JP2004070910A - Mobile terminal device using cellular phone as peripheral device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide mobile terminal devices and a management method for them so that users of cellular phones can use various application programs through their cellular phones. <P>SOLUTION: The mobile terminal device has a storage device, which stores application programs, a processing device to start application programs stored in the storage device, and an interface part which can communicate with a cellular phone. After starting client programs installed in the cellular phone, the mobile terminal device executes the application programs, and then displays information resulted from the application programs on a display part of the cellular phone. If key input from a user is required, a key is inputted through a key pad of the cellular phone and then the key input is transmitted to the application programs to control them. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable terminal using a mobile phone as a peripheral device, and more particularly, to a portable terminal which is a software that can drive an application program such as a game, an e-mail, and a scheduler, and is installed inside the mobile phone. The present invention relates to a mobile terminal that operates using a mobile phone as a peripheral device while the mobile phone communicates with the mobile terminal by using a client.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Recently, the function of a personal information terminal has been expanded beyond the function of a mobile phone to simply receive a call. In particular, with the development of network technology such as the wireless Internet, the demand for such functions has been further increased.
A typical mobile phone provides some application programs such as a scheduler, but the types of the application programs are not diverse, the functions are simple, and it is not easy to install a new application program. . Therefore, if a cell phone user needs to use an application program that suits his or her taste, it must purchase an additional PDA and walk with two devices at the same time or purchase a PDA with a built-in cell phone function. Must.
However, PDAs are expensive, large and heavy to carry at all times, such as mobile phones, and are inconvenient to use.
[0003]
Technical problems to be solved by the invention
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable terminal and a method of operating the portable terminal so that a user of the cellular phone can use various application programs using his / her cellular phone. Aim.
[0004]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal and a method of operating the portable terminal so that a user of the portable telephone can easily add and use a new application program using his / her own portable telephone.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a portable terminal that has a storage device and a processing unit, can drive an application program, and can use an input / output interface of a mobile phone by being connected to an external mobile phone. Use.
[0006]
That is, the mobile terminal according to the present invention is connected to an external mobile phone, operates using the keypad and the display unit of the mobile phone as an input unit and an output unit, respectively, and operates with the mobile terminal. A storage device that stores the application program, a processing device that drives the application program stored in the storage device, an interface unit that can communicate with the mobile phone, and a client program installed in the mobile phone is driven Then, the application program stored in the storage device is operated by the processing device, and image data according to the application program is displayed on a display unit of the mobile phone. When a key is input using a telephone keypad, the key input is transmitted to the application program. To.
[0007]
The interface unit can communicate with the mobile phone using at least one of serial communication, USB (Universal Serial Bus) communication, Bluetooth (Bluetooth) communication, and IrDA (Infrared Data Association) communication. The storage device is a flash memory, and an application program stored in the storage device can be downloaded and stored in the storage device through a wireless Internet or a computer communication network.
[0008]
The storage device can store two or more application programs, and the processing device can simultaneously drive two or more application programs.
[0009]
On the other hand, the storage device stores one application program, and a client program installed in the mobile phone performs at least a part of the functions of the application program, or the application program stores the application program. At least a part of the functions of the client program installed on the telephone may be performed.
[0010]
Meanwhile, another mobile terminal according to the present invention is connected to an external mobile phone that can execute a program of at least one client, and can operate at least one application program that can operate with the program of the client. The terminal includes a storage device that stores the application program, a processing device that drives the application program stored in the storage device, and an interface unit that can communicate with the mobile phone, and is stored in the storage device. The application program is operated by the processing device upon request of a client program installed in the mobile phone, and performs a role of extending or assisting a specific function of the client program.
[0011]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0012]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The portable terminal 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a device that is used by being connected to the portable phone 200. Therefore, when viewed from the portable terminal 100 side, the portable phone 200 is a peripheral device of the portable terminal 100. device). The portable terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a processor 101 for driving an application program such as a game or a scheduler, a flash memory 103 for storing data used by the processor 101 or an application program execution code, and a processor for the processor 101. A mobile phone including a ROM (Read Only Memory) 105 for storing a microprogram or a program that does not need to be updated, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 107 as a data memory for temporarily storing information to be used; An interface unit 109 for interfacing with the interface 200 is provided.
[0013]
The portable terminal 100 uses a keypad (not shown) of the connected mobile phone 200 as a key input device, and uses a display unit (LCD) (not shown) of the connected mobile phone 200 as an output device. use.
[0014]
The communication between the portable terminal 100 and the mobile phone 200 is performed using a communication protocol supported by the mobile phone 200 using a communication protocol such as serial communication, USB, IrDA, or the like. The configuration is also in a form suitable for it.
[0015]
When a processor having a built-in RAM and ROM is used, the RAM 107 and the ROM 105 formed separately from the processor 101 may not be used.
[0016]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention and software used in a portable telephone connected to the portable terminal.
As shown in FIG. 2, the portable terminal 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a communication module 112 for exchanging data with the connected portable telephone 200. The communication module 112 is a software module for communication between the mobile phone 200 and the mobile terminal 100, and performs serial communication, USB communication, Bluetooth communication, IrDA communication, and the like according to the communication method supported by the mobile phone as described above. Can be used.
[0017]
The operating system 114 of the portable terminal 100 preferably provides an environment in which a plurality of application programs 116 can operate. Under the environment of the operating system 114, the application programs 116 such as games, e-mails, It works.
[0018]
However, instead of such a configuration, a dedicated terminal for one application program can also be configured. In such a case, instead of incorporating the operation system, the application program directly uses the communication module. You can also exchange data with your mobile phone.
[0019]
As the application program 116, various programs such as a game, an e-mail, an e-book, and a scheduler, which can be used in a mobile phone or a PDA, can be used. Or stored in the ROM 105 or downloaded through a communication network and recorded in the flash memory 103 before use.
[0020]
The mobile phone 200 includes a communication driver 212 that performs a function of exchanging data with a device external to the mobile phone 200. Most mobile phones currently used provide serial communication, and are expected to be expanded to USB communication, Bluetooth communication, IrDA communication, and the like. The wireless platform 214 is a module such as Brew, GVM (General Virtual Machine), or SK-VM (SK Virtual Machine) that is built in to support a wireless Internet function from a mobile phone. In addition, a client program 216 for operating with the portable terminal 100 and executing the application program 116 of the portable terminal 100 is incorporated in the mobile phone 200. The client program 216 operates based on the wireless platform 214 and exchanges data with the application program 116 of the mobile terminal 100 to perform functions required by the mobile terminal 100 such as screen output on the mobile phone 200. I do. If necessary, instead of being based on the wireless platform 214, it is also possible to directly incorporate and operate in a mobile phone.
[0021]
The client program 216 can be pre-installed in the mobile phone 200 or downloaded and used using a communication network such as a wireless Internet or a computer communication network.
[0022]
On the other hand, in the embodiment described above, the application program of the portable terminal performs most of the functions as the application program, and the client program of the mobile phone has two functions so as to mainly provide input / output functions for the application program. Although the apparatus is configured, the sharing of functions and roles between the application program and the client program may change.
[0023]
For example, a program of a client of a mobile phone may perform a function corresponding to a core of an application program, and a portable terminal may perform an auxiliary operation required to execute the application program. As an example of such a case, if the client program is a game program, the mobile phone client program performs the core functions of the game, and the remaining functions are included in the portable terminal and the expansion package of the game program is included. Can be raised. Here, examples of the remaining functions include a function of extracting a certain area of a large image, a function of extracting a specific time zone from a sound, and a function of describing a change in a character.
[0024]
If this concept is further extended, the mobile phone may have a structure in which the executable file operates as a client program, and the portable terminal stores data required by the client program. In this case, there is no application program in the portable terminal, and the data for the execution of the executable file, which is the program of the client of the mobile phone, and the transmission and reception of this data to and from the mobile phone are stored. Therefore, there is no need for an operating system for operating the application program on the portable terminal. On the other hand, such data files can also be downloaded and used using the wireless Internet or a computer communication network.
[0025]
The mobile terminal 100 and the mobile phone 200 exchange commands and data using a predetermined protocol. Such commands include connection confirmation, key input, wireless Internet connection, data transmission / reception, image output, sound output command, and the like. The mobile terminal 100 uses the mobile phone 200 as its own peripheral device by using the command word provided by the protocol.
[0026]
In addition, this protocol defines an image or sound as an object for an application program that requires real-time operation such as a game, transmits the object to a mobile phone before the object is used, and then uses the object. A method for transmitting a command for handling an object at a point in time is provided. By using such a method, if data must be transmitted to a mobile phone in an environment such as serial communication or Bluetooth communication where the transmission speed is not fast enough, necessary data must be transmitted in advance when the data transmission amount is small. You can configure it for later use. Therefore, it is possible to minimize an increase in the amount of data transmission at a specific moment, to transmit data relatively uniformly, and to reduce a limitation on a driving speed of an application program caused by a data transmission speed.
[0027]
For example, a command for controlling a client installed in a mobile phone by a portable terminal includes the following.
a) Checking the connection status between the portable terminal and the mobile phone b) Acquiring the mobile phone information c) Receiving the key from the mobile phone d) Receiving data from the other party or server through the mobile phone e) Sending data to the other party or server through the mobile phone f) Send object (image, sound, etc.) g) Send object control command h) Receive command from mobile phone
FIGS. 3A and 3B are flowcharts showing a method of using an application program using a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. This shows a case where a client program is built in a mobile phone and used.
[0029]
First, a case where a client program is downloaded to a mobile phone via wireless Internet and used will be described with reference to FIG. 3A.
The user downloads a client program configured based on the wireless platform provided by the mobile phone through the wireless Internet and stores the program in the mobile phone. (S310)
[0030]
Next, the mobile terminal is connected through a communication port provided in the mobile phone. (S312).
After the portable terminal is connected to the mobile phone, the downloaded client program is driven (S314). While the operating system of the portable terminal and the application program based thereon are operated through communication with the portable terminal by driving the client program, the application program is displayed on the display unit (LCD) of the mobile phone ( S316).
[0031]
Subsequently, the user can perform a desired operation using the user interface provided by the application program (S318). If a key input is required in such a process, the key input is transmitted to the application program by inputting the key using a keypad of the mobile phone, and the key program can be processed using the key input.
[0032]
If the client program is pre-installed in the mobile phone, the step of downloading the client program is omitted.
That is, after the portable terminal is connected to the mobile phone (S320), the built-in client program is driven (S322), so that the operation system of the portable terminal and the application program based thereon are operated. The image data according to the application program is displayed on the display unit (LCD) of the mobile phone (S324).
[0033]
As described with reference to FIG. 3A, the user can perform a desired operation using the user interface provided by the application program (S326). The same is true of key input using a mobile phone keypad.
[0034]
On the other hand, the client program does not need to be separately driven, and can be operated by a plug-in of another program (for example, a wireless Internet browser) used in the mobile phone. In such a case, the steps in FIG. 3b can be omitted and the remaining steps can proceed in the same way.
[0035]
Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto but should be construed in accordance with the following claims. In addition, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains should understand that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, if the portable terminal of the present invention is used, it is possible to use a variety of application programs using the portable telephone by simply connecting the small, low-cost portable terminal to the portable telephone. Can be. The client program for using the mobile terminal can be downloaded over the wireless Internet or built into the mobile phone itself, so that it can be conveniently used and various applications available through the mobile terminal The programs can also be downloaded and installed using the wireless Internet, so that not only various application programs can be used, but also application programs can be upgraded or added. That is, the portable terminal of the present invention can be used as an extension pack of a portable telephone that provides various additional functions.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention and a software configuration of a portable telephone connected thereto.
FIG. 3a is a flowchart illustrating a use process of an application gram using a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3B is a flowchart illustrating a process of using an application gram using a portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (8)

A portable terminal connected to an external mobile phone and operating using at least a keypad and a display unit of the mobile phone as an input unit and an output unit, respectively.
A storage device that stores an application program that operates on the portable terminal,
A processing device for driving an application program stored in the storage device,
Including an interface unit that can communicate with the mobile phone,
When the client program installed in the mobile phone is driven, the application program stored in the storage device is operated by the processing device,
Image data according to the application program is displayed on a display unit of the mobile phone,
A portable terminal configured to transmit a key input by using a keypad of the mobile phone to the application program when a user's key input is required. The interface unit can communicate with the mobile phone using at least one of serial communication, USB communication (Universal Serial Bus) communication, Bluetooth (Bluetooth) communication, and IrDA (Infrared Data Association) communication.
The portable terminal according to claim 1. The storage device is a flash memory;
The application program stored in the storage device is downloaded and stored in the storage device through a wireless Internet or a computer communication network.
The portable terminal according to claim 1. The storage device can store two or more application programs,
The processing device can simultaneously drive two or more application programs,
The portable terminal according to claim 1. The storage device stores one application program,
A client program installed in the mobile phone performs at least a part of the functions of the application program,
The portable terminal according to claim 1. The storage device stores one application program,
The application program performs at least a part of functions of a client program installed in the mobile phone,
The portable terminal according to claim 1. A portable terminal connected to an external mobile phone capable of executing at least one client program and capable of driving at least one application program operable with the client program,
A storage device storing the application program;
A processing device for driving an application program stored in the storage device,
Including an interface unit that can communicate with the mobile phone,
The application program stored in the storage device is operated by the processing device in response to a request from a client program installed in the mobile phone, and performs a function of extending or assisting a specific function of the client program. Terminal. The storage device is a flash memory;
The application program stored in the storage device is downloaded and stored in the storage device through a wireless Internet or a computer communication network.
The portable terminal according to claim 7.

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