JP2003236470A - Vibration generator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vibration generator capable of largely obtaining a vibration power by shaking a battery which is the basic element of an information terminal for portable applications and which can be used without impairing the miniaturization of the information terminal. <P>SOLUTION: The battery 3, an actuator 4 and a control section 5 which drives the actuator 4 are disposed in a battery pack 2 detachable from the body 10 of a cellular phone 1, and the battery is shaked. The control section starts up the actuator by receiving an incoming call such as a call signal from a phone function section of the cellular phone and controls the driving normally and reversely. When the call signal, or the like, is received, the battery is reciprocated by a control from the control section 5 to generate a vibration thereof. The battery is a basic element in portable devices and the mass is relatively large, thereby allowing the battery to generate a large vibration power. Further, as a new battery is not added, the miniaturization of the information terminal is not impaired. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vibration generator, and more specifically, it is provided in an information terminal for portable use such as a mobile phone and has a battery, which is a basic element thereof, as a mass body. The present invention relates to an improvement in the basic configuration in which a vibration force is obtained by swinging.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Recently, mobile phones, PDAs (Perso)
A portable device such as a digital assistant (Nal Digital Assistant) is widely used as a so-called information terminal. The mobile phone or the like is provided with a vibration function (manner mode) that generates a vibration in response to a request for public etiquette and notifies an incoming call. Further, the PDA or the like is also provided with a vibration generating function for signal notification. However, the notification by vibration cannot react to weak vibration because the tactile sensation of the person who feels this is unfortunately insensitive. On the other hand, strengthening the vibration for sensing requires the use of a high-power vibration generator, which increases power consumption and hinders downsizing and weight reduction as a portable device.

As a vibration generator, for example, a vibration motor is well known and has a structure for generating vibration due to weight imbalance of a rotating shaft. There is also proposed a vibration generator of a type in which a coil is arranged around a cylindrical body and a mass body made of a permanent magnet is reciprocated in the cylindrical body to generate vibration in a predetermined direction.

However, in any case, the vibration generator is essentially an energy conversion device for converting the amount of electricity into the amount of momentum, and if it is downsized, the output becomes small in the first place and a large vibration force can be obtained. However, there is a problem in that it is not easy to generate a vibration of an output level that can be sensed by a wearer.

The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and an object thereof is to solve the above problems and to vibrate by vibrating a battery which is a basic element of an information terminal for portable use. Can get big,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vibration generator that can prevent miniaturization of an information terminal.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the vibration generator according to the present invention is a vibration generator for vibrating a portable information terminal such as a mobile phone. The information terminal comprises a basic element of an actuator that swings a battery, and a control unit that receives the incoming call signal or the like from the information terminal and drives the actuator.

The battery can be mounted on the main body of the information terminal, and the actuator and the control section can be arranged in the main body. Further, the battery may be mounted in a box body that is attachable to and detachable from the body of the information terminal, and the actuator and the control unit may be arranged in the box body.

Further, the box body is provided with a wireless receiving means and the information terminal is provided with a wireless transmitting means so that signal transmission at the time of an incoming call for activating the control section is performed by wireless communication, or the box is provided. A cable connection may be made between the body and the main body of the information terminal to perform signal transmission at the time of an incoming call for activating the control unit by wired communication.

In the present invention, the vibration is generated by shaking the battery. This battery is a basic element in an information terminal for portable use and has a relatively large mass. Therefore, strong vibration can be generated and a large vibration force can be obtained.

Further, by configuring the vibration generator in a box that can be attached to and detached from the main body of the information terminal, it becomes possible to replace the box.
Therefore, as a box that is a vibration unit, you can configure multiple types with different vibration characteristics by changing the performance of the actuator and the weight of the battery, and by changing the box with different vibration characteristics as appropriate, you can increase the vibration force. It can be changed easily.

In addition, the signal transmission at the time of an incoming call from the side of the information terminal is separated from the body of the information terminal by wireless communication or wire communication by cable connection to the box which is the vibration unit. Can be vibrated with. Therefore, the box, which is the vibration unit, can be put on the body by putting it in a pocket or the like, and an incoming call can be recognized by the vibration of the box even when the information terminal is in a bag or the like.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the vibration generator is applied to the mobile phone 1, and the battery 3, the actuator 4, and the controller 5 for driving the actuator 4 are provided in the battery pack 2 that is attached to and detached from the main body 10. Then
Vibration is generated by swinging the battery 3, which is a basic element of a portable device.

Inside the battery pack 2, as shown in FIG. 2, a thin rectangular battery 3 has a linear guide 2 at one edge.
0 is connected to the movable element 40 of the actuator 4 on the opposite side, and the actuator 4 is a linear motor that linearly moves the movable element 40 along the linear stator 41. Therefore, by driving the actuator 4 in the forward and reverse directions, the mover 40, that is, the battery 3 swings in the reciprocating direction to generate vibration. The connection with the reciprocating battery 3, which is not shown, is made by using a flexible substrate so that the reciprocating motion of the battery 3 can be smoothly followed.

The control unit 5 receives an incoming call signal or the like from the telephone function unit of the portable telephone 1, activates the actuator 4, and controls the driving of the actuator 4 in the forward and reverse directions. That is, when an incoming call signal or the like is received by the telephone function unit, the control unit 5 inputs the incoming signal to instruct the actuator 4 to start up as shown in FIG. 41
It will make a linear movement back and forth along.

As described above, in the present invention, the vibration is generated by swinging the battery 3. And battery 3
Is a basic element in a portable information terminal such as the mobile phone 1 and has a relatively large mass, so that strong vibration can be generated and a large vibration force can be obtained. As a result, an output level vibration that can be sensed by the wearer can be expressed. Since the battery 3 is a basic element and is not newly added, it can be applied without impeding the miniaturization of the portable information terminal, which is preferable.

Further, since the vibration generator is configured in the battery pack 2 which is attached to and detached from the mobile phone 1, it can be replaced. Therefore, as the battery pack 2 which is the vibration unit, a plurality of types having different vibration characteristics can be configured by changing the performance of the actuator 4 and the weight of the battery 3.
Then, the vibration force can be easily changed by appropriately replacing the battery pack 2 having different vibration characteristics, and the user can select the vibration level. For example, the battery pack 2 that vibrates weakly can be installed in a quiet environment such as a library, and the battery pack 2 that vibrates strongly can be installed in a noisy environment such as in a train. This has the advantage of increasing convenience.

In the above-described embodiment, the vibration generator is composed of a separate member such as the battery pack 2 that can be separated from the main body 10 of the mobile phone 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. The battery 3 may be directly attached to the main body 10 of the information terminal, and the actuator 4 and the control unit 5 may be arranged in the main body 10.

Although the actuator 4 is a linear motor that directly moves linearly here, the actuator is not limited to this. For example, a rotary motor may be used to convert the rotational force into a linear motion by a conversion mechanism.
The linear motion conversion mechanism includes a mechanism using a rack and pinion, or a mechanism using a ball screw shaft.

FIG. 4 shows an essential part of the second embodiment of the present invention. Battery pack 2 in this embodiment
Has changed the actuator to a mechanism with a ball screw shaft.

That is, the thin rectangular battery 3 has one edge linked to the linear guide 20 and the opposite edge linked to the ball screw 60 of the actuator 6. In the actuator 6, the output shaft of the rotary motor 62 is the ball screw shaft 61,
It is a mechanism for linearly moving the ball screw 60 along the ball screw shaft 61.

As a result, by driving the actuator 6 in the forward and reverse directions, the ball screw 60, that is, the battery 3 swings back and forth to generate vibration. Note that the other configurations and operational effects are the same as those of the above-described first embodiment and its modification, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 5 shows an essential part of the third embodiment of the present invention. Battery pack 2 in this embodiment
Changes how to swing the battery 3. That is,
The thin rectangular battery 3 has one edge linked to the rotary shaft 21 and the opposite edge linked to the slide shaft 70 of the actuator 7. And the actuator 7 is
The mechanism is such that the slide shaft 70 reciprocates linearly.

As a result, by driving the actuator 7 in the forward and reverse directions, the slide shaft 70 linearly reciprocates, and the connected battery 3 swings reciprocally around the rotary shaft 21 to generate vibration. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the above-described embodiments and their modifications, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The vibration generator in the present embodiment is configured to perform wireless communication. Here, the battery pack 2
In addition to the wireless receiver 8 and the wireless transmitter 9 corresponding to the information terminal 11, the incoming signal transmission is performed by wireless communication.
Vibrate while separated from the main body of 1.

In this case, an ordinary simple battery pack or the like may be attached to the main body of the information terminal 11, and the battery pack 2 which is the vibration unit is a spare battery for replacement when the battery of the information terminal 11 is dead. Becomes

In addition, the use of wireless communication has become remarkable recently.
SM band (Industrial Scientific)
Medical band), for example B
A one-chip wireless circuit I composed of Bluetooth or the like
It can be realized by using C.

That is, on the side of the information terminal 11, when a call signal or the like is received by its functional section, the incoming signal is modulated by the transmitting section 90 and sent out from the antenna 91. And
On the battery pack 2 side, the reception unit 80 demodulates the modulated signal taken in from the antenna 81, and sends a signal to the vibration generation function unit (actuator control unit) to instruct activation.

Therefore, by carrying the information terminal 11 in a bag or the like and carrying the battery pack 2 as a vibrating unit in a pocket or the like, the user can recognize an incoming call or mail reception by the vibration of the battery pack 2. can do. This single battery pack 2 can be made much smaller than the information terminal 11 and is not bulky. Therefore, there is an advantage that the degree of freedom in wearing the battery pack 2 is high and the portability is good.

Of course, this battery pack 2 is the information terminal 1
Although it is a spare battery to be replaced when one battery runs out, it can be used as an auxiliary battery for increasing the battery capacity by being configured to be doubly attached to the battery pack attached to the main body of the information terminal 11. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the above-described embodiments and their modifications, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 7 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The vibration generator in this embodiment is configured to perform wired communication. Here, the information terminal 1
A cable connection is made between the first side and the battery pack 2 to perform incoming signal transmission by wire communication, and the battery pack 2 is vibrated while being separated from the main body of the information terminal 11. Also in this case, a normal simple battery pack or the like may be attached to the main body of the information terminal 11, and the battery pack 2 as the vibration unit serves as a spare battery to be replaced when the battery of the information terminal 11 is dead.

That is, when the cable 12 is extended from the functional part side of the information terminal 11 and connected to the vibration generating functional part (actuator control part) of the battery pack 2 and a call signal or the like is received, the incoming signal is sent to the actuator. Command to start.

Also in this case, the information terminal 11 can be carried in a bag or the like, and by extending the cable 12 from the bag, the battery pack 2 itself, which is a vibrating unit, can be worn in a pocket or the like. Therefore, an incoming call or mail reception can be recognized by the vibration of the battery pack 2, and like the fourth embodiment described above, the degree of freedom in wearing the device is high and the portability is good. There is an advantage. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the above-described embodiments and their modifications, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0033]

As described above, in the vibration generator according to the present invention, the vibration is generated by swinging the battery. Therefore, the battery is a basic element in an information terminal for portable use and has a relatively large mass. Therefore, a strong vibration can be generated, and a large vibration force can be obtained. As a result, an output level vibration that can be sensed by the wearer can be expressed. Since the battery is a basic element and is not newly added, it is preferable to apply it without hindering downsizing of the portable information terminal.

Further, the vibration generator can be replaced by constructing the vibration generator in a box that can be attached to and detached from the main body of the information terminal. Therefore, as the box that is the vibration unit, the performance of the actuator and the weight of the battery can be changed. It is possible to configure a plurality of types having different vibration characteristics, and it is possible to easily change the vibration force by appropriately replacing the boxes having different vibration characteristics. Therefore, the user can select the vibration level, and as a result, there is an advantage that convenience is increased.

Further, the signal transmission at the time of an incoming call from the side of the information terminal is wirelessly communicated to the box which is the vibrating unit or wired communication by cable connection so that the box is separated from the body of the information terminal. Can be vibrated with. Therefore, the box, which is the vibration unit, can be put on the body by putting it in a pocket or the like, and an incoming call can be recognized by the vibration of the box even when the information terminal is in a bag or the like.
This single box can be made much smaller than a portable information terminal such as a mobile phone, and is not bulky. Therefore, the degree of freedom of wearing the box is high and the portability is good.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a mobile phone to which a vibration generator according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a battery pack that constitutes the first embodiment of the vibration generator according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a vibration generator.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a battery pack constituting a second embodiment of a vibration generator according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a battery pack constituting a third embodiment of a vibration generator according to the present invention.

FIG. 6A is a block diagram showing an example of performing wireless communication which is a fourth embodiment of the vibration generator according to the present invention. (B) is an external view thereof.

FIG. 7A is a block diagram showing an example of performing wired communication which is a fifth embodiment of the vibration generating device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols] 1 mobile phone 2 battery pack 3 batteries 4, 6, 7 actuator 5 control unit 8 Radio receiver 9 Wireless transmitter 10 body 11 Information terminal 12 cables 20 Linear guide 21 rotation axis 40 mover 41 Stator 60 ball screw 61 ball screw shaft 62 rotary motor 70 slide shaft 80 Receiver 81, 91 antenna 90 Transmitter

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Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A vibration generator for vibrating a portable information terminal such as a mobile phone, the actuator vibrating a battery, which is a basic element of the information terminal, and receiving a call signal or the like from the information terminal. And a control unit that drives the actuator in response to the received vibration. 2. The vibration generator according to claim 1, wherein the battery is attached to a main body of the information terminal, and the actuator and the control unit are provided in the main body. 3. The vibration generator according to claim 1, wherein the battery is mounted in a box body that can be attached to and detached from the body of the information terminal, and the actuator and the control unit are arranged in the box body. apparatus. 4. A radio receiving means is provided in the box body and a radio transmitting means is provided in the information terminal, and signal transmission at the time of an incoming call for activating the control unit is performed by radio communication. The vibration generator according to item 3. 5. The cable connection between the box body and the main body of the information terminal, and signal transmission at the time of an incoming call for activating the control unit is performed by wired communication. Vibration generator.