Abstract: A method for protecting a circuit module in a communication device includes first detecting whether a circuit module is present in the communication device. A next step includes measuring a supply voltage to the communication device. A next step includes comparing the supply voltage to a predetermined threshold voltage. When the supply voltage is below the threshold, a next step includes supplying normal functionality to the phone and returning to the comparing step. However, when the supply voltage is above the threshold, a next step includes powering down a connection to the SIM card to limit functionality of the communication device.

Abstract: An ultrasonic communication system includes an omnidirectional ultrasonic transducer including a housing having a closed side and an open side defining an aperture in the housing. A diaphragm is mounted into the housing to form a sealed cavity between the diaphragm and the closed side of the housing. A second side of the diaphragm is free to transmit ultrasonic signals through the aperture. The diaphragm and aperture both have a largest dimension that is less than or equal to one-quarter wavelength of an ultrasonic signal to be transmitted by the transducer, such that the transducer behaves as a monopole and radiates substantially omnidirectionally.

Abstract: A high efficiency light emitting diode (LED) driving circuit includes a first LED coupled in a forward current path between first and second nodes and a second LED being coupled in a reverse current path between the second and first nodes. A power supply is drives the first node with voltage pulses. A capacitor is coupled to the second node and stores charge while the power supply is driving the first LED in the forward current path during voltage pulses. A discharge circuit drains charge from the capacitor to drive the second LED in the reverse current path between voltage pulses.

Abstract: Apparatus for routing a flexible circuit element (216) between a top housing (102) and a bottom housing (108) in an electronic device such as a radiotelephone (100). The flexible circuit element includes a termination at a tab (2712) off the edge of the flex strip, oriented at an angle from the direction of trace routing. This provides the minimum possible flex width so that the flex may be routed through minimally sized openings, in turn minimizing the size of the electronic device.

Abstract: A multi-function antenna system for a radio communication device includes a housing that encloses a radio frequency transceiver of the radio communication device. A mounting base is coupled to the housing and has a first set of electrical contacts coupled to the transceiver. An antenna element is coupled by a hinge to the mounting base and has a second set of electrical contacts. Different portions of the first and second set of contacts are connectable as a function of the relative positions of the mounting base and the antenna element so as to provide different antenna functions.

Abstract: A communication device capable of screening speech recognizer input includes a microprocessor (110) connected to communication interface circuitry (115), memory (120), audio circuitry (130), an optional keypad (140), a display (150), and a vibrator/buzzer (160). Audio circuitry (130) is connected to microphone (133) and speaker (135). Microprocessor (110) includes a speech/noise classifier and speech recognition technology. Microprocessor (110) analyzes a speech signal to determine speech waveform parameters within a speech acquisition window. Microprocessor (110) compares the speech waveform parameters to determine whether an error exists in the signal format of the speech signal. Microprocessor (110) informs the user when an error exists in the signal format and instructs the user how to correct the signal format to eliminate the error.

Abstract: A gravity switch and a microprocessor are disposed in an electronic device having a virtual image display. The gravity switch provides a determination of the electronic device's orientation to the microprocessor. The microprocessor provides a display signal to the virtual image display based on the orientation of the electronic device. The microprocessor rotates the input from a display interface based on the orientation of the electronic device. The microprocessor includes a time hysteresis to prevent inadvertent changes to the image orientation due to momentary movements of the electronic device.

Abstract: A battery charging circuit comprises a recharge input and a recharge output with a switching element electrically coupled in series between the recharge input and output. A recharge controller controls a conducting state of the switching element. When in a conducting state, recharge current can flow from the recharge input to the recharge output, thereby allowing a rechargeable battery coupled to the recharge output to be recharged. During periodically occurring intervals, the recharge controller switches the switching element to a non-conducting state such that the recharge current no longer flows to the recharge output. During the intervals, a battery voltage input is sampled to determine a charge state of the battery. The switching element is subsequently returned to a conducting state when further recharging is necessary, or left in a non-conducting state when sufficient recharging has occurred.

Abstract: A communication device capable of endpointing speech utterances includes a microprocessor (110) connected to communication interface circuitry (115), memory (120), audio circuitry (130), an optional keypad (140), a display (150), and a vibrator/buzzer (160). Audio circuitry (130) is connected to microphone (133) and speaker (135). Microprocessor (110) includes a speech/noise classifier and speech recognition technology. Microprocessor (110) analyzes a speech signal to determine speech waveform parameters within a speech acquisition window. Microprocessor (110) compares the speech waveform parameters to determine the start and end points of the speech utterance. Microprocessor (110) starts at a frame index based on the energy centroid of the speech utterance and analyzes the frames preceding and following the frame index to determine the endpoints.

Abstract: A communication device for simultaneously transmitting information on multiple sub-channels encodes information for each of the multiple sub-channels with a coding scheme to produce channel encoded information. A mask vector derived from a redundancy in the coding scheme, encodes the channel encoded information to transform the channel encoded information into codewords having pairwise Euclidean distance properties identical to those of the channel encoded information, Modulation of the sub-channels in accordance with the codewords in a modulator then produces a composite signal envelope having a peak-to-mean error power ratio (PMEPR) reduced relative to a PMEPR for correspondingly modulated channel encoded information.

Abstract: A decoder equalizes a turbo coded signal with intersymbol interference by performing a decision-feedback equalization in each iteration of the turbo decoding process. In such iteration process, two recursion processors calculate soft output values for the information bits and the coded bits of the signal as well. Hard output values are derived from the soft output values. A decision feedback equalizer in an iterative loop of the decoder receives the hard output values uses these to provide a correction for the intersymbol interference. Thereafter, the decision feedback signal applies the correction signal to the input signal to minimize the intersymbol interference.

Abstract: A portable communication device (102) includes a housing (105), a first display area (130), and a second display area (132). The first display area (130) is disposed in and outwardly directed from a front (120) of the housing (105), and the second display area (132) is disposed in and outwardly directed from a side (122) of the housing (105). The housing (105) may include a housing portion (114) movable to an open position and a closed position, where the second display area (132) is covered by the housing portion (114) when positioned in one of the first and the second positions.

Abstract: A portable communication device includes a speaker enclosure having a speaker and a plurality of telescoping nested shells moveable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. The shells have a top and bottom surface and interlocking sidewalls such that when the enclosure is deployed into an expanded configuration the shells form a rigid enclosure with a substantially sealed acoustic space therein. The space tunes an acoustic compliance for the speaker so as to improve broadband frequency response whether the communication device is using a privacy or speakerphone mode of operation.

Abstract: A method of reducing power consumption in a communication device includes a step of acquiring a signal on a common pilot channel of a radio communication system. A next step includes detecting predetermined bits in the signal on the common pilot channel indicating activity on paging channels of the radio communication system. When no paging channel activity is indicated in the second step, a last step includes powering down portions of the electrical circuitry of the communication device so as to reduce power consumption, and when paging channel activity is indicated in the second step, a next step includes powering up portions of the electrical circuitry of the communication device such that those paging channels indicating activity are monitored by the communication device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a ladder filter (400) incorporating same. The filter (400) includes a substrate and a first series resonator (100, 403) disposed on the substrate and electrically coupled in series between the first electrical port (401) and a first node. The first series resonator (100, 403) includes a first series acoustic reflector (115), a first series gap (112), a first series transducer (105, 403), a second series gap (112) and a second series acoustic reflector (115′) collectively disposed in an in-line configuration along a principal axis of the substrate. The filter (400) also includes a first shunt resonator (100, 404) disposed on the substrate and electrically coupled in shunt between the first node and ground. The first shunt transducer (105, 404) and the first series transducer (105, 403), if reflectors (115, 115′) are included, have an optimized number of reflective elements (116, 116′) included therein.

Abstract: An electronic device includes an electrical circuitry interface (112) adapted for coupling with an energy source (106), a comparator (138), and a DC-DC converter circuitry (134) having a switch circuit (161) and an energy storage circuit (132). The switch circuit (161) is coupled to the electrical circuitry interface (112) and to the energy storage circuit (132), and is controlled to charge the energy storage circuit (132). A first input (166) of the comparator (138) is coupled to a voltage that varies with a nominal supply voltage of the energy source (106). A second input (168) of the comparator (138) is coupled to a threshold voltage. A comparator output (160) of the comparator (138) is coupled to the switch circuit (161). In operation, the DC-DC converter circuitry (134) charges the energy storage circuit (132) for a certain time period or until the stored voltage is greater then a desired voltage.

Abstract: An integrated speaker assembly (400) of a portable electronic device, such as a portable radiotelephone (100), is described. A housing portion (116) has a first surface adapted to form at least part of a front surface (112) or a rear surface (113) of the portable radiotelephone (100). A speaker diaphragm (402) is attached to a second surface opposite the first surface.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus (200) which improves the accuracy of resultant data. The data processing apparatus includes an input (220, 222) configured to receive input data. The input data includes data corresponding to an input coefficient to be multiplied by the square root of two (.sqroot.2) and input addend. The data processing apparatus further includes a first memory (202) for storing a coefficient of the square root of two, a second memory (204) for storing an addend, a summer (206, 208) which independently sums the input coefficient and the coefficient to produce a combined coefficient and sums the input addend and the addend to produce an addend sum, a multiplier (210) which multiplies the combined coefficient and an approximation of the square root of two to produce an intermediate result, and a summer (214) which sums the intermediate result and the addend sum to produce the resultant data.

Abstract: An electronic circuit (200) for a portable electronic device includes an energy source interface (202), a load (204) coupled to the energy source interface (202), an energy storage circuit (206) having a maximum operating voltage, and a switch circuit (208). The switch circuit (208) is coupled to the energy source interface (202) in series with the energy storage circuit (206). The switch circuit (208) operates to switchably decouple the energy storage circuit (206) in response to a voltage at the load (204) that exceeds the maximum operating voltage.