce power consumption during periods of device non-use by instituting a power-saving mode that disables the sensor when non-use of the device is determined; and
a radio transmitter capable of transmitting data to a communication network utilizing radio frequency signals and a radio receiver capable of receiving data from the communication network utilizing radio frequency signals that support voice and textual messaging.
21 . The device of claim 20 , further comprising:
a keyboard suitable for accommodating textual input to the wireless handheld electronic device located beneath a lighted display screen, said screen and said keyboard being located at a front face of said device; and
said trackball navigation tool being located essentially between the display and the keyboard.
22 . The device of claim 20 , wherein said determination of non-use of the device is based on a preselected period of time elapsing between sensor-detected movements of the ball of the trackball navigation tool.
23 . The device of claim 20 , wherein said determination of non-use of the device is based on user actuation of a preset key combination.
24 . The device of claim 23 , wherein said actuation of the preset key combination comprises depressing and holding the trackball navigation tool for longer than a preset time period.
25 . The device of claim 20 , wherein the sensor is one of a plurality of sensors, each of which is positioned adjacent the trackball navigation tool for determining increments of rotation of the ball of the tool about a particular axis of rotation.
26 . The device of claim 25 , wherein said each of the power-consuming sensors is a hall effect sensor.
27 . The device of claim 25 , wherein the plurality of power-consuming sensors number four and are arranged at ninety degree intervals about the trackball navigation tool.
28 . The device of claim 20 , wherein disabling the power-consuming sensor is effected by removing power supplied thereto and thereby reducing power consumption by the device.
29 . The device of claim 20 , further comprising disabling a display screen of the wireless handheld electronic device upon entering the power-saving mode and thereby reducing power consumption by the device.
30 . The device of claim 20 , further comprising disabling said lighted display screen of the wireless handheld electronic device upon entering the power-saving mode and before disabling the power-consuming sensor thereby instituting a display screen sleep mode which reduces power consumption by the device.
31 . The device of claim 30 , further comprising exiting the display screen sleep mode when motion of the ball of the trackball navigation tool is detected before disablement of the power-consuming sensor is effected.
32 . The device of claim 30 , wherein the power consumption is stepwise reduced in degree with an initial amount of power-savings being experienced from the institution of the display screen sleep mode and an incremental increase in power-savings being experienced when the power-consuming sensor is disabled.
33 . The device of claim 20 , further comprising restoring the device to a use-mode based on user actuation of a preset wakeup key combination.
34 . The device of claim 25 , wherein said plurality of the power-consuming sensors produce x-direction signals and y-direction signals based on sensed movement of the ball of the trackball navigation tool and a processor analyzes the produced x-direction signals and y-direction signals and outputs a cursor control signal based thereupon.
35 . The device of claim 34 , wherein said each of the power-consuming sensors is a hall effect sensor.
36 . The device of claim 20 , further comprising a keyboard comprising a plurality of keys with which alphabetic letters are associated, one letter per key.
37 . The device of claim 36 , wherein said alphabetic letters are configured in one of a QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY, and Dvorak layout.
38 . The device of claim 20 , further comprising a keyboard comprising a plurality of keys with which alphabetic letters are associated and wherein at least a portion of the individual keys have multiple letters associated therewith.
39 . The device of claim 38 , wherein said alphabetic letters are configured in one of a QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY, and Dvorak layout.