JP2001223514A - Portable communication equipment, method for controlling antenna directivity and method for controlling antenna transmission power - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To optimize an antenna directivity in accordance with the bending angle of a housing because a current distribution induced in the housing by an antenna is made different according to the bending angle of a bendable portable communication equipment and the directivity is changed and also to reduce influence on the human body due to electromagnetic waves by controlling transmission power. SOLUTION: A housing current distribution or current caused to flow to the antenna 8 is controlled by providing an angle detection sensor 18 at the bending part of the housing device of the bendable portable communication equipment and also a handling sensor 19 capable of deciding as having the housing 1, the directivity of the antenna 8 is optimized, and the influence given to the human body by the electromagnetic waves is reduced by controlling the transmission power of the antenna.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable communication device such as a portable telephone, a portable radio, and a portable terminal device, and more particularly, to a portable communication device having a foldable housing and an antenna pointing direction. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method of controlling the transmission and a method of controlling the transmission power of an antenna.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a portable communication device, in a portable telephone or a portable terminal device, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, a housing 1 includes a main body 2 and a lid 3 so as to be easily carried. And is foldable via a hinge 4.

In FIGS. 7A and 7B, an operation unit 5 such as a numeric keypad is provided on the body 2 side of the housing 1, and a handset 6, a liquid crystal display (LCD) 7 and the like are provided on the lid 3 side. Is provided,
An antenna 8 for transmission and reception is arranged on the lid 3 so as to be able to expand and contract.

In a portable communication device having a foldable housing 1 as described above, a main body 2 and a lid 3 are used depending on the use condition.
And the bending angle are different.

For example, in the case of a portable telephone, FIG.
8 (A), the main body 2 and the lid 3 are closed as shown in FIG. 8 (A), and at the time of communication, the main body 2 and the lid 3 are connected via the hinge 4 as shown in FIG. 8 (B). Is opened in a predetermined angle range.

[0008] Further, when performing data communication or the like, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 8C and FIG. 8D, the main body 2 and the lid 3 of the housing 1 are opened at a substantially right angle or a horizontal state, and the operation unit 5 is operated on a desk or the like.

[0007]

As described above, if the folded state or the folded state of the lid 3 is different from the body 2 of the housing 1 of the portable communication device, the antenna 8 itself or the antenna 8 induces the housing 1. The resulting current distribution is different. As a result, there is a problem that the directivity of the antenna 8 changes depending on the use condition, and a better communication state cannot be maintained.

If the antenna 8 is designed to have an optimal directivity during a call with a portable telephone or the like, the antenna 8 does not have an optimal directivity when bent at a right angle. Under such a condition, it is difficult to know whether the antenna exhibits the optimum directivity, and it is unclear what bending state should be used as a reference when designing.

Further, in a portable telephone or the like, the antenna 8 at the time of transmission is set as far as possible from the human body in order to reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves radiated during communication on the human body.
As described above, the bending angle of the housing differs depending on the use situation. For example, when a user talks while holding a mobile phone by hand, the antenna 8 is close to the human body, so the influence on the human body is great, but the data communication or the like is large. When the device is placed on a desk as shown in FIGS. 8 (C) and 8 (D), the effect of electromagnetic waves on the human body is not as great as the former, and these mobile phones are designed to control the effects of electromagnetic waves on the human body in accordance with usage conditions. No communication device has been proposed.

[0010]

A portable communication device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a portable communication device having a bendable housing 1 and an antenna 8, and detects a bending angle of the housing 1. A use state determining means for determining a use state of the portable communication device; and a current distribution control means for controlling a current distribution flowing through the housing or the antenna during communication. The current distribution is controlled by the current distribution control means 18 in accordance with the use state discrimination result from the antenna to change the directivity of the antenna.

A portable communication device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the portable communication device according to the first aspect, wherein the sensor 19 for detecting that the housing 1 is held is provided.
And the antenna 8 according to the detection result of the sensor 19.
Is to change the directivity.

A portable communication device according to a third aspect of the present invention is the portable communication device according to the first aspect, wherein the sensor 19 for detecting that the housing 1 is held is provided.
And the antenna 8 according to the detection result of the sensor 19.
The transmission power at the time of transmission is changed.

A portable communication device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the portable communication device according to the first to third aspects, further comprising a holding means capable of holding a bending angle of the housing 1 at a predetermined position.

According to the directivity control method for an antenna of the present invention, in the directivity control method for the antenna 8 provided on the bendable housing 1, the bending angle of the housing 1 is detected to change the use state of the housing 1. Accordingly, the distribution of the current flowing through the housing 1 or the antenna 8 is controlled to change the directivity of the antenna 8.

According to the antenna transmission power control method of the present invention, in the antenna transmission power control method provided in the bendable casing 1, the folding angle of the casing 1 is detected and the casing 1 is gripped. Is detected, and the transmission power at the time of transmission of the antenna 8 is changed according to the use state of the housing 1.

According to the portable communication device, the directivity control method of the antenna, and the transmission power control method of the antenna of the present invention, the directivity of the antenna can be optimized according to the bending angle of the housing and the transmission power of the antenna can be controlled. By doing so, the effect of electromagnetic waves on the human body is reduced.

Further, since holding means such as a click is provided in the hinge portion of the housing, a desired data communication operation or the like can be performed at an optimum angular position according to a use condition.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A portable telephone as a portable communication device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing one embodiment of the portable telephone of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a housing 1 constituting a portable telephone has a main body 2, a lid 3, an antenna 8 and the like as shown in FIGS. 8A to 8D. It is configured to be small and thin so that it can be folded.

In FIG. 1, the transmitting / receiving antenna 8 is a switch 1
The fixed contact pieces b and c of the switch 10 are connected to the receiving section 11 and the transmitting section 13, respectively. The receiving unit 11 is connected to the baseband demodulating unit 12,
The transmission unit 13 is connected to the baseband modulation unit 14 and
The transmission / reception communication is performed via the transmission / reception unit 6 shown in FIG.

The housing state processing unit 15 is composed of a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a CPU) and the like.
0 and a memory such as the RAM 21.

The handling sensor 19 is shown in FIGS.
For example, as shown in FIG.
A sensor that can detect when a person grips the housing 1, for example, a pressure-sensitive element that changes the electrical resistance by sensing the gripping pressure, and between the two plate members by having the housing 1. For example, a capacitance sensor that detects a change in capacitance can be used.

The handling sensor 19 is supplied to the CPU 15 via the handling detector 17.

An angle detecting sensor 18 is provided at a hinge 4 provided between the main body 2 and the lid 3 so as to detect a bending angle in accordance with the rotation of the lid 3.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the angle detecting sensor 18, in which a movable resistor 25 which rotates integrally with a lid 3 or a main body 2 which is rotatably provided on a shaft 24 of a hinge 4.
Is provided, and by rotating the movable element of the variable resistor 25, a change in resistance corresponding to the rotation angle is taken out.

A plurality of switch contact pieces 27 are provided on a fixed portion such as an outer frame of the lid 3 so as to face the circumference of the lid holding means such as the click ball 26 embedded in the side surface of the lid 3. The switch at the rotation position where the click ball 26 has contacted may be closed to detect the rotation angle discretely.

The output of the angle detection sensor 18 composed of the variable resistor 25 and the like is supplied to the CPU 15 via the angle detection section 16.

The CPU 15 constituting the housing state processing unit varies the transmission power of the transmission unit via the transmission power control unit 22 to control the transmission power from the antenna 8 and also controls the transmission / reception switch 10. I do.

Further, the CPU 15 controls the housing current distribution control unit 2.
3, the antenna directivity is controlled by changing the directivity of the antenna 8 by controlling the current flowing to the antenna 8 via the housing current or the antenna current distribution control unit 9. .

FIGS. 4A and 4B show one embodiment of the above-mentioned housing current distribution control section. FIG. 4A shows the basic configuration of the case current distribution control unit, and FIG. 4B shows the actual specific configuration.

In FIGS. 4A and 4B, reference numeral 28 denotes a metal plate such as a housing, a chassis, and a shielding plate. The metal plate 28 is formed into a plurality of strips having a predetermined width L _1. Metal plate 2
8, 28 is between ‥‥ narrow gap 3 having a predetermined distance L ₂
2, 32 ° is formed. The gap 32, 32 for electrically connecting the adjacent metallic plates 28, 28 ‥‥, switching diodes 29, 29 ‥‥ are spaced by a predetermined distance L _3, 2-dimensionally load . Interval switching diode L ₃ is lambda / 2 (lambda is the wavelength used) is set to be slightly smaller than. The metal plates 28 at both ends of the current distribution control plate 33 thus configured
A bias control circuit 34 is connected to 28. By opening and closing the switch 31 of the bias control circuit 34, the power supply 30 is switched and applied to each of the switching diodes 29, 29 # as a bias voltage. Specifically, when the switch 31 is closed, the switching diode 2
9, 29 ° is turned on, and the current distribution control plate 33 performs the same current distribution control as that of a normal metal plate corresponding to its area, and the current distribution control plate 33 corresponds to the divided metal plates 28, 28 ° when off. The distribution can be controlled.

In the above case, the method of controlling the current distribution flowing through the housing or chassis has been described. In the case of the antenna current distribution control unit 9 for controlling the current distribution of the antenna 8, the capacity can be varied by the voltage at the feeding point, for example. The CPU 15 controls the antenna 8 through the antenna current distribution control unit 9 by controlling the
May be changed.

The housing 1 of the portable telephone shown in FIG.
A control method for optimizing the directivity of the antenna 8 corresponding to the bending angle will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In FIG. 5, in a first step S ₁ , the state of the housing 1 is detected by the angle detection sensor 18. That is, as shown in FIG. 2A to FIG.
Can be obtained from the variable resistor 25 or the switch contact 27 to determine whether the angle is a data communication position bent at a right angle, an angle in a talking state, or a state in which the main body 2 and the lid 3 are spread substantially horizontally.

Through the angle detection unit 16, C of the housing state processing unit
CPU15 based on the angle information given in PU15 determines a use state of the housing 1 of the portable telephone in the second step S _2.

According to the result of this determination, the states 1 to n are set to the data communication position, as shown in FIGS. 2 (A) to 2 (C).
It is in a talking state and in a state of being spread horizontally.

In the third step S ₃ , for example, as shown in FIG.
The current distribution control corresponding to the data communication position is performed.

In the fourth step S ₄ , for example, current distribution control corresponding to the call state shown in FIG. 2B is performed.

Similarly, in the fifth step S ₄ , for example, FIG.
Current distribution control corresponding to the horizontally expanded state of (C) is performed.

In the current distribution control in the _{third to} fifth steps S _{3 to} S ₅ , the CPU 15 controls the antenna 8 via the antenna current distribution control unit 9 to perform the antenna directivity control, or the CPU 15 controls the antenna directivity control. The current distribution is performed as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B via the casing current distribution control unit 23, and the process ends.

The relationship between the use state of the housing 1 and the optimum antenna directivity is determined by obtaining a control current that optimizes the antenna directivity with respect to the housing state assumed at the time of design.
5 is stored as a table in the ROM 20 or the like of the CPU 5, and the CPU 15 determines the optimal directivity of the antenna 8 by referring to the angle information and the table, and performs control.

Even when the directivity of the antenna changes due to the difference in the use condition of the user by being configured and operated as described above, the optimum as shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C according to the use condition. The antenna directional characteristics 35 can be obtained.

Next, the operation of the portable telephone for reducing the influence of electromagnetic waves during a call will be described with reference to FIG.

[0044] Similar to the angle information detecting and 5 made by the first step ST ₁ in the angle detection sensor 18 and the angle detection unit 16 and CPU15 in FIG 6, the use state of the housing 1 of the portable phone is determined .

[0045] Figure 8 when the main body 2 and the lid 3 as the (A) is closed is performed processing for closed in the second step ST ₂ reaches the end.

[0046] Figure 2 If the data communication position as (A) to control the setting of the directivity characteristic and transmission power of the optimum antenna 8 is performed processing corresponding to the data communication position in the third step ST ₃ To the end.

[0047] Similarly, when placed in a horizontal position as shown in FIG. 2 (C) is subjected to processing for horizontal state in the fourth step ST ₄ reaches the end.

If the angle is within the angle range during a call as shown in FIG. 2B, the CPU 15 determines whether or not the housing 1 is being held by hand, based on the outputs from the handling sensor 19 and the handling detector 17. , processing in the case with non "nO" a long if not during a call proceeds to the sixth step ST ₆ reaches been to end decorated.

In the case of “YES” being held by hand, the process proceeds to the seventh step ST ₇ , where the CPU 15 changes the directivity of the antenna in the same manner as in FIG. The effect of electromagnetic waves on the human body is reduced by performing transmission power control that reduces the transmission power to a level that does not hinder communication.

The relationship between various states depending on the usage state of the housing 1 and the directivity and transmission power of the antenna is evaluated according to the state of the housing 1 assumed at the time of design.
The CPU 15 determines the transmission power and the directivity of the antenna by referring to the table to perform control.

[0051]

According to the portable communication device of the present invention, the directivity of the antenna can be optimized according to the use condition of the housing, and the communication condition does not change depending on the use condition of the user. can get. In addition, it is possible to detect the state of the folding type housing, and to change the directivity and transmission power of the antenna according to the use state, thereby reducing the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body. Furthermore, since there are a plurality of sensors for determining the state,
Antenna directivity and transmission power for a plurality of states can be controlled. In addition, by providing a click at the bent portion, for example, by setting a data communication position, the user can actively take this position at the time of data communication, and it is possible to perform communication under optimal conditions for data communication. Become.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a portable communication device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the directional characteristics of the portable communication device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an angle detector used in the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a current distribution control unit used in the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a directivity optimization process according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a human body effect reduction process according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a conventional portable communication position.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a folded state of a conventional portable communication device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 housing, 2 main body, 3 lid, 8 antenna, 15 housing state processing unit (CPU), 16 angle detection unit, 17 handling detection unit, 18 operation {Angle detection sensor, 19} Handling sensor, 22} Transmission power control unit, 23} Housing current distribution control unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04B 7/26 H04M 1/00 R 5K067 102 H04B 7/26 V H04M 1/00 BF Term (Reference) 5J021 AA01 AB02 CA06 DA02 DA04 DA05 GA02 GA08 HA05 HA10 5J046 AA01 AA02 AA04 AA12 AA17 AB06 DA02 5J047 AA01 AA02 AA04 AA12 AA17 AB06 FD01 5K027 AA15 BB02 BB03 5K060 AA08 BB07 CC12 DD04 HH06 KK02 DD04 HH06 KK

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A portable communication device having a bendable housing and an antenna, wherein a use state determination means for detecting a use angle of the portable communication device by detecting a bending angle of the housing. A current distribution control means for controlling a current distribution flowing through the housing or the antenna during communication, wherein the current distribution control means controls a current distribution according to a use state determination result from the use state determination means. A portable communication device characterized by changing the directivity of the antenna. 2. The portable device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor for detecting that the housing is held, wherein the directivity of the antenna is changed according to a detection result of the sensor. Communication device. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor for detecting that the housing is held, wherein a transmission power of the antenna at the time of transmission is changed according to a detection result of the sensor. Portable communication device. 4. The portable communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a holding unit capable of holding a bending angle of the housing at a predetermined position. 5. A method for controlling directivity of an antenna provided on a bendable housing, comprising detecting a bending angle of the housing and applying the antenna to the housing or the antenna according to a use state of the housing. A directivity control method for an antenna, comprising: controlling a distribution of a flowing current to change a directivity of the antenna. 6. A method of controlling transmission power of an antenna provided in a bendable housing, comprising detecting a bending angle of the housing and detecting that the housing is gripped, and using the housing. A transmission power control method for an antenna, wherein the transmission power at the time of transmission of the antenna is changed according to a state.