JPH1023524A - Incoming call notification device of mobile radiophone with malfunction preventive function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an incoming call notification device for the mobile radiophone which is extremely small in the possibility of malfunction due to urban noises since the user is annoyed by false incoming call notification and feels troublesome and then time or mental loss is large if the incoming call notification device informing the user that a signal arrives at the mobile radiophone from a base station and the telephone set responds to the urban noise. SOLUTION: The continuance of the urban noises is nearly 1-2 seconds. The incoming call notification device is provided with a control circuit means including a timer so that a notifying operation signal is allowed to be generated only when a signal detected by the incoming device 100 lasts exceeding a specific time (>=2 seconds, preferably, 3-5 seconds). This constitution can reduce malfunction of both a digital telephone set which uses a time-division response signal and an analog telephone set which uses a continuous response signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an incoming call notification device for a portable telephone having a malfunction preventing function. More specifically, the present invention relates to a means for preventing a malfunction caused by so-called city noise in a notification device for notifying a user of a mobile phone that the mobile phone has received a call from a base station.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a portable telephone in use receives a call signal for the telephone from a base station, the portable telephone transmits a series of signal waves containing necessary information to the base station in response to the call signal. On the other hand, it is necessary to notify the user of the mobile phone that there is a call signal. This is because an incoming call notification device provided integrally with or separately from the mobile phone transmits the signal wave transmitted by the telephone. Receive,
When the reception is received, the notification sound generation device or the bodily sensation vibration generation device included in the incoming call notification device is driven to perform the reception.

A typical example of the prior art will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional incoming call notifying device shown together with a base station and a mobile phone, and FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing signal waveforms at main parts in the conventional incoming call notifying device.

When a call signal 3 from the base station 1 arrives at the mobile phone 2, the mobile phone 2 sends a response signal 4 to the base station 1. The response signal 4 includes information specifying the telephone and a voice signal of the telephone call. In the case of an analog type mobile phone, the response signal 4 is continuous, but in the case of a digital type mobile phone, the signal is time-divided, and the appearance of a macroscopically intermittent signal group is exhibited. The time interval of the generation of the intermittent (time division) signal group is relatively short,
It also involves some fluctuation. Then, the above information is packed in each signal of a predetermined width constituting the signal group. In the case of this conventional example, an operation waveform will be described assuming that the digital cellular phone is used.

[0005] In FIG. 4, reference numeral 400 denotes an incoming call notification device, and its circuit configuration is shown in a block diagram therein. The antenna device 401 intercepts the response signal. Detection circuit 4
02 detects a radio wave captured by the antenna device 401. The amplification circuit 403 amplifies the detection output signal of the detection circuit 402 and outputs an amplified output signal A (FIG. 5). The amplified output signal A is digitalized and compressed on a carrier wave of about 800 MHz band, and is carried in a time division manner. The smoothing circuit 404 smoothes the signal A, which is the amplified output of the amplifier circuit 403, by a charge / discharge circuit having an appropriate time constant, and outputs a smoothed signal B (FIG. 5). The threshold detection circuit 405 outputs the H-level notification operation signal C only when the smoothed signal B is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold Vth.
(FIG. 5) is output.

When the notification operation signal C becomes H level, the vibration motor driving circuit 406 generates the bodily sensation signal.
7 is driven. This motor rotates the eccentric mass,
The whole incoming notification device 400 is vibrated by its reaction to notify the user. At the beginning of the response signal,
As shown in FIG. 5, each time the response signal A is intermittent, the smoothed signal B rises and falls below the threshold value Vth. Since the signal B does not fall below Vth, the notification operation signal C is thereafter steadily generated as shown on the right side of FIG.

When the driving of the vibration motor is continued for a predetermined time (several seconds to several tens of seconds), a dedicated timer (not shown in particular, although not shown, is used in order to suppress an unnecessary notification operation and save power consumption). Vibration motor drive circuit 40
6) is stopped in the current call until the next new call is made. Further, as another means of the notification, for example, an acoustic device such as a speaker or a buzzer and an acoustic drive signal generating circuit may be used instead of the bodily sensation vibration generating motor and the vibration motor driving circuit. The incoming call notification device 400 may be integrated with the mobile phone 2 or may be separate. The same applies to the embodiments of the present invention described later.

In the above conventional example, as can be seen from the waveform of the notification operation signal C in FIG. 5, the smoothed signal B becomes equal to or higher than the threshold value Vth every time the detection circuit performs the signal detection operation.
The output of the notification operation signal C is generated, and the vibration motor is driven. There is no problem if the signal received by the incoming call notification device 400 is limited to a regular response signal, but the mobile phone is often used in an environment with so-called "urban noise". Sources of urban noise are, for example, automatic ticket gates at stations,
Or it may occur when trains pass each other. The frequency band often includes an 800 MHz band signal used by a mobile phone. Therefore, the incoming call notification device 4
00 may detect city noise and generate a detection output. As a result, a notification operation occurs even though the mobile phone 2 has not responded to an incoming call, and an erroneous notification is given to the user.

[0009]

When the incoming call notification device responds to the city noise as described above, the user of the portable telephone naturally suffers from malfunction and is troublesome. Especially during errands or driving a car, the required concentration is lost, and the time or mental loss of a non-authorized telephone call is significant.

An object of the present invention is to provide an incoming call notification device for a mobile phone which is extremely unlikely to malfunction in response to city noise in view of such circumstances.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The inventor of the present invention has investigated urban noise and found that the duration of the noise is mostly about 1 to 2 seconds. Therefore, a means for solving the problem is that a signal detected by the incoming call notification device is kept for a predetermined time (2 seconds or more, preferably 3 seconds to 5 seconds).
The control device means including a timer is provided in the notification device so as to allow generation of the notification operation signal only when the notification operation signal is persistent beyond the above.

It should be noted that the usual meaning of the word "continuous" means that there is no interruption, and in the case of a response signal of an analog telephone, it is used in that sense essentially, but the response signal of a digital portable telephone ( As in the case of an intermittent signal group as shown in FIG. 5A), it is referred to as “continuous” when a signal group, which is an aggregate of a large number of individual signals, has a substantially constant short interval (for example, a smoothing circuit). (A time interval corresponding to the time constant of the time). This continuation state is maintained from the time when the mobile phone 2 responds to the incoming signal to the time when the call ends.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a timing chart showing signal waveforms of main parts of an incoming call notification device in the embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the embodiment. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes the whole incoming call notifying device, the inside of which is composed of the following blocks. Only the main signal flows between the blocks are indicated by arrows. Detailed signal flows and control states for the operation of the circuit will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. Returning to FIG.
Is an antenna device, 102 is a detection circuit, 103 is an amplification circuit, 104 is a smoothing circuit, 105 is a threshold value detection circuit, 106
Is a vibration motor drive circuit, and 107 is a vibration motor. The contents and operations of the above-described circuit blocks basically correspond to and are the same as the respective blocks in the conventional example shown in FIG. 4 and described above, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 2 is a timing chart showing a signal waveform of each main part in the incoming call notification device in the embodiment of the present invention which is a digital telephone. A is an amplifier circuit 10
3 is the waveform of the amplified output signal, which is the output of B.
4 are the waveforms of the smoothed signal which is the output of No. 4, which are the same as in the conventional example. A threshold detection signal D is generated as an output of the threshold detection circuit 105. The threshold detection signal D is the same as the notification operation signal C in FIG. However, the waveform E of the notification operation signal of the present invention is the output of the newly added control timer circuit 108.

Reference numeral 108 in FIG. 1 is an added control timer circuit, which is an example of the notification operation restricting means described in each claim. The control timer circuit 108 includes a timer having an operation time t1 of the predetermined time (2 seconds or more, preferably 3 seconds to 5 seconds). When the output of the threshold detection circuit 105 does not exceed the threshold Vth, the control timer circuit 108 is reset. But Vth
And the reset is released to start the operation. Until the predetermined time elapses, even if the output of the threshold detection circuit 105 exceeds Vth, the signal is output to the vibration motor driving circuit 10.
6 to prevent the transmission to the transmission.

As a result, as shown in the notification signal waveform E of FIG. 2, of the smoothed signal B generated as an output of the smoothing circuit 104, the durations t01, t02, and t03 that exceed Vth but are less than t1. Are cut off and the notification operation signal E is not set to the H level. Therefore, even if the signal detected by the detection circuit 102 is "urban noise", no notification signal is generated unless the duration exceeds t1. Since t1 is set to exceed the duration of most urban noises, malfunction of the notification device is prevented.

In FIG. 3, the operation of the embodiment of the incoming call notification device of the present invention starts from the upper end of the drawing. Step 3
At 01, the presence or absence of the threshold detection signal D is checked. If not, the process returns to the starting point via the routes 321 and 322. If there is, the reset state of the control timer circuit 108 is released in the next step 302 and the timer starts. T1 = 3 seconds as the optimum duration. During that time, the presence or absence of the threshold detection signal D is continuously monitored in steps 303 and 304. If the threshold detection signal D stops, the route 323
Through the step 309, the control timer circuit 108 is stopped and reset at step 309, and returns to the reception signal waiting state, which is the starting point of the flow, via the route 322. However, while the threshold detection signal D continues and the control timer circuit 105 is operating (t1 has not elapsed), the monitoring operation is repeated by the loop passing through the route 324.

When the time t1 has elapsed and the control timer circuit 105 has timed out, the routine proceeds to step 305, where the motor drive circuit 106 (including a 10 second timer for limiting the drive time of the vibration motor 107 to 10 seconds) operates. It starts and the user is notified. During the operation of the vibration motor for 10 seconds, the presence or absence of the threshold detection signal D is checked in steps 306 and 307. If the threshold detection signal D continues, the above-described checking operation is repeated via the route 326. If the threshold detection signal D disappears during this period, the notification is no longer necessary, and the route 325 is returned to the step 310. Then, the 10-second timer included in the motor drive circuit 106 is reset, and the vibration motor stops. Further, in step 311, the control timer circuit 108 is also reset, and returns to the starting point via the route 329.

The expiration of the time limit of the 10-second timer corresponds to step 30.
If confirmed in step 7, the next step 308 repeatedly checks the sustained state of the threshold detection signal D again in a loop including the route 327, during which it is assumed that a call is in progress, and the state of the incoming call notification device 100 does not change. . But step 308
When the threshold detection signal D is no longer detected in step, it is considered that the telephone conversation has been completed, and the drive signal of the motor drive circuit 106 is stopped in step 310 via the route 328 and the internal 10-second timer is reset. Then, in step 311, the control timer circuit 108 is also reset, and the operation flow returns to the starting point via the route 329. This is the end of the description of the flowchart in FIG.

Although the above embodiment has been described in connection with a digital telephone, the main difference between analog telephones is that the response signal is merely continuous. It will be readily understood that the principle of operation for noise is not different from that of the digital type. That is, in the case of the analog system, a continuous notification operation signal is to be generated immediately upon generation of the response signal. However, the notification signal cannot be generated until the predetermined time t1 has elapsed by the control timer circuit 108, and if t1 has elapsed. Since there is no legitimate response signal, there is no notification signal after that, and the malfunction of the notification device is eventually prevented. The specific configuration of the notification device is not limited to the present embodiment. Obviously, various other modifications and applications are possible within the scope of the invention.

[0021]

As is clear from the description of the above embodiment, even if the portable telephone is used in an environment with urban noise according to the present invention, it does not respond to ordinary urban noise, so In addition, malfunction of the reception notification can be avoided. As a result, the user can comfortably use the mobile phone without being bothered by false notifications. In the case of the above-described embodiment of the present invention, there is an advantage that the same basic design concept can be applied to the malfunction prevention part for both the analog telephone and the digital telephone.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a time chart of an output signal waveform in a main part of the incoming call notification device according to an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an operation of the incoming call notification device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional example.

FIG. 5 is a time chart of an output signal waveform in a main part of a conventional notification device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 base station 2 mobile phone 100, 400 incoming call notification device 101, 401 antenna device 102, 402 detection circuit 103, 403 amplification circuit 104, 404 smoothing circuit 105, 405 threshold value detection circuit 106, 406 vibration motor drive circuit 107, 407 vibration motor 108 Control timer circuit A Amplification output signal B Smoothing signal C, E Notification operation signal D Threshold detection signal

Claims (4)

[Claims] When a mobile phone that transmits an incoming signal to a base station in response to a call signal from the base station intercepts the incoming signal and detects that there is a received signal,
In the incoming call notification device of a mobile phone having a function of generating a notification signal for notifying the user of the mobile phone that this detection operation has been performed as a call signal from the base station, An incoming call notification device for a mobile phone having a malfunction prevention function, comprising a notification operation restricting means for generating the notification signal only when a received signal is continuous for a predetermined time or more. 2. The notifying operation limiting means includes a control timer circuit which starts an operation in response to a signal received by the notifying device and terminates the operation when the predetermined time has elapsed, and the received signal exceeds a predetermined time. 2. The incoming call notification device for a mobile phone having a malfunction prevention function according to claim 1, wherein the control timer circuit is reset when the operation is not continuous. 3. The notification device includes a detection circuit for a received signal, an amplification circuit for an output of the detection circuit, and a smoothing circuit for smoothing the output of the amplification circuit. 3. The incoming call notification device for a mobile phone having a malfunction prevention function according to claim 2, further comprising a threshold detection circuit for resetting the control timer circuit or maintaining the control timer circuit in a reset state when the threshold value is not exceeded. 4. The incoming call notification device for a mobile phone having a malfunction prevention function according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is set to 2 seconds or more.