JP2006246171A - External terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide external terminal equipment for making it possible to use the Internet with easiness similar to that of a PC, by using the functions of a portable telephone set itself. <P>SOLUTION: This external terminal equipment is provided with an interface (12) connected to a portable telephone set (1) for operating input/output to the portable telephone set (1); a display unit (14) having an external terminal picture (14a) larger than the picture (7a) of the portable telephone set, for outputting the data or signal of the image for a portable telephone set inputted from the portable telephone set (1) via an interface (12) to the external terminal picture (14a); and operating parts (17, 18) for accepting input by the operation of a user, for outputting an input signal by the operation via the interface (12) to the portable telephone set (1), and for operating the portable telephone set. Thus, it is possible to make an image easy to see and to improve the operability. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an external terminal device connected to a mobile phone.

  Conventionally, an enlarged screen display device attached to a mobile phone has been proposed to make the screen display of the mobile phone easier to see. For example, the monitor-equipped mobile phone disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided with a monitor separately from the telephone main body, a display setting circuit for switching an image to be displayed on the monitor on the telephone main body, and a selector for outputting monitor display data. The monitor display data is transmitted to this monitor.

  Conventionally, in order to eliminate the inconvenience of input of a mobile phone, an attached keyboard that enables input to the mobile phone by connecting a cable to the connector of the mobile phone is known. For example, an auxiliary device for a mobile phone described in Patent Document 2 includes a keyboard and supplies a character string through a general-purpose connector of the mobile phone.

  Conventionally, a mobile mail terminal that includes a screen and a keyboard and uses a mobile phone has been proposed. For example, a small portable mail terminal device described in Patent Document 3 is used to send and receive mail by connecting to a mobile phone, and only includes operation keys including a menu key, a cursor movement key, an execution key, and a cancel key. Basic operation can be performed, and usable keys among the operation keys are displayed on each screen during operation.

On the other hand, cellular phones that can use the Internet to the same extent as personal computers (PCs) have emerged recently because the functions of cellular phones have been enhanced and the processing capacity has been improved.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-078597 JP 2001-119465 A JP 2001-134366 A

  However, since the screen of the mobile phone is smaller than that of the PC, the screen is harder to see and the operation is difficult when using the mobile phone than when using the PC. In addition, PCs are more expensive for users than mobile phones, and many users do not want to use the Internet until they bother to purchase a PC.

  For the external terminal device connected to the mobile phone, there is a conventional technology as described above, but there is no device that can use the Internet like a PC by using the function of the mobile phone as it is.

  For example, a monitor as described in Patent Document 1 is merely an enlarged display of a display screen of a mobile phone. In operation, the monitor is held in a hand and input is performed from an input button of the mobile phone. Therefore, the Internet cannot be used like a PC connected to the Internet.

  In addition, the attached keyboard as described in Patent Document 2 improves the operability of the cellular phone because it is input from the keyboard, but it is difficult to see a fine display because it obtains information from a small screen display provided in the cellular phone. For this reason, the Internet cannot be used like a PC.

  In addition, a mobile mail terminal as described in Patent Document 3 uses a mobile phone as a transmitter, and itself functions as a mail terminal. Therefore, the mobile mail terminal disclosed in Patent Document 3 is merely a device that reduces the PC and uses a mobile phone as means for connecting to a telecommunication network. For this reason, the Internet cannot be used in the same manner as a PC using the mail or browser function of the mobile phone itself.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides an external terminal device that can use the Internet with the same ease of use as a PC by using the function of the mobile phone itself. Objective.

  (1) In order to achieve the above object, an external terminal device according to the present invention has an interface connected to a mobile phone for inputting and outputting to the mobile phone, and an external terminal screen larger than the screen of the mobile phone. A display unit that outputs image data or signals for a mobile phone input from the mobile phone to the screen for the external terminal via the interface; accepts an input by a user operation; and And an operation unit that outputs an input signal by the operation to the mobile phone and operates the mobile phone.

  As described above, by enlarging and displaying the image for the mobile phone on the screen for the external terminal larger than the screen of the mobile phone, the image can be easily viewed. In addition, the mobile phone can be operated from the external terminal side having a large screen, and the operability can be improved. As a result, it is possible to use the Internet or the like using the function of the mobile phone as with the PC. For example, it is possible to browse web sites and send / receive emails with the same ease of viewing and operability as a PC. In addition, it is possible to meet the demands of users who want to use PCs with an Internet environment without purchasing expensive PCs. Furthermore, since a disk and a high-speed CPU are not required, power consumption can be reduced compared to a general PC.

  (2) In the external terminal device of the present invention, the operation unit includes a keyboard or a mouse.

  Thereby, by using the keyboard or mouse as the operation unit, the operation is facilitated rather than inputting from the input button of the mobile phone. As a result, for example, since it is not necessary to carry around the mobile phone at home, it is possible to utilize the Internet function of the mobile phone with the keyboard or the like stationary.

  (3) The external terminal device according to the present invention further includes an AC power supply connection unit connected to a home AC power supply, and the interface uses a part of power supplied from the AC power supply connection unit as the mobile phone. It is characterized by being supplied to.

  This makes it possible to use the Internet function or the like of the mobile phone without worrying about the remaining battery capacity of the mobile phone. In addition, there is no need to recharge the battery of the mobile phone after use.

  According to the external terminal device of the present invention, an image for a mobile phone is enlarged and displayed on an external terminal screen larger than the screen of the mobile phone, so that the image can be easily viewed. In addition, the mobile phone can be operated from the external terminal side having a large screen, and the operability can be improved. As a result, it is possible to use the Internet or the like using the function of the mobile phone as with the PC. For example, it is possible to browse web sites and send / receive emails with the same ease of viewing and operability as a PC. In addition, it is possible to meet the demands of users who want to use PCs with an Internet environment without purchasing expensive PCs. Furthermore, since a disk and a high-speed CPU are not required, power consumption can be reduced compared to a general PC.

  Further, according to the external terminal device of the present invention, the operation unit is a keyboard or a mouse, thereby facilitating the operation as compared with inputting from the input button of the mobile phone. As a result, for example, since it is not necessary to carry around the mobile phone at home, it is possible to utilize the Internet function of the mobile phone with the keyboard or the like stationary.

  Further, according to the external terminal device of the present invention, the Internet function of the mobile phone can be used without worrying about the remaining amount of the storage battery of the mobile phone. In addition, there is no need to recharge the battery of the mobile phone after use.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mobile phone 1 and the external terminal device 2, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the mobile phone 1 and the external terminal device 2. As shown in FIG. 1, when the cellular phone 1 is folded, it is large enough to be grasped by a palm, whereas the external terminal device 2 has the same size as a laptop PC.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cellular phone 1 can be connected to the telecommunications network 3 and has a function of performing transmission / reception of mail and browsing of a WEB site using the Internet. The cellular phone 1 includes a transmission / reception unit 5, a control unit 6, a display unit 7, an input button 9, an input / output interface 10, and a charging unit 11.

  The transmission / reception unit 5 transmits / receives data or signals to / from a server, a portable communication terminal, a telephone, or the like via the telecommunications network 3. Connection to the telecommunications network 3 is made from a base station for a nearby mobile phone.

  The control unit 6 activates an application such as a browser or mail software on a BREW (registered trademark) platform, processes the data received by the transmission / reception unit 5, and outputs the processing result to the display unit 7. On the other hand, a signal input from the input button 9 is received and processing is performed based on this signal. The control unit 6 is configured by a CPU.

  The display unit 7 includes a screen 7a and a display circuit 7b, receives a signal output from the control unit 6, and displays an image on the screen 7a. The screen 7a is a liquid crystal screen. Since the mobile phone 1 is designed on the assumption that the user carries it, the screen size is limited as compared to the screen 14a of the external terminal device 2 as shown in FIG.

  The input button 9 accepts operations such as telephone number input, character input, cursor movement operation, and determination operation from the user. Since the mobile phone 1 is developed on the assumption that the user carries it, the area that can be assigned to the input buttons on the surface of the mobile phone 1 is limited. Furthermore, since the size of buttons that can be easily input by the user is limited, the input buttons 9 of the mobile phone 1 have a smaller number of buttons than a PC, and there are many character types assigned to one button.

  The input / output interface 10 is designed to be connectable to the connector of the external terminal device 2. The input / output interface 10 sends the same signal as the display signal output to the display unit 7 to the external terminal device 2. On the other hand, it receives input signals from the keyboard 17 and mouse 18 sent from the external terminal device 2 and transmits the signals to the control unit 6. Note that the input / output interface 10 is set to ignore a parity error, a framing error, or an undefined signal when it is detected.

  The charging unit 11 includes a storage battery for a mobile phone, and can be repeatedly charged. The charging unit 11 is connected to the input / output interface 10 and can receive power from the external terminal device 2 through the cable of the input / output interface 12.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the external terminal device 2 includes an input / output interface 12 (interface), a display unit 14, a keyboard 17 (operation unit), a mouse 18 (operation unit), and an AC power supply connection unit 19. Yes.

  The input / output interface 12 includes a cable and a connector provided at the tip thereof, and the connector can be connected to an insertion port of the input / output interface 10 of the mobile phone 1. The input / output interface 12 receives an image signal output from the mobile phone 1 to the display unit 7 and outputs the image signal to the display unit 14. On the other hand, the input / output interface 12 receives input signals from the keyboard 17 and the mouse 18 and sends them to the mobile phone 1.

  Specifically, the input signal is transmitted by the input board 12a included in the input / output interface 12. The input board 12 a sends a signal input from the keyboard 17 to the mobile phone 1. The input board 12a employs an asynchronous process. The character format has an 11-bit configuration with 1 for start, 8 for data, 1 for parity, 1 for stop. The time width between signals for transmission and reception is not specified. The communication speed is 600 bits / s ± 1%, and the parity is even parity. In addition, these specifications are illustrations and do not limit the present invention. For example, the bit structure of the character format may be increased or decreased, and error detection may be performed using odd parity.

  The communication method is full duplex. When the input / output interface 10 of the cellular phone 1 detects a parity error, a framing error, or an undefined signal, the signal is set to be ignored. As for the communication of the serial signal when the key of the keyboard 17 is pressed, the input board 12a is one-way from the mobile phone 1 and there is no reply to the board.

  The display unit 14 includes a screen 14a (external terminal screen) and a display circuit 14b. For example, the screen 14a is a liquid crystal screen, but is not limited thereto, and may be an organic EL display or the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the screen 14a for the external terminal is larger than the screen 7a for the mobile phone, and is about the same size as the screen of the laptop PC. The display circuit 14b outputs a display signal for the mobile phone 1 transmitted from the input / output interface 12 to the screen 14a. For example, the same image as the image of the WEB site displayed on the screen 7a of the mobile phone 1 is enlarged and displayed.

  Thereby, the image for the mobile phone 1 can be easily viewed. As a result, it is possible to use the Internet or the like using the function of the mobile phone 1 as in the case of the PC. For example, it is possible to browse web sites and send / receive emails with the same ease of viewing and operability as a PC. In addition, it is possible to meet the demands of users who want to use PCs with an Internet environment without purchasing expensive PCs. Furthermore, since a disk and a high-speed CPU are not required, power consumption can be reduced compared to a general PC.

  The keyboard 17 and the mouse 18 constitute an operation unit, receives an input for operating the mobile phone 1, and outputs an input signal to the mobile phone 1 via the input board 12a. Thereby, it becomes possible to operate the mobile telephone 1 from the external terminal device 2 side provided with the big screen 14a, and can improve operativity. The keyboard 17 is arranged in accordance with a standard laptop standard. As shown in FIG. 1, the keyboard 17 has a larger number of keys than the input buttons 9 of the mobile phone 1, and the number and types of keys are also large. The mouse 18 accepts cursor movement and determination operations.

  As described above, by using the keyboard 17 or the mouse 18 as the operation unit, the operation is facilitated as compared with the case where the input button 9 of the mobile phone 1 is used. As a result, for example, since it is not necessary to carry the mobile phone 1 particularly at home, the Internet function of the mobile phone 1 can be utilized with the keyboard 17 or the like being stationary.

  When the keyboard 17 or mouse 18 is operated, communication between the external terminal device 2 and the mobile phone 1 is performed via the input board 12a. The communication method is full-duplex, and the serial signal communication when the key on the keyboard 17 is pressed is one-way from the input board 12a to the mobile phone 1 and there is no reply to the board.

  The AC power supply connection unit 19 includes an inverter inside the main body of the external terminal device 2, a cord connected to the inverter, and a plug attached to the tip and connected to the wiring. The AC power supply connection unit 19 supplies power to the external terminal device 2 by inserting the plug into the insertion port of the household AC power supply 20. In addition, the electric power that has been turned into direct current by the inverter supplies power to the charging unit 11 of the mobile phone 1 via a cable. When the AC power source connection unit 19 is connected to a household AC power source 20 and the external terminal device 2 and the mobile phone 1 are connected, the charging unit 11 is always charged. Thereby, the internet function etc. of the mobile telephone 1 can be utilized, without minding the remaining amount of the storage battery of the mobile telephone 1. Further, it is not necessary to recharge the battery of the mobile phone 1 after use.

  The operations of the mobile phone 1 and the external terminal device 2 will be briefly described. First, the connector of the input / output interface 12 of the external terminal device 2 is connected to the insertion port of the mobile phone 1, and the plug of the AC power supply connection unit 19 is connected to the AC power supply 20. The mobile phone 1 and the external terminal device 2 are turned on. At this stage, the screen 14 a of the external terminal device 2 displays an enlarged image of the screen 7 a of the mobile phone 1. Further, the external terminal device 2 accepts operations of the keyboard 17 and the mouse 18.

  At this time, the display signal on the screen 7a is directly transmitted from the control unit 6 of the mobile phone 1 to the display circuit 14b via the input / output interface 10 and the input / output interface 12. Upon receiving the display signal, the display circuit 14b enlarges and outputs the image for the screen 14a of the external terminal device 2.

  For example, when the keyboard 17 is operated, the keyboard 17 sends an input signal to the input board 12a. Upon receiving the input signal, the input board 12a transmits a serial signal to the mobile phone 1 by a full duplex method. The input / output interface 10 transmits a serial signal to the control unit 6, and the control unit 6 performs the same processing as when the input button 9 corresponding to the operation on the keyboard 17 is pressed based on the serial signal.

  In the above embodiment, the display signal of the image for the mobile phone 1 is sent as it is to the display circuit 14b of the external terminal device 2, but the image data for the mobile phone 1 may be sent to the display circuit 14b. Good. In the above-described embodiment, the input / output interface 12 has a cable, but may be a system that transmits and receives data or signals wirelessly. For the wireless system, electromagnetic waves such as infrared rays can be used.

It is a perspective view which shows an external terminal device and a mobile telephone. It is a block diagram which shows an external terminal device and a mobile telephone.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile phone 2 External terminal device 3 Telecommunications network 12 Input / output interface (interface)
12a Input board 14 Display unit 14a Screen 14b Display circuit 17 Keyboard (operation unit)
18 Mouse (operation unit)
19 AC power supply connection 20 AC power supply

Claims (3)

An interface connected to a mobile phone and performing input / output to the mobile phone;
A display unit that has a screen for an external terminal larger than the screen of the mobile phone, and outputs data or signals of an image for the mobile phone input from the mobile phone via the interface to the screen for the external terminal;
An external terminal device comprising: an operation unit that receives an input by a user operation, outputs an input signal by the operation to the mobile phone via the interface, and operates the mobile phone.   The external terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit includes a keyboard or a mouse. An AC power supply connection unit connected to a household AC power supply is further provided.
The external terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the interface supplies a part of power supplied from the AC power supply connection unit to the mobile phone.

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