Electronic devices including indicator control circuits and related methods of controlling indicators

An electronic device comprising:

• an indicator that generates an indication of an event responsive to an indicator control signal;
• a processor that generates an indicator off-time value and an indicator on-time value when an indication is desired;
• an indicator control circuit coupled between the processor and the indicator wherein the indicator control circuit receives the indicator off-time value and the indicator on-time value from the processor and wherein the indicator control circuit includes,
• an off-time register coupled to the processor that stores the off-time value generated by the processor,
• an on-time register coupled to the processor that stores the on-time value generated by the processor, and
• an indicator control signal generator coupled to the off-time register and coupled to the on-time register wherein the indicator control signal generator alternatingly enables the indicator control signal for a period of time determined by the on-time value stored in the on-time register and disables the indicator control signal for a period of time determined by the off-time value stored in the off-time register;
• an output sense control circuit coupled between the indicator control circuit and the indicator and coupled to the processor wherein the output sense control circuit includes,
• an output sense register coupled to the processor that stores an output sense value generated by the processor, and
• an output sense logic circuit that passes the indicator control signal in response to a first output sense value and inverts the indicator control signal in response to a second output sense value.

An electronic device comprising:

• an indicator that generates an indication of an event responsive to an indicator control signal;
• a processor that generates an indicator pulse-duty when an indication is desired;
• an indicator control circuit coupled between the processor and the indicator wherein the indicator control circiut receives the indicator pulse-duty from the processor, wherein the indicator control circuit includes,
• an indicator pulse-duty register coupled to the processor that stores the indicator pulse-duty generated by the processor, and
• a pulse width modulation circuit coupled to the indicator pulse-duty register wherein the pulse width modulation circuit modulates a pulse width of an enabled indicator control signal in response to the indicator pulse-duty stored in the indicator pulse-duty register;
• and
• an output sense control circuit coupled between the indicator control circuit and the indicator and coupled to the processor wherein the output sense control circuit includes,
• an output sense register coupled to the processor that stores an output sense value generated by the processor, and
• an output sense logic circuit that passes the indicator control signal in response to a first output sense value and inverts the indicator control signal in response to a second output sense value.

An electronic device comprising:

• an indicator that generates an indication of an responsive to an indicator control signal;
• a processor that generates an indicator pulse-duty when an indication is desired;
• and
• an indicator control circuit coupled between the processor and the indicator wherein the indicator control circuit receives the indicator pulse-duty from the processor, wherein the indicator control circuit includes,
• an indicator pulse-duty register coupled to the processor that stores the indicator pulse-duty generated by the processor, and
• a pulse width modulation circuit coupled to the indicator pulse-duty register wherein the pulse width modulation circuit modulates a pulse width of an enabled indicator control signal in response to the indicator pulse-duty stored in the indicator pulse-duty register wherein the pulse width modulation circuit includes a timer that generates an incrementing elapsed time up to a predetermined value and then starts over wherein the timer includes a counter coupled to a clock, and wherein the indicator control circuit disables the clock when the indicator control signal is disabled, and a comparator coupled to the timer and coupled to the indicator pulse-duty register wherein the comparator compares the elapsed time and the indicator pulse-duty and wherein the pulse width modulation circuit modulates the pulse width of the enabled indicator control signal responsive to the comparison of the elapsed time and the indicator pulse-duty;
• wherein the processor generates an indicator off-time value and an indicator on-time value when an indication is desired, wherein the indicator control circuit receives the indicator off-time value and the indicator on-time value from the processor, and wherein the indicator control circuit further includes,
• an off-time register coupled to the processor that stores the off-time value generated by the processor,
• an on-time register coupled to the processor that stores the on-time value generated by the processor, and
• an indicator control signal generator coupled to the off-time register and coupled to the on-time register wherein the indicator control signal generator alternatingly and repeatedly enables the indicator control signal for a period of time determined by the on-time value stored in the on-time register and disables the indicator control signal for a period of time determined by the off-time value stored in the off-time register, wherein the indicator control signal generator includes,
• a timer that generates an incrementing elapsed time,
• a multiplexer coupled to the on-time register and to the off-time register wherein the multiplexer selects one of the on-time value from the on-time register and the off-time value from the off-time register,
• a comparator coupled to the multiplexer and the timer wherein the comparator compares the incrementing elapsed time with the selected one of the on-time value and the off-time value and wherein the comparator generates a signal when the elapsed time reaches the selected one of the on-time value and the off-time value, and
• a latching circuit coupled to the comparator wherein the latching circuit switches a state of the indicator control signal and resets the timer responsive to the signal that the elapsed time has reached the selected one of the on-time value and the off-time value, and wherein the multiplexer selects the other of the on-time value and the off-time value responsive to the signal.

A method of controlling an indicator for a radiotelephone used to provide radiotelephone communications wherein the radiotelephone includes a radiotelephone indicator that generates an indication of an event responsive to an indicator control signal, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing an off-time value in an off-time register;
• storing an on-time value in an on-time register;
• and
• alternatingly enabling the indicator control signal for a period of time determined by the on-time value stored in the on-time register and disabling the indicator control signal for a period of time determined by the off-time value stored in the off-time register;
• storing an output sense value in an output sense register;
• passing the indicator control signal in response to a first output sense value;
• and
• inverting the indicator control signal in response to a second output sense value.

A method of controlling an indicator for a radiotelephone used to provide radiotelephone communications wherein the radiotelephone includes a radiotelephone indicator that generates an indication of an event responsive to an indicator control signal, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing an indicator pulse-duty in an indicator pulse-duty register;
• modulating a pulse width of an enabled indicator control signal in response to the indicator pulse-duty stored in the indicator pulse-duty register to modulate an intensity of the radiotelephone indicator;
• storing an output sense value in an output sense register;
• passing the indicator control signal in response to a first output sense value;
• and
• inverting the indicator control signal in response to a second output sense value.

A method of controlling an indicator for a radiotelephone used to provide radiotelephone communications wherein the radiotelephone includes a radiotelephone indicator that generates an indication of an event responsive to an indicator control signal, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing an indicator pulse-duty in an indicator pulse-duty register;
• and
• modulating a pulse width of an enabled indicator control signal in response to the indicator pulse-duty stored in the indicator pulse-duty register to modulate an intensity of the radiotelephone indicator, wherein the modulating step includes,
• generating an incrementing elapsed time up to a predetermined value, and
• comparing the elapsed time and the indicator pulse-duty and wherein the pulse width of the enabled indicator control signal is modulated responsive to the comparison.