FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a control method, and more particularly to a control method for a communication device to prevent unintended dialing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

[0002] For a current portable communication device, such a cellular phone, a locking state of a keyboard of the cellular phone may be automatically activated after the cellular phone enters a standby mode or after communication with the cellular phone is finished. However, before the locking state is automatically activated, the cellular phone may be unintendedly operated and continuously make calls. For example, when a cellular phone is put in a pocket of a user, a dial button of the cellular phone may be unintendedly pressed so that calls are continuously made before a locking state of the keyboard is automatically activated; which is referred to as pocket dialing. In this situation, the corresponding receiver(s) answering the unintended call(s) may feel irritated, and additionally, the user will have to pay for the unintended call (s).

[0003] Thus, it is desired that a control method for a communication device is provided to prevent unintended dialing.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] One exemplary embodiment of a control method for a communication device is provided. The control method comprises the steps of: determining whether the communication device is in a wrong communication state when a call of a communication function is made from the communication device; and if the communication device is in the wrong communication state, prohibiting the communication function from being performed by the communication device after the call is finished.

[0005] Another exemplary embodiment of a control method for a communication device is provided. The control method comprises the steps of: determining whether a conversation between the communication device and a remote communication device which communicates with the communication device has occurred when a call of a communication function is made from the communication device; determining whether the communication device is in a wrong communication state according to the determination result of the conversation; and if the communication device is in the wrong communication state, prohibiting the communication function from being performed after the call is finished.

[0006] A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0007] FIG. 1 is a flow chart of an exemplary embodiment of a control method for a communication device;

[0008] FIG. 2 is a flow chart of one exemplary embodiment of the determination of the wrong communication state in FIG. 1 according to a audio signal;

[0009] FIG. 3 is a flow chart of another exemplary embodiment of the determination of the wrong communication state in FIG. 1 according to environment brightness ;

[0010] FIG. 4 is a flow chart of another exemplary embodiment of the determination of the wrong communication state 1 in FIG. 1 according to a touch area; and

[0011] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of further another exemplary embodiment of the determination of the wrong communication state in FIG. 1 according to occurrence of a conversation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims.

[0013] Control methods are provided. FIG. 1 is a flow chart of an exemplary embodiment of a control method for a communication device. In the embodiment, a communication device communicating with the communication device controlled by the control method during a call is referred to as a remote communication device. As an example in the embodiment, the communication device and the remote communication device are cellular phones. However, in other embodiments, the communication device and the remote communication device may be any portable communication devices. In general, a cellular phone comprises a microphone for receiving a near-end voice from a user of the cellular phone.

[0014] Referring to FIG. 1, when a call of a communication function is made from a cellular phone, it is determined whether the cellular phone is in a wrong communication state (step S10). In the embodiment, the wrong communication state occurs when the communication function of the cellular phone device is unintendedly activated. For example, when the cellular phone is put in a pocket, and a dial button of the cellular phone is unintendedly pressed by some objects inside the pocket to activate the communication function to make an unintended call. That is, the call is not a call that a user of the cellular phone wants to make at that time. If the cellular phone is not in the wrong communication state, the cellular phone enters a predetermined mode, such as standby mode, after the call is finished (step SI 1). If the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state, the communication function can be prohibited from being performed by the cellular phone after the unintended call is finished (step S12). In other words, no unintended call of the communication function can be made from the cellular phone any more. In the step S12, the dial button of the cellular phone can be locked to be prohibited from making another call (step S120). Alternatively, in the step S12, an entire keyboard and/or a touch panel of the cellular phone can be locked to be prohibited from making another call (step S121). In some embodiments, if the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state, the cellular phone can be enabled to send a message, which for example may indicate that the finished call was an unintended call made in the wrong communication state, to a remote cellular phone which communicated with the cellular phone during the finished call (step SI 3). In other words, the message may indicate that the unintended call to the remote cellular phone was not intentionally made by the user of the cellular phone.

[0015] According to the above embodiment, when an unintended call is made, it is determined that the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state. Then, the communication function can be prohibited from being performed. Thus, no unintended call can be made from the cellular phone any more until the communication function is allowed to be performed. Accordingly, after the first unintended call, the cellular phone cannot continuously make unintended call. In other words, before a predetermined locking state of the keyboard is activated, the cellular phone cannot continuously make unintended calls.

[0016] Whether the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state can be determined according to a near-end audio signal of the cellular phone. FIG. 2 is a flow chart of one exemplary embodiment of the determination of the wrong communication state in the step S10 of FIG. 1 according to a near-end audio signal. Referring to FIG. 2, a near-end audio signal of the cellular phone can be received by the microphone of the cellular phone (step S20), and then the near-end audio signal can be analyzed to determine whether the near-end audio signal has a specific feature (step S21). If the near-end audio signal has the specific feature, it is determined that the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state, and the method proceeds to the step S12. If the near-end audio signal does not have the specific feature, it is determined that the cellular phone is not in the wrong communication state, and the method proceeds to the step Sl l . In the embodiment, the specific feature may comprise a magnitude of a specific component of the near-end audio signal being lower than a threshold level. In the step S210, it is determined whether the magnitude of the specific component of the near-end audio signal is lower than the threshold level. The specific component of the near-end audio signal may result from human voice, and the magnitude of the specific component varies with a volume of the human voice. In some embodiments, the magnitude of the specific component varies with a volume of the human voice in direct proportion. That is, the magnitude of the specific component increases with an increase in the volume of the human voice, and vise versa. When the user is speaking into the microphone, the magnitude of the specific component is higher than when the user is not speaking into the microphone. When the user is not speaking into the microphone, the magnitude of the specific component is lower than when the user is speaking into the microphone. Accordingly, if the magnitude of the specific component of the near-end audio signal is lower than the threshold level (that is the near-end audio signal has the specific feature), it is determined that the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state, and the method proceeds to the step S12. If the magnitude of the specific component of the near-end audio signal is not lower than the threshold level (that is the near-end audio signal does not have the specific feature), it is determined that the cellular phone is not in the wrong communication state, and the method proceeds to the step S 11.

[0017] In the embodiment, the specific feature may further comprise inexistence of a harmonic component in the near-end audio signal. In the step S211, it is determined whether there is no harmonic component in the near-end audio signal. One skilled in the art knows that an audio signal resulting from human voice may have a harmonic component. Accordingly, according to the existence of the harmonic component in the near-end audio signal, it is determined that the user of the cellular phone is speaking into the microphone. If there is no harmonic component in the near-end audio signal, meaning that the user is not speaking into the microphone (that is the near-end audio signal has the specific feature), it is determined that the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state, and the method proceeds to the step S12. If there is a harmonic component in the near-end audio signal, meaning that the user is speaking into the microphone (that is the near-end audio signal does not have the specific feature), it is determined that the cellular phone is not in the wrong communication state, and the method proceeds to the step SI 1.

[0018] Whether the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state may further be determined according to environment brightness of the cellular phone. FIG. 3 is a flow chart of another exemplary embodiment of the determination of the wrong communication state in FIG. 1 according to environment brightness. Referring to FIG. 3, a brightness signal which results from environment brightness of the cellular phone is received (step S30), and the brightness signal is analyzed to determine whether the magnitude of the brightness signal is lower than a threshold level (S31). The brightness signal is generated in response to the environment brightness of the cellular phone, which is detected by a detector. In some embodiments, the detector could be a camera, a photodiode or the like of the cellular phone. The magnitude of the brightness signal varies with the environment brightness of the cellular phone. In some embodiments, the magnitude of the brightness signal varies with the environment brightness of the cellular phone in direct proportion. That is, the magnitude of the brightness signal increases with an increase in the environment brightness of the cellular phone, and vice versa. When the magnitude of the brightness signal is lower than the threshold level, it is determined that the cellular phone may be in a pocket of a user or any other container. In the embodiment, the analyzed result of the near-end audio signal in the step S21 and the analyzed result of the brightness signal in the step S31 can both be used to determine whether the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state. The analyzed result of the brightness signal in the step S31 may serve as an auxiliary determination condition. When it is determined that the near-end audio signal has a specific feature in the step S21, and when it is determined that the magnitude of the brightness signal is lower than the threshold level in the step S31, it ensures that the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state. When it is determined that the near-end audio signal does not have a specific feature in the step S21, the analyzed result of the brightness signal in the step S31 can serve as a secondary determination condition. In this case, if the near-end audio signal does not have the specific feature in the step S21 but the magnitude of the brightness signal is lower than the threshold level in the step S31, it may be also determined that the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state.

[0019] If the cellular phone comprises a touch panel and performs a touch detection operation, whether the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state may further be determined according to a touch area in the touch panel. FIG. 4 is a flow chart of another exemplary embodiment of the determination of the wrong communication state in FIG. 1 according to a touch area. Referring to FIG. 4, a touch signal which results from the touch detection operation of the cellular phone is received (step S40), and the touch signal is analyzed to determine whether a size of a touch area is greater than a threshold value (S41). The touch area is an area by which at least one object contacts the touch panel in the touch detection operation, and the touch signal varies with the size of the touch area. Thus, size of the touch area can be determined according to the touch signal. When the size of the touch area is greater than the threshold value, it is determined that the cellular phone may be in a pocket of the user or any other container and the touch panel may be touched by at least one object inside the pocket or container. In the embodiment, the analyzed result of the near-end audio signal in the step S21 and the analyzed result of the touch signal in the step S41 can both be used to determine whether the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state. The analyzed result of the touch signal in the step S41 may serve as an auxiliary determination condition. When it is determined that the near-end audio signal has the specific feature in the step S21, and when it is determined that the size of touch area is greater than the threshold value by analyzing the touch signal in the step S41, it ensures that the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state. When it is determined that the near-end audio signal does not have the specific feature in the step S21, the analyzed result of the touch signal in the step S41 may serve as a secondary determination condition. In this case, if the near-end audio signal does not have the specific feature in the step S21 but the size of touch area is greater than the threshold value in the step S41, it may be also determined that the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state.

[0020] Whether the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state may be determined according to occurrence of a conversation between the cellular phone and a remote cellular phone which communicates with the cellular phone. FIG. 5 is a flow chart of further another exemplary embodiment of the determination of the wrong communication state in FIG. 1 according to occurrence of a conversation. Referring to FIG. 5, a near-end audio signal of the cellular phone can be received by the microphone of the cellular phone (step S50), and a far-end audio signal from the remote communication device, such as a remote cellular phone, may also be received (step S51). Then, it is determined whether a near-end starting time point, when a human voice component of the near-end audio signal starts, appears within a predetermined period after a far-end ending time point, when a human voice component of the far-end audio signal has ended (step S52). In other words, it is determined whether the user of the cellular phone answers the user of the remote cellular phone within the predetermined period after the last spoken word of the user of the remote cellular phone. If the near-end starting time point appears within the predetermined period after the far-end ending time point, it is determined that the conversation between the cellular phone and the remote cellular phone has occurred, so that the cellular phone is not in the wrong communication state, and the method proceeds to the step Sl l . If the near-end starting time point does not appear within the predetermined period after the far-end ending time point, it is determined that the conversation between the cellular phone and the remote cellular phone has actually not occurred, so that the cellular phone is in the wrong communication state, and the method proceeds to the step S12.

[0021] In the embodiment, at least one of the analyzed result of the brightness signal in the step S31 and the analyzed result of the touch signal in the step S41 may serve as an auxiliary determination condition or a secondary determination condition to be used with the determination of the occurrence of the conversation between the cellular phone and the remote cellular phone in FIG. 5 to determine whether then cellular phone is not in the wrong communication state.

[0022] While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.