Method of giving the user information and portable device
View Patent ↗The invention relates to a method of giving the user information on the operation of a portable device, and a portable device. In the method, an event that concerns the operation of the device and interests the user is detected ( 302 ) by the control means of the device. If at least one silent alarm pattern producing a tactile sensation in the user is attached to the event, the user is given ( 312 ) abstract information on the operation of the device by using at least one silent alarm pattern implemented with the alarm device and sensed by the user. Various alarm patterns differ from one another such that at least one alarm pattern characteristic sensed by the user varies. The characteristic can be the alarm pattern frequency, amplitude, changing rate of the amplitude, changing rate of the frequency or duration of the alarm pattern. One way to perform a silent alarm is vibration. The user interface is particularly intended for users with impaired hearing and/or vision.
1. A mobile station comprising:
a user interface configured to enable a user to control operation of the mobile station by manual input and to obtain information on the operation of the mobile station,
a tactile alert device configured to generate a tactile vibration, and
a control circuit configured to control the tactile alert device to generate a first tactile vibration with a first pattern in response to a first event and a second tactile vibration with a second pattern that is distinctly humanly perceptibly different from the first pattern in response to a second event different from the first event,
wherein the first event is correct user manual input.
2. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the second event is a low battery condition.
3. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the second event is a loss of a radio connection.
4. The mobile station of claim 3 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the tactile alert device to generate a third tactile vibration with a third pattern in response to re-establishment of the radio connection.
5. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the second event is an incoming call.
6. The mobile station of claim 5 , wherein the user interface is configured to enable a user to modify one or more of the patterns of the tactile vibrations that can be generated by the tactile alert device so that different patterns indicate different callers or caller groups.
7. The mobile station of claim 6 , wherein the different patterns indicate different callers.
8. The mobile station of claim 6 , wherein the different patterns indicate different caller groups.
9. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the mobile station is a mobile telephone.
10. The mobile station of claim 1 further comprising:
a transceiver configured to generate a transmitted signal and to handle a received signal, and
an antenna coupled to the transceiver and configured to receive a first wireless signal as the received signal and to transmit the transmitted signal as a second wireless signal.
11. The mobile station of claim 1 further comprising a battery configured to supply power to the mobile station.
12. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises:
a flat panel display,
a microphone configured to receive speech to be transmitted,
a loudspeaker configured to generate sounds,
a camera, and
a circuit configured to receive manual input of a user for manually controlling the operation of the mobile station.
13. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit further comprises:
a microprocessor, and
software executed by the microprocessor.
14. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to monitor and control operation of the mobile station, to monitor and control the operation of the user interface and to control the operation of the tactile alert device.
15. The mobile station of claim 1 further comprising a wristband configured to enable a user to sense the tactile vibrations generated by the tactile alert device at a wrist of the user.
16. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the first vibration provides user feedback indicating to the user that the first event has occurred.
17. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the first vibration provides user feedback at the time that the first event has occurred.
18. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the first event is correct user manual input at the user interface.