JP3455590B2 - Wireless communication device with voice transmission control function - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wireless communication device such as a digital portable telephone device or a cordless telephone device which uses a battery as a power source and handles voice signals.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a wireless communication device using a battery as a power source, various measures have been taken to reduce the consumption of the battery, and one of them is voice transmission control (VOX;
VoiceOperated Transmitter) circuit is used.
The VOX circuit determines the presence / absence of voice of a transmission signal by a voice detection circuit, and based on the determination result, the circuit operation of the transmission system is stopped in a silent section to shorten the transmission time of the wireless communication device. It is intended to reduce power consumption.

However, since the VOX circuit determines the presence / absence of a voice signal to turn on / off the transmission operation, the receiving side is likely to have a trailing cut or a beginning cut in the received voice, which causes the VOX operation. There is a problem that the call quality is deteriorated as compared with the case where the call is not performed. In particular, in a wireless communication device adopting a digital system, a low bit rate voice code decoding circuit (voice codec) is generally used.
, And its bit rate value is determined in accordance with the lowest sound quality required for a call, so that the ending or beginning of a word generated by VOX control has a great influence on the call quality.

Therefore, recently, for example, the apparatus is provided with a function of manually designating whether or not to operate the VOX circuit, so that whether or not the user operates the VOX circuit according to the mode of use at that time. It is considered that it can be set arbitrarily.

[0005]

However, if the user manually turns on and off the VOX circuit as described above, the following problems occur. That is, if the user uses the VOX circuit in the ON state, the call quality is somewhat deteriorated, but an excellent battery saving effect can be expected. However, if the user attaches importance to the call quality and uses the VOX circuit with it turned off, or forgets to turn on the VOX circuit, the VOX operation is not performed at all. For this reason, the battery saving effect is significantly reduced, and the battery consumption is increased.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to enable effective voice transmission control while suppressing the influence on the call quality as much as possible. It is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless communication device having a voice transmission control function that can maintain quality and reduce battery consumption at the same time.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the first invention of the present application detects at least one of a voiced section and a silent section of a transmission signal during communication, and In a wireless communication device equipped with a voice transmission control function that performs control for reducing the transmission output in a silent section based on the above, a receiving main drive mode is set so that voice transmission is within a predetermined time during communication, or another mode is set. A communication mode determination means for determining whether or not the voice transmission control operation has been performed, and by this control means,
When it is determined by the communication mode determination means that the receiving main drive mode is set, the voice transmission control is executed,
On the other hand, when it is determined that another mode is set, the voice transmission control is controlled not to be executed.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the communication mode determining means determines whether or not at least one of a voice mute mode and a predetermined information listening mode is set as the receiving main driving mode.

On the other hand, according to the second invention of the present application, a battery is provided as a power source, and at least one of a voiced section and a silent section of a transmission signal is detected during communication, and a silent section is detected based on the detection result. In a wireless communication device having a voice transmission control function for performing control for reducing the transmission output, a battery capacity detecting unit for detecting whether or not the remaining capacity of the battery has dropped below a predetermined amount, and A voice transmission control operation control means, the control means executes the voice transmission control in a state in which the battery capacity detection means detects that the remaining capacity of the battery has dropped below a predetermined amount, On the other hand, when the battery capacity detecting means detects that the remaining capacity of the battery has not dropped below a predetermined amount, the voice transmission control is controlled not to be executed. A.

A third invention of the present application is a voice transmission control.
In a device equipped with a voice transmission control setting means for setting ON / OFF of the
If the main receiving mode is set to
Communication mode detection means for detecting whether the mode is set
If, Ru and control means of the voice transmission control operation. And
With this control means, the communication mode detection means
If it is detected that the mode of is set,
The voice transmission control is set by the voice transmission control setting means.
Control, while determining the communication mode
It is detected that the receiving main drive mode is set by the means.
If so, the voice transmission control is unconditionally performed .

Further, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in a device having a voice transmission control setting means for setting ON / OFF of voice transmission control, a battery capacity detecting means for detecting a remaining capacity of a battery, and a voice transmission. With control means for control operation
It Then , by this control means, the battery capacity detection hand
It is detected that the remaining capacity of the battery is higher than the specified amount by the tier
If the audio transmission control setting means is set,
Set whether or not to perform the voice transmission control, and set
If the remaining battery capacity is determined by the battery capacity detection means
Unconditional if detected to be less than
Thus, the voice transmission control is performed .

[0012]

As a result, according to the first aspect of the invention, for example, when the voice mute mode is set during a call, or when the information listening mode such as the time signal or the weather forecast is set, the voice is transmitted for a predetermined time. The voice transmission control is executed only when the receiving main driving mode within the range is set. Therefore, the voice transmission control is not performed in the normal call mode, so that the head cut or tail cut of the transmitted voice does not occur, and the call quality can be kept good. On the other hand, in the main receiving mode in which almost no transmission is performed, the voice transmission control is executed, and the transmission output is suppressed almost continuously during that period. Therefore, the power consumption is reduced accordingly and the battery life is shortened. It is possible to postpone.
That is, effective battery saving can be performed while maintaining good call quality.

On the other hand, according to the second aspect of the invention, the voice transmission control is not performed when the battery capacity is sufficient, but the voice transmission control is performed when the battery capacity falls below a predetermined amount. For this reason, at the normal time, the head cut or tail cut of the transmitted voice due to the voice transmission control does not occur, and the call can be performed with good quality. On the other hand, when the remaining capacity of the battery decreases, the voice transmission control is performed and the transmission output in the silent section is suppressed, so the power consumption is reduced by that amount and the battery life is extended. That is, it is possible to suppress the power consumption when the remaining battery capacity is low, thereby extending the battery life and maintaining the talk time for a long time.

According to the third aspect of the invention, in the case of the normal call mode in which transmission and reception are alternately performed and the transmission main mode in which only transmission is performed, voice transmission is performed by the mode designation input means. The voice transmission control is performed only when the control mode is designated. On the other hand, when the main receiving mode is set, the mode for prohibiting the voice transmission control is designated by the mode designation input means. Even if it does, voice transmission control will be performed. Therefore, for example, even when the user sets the mode in which the execution of the voice transmission control is prohibited by placing importance on the call quality, the mode in which the voice transmission control is executed while the mode in which the execution of the voice transmission control is prohibited is set. Even if the user forgets to return it, voice transmission control is executed during the call period in the main receiving mode, and the transmission output is suppressed. Therefore, the power consumption is reduced accordingly and the battery life is extended.

Further, according to the fourth aspect of the invention, when the battery capacity is sufficient, the voice transmission control is performed only when the mode for performing the voice transmission control is designated by the mode designation input means. On the other hand, when the battery capacity falls below the predetermined amount, the voice transmission control is performed even if the mode for prohibiting the execution of the voice transmission control is designated by the mode designation input means. For this reason,
For example, even if the user has set the mode in which the execution of voice transmission control is prohibited with emphasis on call quality, the user forgets to return to the mode in which voice transmission control is executed with the mode set to prohibit execution of voice transmission control. Even in such a case, when the remaining capacity of the battery becomes low, the voice transmission control is performed. Therefore, the power consumption is reduced accordingly and the battery life is extended.

[0016]

【Example】

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing the configuration of a digital portable telephone apparatus having a voice transmission control circuit (VOX control circuit) according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a radio carrier signal sent from a base station (not shown) via a radio channel is received by an antenna 1 and then input to a receiving circuit (RX) 3 via an antenna duplexer (DUP) 2. Then, the received local oscillation signal output from the frequency synthesizer (SYN) 4 is mixed and frequency-converted into a received intermediate frequency signal. Then, the received intermediate frequency signal is sampled by the A / D converter 6 including a low-pass filter, and then input to the digital demodulation circuit (DEM) 7.

The digital demodulation circuit 7 establishes frame synchronization and bit synchronization for the digital received intermediate frequency signal, and then performs digital demodulation processing. The baseband digital demodulated signal obtained by this demodulation processing is a time division multiple access circuit (TDMA) 8
, And the time slot destined for itself is separated and extracted for each transmission frame. The frame synchronization and bit synchronization information obtained by the digital demodulation circuit 7 is input to the control circuit 20.

The digital demodulated signal output from the TDMA circuit 8 is subsequently subjected to an error correction code decoding circuit (CH-
COD) 9 and undergoes error correction decoding processing. Then, this error-correction-decoded digital demodulated signal is input to the voice code decoding circuit (SP-COD) 10 and subjected to voice decoding processing, whereby the digital received signal is reproduced. The digital reception signal is converted into an analog reception signal by the D / A converter 11 and then supplied to the speaker 12 via a voice amplifier (not shown), and the speaker 12 outputs the signal in a loud voice.

On the other hand, the voice transmitted by the speaker is the microphone 1
The sound is collected by 3 and converted into a transmission signal, further amplified by a transmission amplifier (not shown) to a predetermined level, and then A
It is input to the / D converter 14. Then, the A / D converter 14 samples the signal at a predetermined sampling period, thereby converting it into a digital transmission signal composed of a sample pulse train. After the acoustic echo is canceled by an echo canceller (not shown), the digital transmission signal is input to the voice code decoding circuit (SP-COD) 9 and voice coded there.

The voice-encoded digital transmission signal passes through a VOX control circuit 15 to be described later, and is then input to an error correction code decoding circuit (CH-COD) 9 together with a control signal output from the control circuit 20. Here, error correction coding is performed. Then, this error correction coded digital transmission signal is input to the TDMA circuit 8. This TD
In the MA circuit 8, a transmission frame corresponding to the time division multiple access (TDMA) system is generated, and a process for inserting the digital transmission signal in the time slot assigned to the own device in the transmission frame is performed. This T
The digital transmission signal output from the DMA circuit 8 is subsequently input to the digital modulation circuit (MOD) 16.

In the digital modulation circuit 16, a transmission intermediate frequency signal digitally modulated by the digital transmission signal is generated. The transmission intermediate frequency signal is converted into an analog signal by the D / A converter 17, and then the transmission circuit ( TX) 5. As a digital modulation method, for example, π / 4 shift DQPSK (π / 4 shifte)
d, differentially encoded quadrature phase shift
keying) method is used.

In the transmission circuit 5, the modulated transmission intermediate frequency signal is mixed with the transmission local oscillation signal output from the frequency synthesizer 4, and is thereby converted into a radio carrier frequency corresponding to a radio communication channel. Then, this radio carrier signal is controlled to a predetermined transmission power level by a transmission power amplifier (not shown), and then transmitted from the antenna 1 to the base station (not shown) via the antenna duplexer 2.

Reference numeral 21 is a key input section, and 22 is a display section. These key input section 21 and display section 22 are arranged on the front panel of the apparatus. FIG. 3 is an external view of the device showing the configuration. That is, the key input unit 21 includes a call key, an end key, a plurality of memory keys, a mute key, a function key, a dial key group, etc., as shown in FIG.
The display unit 22 is composed of a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a light emitting diode (LED).

The digital portable telephone device of this embodiment uses, for example, a rechargeable secondary battery 18 as a power supply, and the power supply circuit 19 requires the battery 18 based on the output voltage of the battery 18. The operating voltage Vcc is generated and supplied to each of the above circuits.

By the way, the VOX control circuit 15 is constructed as follows. FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram showing the configuration. That is, the VOX control circuit 15 includes a frame energy detection unit 51, a sound / silence determination unit 52, and a voice transmission control unit 53.

In the frame energy detector 51, the A / D
After dividing the sample pulse train of the digital transmission signal output from the converter 14 into detection frames having a length of 20 ms to 40 ms, an arithmetic process for calculating an average value of the energy is performed for each of these detection frames. .

In the sound / silence judging section 52, the average frame energy SE (k) from the frame energy detecting section 51 is calculated.
Is output, a calculation process is performed to determine whether the corresponding detection frame is a “voice frame” or a “silence frame”. As the method of determining whether there is sound or no sound, for example, a method using a metric method is used.

In the voiced / non-voiced determination method using the metric method, in order to avoid a rapid change in the level of voice or noise, a voice signal and noise are calculated using a decay time constant based on the characteristics of human voice and noise. Each voice metric SM
And a noise metric NM, and the voice metric SM is compared with an adaptive threshold value generated based on the noise metric NM to determine the presence / absence of voice in the input voice signal.

The voiced / non-voiced determination formula using the adaptive threshold value generated by the voice metric SM and the noise metric NM is shown below. SM> NM * TSS + T _MIN voiced SM <NM * TNN + T _MIN no sound Others Judgment does not change Where TSS and TNN are when input voice energy changes near the judgment threshold In addition, T _MIN is a parameter provided in order to avoid a sudden change in judgment, and T _MIN is a threshold value corresponding to the minimum voice energy. By using this voiced / non-voiced determination, it is possible to make a determination even when the background noise level changes with time. Note that a specific calculation example of the voiced / non-voiced determination process using the metric method is described in detail in Japanese Patent Application No. 05-52698.

The voice transmission control unit 53 causes the TDMA circuit 8, the error correction code decoding circuit 9 and the voice code decoding circuit 10 to operate in the silent frame period based on the judgment result VOUT (k) of the voice / silence judging unit 52. On the other hand, the operation off signal is supplied to stop the operation of the TDMA circuit 8, the error correction code decoding circuit 9 and the voice code decoding circuit 10 in the silent section. At this time, the operation off signal is transmitted to the transmission circuit 5
It may be configured such that the transmission power amplifier is also supplied, and thereby the operation of the transmission power amplifier is also stopped.

On the other hand, the control circuit 20 includes, for example, a microcomputer as a main control unit, and has a control function of VOX mode setting control means in addition to ordinary control means such as connection control of radio channels and call control. , Call mode determination means 20a and VOX on / off control means 20
b.

Of these, the VOX mode setting control means first monitors a key input operation for designating whether or not to operate the VOX control circuit 15, and responds to this operation the VOX mode.
A mode for setting the control circuit 15 in the operating state (VOX on mode) and a mode for setting the VOX control circuit 15 in the non-operating state (VOX off mode) are selectively set. To set these VOX on / off modes, for example, the function key and the # key are used.

The call mode judging means 20a monitors the operation of the mute key 21a during a call and detects the mute key 21a.
When is operated, this is recognized as the mute mode, and the call operation is set to the mute operation state thereafter. This mute operation state is set by supplying a mute signal from the control circuit 20 to a transmission amplifier (not shown), and thereby turning off the transmission amplifier.

The VOX on / off control means 20b controls the operation of the VOX control circuit 15 in accordance with the VOX mode when the mute mode is not set, while the VOX control circuit 20b is operated when the mute mode is set.
The VOX control circuit 15 is set to the operating state regardless of which mode is set.

Next, the operation of the apparatus configured as described above will be described according to the control procedure of the control circuit 20. Figure 4
It is a flow chart which shows this control procedure and control contents. When the call is started, the control circuit 20 proceeds to step 4a.
While performing the call control with, the operation of the mute key 21a is monitored in step 4b. Mute key 21 now
If a is not pressed, the control circuit 20 moves to step 4c and determines here whether the VOX mode is set to the ON mode or the OFF mode. If it is assumed that the VOX mode is set to the ON mode, the process directly returns to the call control in step 4a.

At this time, in the VOX control circuit 15, in the frame energy detecting section 51, the digital transmission signal output from the A / D converter 14 is divided into detection frames of 20 to 40 ms, and then each of these detection frames is detected. At that time, the average value SE (k) of the energy is detected. Then, based on this detected average energy SE (k),
The sound / silence judging unit 52 judges for each detected frame whether it is a “speech frame” or a “silent frame”, and the judgment result VOUT (k) is the voice transmission control unit 53.
Given to.

As a result, the voice transmission control unit 53 performs on / off control of the coded digital transmission signal output from the voice code decoding circuit 10 based on the above determination result VOUT (k). That is, the encoded digital transmission signal is passed as it is in the "voice frame" section, but the passage of the encoded digital transmission signal is blocked in the "silent frame" section.

Along with that, the above "silent frame"
In the section, the operation stop signal is supplied from the voice transmission control unit 53 to the voice amplifier, the voice code decoding circuit 10, the error correction code decoding circuit 9 and the TDMA circuit 8 in the voice transmitting circuit 5, whereby these circuits are supplied. Is stopped.

On the other hand, if the VOX mode is set to the off mode, the control circuit 20 shifts from step 4c to step 4d and checks the operating state of the VOX control circuit 15 here. Then, if the VOX control circuit 15 is in the non-operating state corresponding to the VOX off mode, the process directly returns to the call control in step 4a.

At this time, the VOX control circuit 15 is supplied with the VOX operation stop signal VOC from the control circuit 20, whereby the voice transmission control section 53 is in a "silent frame" section or a "voice frame" section. Regardless of the above, it operates so as to always pass the encoded digital transmission signal. Therefore, VOX control is not performed.

Now, it is assumed that the user presses the mute key 21a during a call. Then, the control circuit 2
From 0, a mute signal is supplied to a transmitting amplifier (not shown), which causes the transmitting amplifier to stop operating. Further, at this time, when the control circuit 20 detects the ON operation of the mute key 21a in step 4b, the control circuit 20 proceeds to step 4f and determines whether the VOX mode is set to the off mode which is set to the on mode. . If the VOX mode has been set to the ON mode, the process directly returns to the call control in step 4a.

On the other hand, assume that the VOX mode is set to the off mode. In this case, the control circuit 20
Moves from step 4f to step 4g, where V
It is confirmed whether or not the OX control circuit 15 is in the inoperative state.
The operation start signal VOC is supplied to the VOX control circuit 15,
The VOX control circuit 15 is temporarily changed to the operating state.

Therefore, in the VOX control circuit 15, in the voice transmission control section 53, the voiced / unvoiced determination result VOUT.
On / off control of the encoded digital transmission signal is performed based on (k). That is, the encoded digital transmission signal is passed through as it is in the "voice frame" section,
In the "silent frame" section, passage of the encoded digital transmission signal is blocked. At the same time, in the "silent frame" section, an operation stop signal is sent from the voice transmission control unit 53 to the transmission amplifier in the transmission circuit 5, the voice code decoding circuit 10, the error correction code decoding circuit 9 and the TDMA circuit 8. Respectively, which stops the operation of these circuits.

That is, even if the VOX mode is set to the off mode, the VOX control circuit 1 is operated during the mute period.
5 is temporarily changed to the operating state, whereby VOX control is performed. Therefore, the power consumption during the mute period is reduced.

On the other hand, it is assumed that the user presses the mute key 21a in the mute state to cancel the mute state. Then, the mute signal output from the control circuit 20 is turned off, whereby the transmitting amplifier returns to the operating state. In addition, when the control circuit 20 shifts from step 4b to step 4c and determines that the VOX mode is set to the off mode here, the control circuit 20 shifts to step 4d and the VOX control circuit 15 causes the VOX control circuit 15 to change to the above V.
Check to see if it is in a non-operational state that matches the OX off mode. Then, the VOX control circuit 15 is now VO
If the operating state does not coincide with the X-off mode, the process proceeds to step 4e, where the VOX control circuit 15
To the VOX operation stop signal VOC, thereby returning the VOX control circuit 15 to the non-operation state. Thus, the device thereafter returns to the normal call operation state with the VOX off mode set.

As described above, in this embodiment, the control circuit 20 monitors the ON operation of the mute key 21a during a call, and when the mute key 21a is not operated, the VOX control circuit follows the VOX mode set separately. When the mute key 21a is turned on to enter the mute state, the VOX control circuit 15 is temporarily changed to the operating state when the VOX mode is set to the off mode. Therefore, VOX control is performed during the mute period.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, when the user sets the VOX control to the off state to make a call while placing importance on the call quality, or when the user makes a call while forgetting to turn on the VOX control. Even if it is, the VOX control circuit 15 is automatically changed to the operating state and the VOX control is performed when the mute state is set. Therefore, the power consumption during the mute period is reduced, which extends the battery life. Further, since no speech is transmitted during the mute period, there is no fear of causing deterioration of the communication quality by performing the VOX control.
That is, effective battery saving can be performed while maintaining good call quality.

(Second Embodiment) In this embodiment, when the battery voltage drops during a call, and the battery voltage drops below a predetermined level, the VOX mode is set to the off mode. However, the VOX control circuit is forcibly set to the operating state to perform VOX control, thereby extending the remaining battery life.

FIG. 5 shows a V according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
It is a circuit block diagram which shows the structure of the digital mobile telephone apparatus provided with the OX control circuit. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

A battery voltage detection circuit 23 is connected to the battery 18 in parallel with the power supply circuit 19. The battery voltage detection circuit 23 detects the output voltage of the battery 18 and notifies the control circuit 200 of the detected value VDS.

On the other hand, the control circuit 20 newly includes, as its control function, a battery voltage drop determining means 200a and a VOX on / off control means 200b which operates according to the determination result.

The battery voltage drop determining means 200a is notified by the battery voltage detecting circuit 23 and detects the detected value V of the battery voltage.
DS is compared with a predetermined threshold value, and the battery voltage drop is determined based on this.

The VOX on / off control means 200b, in accordance with the result of the determination by the battery voltage drop determining means 200a, follows the VOX mode when the battery voltage is sufficiently high.
When the operation of the X control circuit 15 is controlled and the decrease in the battery voltage is detected, the VOX control circuit 1 is irrelevant regardless of which mode the VOX mode is set to.
5 is set in the operating state.

Next, the operation of the apparatus configured as described above will be described according to the control procedure of the control circuit 200. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing this control procedure and control contents, and the same parts as those in FIG. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals.

When the telephone call is started, the control circuit 200 controls the telephone call in step 4a and monitors the decrease of the battery voltage in step 6b. If the battery voltage is now sufficiently high, the control circuit 200 proceeds to step 4c.
Then, it is determined whether the VOX mode is set to the on mode or the off mode. If it is assumed that the VOX mode is set to the ON mode, the process directly returns to the call control in step 4a.

At this time, the VOX control circuit 15 determines the "voiced frame" section and the "silent frame" section of the encoded digital transmission signal, and according to the result of this determination, the transmission circuit 5 in the "voiceless frame" section. Transmission amplifier, voice code decoding circuit 10, error correction code decoding circuit 9 and T
VOX control for setting the DMA circuit 8 in the operation stopped state is performed.

On the other hand, when the VOX mode is set to the off mode, the control circuit 200 proceeds from step 4c to step 4d and checks the operating state of the VOX control circuit 15 here. Then, the VOX control circuit 15 causes the V
If it is in the non-operating state that matches the OX off mode,
Then, the process returns to the call control in step 4a. At this time, the VOX control circuit 15 operates so as to always pass the coded digital transmission signal regardless of whether it is the “silent frame” section or the “voice frame” section. Therefore, VOX control is not performed.

In this state, it is assumed that the output voltage value of the battery 18 drops below a predetermined level. Then, when the control circuit 200 detects the decrease in the battery voltage in step 6b, the control circuit 200 proceeds to step 4f and determines whether the VOX mode is set to the off mode which is set to the on mode. If the VOX mode has been set to the ON mode, the process directly returns to the call control in step 4a.

On the other hand, assume that the VOX mode is set to the off mode. In this case, the control circuit 20
0 shifts from step 4f to step 4g and confirms here whether or not the VOX control circuit 15 is in a non-operating state.
The X operation start signal VOC is supplied to the VOX control circuit 15 to change the VOX control circuit 15 to the operating state.

Therefore, in the VOX control circuit 15, in the voice transmission control section 53, the voice / silent decision result VOUT
On / off control of the encoded digital transmission signal is performed based on (k). That is, the encoded digital transmission signal is passed through as it is in the "voice frame" section,
In the "silent frame" section, passage of the encoded digital transmission signal is blocked. At the same time, in the "silent frame" section, an operation stop signal is sent from the voice transmission control unit 53 to the transmission amplifier in the transmission circuit 5, the voice code decoding circuit 10, the error correction code decoding circuit 9 and the TDMA circuit 8. Respectively, which stops the operation of these circuits.

That is, even if the VOX mode is set to the off mode, when the battery voltage drops below a predetermined level, the VOX control circuit 15 is changed to the operating state thereafter, and the VOX control is performed. Therefore,
When the battery voltage drops to a predetermined level, VOX control is performed thereafter to reduce power consumption, thereby extending the remaining battery life. Thus, for example, when the battery voltage drops while going out, it is possible to save power consumption and maintain the battery life until returning home.

For example, assuming a case where a battery having a capacity of 700 mAH is used and low voltage detection is performed at the time when the battery capacity becomes 2/3, a full rate TDMA system and a period of 50% of the total talk time are assumed. When the operation of the transmission system is stopped by VOX control, the continuous talk time is extended by 9 minutes compared to the conventional case where the continuous talk time is 105 minutes (when VOX control is not performed at all after low voltage detection). It will be 114 minutes.

It is assumed that the battery voltage is restored to a predetermined level or higher by stopping the operation of the apparatus or charging for a while after the detection of the battery voltage drop. Then, the control circuit 200 causes the steps 6b to 4 to proceed.
After shifting to c, it is first determined whether or not the VOX mode is set to the off mode. Then, when it is determined that the off mode is set, the routine proceeds to step 4d, where it is confirmed whether or not the VOX control circuit 15 is in the non-operation state that matches the VOX off mode. If it is assumed that the VOX control circuit 15 is in an operation state that does not match the VOX off mode, the process proceeds to step 4e, where the VOX operation stop signal VOC is supplied to the VOX control circuit 15, and thereby the VOX control circuit is supplied. 15
To return to the non-operating state. Thus, the device is VO
It returns to the normal call operation state with the X-off mode set.

As described above, in this embodiment, the control circuit 200 monitors a decrease in the battery voltage during a call, and when the battery voltage is not lower than the predetermined level, the VOX control circuit is set according to the VOX mode set separately. When the battery voltage drops below a predetermined level, the VOX control circuit 15 is forcibly changed to the operating state and the VOX control is performed by controlling the operation of the battery 15. I am trying.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, when the user sets the VOX control to the off state and makes a call while placing importance on the call quality, or when the user makes a call while forgetting to turn on the VOX control. However, if the battery voltage drops below a predetermined level, the VOX control circuit 15 is forcibly changed to the operating state and VOX control is performed thereafter. Therefore, the power consumption after the battery voltage drop is reduced, and the remaining life of the battery is extended.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, although the VOX control circuit 15 is forcibly changed to the operating state when the mute state is set in the first embodiment, the VOX control circuit 15 is detected when another reception-only mode is detected. May be forcibly changed to the operating state. Other listening-only modes include, for example, a state of listening to time signals, weather forecasts, news, etc., a state of listening to information from an information source by dialing Q2, a voice mail box or an answering machine. It is conceivable that you are listening to message messages addressed to you. As means for determining the setting of these call states (modes), for example, telephone numbers for making these calls are registered in advance, and whether these registered telephone numbers are dialed or not at the time of making a call is determined. A judgment method can be used. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the control procedure and the control contents when the setting of the reception-only mode is determined and the VOX on / off control is performed.

Further, as the call mode for forcibly setting the VOX control circuit 15 to the operating state, in addition to the various talk-only modes as described above, a mode in which the call is mainly received but the number of calls is small may be applied. good. The determination of the receiving active mode is, for example, a method of determining the ratio of the voiced section to the talk section or the silent section after the start of the call, and when the ratio exceeds a predetermined value, it is determined as the receiving active mode or the silent section. This can be done by using a method of determining this call as a receiving main drive mode when a section continues for a predetermined time.

Further, in the first and second embodiments, the case where the VOX control circuit 15 is controlled to be forcedly set to the operating state when the mute mode is set and when the battery voltage drops, respectively, is described. V in both mute mode setting and battery voltage drop
The OX control circuit 15 may be controlled so as to be forcibly set to the operating state. In addition, in addition to the state of listening to the above-mentioned time signal, weather forecast, news, etc., the state of listening to information from the information providing source by dialing Q2, etc., addressed to itself from the voice mail box or answering machine. Even when the VOX control circuit 15 is forcibly set to the operating state even in the state of listening to the message message or the like, or in the main receiving mode in which the main reception is and the transmission is small. Good.

Further, if the transmission of the silent section is completely stopped by the VOX control, the background noise is not transmitted at all during that period, so that the speaker on the receiving side loses the natural feeling of the received signal, which is not preferable. . Therefore, recently, a VOX control circuit has been considered which has a function of transmitting background noise information at a constant time interval even in a silent section, thereby preventing deterioration of the natural feeling on the receiving side. However, in the receiving-only mode, it is common that the other party is a recording device or the like and there is no speaker. Therefore, in this case, it is not necessary to transmit the background noise information. Therefore,
When the VOX control circuit having the background noise transmission function is used, it is preferable to stop the transmission of the background noise information in the reception-only mode. By doing so, it is possible to further reduce the power consumption in the reception-only mode.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the case where the TDMA method is used as the access method of the radio channel has been described, but the invention can be similarly applied to the apparatus using the CDMA method. In addition, the control procedure of the VOX on / off control and its control contents, the configuration of the VOX control circuit, the type of the wireless communication device and its configuration, etc. can be variously modified and implemented without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0072]

As described above in detail, the first aspect of the present invention detects at least one of the voiced section and the silent section of the transmission signal during communication, and transmits the output to the silent section based on the detection result. In a wireless communication device having a voice transmission control function for performing control for reducing the noise, for determining whether or not the receiving main drive mode or other mode in which voice transmission is within a predetermined time during communication is set. The communication mode determination means and the control means for the voice transmission control operation are provided, and the control means causes the voice transmission control to be executed when the communication mode determination means determines that the receiving main drive mode is set. On the other hand, when it is determined that the other mode is set, the voice transmission control is controlled not to be executed.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the voice transmission control is performed only during the call in the receiving main drive mode in which the ratio of the transmission is small, so that the voice transmission control can be effectively performed while suppressing the influence on the call quality as much as possible. As a result, it is possible to maintain the communication quality and reduce the consumption of the battery at the same time.

The second aspect of the present invention includes a battery as a power source, detects at least one of a voiced section and a silent section of a transmission signal during communication, and outputs the output to the silent section based on the detection result. In a wireless communication device having a voice transmission control function for performing control for reducing the battery charge, a battery capacity detecting means for detecting whether or not the remaining capacity of the battery has dropped below a predetermined amount, and the voice transmission control. An operation control means, the control means executes the voice transmission control in a state in which the battery capacity detection means detects that the remaining capacity of the battery is lower than a predetermined amount, and In the state where it is detected by the capacity detecting means that the remaining capacity of the battery has not fallen below the predetermined value, the voice transmission control is controlled not to be executed.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the voice transmission control is performed only when the battery capacity falls below a predetermined amount, so that the quality deterioration due to the voice transmission control occurs in a normal state where the battery capacity is sufficient. It is possible to ensure good call quality without causing the problem, and to reduce the power consumption by the voice transmission control after the remaining capacity of the battery is reduced to extend the battery life.

Further, the third invention is to turn on the voice transmission control .
-In a device equipped with voice transmission control setting means for setting off, the voice transmission should be within a predetermined time during communication.
The receiving main drive mode is set or other modes
A communication mode detection means for detecting whether it is set, Ru and control means of the voice transmission control operation. Then , this control means causes the communication mode detection means to perform other modes.
If it is detected that the
The voice transmission control is performed by the setting of the voice transmission control setting means.
The communication mode detecting means.
Detected that the receiving main drive mode is set
In this case, the voice transmission control is performed unconditionally .

Therefore, according to the present invention, when the main receiving mode is set, the voice transmission control is performed even if the mode for prohibiting the execution of the voice transmission control is designated. Therefore, for example, even when the user sets the mode in which the execution of the voice transmission control is prohibited by placing importance on the call quality, the mode in which the voice transmission control is executed while the mode in which the execution of the voice transmission control is prohibited is set. Even if the user forgets to return it, the power consumption is reduced by the voice transmission control during the call period in the receiving main drive mode, whereby the remaining battery life can be extended as much as possible.

Further, the fourth invention is to turn on the voice transmission control .
· In it are device an audio transmission control setting means for setting off, Ru with a battery capacity detection means for detecting a remaining capacity of the battery, and control means for voice transmission control operation. That
Te, by the control means, by the battery capacity detecting means
When it is detected that the remaining capacity of the battery is more than a predetermined amount,
In case of
It is decided whether or not the voice transmission control is performed.
Battery capacity detection means that the remaining capacity of the battery is less than the specified value
If it is detected that it is decreasing,
The voice transmission control is performed .

Therefore, according to the present invention, when the battery capacity falls below the predetermined amount, the voice transmission control is performed even if the mode for prohibiting the voice transmission control is designated by the mode designation input means. become. Therefore, for example, even when the user sets the mode in which the execution of the voice transmission control is prohibited by placing importance on the call quality, the mode in which the voice transmission control is executed while the mode in which the execution of the voice transmission control is prohibited is set. Even if the battery is forgotten to be returned, if the remaining capacity of the battery is reduced, the power consumption can be reduced by the voice transmission control, and thus the remaining battery life can be further extended.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing a configuration of a digital mobile phone device having a VOX control function according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a VOX control circuit of the device shown in FIG.

3 is an external view of the device shown in FIG.

4 is a flowchart showing a procedure and control contents of VOX on / off control by a control circuit of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a circuit block diagram showing a configuration of a digital mobile phone device having a VOX control function according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a flowchart showing a procedure and control contents of VOX on / off control by a control circuit of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure and control contents of VOX on / off control by a control circuit of a digital mobile phone device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... antenna 2 ... Antenna duplexer (DUP) 3 ... Receiving circuit (RX) 4 ... Frequency synthesizer (SYN) 5 ... Transmission circuit (TX) 6, 14 ... A / D converter 7. Digital demodulation circuit (DEM) 8 ... Time division multiple access circuit (TDMA) 9 ... Error correction code decoding circuit (CH-COD) 10 ... Speech code decoding circuit (SP-COD) 11, 17 ... D / A converter 12 ... Speaker 13 ... Microphone 15 ... VOX control circuit 16 ... Digital modulation circuit (MOD) 18 ... Battery 19 ... Power supply circuit 20, 200 ... Control circuit 20a ... Call mode determination means 200a ... Battery voltage drop determining means 20b, 200b ... VOX on / off control means 21 ... Key input section (KEY) 22 ... Display (DISP) 23 ... Battery voltage detection circuit 51 ... Frame energy detector 52 ... Sound / silence determination section 53 ... Voice transmission control unit

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A voice transmission control for detecting at least one of a voiced section and a silent section of a transmission signal during communication and reducing the average transmission output in the silent section based on the detection result.
In the wireless communication device to perform, the receiving main drive mode is set so that the transmission of voice is within a predetermined time during communication, or other modes are set.
A communication mode detection means for detecting the Luke, performs the voice transmission control when receiving the driving mode has been detected to have been set by the communication mode detection means, whereas that other mode is set wireless communication apparatus having a voice transmission control function, characterized by comprising a control means does not perform the voice transmission control when it is detected. 2. The communication mode detecting means detects whether or not at least one of a voice mute mode and a predetermined information listening mode is set as a receiving main drive mode. A wireless communication device having a voice transmission control function. 3. A voice that includes a battery as a power source, detects at least one of a voiced section and a silent section of a transmission signal during communication, and reduces the average transmission output in the silent section based on the detection result. Battery capacity detecting means for detecting the remaining capacity of the battery in a wireless communication device for transmission control
And the battery capacity detection means determines that the remaining capacity of the battery is less than a predetermined value.
If it is detected that the above, the voice transmission control
No, while the remaining battery capacity is detected by the battery capacity detection means.
When it is detected that the amount has fallen below the specified amount
Is a wireless communication apparatus having a voice transmission control function. 4. A voice transmission control for detecting at least one of a voiced section and a silent section of a transmission signal during communication and reducing the average transmission output in the silent section based on the detection result.
A wireless communication device for performing voice transmission control for setting ON / OFF of the voice transmission control
The setting means and the receiver main module that the voice is transmitted within a predetermined time during communication.
Mode is set or another mode is set.
Communication mode detecting means for detecting whether or not there is any other mode set by this communication mode detecting means.
If it is detected that the
Whether the voice transmission control should be performed by the setting of the setting means
Whether or not the receiver is
If it is detected that the motion mode is set,
A wireless communication device comprising: a control unit that performs the voice transmission control unconditionally . 5. A voice transmission comprising a battery as a power source, detecting at least one of a voiced section and a silent section of a transmission signal during communication, and reducing an average transmission output in the silent section based on the detection result. In a wireless communication device for controlling , a voice transmission control setting means for setting ON / OFF of the voice transmission control, a battery capacity detecting means for detecting the remaining capacity of the battery, and a remaining capacity of the battery by the battery capacity detecting means. Is more than a predetermined amount
If it is detected that the above, the voice transmission control
Setting by the setting means Setting the voice transmission control
Whether or not the battery is detected by the battery capacity detecting means.
It has been detected that the remaining capacity of the
And a control means for performing the voice transmission control unconditionally .