JP2005310030A - Portable electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To protect portable electronic equipment having a non-contact IC card function from an impact assumed at the time of use of the non-contact IC card function. <P>SOLUTION: In the portable electronic equipment having a substrate 21 on which electronic components are mounted and a non-contact IC card part 20 inside a cabinet, an impact absorption means for absorbing the impact is arranged on a cabinet surface (bottom surface 45) directed toward an external reader/writer part at the time of use of the non-contact IC card function. As the impact absorption means, buffer parts 51 at least including a part having elasticity are provided at least on four corners of the cabinet surface. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable electronic device that houses a substrate on which an electronic component is mounted inside a housing and includes a non-contact IC card unit.

  In recent years, non-contact IC cards have been used for applications such as commuter passes for entering and leaving gates at ticket gates at railway stations or security cards for managing and controlling buildings. It is becoming. Since this IC card is a non-contact sensing method, the necessary data communication processing is immediately executed and completed almost instantly by simply bringing it close to or holding the external reader / writer while it is in a card case or wallet. Therefore, in particular, in use at a ticket gate of a station, the user can use the vehicle while continuing to move without stopping walking when the ticket gate passes. This has helped to eliminate congestion at the ticket gate.

On the other hand, the spread of mobile phones is remarkable, and many users of contactless IC cards often have mobile phones. Therefore, in order to combine the portability and convenience of each of the mobile phone and the non-contact IC card and increase the utility value, it has been proposed to incorporate a non-contact IC card function in the mobile phone (for example, Patent Documents). 1).
JP 2003-258972 A

  For example, in a use form of a non-contact IC card at a ticket gate in a station, although it is non-contact, an external reader is actually used in order to surely execute predetermined wireless communication between the non-contact IC card and an external reader / writer. It is recommended to touch (contact) a non-contact IC card (or its stored item) for a moment at the position where the writer is installed.

  Therefore, when the non-contact IC card function is built in the mobile phone, the casing of the mobile phone is touched to the external reader / writer unit. Therefore, the user brings the mobile phone into contact with the external reader / writer unit while walking, and the housing of the mobile phone may actually collide with the external reader / writer unit with a considerable momentum. Compared with the non-contact IC card, the mobile phone has a considerable weight, and it is expected that the impact at the time of the collision of the mobile phone may be considerably large.

  A mobile phone housing contains a display device such as a circuit board or liquid crystal with various electronic components. Excessive impact on the housing can cause failure, malfunction, or damage. .

  The present invention has been made in such a background, and an object thereof is to protect a portable electronic device having a non-contact IC card function from an impact assumed when the non-contact IC card function is used.

  The portable electronic device according to the present invention is a portable electronic device including a substrate on which an electronic component is mounted and a non-contact IC card unit inside the case, and a case surface that faces the external reader / writer unit when the non-contact IC card function is used. Further, an impact absorbing means for absorbing an impact is provided. The shock absorbing means provided on the case surface facing the external reader / writer unit absorbs the shock even if the case of the portable electronic device hits the external reader / writer unit and mounts electronic components inside the case. It is possible to prevent the adverse effect on the damaged substrate.

  As the shock absorbing means, buffer portions including at least elastic portions can be provided at at least four corners of the housing surface. For example, the buffer portion may be configured in a dot shape, a line shape, or a plane shape including arbitrary points near at least four corners of the housing surface.

  The housing for housing the substrate has a first housing portion facing one surface of the substrate and a second housing portion facing the back side surface of the one surface of the substrate, and one end of the buffer portion May be arranged so as to protrude from the inside of the first housing portion, and the other end of the buffer portion may be supported by the inner surface of the second housing portion inside the housing. As a result, the space occupied by the buffer portion is expanded. As a result, an elastic member having a larger size can be used. In this case, it is preferable that the second casing portion is made of a material having higher strength than the first casing portion. Thereby, support of a buffer part becomes firm.

  According to the present invention, in a portable electronic device having a non-contact IC card function, the shock absorbing means for absorbing the shock is disposed on the housing surface directed to the external reader / writer when using the non-contact IC card function. Thus, it is possible to protect the internal substrate and the electronic components mounted thereon from an impact that may occur when using the non-contact IC card function. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of failure, malfunction, breakage and the like due to excessive impact on the housing.

  The shock absorbing means can be used as a part of the design of the portable electronic device by being configured by a buffer portion having an arbitrary shape or a combination thereof.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, a foldable mobile phone will be described as an example of the portable electronic device according to the embodiment of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the folding type, and can be applied to any type of portable electronic device such as a so-called straight type and a slide rotation type.

  First, a schematic hardware configuration of a mobile electronic device 10 as a mobile phone equipped with a non-contact IC card function to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIG.

  The portable electronic device 10 has a control unit 5 as a center, to which a digital signal processing unit 3, a display unit 6, an operation unit 7, an external interface (I / F) unit 8, and a non-contact IC card unit 20 are connected. Configured. The control unit 5 is a main unit for realizing the functions of the mobile phone, and is configured by a CPU, an EEPROM, a flash memory, a RAM, and the like (not shown). In the present embodiment, the control unit 5 further includes a card interface module 50 for exchanging commands and data with the non-contact IC card unit 20.

  The digital signal processing unit 3 is connected to an audio input unit 1 to which a microphone 15 is connected, an audio output unit 2 to which a speaker 16 (including an ear receiver) is connected, and an RF (Radio Frequency) input / output unit 4 to which an antenna 12 is connected. This is a part for performing encoding and decoding of digital signals. More specifically, it performs convolutional coding, slot interleaving, delay detection, convolutional decoding, and the like centering on DSP (Digital Signal Processor). It consists of a dedicated circuit. The audio input unit 1 is a part that converts an analog audio signal from the microphone 15 into a digital signal, and includes a microphone amplifier, a filter, an A / D converter, and the like. The audio output unit 2 is a part for driving the speaker 16 with the received digital audio signal, and includes a D / A converter, a filter, a speaker amplifier, and the like. The RF input / output unit 4 is a part that performs high-frequency transmission / reception, and includes a quadrature modulator, a gain amplifier, a power amplifier, a diversity, a mixer, an IF demodulator, and the like.

  The display unit 6 is a part that displays and outputs information to the user, and includes, for example, an LCD driver, an LCD display device, and the like. However, the display device is not limited to the LCD. The display unit 6 may include a plurality of display units such as a main display unit and a sub display unit. The operation unit 7 is a part for the user to input operation information to the mobile electronic device 10 and includes a power key, a call key numeric keypad, a cursor operation key, and the like. The external I / F unit 8 is a part that provides an interface with an external device, and includes a communication interface circuit, a 16-pin connector, and the like. The power supply unit 9 is a part that generates and supplies power necessary for each block based on the battery power supply, and includes a power supply circuit, a battery charging circuit, an overcurrent overvoltage protection circuit, and the like.

  The non-contact IC card unit 20 is connected to the card interface module 50 of the control unit 5 and has a dedicated CPU, flash memory that is a rewritable nonvolatile memory that holds data, programs, and the like, a predetermined interface, etc. Is provided. The non-contact IC card unit 20 exchanges commands and data with the external reader / writer unit 32 via the antenna 11 for wireless communication of the non-contact type IC card. The card interface module 50 is incorporated as a part of the control unit 5 and is a software module that combines a user interface between the user and the non-contact IC card unit 20 and a non-contact IC card interface.

  FIG. 2A is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the portable electronic device in a folded state. FIG. 2B is a diagram showing the bottom surface. As can be seen from FIG. 2A, in this portable electronic device, the upper housing 41 is connected to the lower housing 42 via a hinge portion 43 so as to be rotatable (openable / closable). The upper casing 41 has a built-in display unit 6 composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal display. The display unit 6 may be a main display unit, and a smaller sub display unit may be provided on the back side (upper side in the figure). The lower housing 42 houses and fixes and supports the substrate 21 on which electronic components are mounted. A non-contact IC card unit 20 that provides a non-contact IC card function is disposed behind the bottom surface 45 of the lower housing 42 (inside the housing). On the inner surface of the lower housing 42 that is closed, operation units such as the power key, the call key numeric keypad, and the cursor operation key are arranged.

  When such a portable electronic device is used as a non-contact IC card, the outside of the portable electronic device on which the non-contact IC card unit 20 is arranged, that is, in the example of FIG. The front surface is used toward the external reader / writer unit 32. Therefore, the bottom surface 45 of the portable electronic device comes into contact (collision) with the external reader / writer unit. Therefore, in the present invention, the impact absorbing means is disposed on the outermost part of the housing that is directed to the external reader / writer unit when the non-contact IC card function is used. In the example of FIG. 2, this arrangement location is the housing surface (the bottom surface 45 of the lower housing 42) that faces the external reader / writer unit when using the non-contact IC card function. In the four corners of the bottom surface 45, buffer portions 51 including at least elastic portions are fixedly provided as shock absorbing means. This shows an example in which the buffer portions are arranged at least at the four corners. The buffer 51 can be configured using a member made of a flexible or elastic material such as rubber, urethane, or spring. For joining the buffer portion 51 to the housing, any joining means such as adhesion, engagement, and screwing can be used. The buffer unit 51 forms a convex portion that slightly protrudes from the surface position of the bottom surface 45 in a normal state, and it is assumed that the buffer unit 51 contacts when the portable electronic device contacts the external reader / writer unit. . With this configuration, even when the portable electronic device is used to hit the external reader / writer when using the non-contact IC card function, the shock is mitigated (or absorbed) by the presence of the buffer 51, and the internal electronic components Can ease the shock to the. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of failure, malfunction, breakage, and the like.

  In addition, although the number of the buffer parts 51 was four, it may be larger than this.

  FIGS. 3A and 3B show an example in which a buffer 52 of the second form is provided as an impact absorbing means. Constituent elements similar to those shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. The difference from the configuration of FIG. 2 is that two elongated buffer portions 52 are provided in parallel along the opposite sides of the bottom surface 45. This shows an example in which the buffer portions are arranged in a linear shape including at least arbitrary points near the four corners. The side of the terminal provided with the buffer 52 is on the short side in the figure, but may be on the long side. Three or more buffer parts 52 may be provided.

  4 (a) and 4 (b) show an example in which a buffer 53 of the third form is provided as an impact absorbing means. Constituent elements similar to those in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. A difference from the configuration of FIG. 3 is that a buffer portion 53 having a square shape is provided along the periphery (four sides) of the bottom surface 45 in place of the two elongated buffer portions 52. This also corresponds to an example in which the buffer portion is arranged in a line shape including at least arbitrary points near the four corners. In the figure, the buffer portion 53 is continuous over the entire circumference, but may be partially missing.

  5 (a) and 5 (b) show an example in which a buffer section 54 of the fourth form is provided as an impact absorbing means. Constituent elements similar to those described above are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. A difference from the above configuration is that the buffer portion 54 extends over substantially the entire bottom surface 45. This shows an example in which the buffer portion is arranged in a planar shape including at least arbitrary points near the four corners. Of course, when a detachable member such as a battery cover is present on the bottom surface 45, the portion of the buffer portion 54 is configured to be separable together. Or you may make the buffer part 54 blank only about the said part.

  FIG. 6 shows a configuration example when a spring member is used as the elastic member of the buffer portion 55 in the embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 6A is a side view similar to FIG. 2A and the like, and FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the buffer portion 55. The buffer portion 55 includes a pad member 551 and a spring member 552 attached to the one surface. The other end of the spring member 552 passes through a through hole 554 provided in the lower housing 42 and is supported by contacting a support surface of a support portion 553 provided inside the housing. The support portion 553 is fixed to the housing 42. The pad member 551 can be composed of a member having arbitrary rigidity or elasticity, such as synthetic resin, rubber, and leather. The spring member 552 is assumed to be a helical spring, but may be a spring having another shape. In the form of FIG. 6, the shock is supported by the housing 42 while the space of the buffer portion is expanded to the inside of the housing. Since the space of the buffer portion is expanded to the inside of the housing, the size of the elastic member that can be used can be increased, the degree of design freedom can be increased, and the impact absorption effect can be increased.

  FIG. 7 shows a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 7A is a side view similar to FIG. 2A and the like, and FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the buffer portion 56. The buffer unit 56 is different from the configuration shown in FIG. The buffer portion 56 has a pad member 551 and a spring member 562 attached to the one surface, which is similar to the configuration of FIG. 6, but the support portion 563 is long, and its end is at the bottom of the lower housing 42. It reaches the inner surface of the upper housing part where the operation unit is arranged. In the example of FIG. 7, at least the lower housing 42 has a structure in which an inner housing portion 421 in which an operation unit is disposed and an outer housing portion 422 having a bottom surface 45 are combined. In order to increase the structural strength, the inner housing portion 421 is made of a relatively rigid and durable member such as a metal or an alloy (for example, a magnesium alloy), while the outer housing portion 422 is a non-contact IC card portion. For communication by radio waves between 20 and the external reader / writer, it is composed of a member such as a synthetic resin that transmits radio waves (does not inhibit conduction). Therefore, as in the configuration of FIG. 7, the end portion of the support portion 563 of the buffer portion 56 is configured to be supported by the inner casing portion 421 having higher strength. As a result, the outer casing portion 422 is prevented from being deformed even momentarily due to an impact, and the influence on the casing due to the absorption of the impact can be reduced as compared with the configuration of FIG. Become. In the form of FIG. 7, the space of the buffer portion is extended to the entire interior of the housing, so that the size of the elastic member that can be used can be further increased and the impact absorbing effect can be enhanced.

  Although the main part of the buffer part 56 in the configuration of FIG. 7 is a spring, the concept of FIG. 7 can be applied to a buffer material such as an elastic member other than the spring. Although it is conceivable to dispose the buffer portion on the support portion of the substrate inside the housing, there is a possibility that the substrate may be bent by this, so in this embodiment, the buffer portion is installed on the housing.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but various modifications and changes other than those mentioned above can be made. For example, the various forms described above may be used in any combination. It is also possible to realize an impactful design by combining a buffer portion having an arbitrary shape such as a dot shape, a linear shape, or a planar shape, and further by combining colors. Characters, pictures, logos, and the like may be formed by the combination.

  The shock absorbing means may be provided on a battery cover, a camera cover, an antenna, or the like according to the structure of each portable electronic device model.

  If the non-contact IC card function is possible not only on the bottom surface 45 of the portable electronic device but also on another surface (for example, the upper surface of the upper housing 41), shock absorbing means may be provided on this surface.

It is a block diagram which shows the outline hardware constitutions of the portable electronic device as a mobile telephone which mounted the non-contact IC card function to which this invention is applied. It is the side view (a) which shows schematic structure of the portable electronic device of the folded state in embodiment of this invention, and the bottom view (b) which shows the bottom face. It is the side view (a) and bottom view (b) of the portable electronic device of the folded state which show the example which provided the buffer part of the 2nd form as an impact-absorbing means. It is the side view (a) and bottom view (b) of the portable electronic device of the folded state which show the example which provided the buffer part of the 3rd form as an impact-absorbing means. It is the side view (a) and bottom view (b) of the portable electronic device of the folded state which show the example which provided the buffer part of the 4th form as an impact-absorbing means. In the form shown in FIG. 2, it is the side view (a) of the portable electronic device which shows the structural example in the case of using a spring as a main member of a buffer part, and its partially expanded view (b). It is the side view (a) which shows the modification of the portable electronic device of FIG. 6, and its partially expanded view (b).

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 ... Non-contact IC card part, 21 ... Board | substrate, 32 ... External reader / writer part, 41 ... Upper housing | casing, 42 ... Lower housing | casing, 43 ... Hinge part, 45 ... Bottom surface, 50 ... Card interface module, 51-56 ... Buffer part, 421 ... inner housing part, 422 ... outer housing part, 551 ... pad member, 552 ... spring member, 553 ... support part, 554 ... through hole, 562 ... spring member, 563 ... support part

Claims (7)

  In a portable electronic device having a substrate on which an electronic component is mounted and a non-contact IC card unit inside the case, shock absorption that absorbs shock is applied to the case surface facing the external reader / writer unit when the non-contact IC card function is used. A portable electronic device characterized in that means is provided.   2. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the shock absorbing means is provided with a buffer portion including at least elastic portions at at least four corners of the housing surface.   3. The portable electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the buffer portion is configured in a dot shape, a line shape, or a plane shape including arbitrary points near at least four corners of the housing surface.   The housing for housing the substrate has a first housing portion facing one surface of the substrate and a second housing portion facing the back side surface of the one surface of the substrate, and one end of the buffer portion Is disposed so as to protrude from the inside of the first casing portion, and the other end of the buffer portion is supported on the inner surface of the second casing portion inside the casing. The portable electronic device according to claim 1 or 2. The portable electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the second casing portion is made of a material having a higher strength than the first casing portion.   6. The portable electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the first casing portion is made of a material that transmits radio waves.   In a portable electronic device having a substrate on which electronic components are mounted and a non-contact IC card unit inside the case, an impact is applied to the outermost part of the case that is directed to the external reader / writer unit when the non-contact IC card function is used. A portable electronic device comprising shock absorbing means for absorbing.

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