JP2003008466A - Wireless communication unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wireless communication unit capable of a simple input operation without damaging the outward appearance and the portability. SOLUTION: An antenna 3 projected externally from a casing 2 of a mobile phone 1 is configured to be bent, turned and extended/contracted. When any of bending, turning and extending/contracting operations or a combination of them is applied to the antenna 3, a sensor 5 placed to a base of the antenna 3 senses operation contents applied to the antenna 3. A central processing unit 9 switches operating states of the mobile phone 1 such as display contents of a display menu of a display device 4 on the basis of a sensing signal from the sensor 5 and a key entry signal from a switch device 6.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention has a PHS (Personal Handy phone S) which has an antenna protruding from a casing and which transmits and receives voice and information using wireless communication.
The present invention relates to a wireless communication device such as a ystem) terminal, a mobile phone, and a personal digital assistant, and more particularly to a wireless communication device with improved input operation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, PH, which is a portable wireless communication device,
The functions of S terminals and mobile phones are becoming more sophisticated. For example, not only the communication function but also the mail function that allows you to create sentences and send / receive emails only with the mobile phone, and download the game application program into the memory of the mobile phone. Therefore, there are many commercially available products that have a game function that allows users to enjoy the game. However, even a highly functional mobile phone is restricted in a shape that places importance on portability and appearance, and therefore, an input device commensurate with its function is not provided. A general mobile phone is provided with only about 20 keys at the maximum including numerical keys.

Therefore, when characters other than numbers are input, for example, when inputting a text when composing a mail or designating a mail address, the keys provided on the mobile phone are combined. In addition, when playing a game, it may be preferable to continuously change the input amount, for example, when moving a character, but even in this case, the input amount is gradually changed by turning the key on / off. It corresponds by changing to.

On the other hand, as a technique of using something other than keys as an input device, a technique of using an antenna provided in a wireless communication device as an input device has been proposed. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-251663 discloses a mobile phone equipped with an antenna storage unit in which an antenna can be freely taken in and out, and when the antenna is extended when an incoming signal is received, a switch provided in the antenna storage unit is provided. Is turned on, and a technology is described that enables a call by detecting that this switch is turned on. In this technique, ON input for shifting to a call state is performed by one operation of extending an antenna.

Further, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-321790, a portable radio equipped with an antenna is provided such that the antenna is rotatable about its axial direction, and the rotational force of the antenna is used as a power switch and volume inside the radio. There is disclosed a technique in which the user can turn on the power and set the volume by rotating the antenna by configuring the variable volume so that the variable volume can be transmitted. In this technique, on / off switching of a power switch and volume setting are performed by one operation of rotating an antenna.

[0006]

As described above, in the mobile phone, it is necessary to press a plurality of keys even when inputting one character, and when inputting a long sentence or playing a game, Various combination operations have to be repeated many times, which is very troublesome. Moreover, the input amount cannot be continuously changed, which is inconvenient. Furthermore, using a special input device to enable simple input or to continuously change the input amount impairs portability and appearance of the apparatus.

Further, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-251663 is sufficient for inputting ON / OFF,
It is difficult to input multiple types of operations by extending the antenna.

Further, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-321790 is a continuous operation of rotating the antenna.
It is difficult to perform multiple types of input or stepwise input.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless communication device capable of performing a simple input operation using an existing antenna without deteriorating the appearance and portability.

[0010]

According to the present invention, in a radio communication device having an antenna protruding from a casing to the outside, the antenna is configured to be inclined or curved with respect to its axial direction, and a base end portion of the antenna is provided. The operation content detection means for detecting the presence, direction, and amount of force acting in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the antenna, and the wireless communication device based on the detection result of the operation content detection means. A wireless communication device, comprising: a control unit that switches operating states.

According to the present invention, when the user tilts or bends the antenna, a force acts on the antenna in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction, and the direction and amount of the force are the operation content detecting means. Is detected by the control means, and the operating state of the wireless communication device is switched by the control means based on the detection result. The switching of the operating state corresponds to the conventional key input, such as turning the power on / off and starting / ending a call. Therefore,
Input operation for switching the operating state of the wireless communication device,
This can be done by tilting or bending the antenna.

Further, according to the present invention, the antenna is configured to be rotatable about its axial direction, and the operation content detecting means detects the presence / absence, the direction and the amount of the rotational force acting around the axis of the antenna. Is characterized by.

According to the present invention, when the user rotates the antenna, a rotational force acts on the antenna around its axis, and the direction and amount of the force are detected by the operation content detecting means, and the detection result is obtained. The operating state of the wireless communication device is switched by the control means based on the. Therefore, the input operation for switching the operating state of the wireless communication device can be performed by rotating the antenna.

Further, according to the present invention, the antenna is configured to be capable of expanding and contracting in its axial direction, and the operation content detecting means detects the presence or absence of a force acting in the expanding and contracting direction of the antenna, and the direction and amount of the force. Is characterized by.

According to the present invention, when the user expands and contracts the antenna, a force acts on the antenna in a direction parallel to the axial direction, and the direction and amount of the force are detected by the operation content detecting means. The operating state of the wireless communication device is switched by the control means based on the detection result. Therefore, the input operation for switching the operating state of the wireless communication device can be performed by expanding and contracting the antenna.

Further, according to the present invention, in a radio communication device having an antenna projecting outside from a casing, the antenna is inclined or curved with respect to the axial direction, rotated about the axial direction, and expanded and contracted in the axial direction. A force that is configured to be possible and that is provided at the base end portion of the antenna and that acts in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the antenna, a rotational force that acts around the axis of the antenna, and an expansion / contraction direction of the antenna. An operation content detecting means for detecting the presence / absence, direction and amount of the force acting on the display means, a display means, and a control means for switching the display content of the display means based on the detection result of the operation content detecting means. It is a wireless communication device characterized by the above.

According to the present invention, when a user applies one or a combination of tilting or bending, rotating, and expanding / contracting operations to the antenna, the force acting in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the antenna, the axis of the antenna The presence or absence of the rotational force acting around and the force acting in the expansion and contraction direction of the antenna, the direction and amount of the force are detected by the operation content detection means, and the display content of the display means is switched by the control means based on the detection result. . The switching of the display content corresponds to, for example, in the case of character input, the selection of the character to be input or the change of the display content accompanying the confirmation. Therefore, the display content can be switched, for example, an operation for inputting a character can be performed by tilting or bending, rotating, or expanding or contracting the antenna.

[0018]

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of a mobile phone 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the mobile phone 1. As shown in FIG. Is. The mobile phone 1 has an antenna 3 protruding from the casing 2 to the outside, and the antenna 3 is curved, rotated,
By expanding and contracting, the operating state of the mobile phone 1, for example, the display content of the display device 4 can be switched. That is, the antenna 3 can be used as an input device.

The antenna 3 projects from the casing 2 of the mobile phone 1 to the outside, and is curved, rotatable, and expandable and contracts, and functions as an input device for input in addition to the function of transmitting and receiving radio waves. The sensor device 5, which is an operation content detection unit, is provided at the base end of the antenna 3 and detects the operation content (the type of operation, the operation amount, and the operation direction) of the bending, rotation, and extension / contraction performed on the antenna 3. , Output the detection signal.
The switch device 6 is operated by the user to switch the operating state of the mobile phone 1, and includes a power key for switching the power on / off, a plurality of numeric keys 7 for inputting a telephone number, and a telephone call for incoming calls. It is provided with a call key that enables it, an enter key 8 that determines an input character when inputting characters, and outputs a key input signal corresponding to the pressed key.

The central processing unit 9 which is a control means controls a transmission / reception device (not shown) to execute communication functions such as a telephone call function and a mail transmission / reception function, and detects signals from the sensor device 5 and keys from the switch device 6. The operation state of the mobile phone 1 is switched based on the input signal, for example, the display content of the display screen of the display device 4 is switched. The display device 4, which is a display unit, displays various information such as the operating state of the mobile phone 1 and the input telephone number and name on the display screen based on the display signal from the central processing unit 9.

The sensor device 5 provided at the base end of the antenna 3 is composed of a plurality of sensors in order to detect bending, rotation and expansion / contraction of the antenna 3, respectively. Arrow R
As a sensor for detecting an operation of rotating the antenna 3 around its axial direction as shown by 1, there is a rotary encoder. The rotary encoder outputs the detected rotation direction and rotation amount to the detection signal processing device 10 in the central processing unit 9. As a sensor for detecting an operation of expanding and contracting the antenna 3 in the axial direction as shown by an arrow R2, there is a slide type variable resistor. The sliding variable resistor is
The detected expansion / contraction direction and expansion / contraction amount are output to the detection signal processing device 10 in the central processing unit 9. A piezo pressure sensor is a sensor that detects an operation of bending the antenna 3 as shown by arrows R3 and R4. Piezo pressure sensor
The detected pressure direction and pressure amount are output to the detection signal processing device 10 in the central processing unit 9.

Each of the above-mentioned sensors can operate independently, and the detection signal processing device 10 can independently detect the detection signals.
Output to. The detection signal processing device 10 recognizes the operation content of the antenna 3 based on the detection signal, and the central processing device 9 stores the operation content of the antenna 3 and the processing in association with each other in advance. Perform the corresponding process.

The case of inputting characters using the antenna 3 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. Figure 3
4 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the mobile phone 1, and FIG. 4 is a plan view of the mobile phone 1 seen from the direction of arrow R5 in FIG. In the present embodiment, a case will be described where characters are input by bending the antenna 3 in four directions.

The casing 2 of the portable telephone 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape as shown in FIG. 3, and the display device 4 and the switch device 6 are arranged on one surface thereof. Hereinafter, this arrangement surface will be referred to as the front surface. Further, a portion where the antenna 3 is provided so as to project is referred to as an upper portion, and a direction in which the antenna 3 extends is referred to as an upward direction. The display device 4 is arranged on the upper part of the front surface, and the switch device 6 is arranged below the display device 4. The switch device 6 is provided with a plurality of numeric keys 7 for inputting a telephone number and a decision key 8 used for inputting characters.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, on the upper surface of the casing 2 and at the base end portion of the antenna 3, four piezo pressure sensors 5a, 5b, 5c for detecting the bending state of the antenna 3 in four directions are detected. , 5d are arranged. The piezo pressure sensor 5a is disposed on the front side with respect to the antenna 3 with the pressure detection surface facing the back side, and when the antenna 3 is curved on the front side, that is, in the direction of arrow R8, the amount of pressure applied by the antenna 3 is measured. To detect. The piezo pressure sensor 5b is arranged on the right side when viewed from the front with respect to the antenna 3 with the pressure detection surface facing left, and when the antenna 3 is curved on the right side, that is, in the direction of arrow R7, the amount of pressure applied by the antenna 3 is increased. To detect. The piezo pressure sensor 5c is arranged on the back side with respect to the antenna 3 with the pressure detection surface facing the front side, and when the antenna 3 is bent on the back side, that is, in the direction of arrow R6, the amount of pressure applied by the antenna 3 is measured. To detect. The piezo pressure sensor 5d is arranged on the left side when viewed from the front with respect to the antenna 3 with the pressure detection surface facing right, and when the antenna 3 is curved on the left side, that is, in the direction of arrow R9, the amount of pressure applied by the antenna 3 is increased. To detect.

The detection signals from the piezoelectric pressure sensors 5a to 5d are given to the detection signal processing unit 10 in the central processing unit 9 described above. The detection signal processing device 10 detects in which direction among the four directions R6 to R9 the antenna 3 is curved based on the detection signals from the respective piezo pressure sensors 5a to 5d.

Next, an operation method for inputting characters will be described. Although there are various character input methods, in the present embodiment, characters to be input one by one are selected from the hiragana characters displayed on the display screen of the display device 4 as shown in FIG. The method will be described as an example. The hiragana characters are displayed on the lower side of the display screen of the display device 4 from right to left in a fresh order, and the characters of each line are displayed vertically. At this time, all the hiragana characters may be displayed, or some lines may be displayed and the other lines may be scrolled in the left-right direction to be displayed.

Character input is performed by pressing the enter key 8 after selecting a character to be input from the displayed hiragana character group. The selected character is displayed in a different color from other characters, displayed in a frame, displayed in blinking, and the like so that the user can recognize it. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, it is assumed that the frame 11 is displayed. The entered characters are displayed in the cursor 13 of the input character display field 12 set on the upper side of the display screen.
Is displayed at the display position of. The input character display field 12 is set in the left-right direction, ">" is displayed at the left end as a mark indicating the input character display field 12, and the input characters are sequentially displayed on the right side of the ">" mark. To go.

In the display example shown in FIG. 3, 4 of "Keitai" is displayed.
Characters have been entered. To input these four characters, first move the frame line 11 to the displayed hiragana character group "Ke", press the enter key 8, and then sequentially enter the frame line 11 "I",
This is performed by pressing the enter key 8 for each character while moving in the order of "ta" and "i".

In this embodiment, the frame line 11 can be moved by bending the antenna 3. That is, the central processing unit 9 moves the frame line 11 downward when the antenna 3 is curved to the front side (direction of arrow R8), and moves the frame line 11 downward when the antenna 3 is curved to the right side (direction of arrow R7). 11 is moved to the right, the frame line 11 is moved upward when the antenna 3 is curved to the back side (arrow R6 direction), and the frame line 11 is moved when the antenna 3 is curved left side (arrow R9 direction). To the left.

Therefore, when inputting the four characters "Keitai", after moving the frame line 11 over "Ke" and pressing the enter key 8, the antenna 3 is moved once to the right side and the rear side. Bend twice and move the frame line 11 over "i" and press the enter key 8, then bend the antenna 3 once on the back side and three times on the left side and frame on the "ta". The line 11 is moved and the enter key 8 is pressed, and finally, the antenna 3 is bent once to the front side and three times to the right side, and the frame line 11 is moved onto "i" and the enter key 8 is pressed. . Such movement of the frame line 11 corresponds to switching of display contents.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to repeatedly perform various combinations of input keys as in the conventional case, and the antenna 3 and the switch device 6 provided in the mobile phone 1 are provided. It becomes possible to input quickly and simply by using only. Further, since it is not necessary to use a special input device, the portability and appearance of the device will not be impaired. Instead of bending the antenna 3, the antenna 3 itself may be configured to be tiltable and the tilt direction may be detected by a piezo pressure sensor.

As another embodiment, the switch device 6 may be provided with a frame line moving key so that the frame line 11 can be moved by either the frame line moving key or the antenna 3. In this case, since the user can move the frame line 11 by a favorite operation, the operability is improved.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned portable telephone, but can be similarly applied to any wireless communication device provided with an antenna protruding from the casing to the outside.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the antenna is operated by combining one or more kinds of tilting or bending, rotating, and expanding and contracting operations, the operation of the wireless communication device is based on the result of detecting the operation content. Since the states can be switched, it is possible to perform a simple input operation using the existing antenna in the wireless communication device without damaging the portability or appearance of the device. Further, the input amount can be continuously changed by utilizing the rotation and expansion / contraction of the antenna.

Further, according to the present invention, when inputting a character, for example, when the antenna is operated by combining one or more kinds of tilting or bending, rotating, and expanding and contracting operations, the operation content is detected, and the character is detected based on the detection result. The processing corresponding to the input is executed and the display contents are switched. Therefore, by combining the tilting or bending of the antenna, rotation, and expansion / contraction operations, in character input that conventionally required various combinations of keys to be repeated many times, without sacrificing portability or appearance of the device, Input can be performed quickly and easily.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the mobile phone 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the mobile phone 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the mobile phone 1 of FIG. 3 viewed from an arrow R5.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 mobile phone 2 casing 3 antennas 4 display device 5 Sensor device 6 switch device 7 number keys 8 Enter key 9 Central processing unit 10 Detection signal processing device 11 border 12 Input character display field 13 cursor

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H04M 1/02 H04M 1/02 AC C 1/23 1/23 P H04Q 7/32 H04B 7/26 V F Terms (reference) 5J046 AA01 AB06 JA07 JA10 5J047 AA01 AB06 FD01 5K011 AA06 AA09 JA01 KA12 5K023 AA07 BB11 GG03 HH06 LL05 5K067 AA34 BB04 DD27 FF23 FF31 KK01 KK17

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A wireless communication device having an antenna projecting from a casing to the outside, wherein the antenna is configured to be tiltable or bendable with respect to its axial direction, the antenna being provided at a base end portion of the antenna, Operation content detection means for detecting the presence / absence, direction and amount of force acting in a direction orthogonal to the direction, and control means for switching the operating state of the wireless communication device based on the detection result of the operation content detection means. A wireless communication device comprising: 2. The antenna is configured to be rotatable about its axial direction, and the operation content detecting means detects the presence, direction, and amount of a rotational force acting around the axis of the antenna. The wireless communication device according to claim 1. 3. The antenna is configured to be expandable / contractible in the axial direction thereof, and the operation content detection means detects the presence / absence, direction and amount of force acting in the expansion / contraction direction of the antenna. The wireless communication device according to 1 or 2. 4. A wireless communication device having an antenna projecting outside from a casing, wherein the antenna can be tilted or curved with respect to its axial direction, can be rotated about its axial direction, and can be expanded and contracted in its axial direction. And a force acting in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the antenna, a rotational force acting around the axis of the antenna, and a stretching direction of the antenna. Operation content detection means for detecting presence / absence, direction and amount of force, display means, and control means for switching display content of the display means based on the detection result of the operation content detection means Wireless communication device.