JP2007208636A - Portable telephone terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable telephone terminal, having an incoming call answering function for enabling a user to conveniently select an answer message by presenting answering message choices, in an externally confirmable way, with a folding portable telephone terminal closed. <P>SOLUTION: The portable telephone terminal comprises a storing means for associating a plurality of answering messages, respectively corresponding information and storing them; a selecting means which can be operated from the outside, with the portable telephone terminal closed to select one from among the plurality of answering messages, while an incoming call is called; an information notifying means which can be recognized from the outside with the portable telephone terminal folded to notify information corresponding to the selected answering message; a determining means for determining the selected answering message; and a transmitting means for transmitting the determined answering message with respect to the calling source of the incoming call. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a mobile phone terminal, and more particularly to a function for a user to send a response message in accordance with his / her situation when receiving a call. Note that the term mobile phone terminal in this specification is a generic term including what is generally called a mobile phone, PHS (Personal Handy-phone System), and the like.

  In situations where the user cannot answer the call immediately, such as when the user is in a place where calls such as public transportation can be interrupted, or when driving a vehicle, etc., For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose conventional functions for transmitting a response message indicating that the telephone cannot be answered immediately.

Further, there is a conventional technique as disclosed in Patent Document 3, for example, for identifying information by a display that can be visually recognized from the outside in a mobile phone terminal having a foldable shape.
Japanese Patent No. 3564985 JP 2004-23367 A Japanese Patent No. 3606075

  However, in the embodiment of Patent Document 1, means for selecting a desired one from a plurality of response messages is based on pressing of a function key corresponding to the message, so that abundant response messages will be provided. In such a case, there is a problem that it is necessary to arrange a large number of keys.

  In the technique of Patent Document 2, response message options are displayed on the main display unit to prompt the user to make a selection. However, in a mobile phone terminal having a foldable structure, the casing is opened. There is a problem that if the operation is necessary and the operation is complicated and the operation takes a long time, the caller may hang up the call before completing the selection of the response message.

  In the technology of Patent Document 3, in a mobile phone terminal having a foldable structure, even when the casing is closed, the multicolor light emitter attached at a position where it can be visually recognized from the outside improves the convenience of outgoing operation. However, the operation problem when receiving a call was not solved.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an incoming call response function that presents options of a response message in a method that can be confirmed from the outside with the foldable mobile phone terminal closed and can be easily selected. An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile phone terminal having

  In order to solve the above problems, a mobile phone terminal according to the present invention stores a plurality of response messages in association with corresponding information, and stores one of the plurality of response messages during an incoming call. Selection means that can be operated from the outside in a state in which the mobile phone terminal is folded, and information corresponding to the selected response message is notified. Information that can be recognized from the outside in a state in which the mobile phone terminal is folded. It is characterized by comprising notification means, confirmation means for confirming the selected response message, and transmission means for sending the confirmed response message to the caller of the incoming call.

The response message may be by voice.
In the case where the response message is by voice, it may further comprise recording means for recording voice and control means for storing the voice recorded by the recording means in the storage means as a response message.

The response message may be by electronic mail.
The selection means and the confirmation means may be keys provided on the surface or side surface of the cellular phone terminal in a folded state.

  The selection means and the determination means may be a motion control sensor incorporating an accelerometer.

  The information notification unit may be a multicolor light emitter, and in this case, the information notified by the information notification unit may be a light emission color of the multicolor light emitter.

  The information notification unit may be a speaker, and in this case, the information notified by the information notification unit may be a ringing pattern of the speaker.

  The information notification unit may be a sub display unit provided at a position that can be visually recognized from the outside when the mobile phone terminal is folded. In this case, the information notified by the information notification unit is stored in the sub display unit. It may be a displayed character or symbol.

  The information notification unit may be a main display unit that can be rotated to a position that can be visually recognized from the outside when the mobile phone terminal is folded. In this case, the information notified by the information notification unit is the main display unit. It may be a character or symbol displayed on the display unit.

  The information notification unit may be an oscillation unit that vibrates the mobile phone terminal. In this case, the information notified by the information notification unit may be a vibration pattern of the oscillation unit.

  A timer for measuring a no-operation time of the selection means; and when a selection is not made by the selection means even if a predetermined time elapses during an incoming call, a predetermined time is selected from the plurality of response messages One may be automatically sent out.

  According to the present invention, in a situation where it is impossible to answer a call immediately, it is possible to immediately inform the current situation by selecting a response message with a simple procedure and sending it to the caller. .

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a mobile phone terminal of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of the mobile phone terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the mobile phone terminal according to the first embodiment of this invention.

  In FIG. 1, a foldable mobile phone terminal 10 is provided on the surface of a housing, and a multi-color light emitting LED (Light Emitting Diode) 11 that emits light corresponding to a response message, and a side surface provided on the side of the housing. A key operation unit 12 and an antenna 13 for performing wireless communication are provided. The side key operation unit 12 includes a first candidate switch key 12a for switching response message candidates in forward order, a second candidate switch key 12b for switching in reverse order, and a confirmation key 12c.

  In FIG. 2, the mobile phone terminal 10 includes a multi-color LED 11, a side key operation unit 12, and an antenna 13 shown in FIG. A main display unit 15 for displaying operation guidance, reception information, and the like, a loudspeaker speaker 16 used for a call, a voice input microphone 17 used for a call, a wireless processing unit 21, and the like. Vibrator 22 used for incoming call notification, timer 23 for measuring no-operation time of side key operation unit 12, indexes associated with voice data of plural types of response messages, and light emission of multicolor LED 11 A memory 24 that stores colors, a voice processing unit 25 that restores voice data of a response message as a voice signal that can be transmitted as a call, and a call via an antenna 13 It includes a wireless processing unit 21 to performance, and a control unit 20 for controlling the various units. The control unit 20 is mainly composed of a microprocessor, and is connected to the other units described above to maintain functions for controlling these operations, functions for enabling data exchange between the units, and various states. With a small memory function.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of information stored in the memory 24. In the memory 24, an index for identifying each response message, the emission color of the multi-color LED 11 and the voice data of the response message are stored in association with each other.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mobile phone terminal 10.
In step S1, the mobile phone terminal 10 is turned on and the operation starts.
In step S2, the mobile phone terminal 10 is in an incoming call waiting state. When a call is attempted to the mobile phone terminal 10 in this step, a radio communication signal transmitted from the radio base station is input to the radio processing unit 21 via the antenna 13 and an incoming call is detected.

  In step S <b> 3, the control unit 20 notifies the user of an incoming call by ringing the speaker 16 or vibrating the vibrator 22. At the same time, the multicolor LED 11 controlled via the LED control circuit 27 is in a blinking state. It should be noted that the emission color when the multicolor LED 11 is in a blinking state may be a corresponding color by comparing the caller with the built-in phone book data.

  In step S4, the control unit 20 sets the index value of the response message held as an internal variable to 0. In step S5, the control unit 20 resets the timer 23 for measuring the no-operation time. After completing the above processing, the process shifts to a state of waiting for the user's operation.

  In step S6, the input of the open / close detection unit 26 is monitored. When the opening / closing detection unit 26 detects that the housing has been opened, a normal incoming call response procedure is performed, incoming call notification is stopped in step S7, and a call state is entered in step S8. In step S9, it is detected whether or not the call has ended. If the end of the call is detected, the line is disconnected in step S10, and the process returns to the standby state in step S2.

  If it is not detected in step S6 that the housing has been opened, input from the side key operation unit 12 is monitored in step S11.

  If it is detected in step S11 that either the first candidate switching key 12a or the second candidate switching key 12b is pressed, the process proceeds to step S12, and the control unit 20 determines that the first candidate switching key 12a is pressed. Adds 1 to the current index value and subtracts 1 from the current index value if the pressed key is the second candidate switching key 12b. However, when the index value exceeds the maximum value which is the total number of response messages, it is set to 0, and when further subtracted from 0, it is set to the maximum value.

  In step S <b> 13, the control unit 20 acquires information on the emission color corresponding to the new index value from the memory 24 and supplies it to the LED control circuit 27. The LED control circuit 27 lights the multicolor light emitting LED 11 with a corresponding light emission color.

  In step S14, the timer 23 is reset. In step S15, it is determined whether or not the count of the timer 23 has reached a predetermined value. In this case, since the timer 23 has been reset, the process returns to step S6. In such a loop returning from step S15 to step S6, the user confirms which response message is currently selected as a candidate by visually checking the emission color of the multicolor LED 11 without opening the housing. On the other hand, by operating the first candidate switching key 12a and / or the second candidate switching key 12b, the response message candidates can be sequentially switched to select the target response message.

  The user presses the enter key 12c when the multicolor light emitting LED 11 is lit in the light emission color corresponding to the target response message. If it is detected in step S11 that the enter key 12c is pressed, it is determined in step S16 whether or not the index value is zero. When the index value is 0, the normal incoming call response procedure after step S7 described above is performed.

  If the index value is not 0, the control unit 20 acquires the voice data of the response message corresponding to the index value from the memory 24 and supplies it to the voice processing unit 25 in step S17. The voice processing unit 25 restores the supplied voice data as a voice signal that can be transmitted as a call, and supplies it to the wireless processing unit 21. The wireless processing unit 21 transmits the supplied audio signal to the transmission source via the antenna 13 and the wireless base station. After completing the transmission of the audio data, the control unit 20 disconnects the line in step S10, returns to step S2, and returns to the standby state.

  If no pressing of any side key is detected in step S11, the timer 23 is incremented in step S18. When the count of the timer 23 reaches a preset value in step S15, the incoming call notification is stopped in step S20, and an index value of a response message for timeout is set in step S21. Thereafter, the procedure for sending a response message after step S17 is performed. That is, when a predetermined time elapses without the case being opened and any of the side keys being pressed when an incoming call is received, a predetermined response message is automatically sent to the sender. Similarly, when the first and second candidate switching keys are pressed but no operation is performed for a predetermined time after that, a predetermined response message is automatically sent to the transmission source. Any one of the response messages for time-out can be set in advance by the user.

By the operation as described above, the user can send a response message informing the communication partner of the user's situation without opening the case of the folding cellular phone when receiving an incoming call. Further, since the multi-color light emitting LED has low power consumption and requires less power for information notification when a response message is selected, the battery life can be extended.
Further, the candidate switching key may be only one of forward feed and reverse feed.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an overview of a mobile phone terminal according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The cellular phone terminal 10 includes a sub display unit 29 instead of the multicolor light emitting LED 11 of the first embodiment as information notification means. The sub-display unit 29 is a liquid crystal display unit that is arranged at a position that can be identified by the user in a folded state. The sub display unit 29 may be a device generally called a sub liquid crystal or the like that displays, for example, incoming call information provided in a mobile phone terminal. In the present embodiment, the control unit displays information corresponding to the response message on the sub display unit 29 using characters or symbols. In this way, since the content of the response message can be confirmed with characters or easy-to-understand symbols, erroneous operations can be reduced.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an overview of a mobile phone terminal according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The mobile phone terminal 10 includes a main display unit 30 instead of the multicolor light emitting LED 11 of the first embodiment as information notification means. The main display unit 30 can be rotated to face outward in a folded state by using, for example, a rotating biaxial hinge for the folding mechanism. The main display unit 30 may be a so-called main liquid crystal or the like that displays, for example, guidance for operation or received information that is generally provided in a mobile phone terminal. In the present embodiment, the control unit displays information corresponding to the response message on the main display unit 30 using characters or symbols. In this way, the content of the response message can be confirmed with a longer character string or a larger symbol than in the third embodiment, so that it is possible to further reduce erroneous operations.

[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an overview of a mobile phone terminal according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The mobile phone terminal 10 includes an external speaker 18 on the surface of the housing instead of the multicolor LED 11 used as the information notification unit in the first embodiment, and a side key operation unit used as the selection unit in the first embodiment. Instead of 12, an acceleration sensor 28 is provided inside the main body. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, the plurality of response messages are stored in the memory 24 in association with the ring pattern of the corresponding external speaker 18. When a certain response message is selected as a candidate, the external speaker 18 rings with a corresponding pattern. By listening to the ringing pattern, the user can recognize which response message is selected as a candidate.

  The acceleration sensor 28 has a function of detecting at least movement in the horizontal direction with respect to the casing and movement in the depth direction with respect to the casing. Instead of pressing the candidate switching keys 12a and 12b in the first embodiment, the user can switch response message candidates by moving the terminal main body in the horizontal direction, and instead of pressing the confirmation key 12c in the first embodiment. In addition, the response message to be sent can be determined by moving the terminal body in the depth direction. By doing in this way, since the user can confirm the content of the response message without gazing at the mobile phone terminal, the convenience of operation can be improved. In addition, a user having a visual handicap can easily send an arbitrary response message.

[Fifth Embodiment]
The cellular phone terminal of the fifth embodiment of the present invention is almost the same as that of the fourth embodiment, but includes a vibrator that vibrates the cellular phone terminal as the information notification means instead of an external speaker. The information indicated by the information notification means is a vibration pattern of the vibrator. In the present embodiment, the plurality of response messages are stored in the memory 24 in association with the vibration pattern of the corresponding vibrator. When a certain response message is selected as a candidate, the vibrator vibrates in a corresponding pattern. The user can recognize which response message is selected as a candidate by feeling the vibration pattern. In this embodiment as well, the user can check the content of the response message without paying attention to the mobile phone terminal, so that the convenience of operation can be improved. In addition, a user having a visual handicap can easily send an arbitrary response message.

[Sixth Embodiment]
The mobile phone terminal according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention enables a user to add a new response message. The mobile phone terminal of the present embodiment further includes recording means for recording voice in addition to the configurations of the mobile phone terminals of the first to fifth embodiments described above, and the control unit uses the recording means by the user. The user can arbitrarily assign a new index to the recorded voice and add it to the response message group. In this way, the user can create and add a response message that explains the assumed situation with his / her voice.

[Seventh Embodiment]
In each of the embodiments described above, the response message is transmitted by voice, but the mobile phone terminal of the seventh embodiment of the present invention transmits the response message by e-mail. In this case, the mobile phone terminal has an electronic mail function, and text data is stored in the memory instead of the voice data of the response message. The control unit acquires the mail address of the sender from the built-in address book, creates an e-mail containing the selected response message, and transmits it to the sender. In this case, in particular, if the main display unit is used as the information notification unit as in the fourth embodiment, it becomes easy to confirm the content of the response message by displaying a long sentence, and it is possible to reduce malfunctions. Become.

  In the above-described embodiment, the specific combination of the information notification unit and the selection unit has been described. However, the combination of the information notification unit and the selection unit is not limited thereto, and may be any combination.

  The present invention can be used for a mobile phone terminal.

It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the mobile telephone terminal of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the mobile telephone terminal of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a table | surface which shows the content memorize | stored in the memory of the mobile telephone terminal of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the mobile telephone terminal of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the mobile telephone terminal of 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the mobile telephone terminal of 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the mobile telephone terminal of 4th Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

10 Mobile phone terminals 11 Multicolor LEDs
12 side key operation part 12a 1st candidate switching key (forward feed)
12b Second candidate switching key (reverse feed)
12c Determination key 13 Antenna 14 Key operation unit 15 Main display unit 16 Speaker 17 Microphone 18 External speaker 20 Control unit 21 Radio processing unit 22 Vibrator 23 Timer 24 Memory 25 Voice processing unit 26 Opening / closing detection unit 27 LED control circuit 28 Acceleration sensor 29 Sub Display unit 30 Main display unit

Claims (12)

A mobile phone terminal having a foldable structure,
Storage means for storing a plurality of response messages in association with information corresponding to each of the response messages;
A selection means that selects one of the plurality of response messages during an incoming call, and is operable from the outside in a state in which the mobile phone terminal is folded;
Notifying information corresponding to the selected response message, information notifying means recognizable from the outside in a state in which the mobile phone terminal is folded,
Confirming means for confirming the selected response message;
Sending means for sending the confirmed response message to the caller of the incoming call.   2. The mobile phone terminal according to claim 1, wherein the response message is by voice. A recording means for recording audio;
The mobile phone terminal according to claim 2, further comprising a control means for storing the voice recorded by the recording means in the storage means as a response message.   2. The mobile phone terminal according to claim 1, wherein the response message is an electronic mail.   5. The mobile phone terminal according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit and the confirmation unit are keys provided on a front surface or a side surface of the mobile phone terminal in a folded state.   5. The mobile phone terminal according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit and the determination unit are motion control sensors incorporating an accelerometer. The information notification means is a multicolor light emitter,
7. The mobile phone terminal according to claim 5, wherein the information notified by the information notification means is a light emission color of the multicolor light emitter. The information notification means is a speaker;
7. The mobile phone terminal according to claim 5, wherein the information notified by the information notification means is a ringing pattern of the speaker. The information notification means is a sub-display unit provided at a position visible from the outside when the cellular phone terminal is folded,
7. The mobile phone terminal according to claim 5, wherein the information notified by the information notification means is a character or a symbol displayed on the sub display unit. The information notification means is a main display unit that can be rotated to a position that is visible from the outside when the mobile phone terminal is folded,
7. The cellular phone terminal according to claim 5, wherein the information notified by the information notification means is a character or a symbol displayed on the main display unit. The information notification means is an oscillation means for vibrating the mobile phone terminal;
7. The mobile phone terminal according to claim 5, wherein the information notified by the information notification unit is a vibration pattern of the oscillation unit. A timer for measuring a no-operation time of the selection means;
2. A predetermined one of the plurality of response messages is automatically transmitted when a selection by the selection means is not made even after a predetermined time elapses during an incoming call. The mobile phone terminal according to any one of 7 to 11.

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