JP2004289336A - Portable terminal with infrared two-way communication function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable terminal with an IR two-way communication function which enables the stable data communication and the data communication while checking the transmitting/receiving condition on displays of both terminals. <P>SOLUTION: The portable terminal with an IR two-way communication function comprises a body so structured that the first frame A of a display and the second frame B of an operating part are foldably connected, and a rotary part C having a camera unit 7 and an IR transmitting/receiving interface 10. The rotary part C is turnably connected to the first frame A to turn the rotary part C relative to the first frame A, thereby turning the camera unit 7 and the IR transmitting/receiving interface 10, relative to the first frame A. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improvement of a portable terminal having an infrared two-way communication function represented by IrDA (InfraRed Data Association) standard or the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the mainstream of mobile terminals such as mobile phones has a digital camera unit built therein so that users can easily shoot moving images or still images. It also has a built-in IrDA infrared two-way communication function, allowing users to exchange data such as moving and still images, telephone numbers, and e-mails with other mobile phones, personal digital assistants, or PCs. I can do it.
[0003]
FIGS. 6 and 7 schematically show the basic arrangement of an infrared transmission / reception interface (hereinafter referred to as an interface) in such a conventional portable telephone. FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of a general folding mobile phone, and FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of the mobile phone of FIG. FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of another example of a mobile phone relating to the arrangement of interfaces.
[0004]
Referring to FIG. 6, a first housing A on the display side and a second housing B on the operation side are foldably connected by hinge portion 3. On the front side of the housing A, a main display unit 1, a receiver 2, and an antenna 4 are provided. The housing B is provided with a telephone microphone 5, an operation knob 6, and the like.
[0005]
Referring to FIG. 7, a camera unit 7, a rear display unit 8, a decorative panel 9, and an interface 10 are provided on the rear side of the housing A. The optical axis (dashed line) of the infrared light emitted from the interface 10 is directed substantially perpendicular to the rear surface of the housing B.
[0006]
The interface 10 is actually arranged in various places other than the example in FIG. 7, and may be installed on the top surface of the housing A, for example, as shown in FIG. 8. In this case, the optical axis of the infrared ray (dashed line) is directed upward from the top surface of the housing A in the figure. Although not shown, the interface 10 may be installed on one of both side surfaces of the housing A in some cases.
[0007]
Note that the IrDA standard is an infrared communication system standard created by an industry organization regarding data communication using infrared light, and defines physical specifications and communication protocols of the infrared light receiving / emitting unit, and has become a de facto industry standard. ing.
[0008]
On the other hand, portable terminals such as portable telephones with a built-in digital camera unit have become widespread. By rotating the camera unit with respect to the mobile phone main body, a single camera unit can be used for photographing a user himself / herself available for a videophone or the like, and a mode for photographing a person or landscape facing the user. Some have been developed that can switch between and. Such a mobile phone is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-8-294030, JP-A-2002-325127, JP-A-2002-354082, and JP-A-2002-111835. Not explained.
[0009]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-8-294030
[Patent Document 2]
JP 2002-325127 A
[Patent Document 3]
JP, 2002-354082, A
[Patent Document 4]
JP-A-2002-111835
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When performing IrDA-standard infrared data communication, it is necessary to align the interfaces of the terminals within a distance L (FIG. 7) from each other and align their optical axes. The allowable angle of the deviation of the optical axis is within the range of the cone of the normal angle θ from the center of the optical axis. Since the location of the interface in each terminal is various as in the conventional example, it is necessary for the user to move each terminal body to align the optical axis when performing data communication, and depending on the combination, Can be very inconvenient.
[0014]
For example, when trying to communicate between terminals having the interface 10 on the back side as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, first, each terminal is switched to the transmission / reception mode of the infrared data communication, and then the terminals are back-to-back. , And a data transmission operation is performed from one terminal. At this time, the communication status display displayed on the main display unit of the partner terminal is invisible to the user. In addition, when attempting to change the communication mode, it is necessary to once turn the operation unit of the terminal of the other party to the front side and then replace it so that the terminals are back to back again.
[0015]
Similar inconvenience occurs when data is transmitted and received between the terminal shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and the terminal having the interface 10 installed on the top surface of the first housing A as shown in FIG.
[0016]
In the IrDA standard, the distance L between the interfaces is within 1 m as a standard. However, in a portable terminal, it may be set to 30 cm or less for power saving, and the allowable angle θ of the optical axis (FIG. 7) is usually 30 °. In the case of a mobile terminal, the range is often set to 15 ° for power saving.
[0017]
In order to increase the communication distance and the allowable angle with respect to the deviation of the optical axis, the radiation output and the radiation angle of the infrared ray may be increased. However, in a portable device such as a mobile phone, power saving and reduction of the housing size are prioritized, so that the radiation output and the radiation angle of the infrared ray are usually specified by the above values.
[0018]
With a mobile terminal having a built-in camera unit, the user himself can shoot moving images and still images. It is also possible to download programs, still images, music data, and the like by using a mobile terminal via an Internet connection. The photographed image data, the downloaded program, and the like may need to be temporarily stored in a memory inside the mobile terminal and then transferred to another mobile terminal or a personal computer for data backup or data exchange. For this reason, the amount of data transferred from the mobile terminal has been increasing in recent years.
[0019]
In the past, text data such as telephone numbers and mails were mainly recorded, so the amount of data that needed to be transferred was small. For this reason, when performing infrared two-way communication, data transfer is completed in a few seconds, even if positioning is somewhat inconvenient. It didn't matter to the user.
[0020]
However, if the amount of data that needs to be transferred increases as described above, it may take several minutes or more to complete the data transfer, and if the handheld phone moves before the transfer is completed, In some cases, the data transfer fails because the optical axis deviates from the allowable range.
[0021]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal with an infrared two-way communication function capable of performing stable data communication and performing data communication while confirming the transmission / reception state of the display unit in both terminals. is there.
[0022]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A portable terminal with an infrared two-way communication function according to the present invention includes a portable terminal body having a display unit and an operation unit, and a rotating unit having a camera unit and an infrared transmitting / receiving interface. The rotating unit is rotatably connected to the portable terminal body, and the camera unit and the infrared transmitting / receiving interface can be rotated with respect to the portable terminal body by rotating the rotating unit with respect to the portable terminal body.
[0023]
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the portable terminal with infrared two-way communication function of this invention, a user can set the interface of the terminal which performs data communication by arrange | positioning a camera unit and an interface integrally in the rotating part rotatable with respect to a portable terminal main body. By adjusting the rotation of the rotation unit, it is possible to easily match the optical axes of the terminals on the user side and the partner side. As a result, stable data communication can be performed, and data communication can be performed while confirming the transmission and reception states of the display units of both terminals.
[0024]
Preferably, in the portable terminal with infrared two-way communication function described above, the portable terminal body preferably has a configuration in which a first housing on the display unit side and a second housing on the operation unit side are foldably connected, The unit is rotatably connected to the first housing.
[0025]
Preferably, in the portable terminal with infrared two-way communication function described above, the portable terminal body preferably has a configuration in which a first housing on the display unit side and a second housing on the operation unit side are foldably connected, The portion is rotatably connected to a hinge portion connecting the first housing and the second housing.
[0026]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0027]
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the mobile phone according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the mobile phone shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a front perspective view showing a state where a rotating unit having a camera unit and an infrared transmitting / receiving unit is rotated.
[0028]
Referring to FIG. 1, the mobile phone of the present embodiment has main units A and B having a display unit and an operation unit, and a rotating unit C. The main units A and B are configured such that a first housing A having a display unit and a second housing B having an operation unit are foldably connected by a hinge unit 3.
[0029]
On the front side of the first housing A, a main display unit 1 is installed as a display unit, and an antenna 4 and the like are also installed. The second housing B is provided with keys such as an operation knob 6 serving as an operation unit, and also has a telephone microphone 5 and the like.
[0030]
Referring to FIG. 2, a decoration panel 9 and a rear display unit 8 arranged in the decoration panel 9 are provided on the back side of the first housing A.
[0031]
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a receiver 2 is installed in the rotating part C, and a camera unit 7 and an interface 10 are integrally installed on the opposite side of the receiver 2. The rotating part C is rotatably connected to the main parts A and B. Specifically, the rotating part C is connected to the first housing A so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis Ca in the cutout part of the first housing A. Thus, the rotating unit C can be rotated with respect to the first housing A, and the camera unit 7 and the interface 10 can be rotated with respect to the first housing A. Further, it is possible to rotate the camera unit 7 and the interface 10 in a range exceeding 180 ° including the front side and the back side of the first housing A.
[0032]
In the state of FIGS. 1 and 2, the receiver 2 faces the front side of the first housing A in the same manner as the main display unit 1 and the microphone 5, so that a normal call can be made. Since the camera unit 7 faces the back side of the first housing A, it is possible to photograph the facing object while confirming the photographing target on the main display unit 1. Further, since the interface 10 also faces the back side of the first housing A, the interface 10 can emit infrared rays to the back side of the first housing A with an optical axis perpendicular to the back surface of the first housing A. This enables data communication with the terminal of the opposite transmission / reception target.
[0033]
FIG. 3 shows a state in which the rotating unit C has been rotated in the direction of the arrow about the rotation axis Ca from the state of FIGS. 1 and 2. In this state, since the camera unit 7 and the interface 10 face the front side of the first housing A, the camera unit 7 and the interface 10 can be fixed on the same plane as the main display unit 1. This allows the user to take a picture of the user himself with the camera unit 7 and use it with a videophone or the like. In addition, infrared rays can be emitted from the interface 10 toward the front surface side of the first housing A.
[0034]
Note that, in both the state of FIG. 1 and the state of FIG. 3, the first housing A and the second housing B can be folded without any problem.
[0035]
In addition, it is possible to fix the rotating part C at any angular position between FIG. 1 and FIG. Thereby, the camera unit 7 and the interface 10 can be directed to a position other than the back side and the front side (main display section). However, in that state, the first housing A and the second housing B cannot be folded.
[0036]
According to the present embodiment, the camera unit 7 and the interface 10 are installed on the integral rotating unit C, and the rotating unit C is rotatable with respect to the first housing A, so that the camera unit 7 is It can be directed to either the front side or the back side of one housing A. This makes it possible to switch between a mode in which the opposing object can be photographed and a mode in which the user himself can be photographed. At the same time, the interface 10 can be directed to either the front side or the back side of the first housing A. Thereby, when the user performs data transmission by infrared transmission / reception, it becomes possible to rotate and adjust the rotation unit C in accordance with the interface of the partner terminal of the data transmission, while checking the display units of both terminals. The operation can be performed reliably.
[0037]
For example, in the case of performing data communication with a partner terminal having an infrared transmission / reception interface on the back side of the first casing A in the portable cellular phone of the present embodiment, first, the rotating unit C is rotated to bring the state shown in FIG. The interface 10 faces the front side of the first housing A (the front side of the user), and faces the interface facing the back of the partner terminal. In this state, the main display sections of both terminals can be seen in front of the user, and both operations can be easily performed. Thus, there is no need to position the terminals in an unreasonable posture, so that more stable mutual data transfer becomes possible.
[0038]
In addition, it is possible to provide only the interface 10 in the rotating portion C which is a separate housing from the first housing A to provide a rotating function, but it is costly and increases the size of the housing. This configuration is not practical. By installing the interface 10 on the rotating camera unit 7 as in the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the operation at low cost.
[0039]
(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the mobile phone according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and FIG. 5 shows a state in which a rotating unit having a camera unit and an infrared transmitting / receiving interface of the mobile phone shown in FIG. 4 is rotated. It is a rear side perspective view.
[0040]
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the configuration of the present embodiment is different from the configuration of the first embodiment in the installation location of rotating unit C having camera unit 7 and interface 10. In the present embodiment, the rotating unit C is rotatably connected to the hinge unit 3 that foldably connects the first housing A having the display unit and the second housing B having the operation unit. The rotating portion C is rotatable coaxially with the hinge portion 3 and is installed at an intermediate position between the first housing A and the second housing B. By rotating the rotation unit C coaxially with the hinge unit 3, the camera unit 7 and the interface 10 can be directed to both the front side and the back side of the first housing A. The camera unit 7 and the interface 10 can be rotated in a range exceeding 180 ° including the front side and the back side of the first housing A.
[0041]
In the present embodiment, there is no need to provide a cutout for arranging the rotating unit in the first housing A as in the first embodiment.
[0042]
Since the other configuration is almost the same as the configuration of the above-described first embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.
[0043]
In the state of FIG. 4, since the camera unit 7 faces the front side of the first housing A, the camera unit 7 can be fixed on the same surface side as the main display unit 1. This allows the user to take a picture of the user himself with the camera unit 7 and use it with a videophone or the like. In addition, infrared rays can be emitted from the interface 10 toward the surface of the first housing A.
[0044]
FIG. 5 shows a state in which the rotating part C is rotated in the direction of the arrow around a rotating shaft (not shown) in the hinge part 3 from the state of FIG. In this state, since the camera unit 7 and the interface 10 face the back side of the first housing A, it is possible to photograph the facing object while confirming the photographing target on the main display unit 1. Further, since the interface 10 also faces the back side of the first housing A, it can emit infrared rays to the back side of the first housing A. This enables data communication with the terminal of the opposite transmission / reception target.
[0045]
Note that, in both the state of FIG. 4 and the state of FIG. 5, the first housing A and the second housing B can be folded without any problem.
[0046]
In the present embodiment, the interface 10 is installed so as to face the same direction as the camera unit 7. However, the same effect can be obtained even if the interface 10 is installed so as to face the opposite side to the camera unit 7.
[0047]
Further, in the present embodiment, a folding type mobile phone has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to a straight type or a flip type.
[0048]
Further, in the present embodiment, a portable telephone has been described as a portable terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a portable information terminal (PDA: personal data assistant), a notebook personal computer, etc. It can be widely applied to mobile terminals.
[0049]
The embodiments disclosed this time are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.
[0050]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the portable terminal with the infrared two-way communication function of the present invention, the user performs data communication by arranging the camera unit and the interface integrally on the rotating unit rotatable on the portable terminal body. By adjusting the rotation of the rotating unit with respect to the interface of the target terminal, it is possible to easily match the optical axes of the terminals on the user side and the partner side. As a result, stable data communication can be performed, and data communication can be performed while confirming the transmission and reception states of the display units of both terminals.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a mobile phone according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the mobile phone shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a front perspective view showing a state in which a rotating unit having a camera unit and an infrared transmitting / receiving unit has been rotated from the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a mobile phone according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.
5 is a rear perspective view showing a state in which a rotating unit having a camera unit and an infrared transmitting / receiving interface of the mobile phone shown in FIG. 4 is rotated.
FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of a general folding type mobile phone.
7 is a rear perspective view of the mobile phone shown in FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of another example of a mobile phone relating to the arrangement of interfaces.
[Explanation of symbols]
A first housing, B second housing, C rotating section, Ca rotating axis, 1 main display section, 2 receivers, 3 hinge sections, 4 antennas, 5 microphones, 6 operation knobs, 7 camera unit, 8 rear display Part, 9 decorative panel, 10 infrared transmission / reception interface.

Claims (3)

A mobile terminal body having a display unit and an operation unit,
A rotating unit having a camera unit and an infrared transmission / reception interface,
The rotating unit is rotatably connected to the portable terminal body, and the camera unit and the infrared transmitting / receiving interface can be rotated with respect to the portable terminal body by rotating the rotating unit with respect to the portable terminal body. A mobile terminal with an infrared two-way communication function. The mobile terminal body has a configuration in which a first housing on a display unit side and a second housing on an operation unit side are foldably connected, and the rotating unit is rotatably connected to the first housing. The portable terminal with an infrared two-way communication function according to claim 1, wherein: The mobile terminal body has a configuration in which a first housing on a display unit side and a second housing on the operation unit side are foldably connected, and the rotating unit includes the first housing and the second housing. The mobile terminal with infrared two-way communication function according to claim 1, characterized in that the mobile terminal is rotatably connected to a hinge part for connecting to a body.

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