JP2000316043A - Portable unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a portable unit that can stably send/receive voice and can have excellent carrying performance when the mobile unit is not in use although a user can easily grip the portable unit. SOLUTION: This portable phone is provided with an upper unit 23 having a speaker 11 and a display section 12, a lower unit 24 having a keyboard section 13 and a microphone 14, and a slide bar that connects them. Since the slide bar 25 is formed thinner than the upper unit 23 and the lower unit 24, the shape of the portable phone itself is shaped close to a classical 'handset' so as to allow a user to easily grip the mobile phone. Since the speaker 11 and the microphone 14 are largely apart from each other, they are placed in the vicinity of the ear and the mouth of the user in the case of making a speech respectively. When the portable phone is not in use, since the size is made small by containing the slide bar 25 to the inside of the upper unit 23 and the lower unit 24 by means of a slot 31 or the like, the mobile phone exhibits excellent carrying performance.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable device having a microphone and a sound generator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, portable telephones and simplified portable telephones (PH
In portable communication devices such as S), in order to improve portability,
The size and weight have been reduced. However, when the size of the mobile phone is reduced, the microphone may be separated from the mouth during use, and a stable call may not be performed. In order to solve such a problem, flipper type mobile phones and the like have been commercialized, and the problem of noise and the like has been solved by pulling out the microphone part to the mouth side during use.

[0003]

However, the conventional portable telephones described above, including the flipper type portable telephones, are small in size and have a simple box shape. It can not be said that it is easy for a person to grasp by hand.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and enables a user to easily hold, to transmit and receive a stable sound, and to be portable when not in use. An object of the present invention is to provide an excellent portable device.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable device comprising: a sound generator for converting an electric signal into a sound vibration to generate a sound; A first housing for holding the microphone, a microphone for converting a sound wave into an electric signal, a second housing for holding the microphone, and a member for connecting the first housing and the second housing. A gripping member to be gripped by a user, wherein the gripping member can be stored in the first housing, the second housing, or both, and the gripping member Wherein the cross-sectional area of a plane orthogonal to the direction connecting the first housing and the second housing is smaller than the cross-sectional areas of the first housing and the second housing. It is characterized by.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the portable device according to the first aspect, an uneven portion that fits a user's finger is formed on an outer surface of the grip member. And

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable device for generating sound by converting an electric signal into sound vibration, generating a sound, a first housing for holding the sound generating means, and transmitting the sound wave to the electric signal. And a second housing for holding the microphone, and a gripping member for connecting the first housing and the second housing, the gripping member being held by a user. The gripping member can be stored in the first housing, the second housing, or both, and the outer surface of the gripping member has an uneven portion that fits a user's finger. Is formed.

A portable device according to a fourth aspect is the portable device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the first casing, the second casing, or both of the first casing and the second casing have the same configuration. An opening for accommodating the gripping member is formed, and the gripping member is slidably guided in the opening to store the gripping member.

A portable device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the portable device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein microphone control means for controlling sensitivity of the microphone and the grip member are stored. Detecting means for detecting whether or not the gripping member is stored by the detecting means, as compared to a case where the gripping member is not stored. It is also characterized by having a larger size.

A portable device according to a sixth aspect is the portable device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the directivity control means controls the directivity of the microphone;
Detecting means for detecting whether or not the grip member is stored, wherein the directivity control means controls the directivity of the microphone based on a detection result of the detecting means. .

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the portable device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the detecting means detects whether the grip member is stored, and the detecting means. And a switching means for switching the operation of the portable device based on the detection result.

The portable device according to claim 8 is the portable device according to claim 7, further comprising communication means for performing wireless transmission / reception with an external communication device, wherein the switching means includes a detection result of the detection means. Switching means for switching the on-hook / off-hook state of the communication means based on the above.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable device for generating sound by converting an electric signal into a sound vibration, generating a sound, a first housing for holding the sounding means, and transmitting a sound wave to the electric signal. And a second housing for holding the microphone, and a gripping member for connecting the first housing and the second housing, the gripping member being held by a user. The gripping member includes a first gripping portion having one end coupled to the first housing; a second gripping portion having one end coupled to the second housing; And a hinge mechanism that couples the other end of the second grip portion with the grip portion of the grip member. The hinge mechanism allows the grip member member to be folded,
The cross-sectional area of the grip member in a plane orthogonal to the direction connecting the first housing and the second housing is smaller than the cross-sectional areas of the first housing and the second housing. It is characterized by having.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the portable device according to the ninth aspect, wherein an uneven portion that fits a user's finger is formed on an outer surface of the grip member. And

[0015] The portable device according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention is characterized in that a sound generating means for converting an electric signal into a vibration of a sound to generate a sound;
A first housing for holding the sound generator, a microphone for converting sound waves into an electric signal, a second housing for holding the microphone, and connecting the first housing and the second housing; A grip member gripped by a user, wherein the grip member has a first grip portion having one end coupled to the first housing and one end having the second grip portion. A second grip portion coupled to the housing of the first grip portion, and a hinge mechanism for coupling the other end of the first grip portion and the other end of the second grip portion, and the grip mechanism member is moved by the hinge mechanism. The gripping member is made foldable, and an uneven portion that fits a user's finger is formed on an outer surface of the gripping member.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the portable device according to any one of the ninth to eleventh aspects, a detecting means for detecting whether or not the gripping member is in a folded state; Switching means for switching the operation of the portable device based on the detection result of the means.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the portable device according to the twelfth aspect, further comprising communication means for performing wireless transmission and reception with an external communication device, wherein the switching means includes a detection result of the detection means. Switching means for switching the on-hook / off-hook state of the communication means based on the above.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the portable device according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects, an electric signal wirelessly transmitted from outside is received, and the received electric signal is transmitted to the sound generating means. And transmitting means for wirelessly transmitting an electric signal generated by the microphone to the outside.

A portable device according to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention is the portable device according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects, further comprising a power source disposed inside the grip member.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. A. First Embodiment First, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile phone according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile phone includes a speaker (sound generating means) 11, a display unit 12, a keyboard unit 13, a microphone 14,
The mobile phone includes a controller (switching unit) 20, a wireless communication device (receiving unit, transmitting unit, and communication unit) 21 and a storage battery 22 that is a power source of the mobile phone.

The speaker 11 converts an electric signal from another communication device received by the wireless communication device 21 into sound vibration,
Pronounce. The display unit 12 displays information such as a telephone number input or selected to the controller 20 in accordance with an operation of a keyboard unit 13 or the like described later. The keyboard unit 13 includes keys such as a numeric keypad, an on-hook key, and an off-hook key. The user operates the keyboard unit 13 to input information such as telephone numbers, characters, and call instructions to the controller 20. be able to. The wireless communication device 21 is controlled by the controller 20, and performs wireless communication with another communication device via a wireless base station (not shown) based on a command input to the controller 20 by the keyboard unit 13. Do.
The controller 20 controls each unit of the mobile phone, and controls each unit in the same manner as a normal mobile phone. Further, the controller 20 controls the sensitivity and the like of the microphone 14 based on a detection signal from a switch described later.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile phone includes an upper unit (first housing) 23 having a speaker 11 and a display unit 12 and a lower unit (second housing) 24 having a keyboard unit 13 and a microphone 14. And a slide bar (grip member) 25 for connecting them.

Upper unit 23 and lower unit 24
Is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a speaker 11, a display unit 12, a keyboard unit 13, and a microphone 14 are arranged on the front surface thereof.

The slide bar 25 has a smaller cross-sectional area (the area of a surface orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the slide bar 25) than the above-described upper unit 23 and lower unit 24. Is made uneven so as to easily fit the user's finger. This makes it easier to grasp and reduces slippage from the hand.
5 can be said to be a shape that is easy for the user to grasp.

FIG. 3 is a view taken along the line III-III in FIG. As shown in the figure, the upper unit 23 and the lower unit 24 have slide bars 25 respectively.
Slot (opening) that can store upper half and lower half of
Slots 30 and 31 are formed.
The slide bar 25 can be slidably stored therein. When unfolded (when used), the slide bar 25 is pulled out of the slots 30, 31 as shown in the figure.

Each of the slots 30, 31 is provided with a locking mechanism (not shown) for locking the slide bar 25 at a position shown in the drawing.
Is positioned. At this time, when the user
When a force equal to or more than a predetermined value is applied by performing an operation such as pushing the lower unit 24 or the like, the locked state of the slide bar 25 by the locking mechanism is released, and the slide bar 25 is slid into the slots 30 and 31. It can be stored. When pulling out the slide bar 25, the user may grasp the upper unit 23 and the lower unit 24 and pull them. By doing so, as shown in FIG. 2, the slide bar 25 is exposed from the inside of the slots 30 and 31, and the mobile phone is connected to the "iron array".
The shape is as follows.

Here, electrical contacts (not shown) are provided on the outer surface of the slide bar 25, and electrical contacts (not shown) which are formed longer in the sliding direction of the slide bar 25 are also provided on the inner surfaces of the slots 30, 31. Is provided. Thus, no matter where the slide bar 25 is located within the sliding range, the slide bar 25 is electrically connected to the upper unit 23 and the lower unit 24. Therefore, the upper unit 23
And the lower unit 24 can also be electrically connected.

The storage battery 22 is provided inside the slide bar 25.
Is arranged. Thereby, it is not necessary to arrange the storage battery 22 in the upper unit 23 or the lower unit 24,
The miniaturization of the upper unit 23 and the lower unit 24 is facilitated. Further, the storage battery 22 is the heaviest among the components constituting the mobile phone. If the storage battery 22, which is a heavy object, is disposed inside the slide bar 25 at substantially the center of the mobile phone, the weight balance is good. It becomes easy to grasp. In addition to the storage battery 22, the wireless communication device 21 and the controller 2
Other components such as 0 (not shown in FIG. 3) may be arranged, and the arrangement positions of the storage battery 22, the wireless communication device 21, the controller 20, and the like are arbitrary. Also,
The arrangement of the display unit 12 and the keyboard unit 13 is not limited to the illustrated position.
3 or the display unit 12
May be arranged in the lower unit 24.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which the slide bar 25 is stored in the slots 30 and 31. As shown in the figure, a switch (detection means) is provided at the deepest portion of the slot 31.
When the slide bar 25 is stored and the slide bar 25 comes into contact with the switch 40, a detection signal is sent to the controller 20 to inform the controller 20 that the slide bar 25 is stored. Therefore, based on the detection signal from the switch 40, the controller 20
Can detect whether or not the slide bar 25 is stored. The switch 40 is connected to the slide bar 2
5, a detection signal is sent to the controller 20 when the switch 40 provided on the slide bar 25 contacts the deepest part of the slot 31. Further, the switch 40 may send a detection signal to the controller 20 when the slide bar 25 is pulled out, that is, when the slide bar 25 is separated from the switch 40.

Next, control contents of the controller 20 (see FIG. 1) based on the detection signal of the switch 40 will be described. When the controller 20 detects, based on the detection signal from the switch 40, that the slide bar 25 is separated from the switch 40 and is not stored, the mobile phone is set to an off-hook state. That is, the same operation as when the off-hook switch is pressed is performed.
In this way, when a call is received from another telephone or the like, a call can be started only by expanding the slide bar 25 without operating the keyboard 13 or the like. Also, when making a call to another telephone, the user can make a call without pressing the off-hook switch by expanding the slide bar 25 and inputting a telephone number.

On the other hand, when the slide bar 25 is stored and the switch 40 sends a detection signal, the controller 2
0 sets the mobile phone to an on-hook state. That is,
The same operation as when the on-hook switch is pressed is executed. This makes it possible to omit the operation of pressing the on-hook switch as in the case of the off-hook switch described above.

In the mobile phone according to the present embodiment, when the slide bar 25 is expanded, the mobile phone is different from a conventional mobile phone equipped with a flip-type or deployable boom microphone, and the portion to be gripped by the hand is thin. Since the mouthpiece has a shape similar to a classic "handset" with a swollen mouthpiece, it is easy for the user to grasp. Also, as shown in FIG.
Since the distance between the upper unit 23 and the lower unit 24 is increased, the upper unit 23 including the speaker 11
Can be located near the ear, and the lower unit 24 with the microphone 14 can be located near the mouth,
A stable call is possible. On the other hand, as shown in FIG.
When not in use, slide bar 25 into slots 30, 3
If it is stored in one, it becomes compact, so that portability is good. That is, according to the mobile phone according to the present embodiment, portability when not in use can be improved while easily holding the phone during a call and enabling a stable call.

In the above embodiment, the upper half of the slide bar 25 is stored in the slot 30 formed in the upper unit 23, and the lower half of the slide bar 25 is stored in the slot 31 formed in the lower unit 24. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and all the slide bars 25 may be stored in the slots 30 of the upper unit 23, or all the slide bars 25 may be stored in the slots 31 of the lower unit 24. You may do so.

B. Second Embodiment Next, FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a mobile phone according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Note that the electrical configuration of the mobile phone according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the above-described first embodiment (see FIG. 1), and a description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7, the portable telephone according to the second embodiment has a substantially disk-shaped upper unit (first housing) 70 having a speaker 11 and a display unit 12, a keyboard unit 13 and a microphone 14. , A lower unit (second housing) 71 having a substantially disk shape and a gripping member 72 for connecting these units.

As in the first embodiment, the grip member 72 is thinner than the upper unit 70 and the lower unit 71, and the outer surface thereof is formed in an uneven shape that is easy to fit a user's finger. In addition, the grip member 72
An upper grip member (first grip portion) 72a having one end coupled to the upper unit 70, a lower grip member (second grip portion) 72b having one end coupled to the lower unit 71, and an upper grip member 72a and a lower portion. A hinge 72c for rotatably connecting the other end of the grip member 72b to each other.
Thereby, as shown in FIG. 8, the grip member 72 can be folded around the hinge 72c. When the grip member 72 is folded, the upper grip member 72
The upper unit 70 and the lower unit 71, which are respectively coupled to the tips of the a and the lower gripping member 72b, are arranged so as to overlap.

Under this configuration, in use, if the grip member 72 is deployed as shown in FIG. 7, the distance between the speaker 11 and the microphone 14 is increased, and the speaker 11 is positioned closer to the ear and the microphone 14 is positioned closer to the mouth. I will be. Therefore, a stable call is possible. In addition, the mobile phone when the grip member 72 is unfolded has a shape similar to a classic "handset" in which the portion to be gripped by hand is thin and the mouthpiece portion is swollen, so that it is easy for the user to grip. .

On the other hand, when not in use, the gripping member 72 can be compact by folding it around the hinge 72c, so that portability is good. That is, according to the mobile phone according to the second embodiment, the user can easily hold the phone during a call as in the first embodiment described above, and can perform a stable call,
Portability when not in use can be improved.

In the second embodiment, the hinge 7
2c, upper grip member 72a or hinge portion 72c, etc.
A switch for detecting the open / closed state of the grip member 72 may be provided. The controller 20 may switch off-hook / on-hook operation based on the open / closed state of the grip member 72 detected by this switch, as in the first embodiment, to simplify the operation.

Further, as in the first embodiment, if the storage battery 22, which is a heavy object, is disposed inside the upper gripping member 72a, the lower gripping member 72b, or both, the weight balance is improved and the gripping is facilitated. In addition, the size of the upper unit 70 and the lower unit 71 can be easily reduced.

C. Modifications The present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments described above, and various modifications as described below are possible. (1) In the above-described first embodiment, when the controller 20 detects that the slide bar 25 is not stored based on the detection signal from the switch 40, the controller 20 switches the on-hook / off-hook state. In addition, the sensitivity and the directivity of the microphone 14 may be controlled based on the detection signal from the switch 40. In this case, the sensitivity when the slide bar 25 is stored may be set higher than when the slide bar 25 is expanded. When a call is made when the slide bar 25 is stored (for example, when one hand is closed and the phone is grasped at once), the distance between the microphone 14 and the mouth of the user increases, but as described above. If the sensitivity of the microphone 14 is controlled, the user's talk can be collected more reliably. On the other hand, the slide bar 25
When the microphone is deployed, the microphone 14 should be located near the mouth. If the sensitivity is set to an appropriate value lower than that when the microphone is retracted, the surrounding noise is picked up while maintaining more reliable sound pickup performance. Can be reduced.

When a call is made when the slide bar 25 is stored, the distance between the microphone 14 and the mouth becomes large, and the mouth of the user is located below the microphone 14. In consideration of such a point, the microphone 1 is controlled by the controller 20 so that the microphone 14 improves the sound pickup of the sound on the lower side of the lower unit 24.
By controlling the directivity of No. 4, the sound collecting performance of the sound from the mouth side of the user can be improved.

(2) In the first and second embodiments described above, the case where the present invention is applied to a mobile phone has been described. However, the present invention can be applied to a mobile device having a microphone and a speaker.

[0044]

As described above, according to the present invention,
At the time of use, the user can easily hold the device, and stable sound transmission and reception is possible. On the other hand, when not in use, the size is small, so the portability is excellent.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile phone according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the mobile phone when deployed.

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing the mobile phone in a state where a slide bar which is a component of the mobile phone is stored.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a situation where a call is made using the mobile phone with the slide bar expanded.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the mobile phone when the slide bar is stored.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state when a mobile phone according to a second embodiment of the present invention is deployed.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state when the mobile phone according to the second embodiment is folded.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 speaker (sound generating means), 12 display unit, 13 keyboard unit, 14 microphone, 2
0 ... controller (microphone control means, directivity control means, switching means), 21 ... wireless communication device (transmission means, reception means, communication means), 22 ... storage battery (power supply),
23 upper unit (first housing), 24 lower unit (second housing), 25 slide bar (grip member), 30 slot (opening), 31 slot ( (Opening), 40 ... switch (detection means), 70 ...
Upper unit (first housing), 71 Lower unit (second housing), 72 grip member, 72a Upper grip member (first grip portion), 72b lower grip member ( 2nd grip part), 72c ... hinge part

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. A sound generating means for converting an electric signal into vibration of sound to generate a sound, a first housing for holding the sound generating means, a microphone for converting sound waves into an electric signal, and holding the microphone A second housing, and a member for connecting the first housing and the second housing, the grip member being gripped by a user; The first housing, the second housing, or both can be stored therein, and the grip member cuts off a plane orthogonal to a direction connecting the first housing and the second housing. The portable device, wherein an area is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the first housing and the second housing. 2. The portable device according to claim 1, wherein an uneven portion that fits a user's finger is formed on an outer surface of the grip member. 3. A sound generating means for converting an electric signal into sound vibration to generate a sound, a first housing for holding the sound generating means, a microphone for converting a sound wave into an electric signal, and holding the microphone A second housing, and a member for connecting the first housing and the second housing, the grip member being gripped by a user; The first housing, the second housing, or both of them can be stored therein, and an outer surface of the grip member is formed with an uneven portion that fits a user's finger. Mobile devices. 4. An opening capable of storing the grip member is formed in the first housing, the second housing, or both, and the grip member is slidably guided in the opening. The portable device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the grip member is stored. 5. A microphone control means for controlling the sensitivity of the microphone, and a detection means for detecting whether or not the grip member is stored, wherein the microphone control means performs the grip by the detection means. The mobile device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein sensitivity when detecting that the member is stored is made higher than when the grip member is not stored. 6. A directivity control means for controlling the directivity of the microphone, and a detection means for detecting whether or not the gripping member is stored, wherein the directivity control means is provided with the detection means. The portable device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the directivity of the microphone is controlled based on the detection result. 7. A portable electronic device further comprising: detecting means for detecting whether or not the gripping member is stored, and switching means for switching the operation of the portable device based on a detection result of the detecting means. The portable device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. 8. A communication device for performing wireless transmission and reception with an external communication device, wherein the switching device is configured to perform, based on a detection result of the detection device,
8. The portable device according to claim 7, further comprising: a switching unit configured to switch an on-hook / off-hook state of the communication unit. 9. A sound generating means for converting an electric signal into a vibration of sound to generate a sound, a first housing for holding the sound generating means, a microphone for converting a sound wave into an electric signal, and holding the microphone A second housing that connects the first housing and the second housing, and a gripping member that is gripped by a user; Are connected to the first housing, and a second grip is connected to the second housing at one end.
And a hinge mechanism that couples the other end of the first grip portion and the second grip portion. The hinge mechanism allows the grip member member to be folded, A cross-sectional area of a plane orthogonal to a direction connecting the first housing and the second housing is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the first housing and the second housing. And mobile devices. 10. The portable device according to claim 9, wherein an uneven portion that fits a user's finger is formed on an outer surface of the grip member. 11. A sound generating means for converting an electric signal into vibration of sound to generate a sound, a first housing for holding the sound generating means, a microphone for converting a sound wave into an electric signal, and holding the microphone A second housing that connects the first housing and the second housing, and a gripping member that is gripped by a user; Are connected to the first housing, and a second grip is connected to the second housing at one end.
And a hinge mechanism that couples the other end of the first grip and the second grip. The hinge mechanism allows the grip member to be folded, and an outer surface of the grip member. A portable device characterized by forming an uneven portion that fits a user's finger. 12. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: detecting means for detecting whether the gripping member is in a folded state, and switching means for switching an operation of the portable device based on a detection result of the detecting means. The portable device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein 13. A communication device for performing wireless transmission and reception with an external communication device, wherein the switching device is configured to:
13. The portable device according to claim 12, further comprising: a switching unit configured to switch an on-hook / off-hook state of the communication unit. 14. A receiving means for receiving an electric signal wirelessly transmitted from the outside and sending the received electric signal to the sounding means, and a transmitting means for wirelessly transmitting the electric signal generated by the microphone to the outside. The portable device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising: 15. The power supply according to claim 1, further comprising a power source disposed inside the grip member.
The mobile device according to any one of the above.