JP2005328234A - Mobile terminal device and method for operating mobile terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve operability of a mobile terminal device equipped with a television receiving function etc., while implementing a function of channel switching etc., by rotating an antenna. <P>SOLUTION: The mobile terminal device 10 is equipped with an antenna section 1 having a projection part at a portion of its antenna axis, an antenna storage section which rotatably stores the antenna section 1 and is provided with three or more detecting means (operation buttons etc.) of detecting the position of the projection part, and a rotation detection section 11 which detects the rotating direction of the antenna section 1 from position information on the projection part. For example, when the antenna section 1 is rotated, one of the operation buttons is depressed by the projection part to regard the position information on the operation button as 1st position information on the projection part and the antenna section 1 is further rotated to regard position information on another operation button pressed by the projection part as 2nd information on the projection part; and the rotating direction of the antenna section 1 is detected from the 1st and 2nd position information and a function related to the rotating direction can be implemented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable terminal device and a method for operating the portable terminal device, and more specifically, a portable terminal device having a plurality of functions such as a digital camera function and a television receiving function in addition to a telephone function, and the portable terminal device Relates to the operation method.

  In recent years, for example, a mobile terminal device such as a mobile phone is often provided with a plurality of functions such as a digital camera function and a television receiving function in addition to a function as a telephone. Usually, a mobile phone is provided with a plurality of operation keys such as number (dial) keys and direction keys, and a function related to digital camera and television reception is assigned to any of these operation keys. For example, when a television broadcast is received by a mobile phone, a channel switching function is assigned to a direction key or the like, and the user can switch a reception channel by operating the direction key.

  However, the user needs to know which function is assigned to the operation key provided in the mobile phone, which is difficult to understand and difficult to operate. In addition, if operation keys are added in accordance with new additional functions, the original design cannot be maintained because the casing of the mobile phone becomes larger. In addition, many of the recent mobile phones are clamshell type, and many of them perform functions in the closed state, but in that case, the key part is closed with the inside, Only the minimum number of keys can be added outside, and it is difficult to operate with only these limited keys.

As described above, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a portable terminal with a digital camera in which a function of a shutter button of a digital camera is added to an antenna. When using the head of the antenna when using as a digital camera, the micro switch button is pressed and the shooting mechanism is instructed to shoot the subject. There is no need to add new operation keys, and the original design of the mobile terminal body can be maintained as it is.
JP 2003-116037 A

  However, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, the function of the shutter button of the digital camera is realized by displacing the antenna in the vertical direction. However, the operation key is continuously depressed as in the scroll function. The function to be executed is not configured to be performed by an antenna. More specifically, for example, when a television reception function or the like is added, a channel switching function or the like cannot be realized by using an antenna, so an operation key is newly added for the channel switching function. There is a need.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in a portable terminal device having a plurality of functions such as a television reception function, an antenna can be rotated without using an operation key such as a direction key. The purpose of this is to make it possible to execute functions such as channel switching and to improve operability.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first technical means is a portable terminal device having a plurality of functions, wherein an antenna portion provided with a protrusion on at least a part of an antenna shaft, and the antenna portion is rotatably housed. And a rotation detection means for detecting a rotation direction of the antenna unit with respect to the antenna storage unit based on positional information of the protrusion, so that a function associated with the detected rotation direction in advance can be executed. It is characterized by that.

  According to a second technical means, in the first technical means, the antenna housing part is provided with three or more detection means for detecting the position of the protrusion when the antenna part is rotated. It is what.

  According to a third technical means, in the second technical means, as the detection means, three or more operation buttons that can be pressed by the protrusions are provided in the antenna housing part, and the rotation detection means is a rotation of the antenna part. Sometimes, when any one of the operation buttons is pressed by the protrusion, the position information of the pressed operation button is set as the first position information of the protrusion, and the protrusion is when the antenna portion is rotated. The position information of the other operation button pressed by the unit is used as the second position information of the protrusion, and the rotation direction of the antenna unit with respect to the antenna storage unit is detected from the first position information and the second position information. It is characterized by doing.

  According to a fourth technical means, in the second technical means, as the detection means, three or more sensors capable of detecting the protrusions are provided in the antenna housing part, and the rotation detection means is provided when the antenna part is rotated. Any one of the sensors detects the protrusion, and the position information of the detected sensor is used as the first position information of the protrusion, and the protrusion is detected when the antenna portion is rotated. The position information of another sensor is used as the second position information of the protrusion, and the rotation direction of the antenna unit with respect to the antenna storage unit is detected from the first position information and the second position information. Is.

  A fifth technical means includes the television receiving means according to any one of the first to fourth technical means, wherein the channel switching function of the television receiving means is provided in the rotation direction detected by the rotation detecting means. It is characterized by being associated.

  A sixth technical means includes an antenna portion provided with a protrusion on at least a part of the antenna shaft, and an antenna storage portion for rotatably storing the antenna portion, and the protrusion when the antenna portion is rotated. In the operation method of the mobile terminal device in which three or more detection means for detecting the position of the part are provided in the antenna housing part, when the antenna part is rotated, any one of the detection means detects the protrusion, The position information of the detection means is the first position information of the protrusion, and the position information of the other detection means that detected the protrusion when the antenna portion is rotated is the second position information of the protrusion. As a position information, a rotation direction of the antenna unit with respect to the antenna storage unit is detected from the first position information and the second position information, and a function associated with the detected rotation direction in advance can be executed. Is obtained is characterized in that the.

  According to a seventh technical means, in the sixth technical means, as the detecting means, three or more operation buttons that can be pressed by the protruding portion are provided in the antenna housing portion, and when the antenna portion rotates, the protruding portion Any one of the operation buttons is pressed, the position information of the pressed operation button is set as the first position information of the protrusion, and the other is pressed by the protrusion when the antenna portion is rotated. The position information of the operation button is used as the second position information of the protrusion, and the rotation direction of the antenna unit with respect to the antenna storage unit is detected from the first position information and the second position information, and the detected rotation It is characterized in that a function previously associated with a direction can be executed.

  By the above technical means, in the portable terminal device having a plurality of functions such as a television receiving function, the function equivalent to the operation key input can be executed by rotating the antenna. The scroll function to be executed can be performed simply by turning the antenna, and the user can easily use multiple functions such as the television reception function. Because it is used, the original design can be maintained as it is.

  In a portable terminal device having a plurality of functions such as a television receiving function, a function equivalent to an operation key input can be executed by rotating an antenna. Therefore, a scroll function executed by continuously pressing an operation key Etc. can be performed only by the operation of turning the antenna, and the user can easily use a plurality of functions such as a television reception function, and since the existing antenna part is used, The design can be maintained as it is.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of the appearance of a mobile terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 10 is a mobile terminal device, and the mobile terminal device 10 includes a base station (not shown) and a predetermined frequency. It comprises an antenna unit 1 that transmits and receives radio waves in a band and a housing unit 2 that supports the antenna unit 1. The casing 2 has a speaker 3 at the top, a display 3 comprising a liquid crystal display screen for displaying a telephone number, etc. below the speaker 3, and is used for inputting a telephone number, etc. under the display 4. A microphone 6 is disposed below the key operation input unit 5 and the key operation input unit 5 each including a plurality of operation key groups. Hereinafter, the case where the mobile terminal device 10 of the present invention is applied to a mobile phone (including PHS) provided with a television reception function will be described as a representative example. It can be applied to all portable terminal devices such as PDAs having functions.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the mobile terminal device 10 shown in FIG. 1. The mobile terminal device (hereinafter represented by a mobile phone) 10 includes an antenna unit 1, a speaker 3, and a display unit. 4. In addition to the key operation input unit 5 and the microphone 6, the radio unit 7 that processes the signal received by the antenna unit 1, the communication protocol control in the radio unit 7, the control of the user interface, and the telephone number conversion algorithm Call that forms a call path with the other party by demodulating a signal transmitted using the main control unit 8 and a call channel established by communication protocol control by the main control unit 8 and modulating the signal to be transmitted The control unit 9 includes a rotation detection unit 11 that detects a rotation direction when the antenna unit 1 rotates, and a data storage unit 12 that stores various data.

  The speaker 3 emits an audio signal sent from the call path formed by the call control unit 9 to the outside, and the microphone 6 picks up the external sound and converts it into an electric signal. The signal is sent to the call path formed by the call control unit 9. The speaker 3 and the microphone 6 constitute a handset for making a call with the other party. In addition, when a television receiving function is provided, it is good also as a structure provided with the television tuner part which is not shown in figure.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an outline of a cross section when the peripheral structure of the antenna unit 1 shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from the front. The antenna storage unit 20 is provided. The antenna unit 1 includes an enlarged antenna head 1a, an antenna expansion / contraction portion (antenna shaft) 1c that is connected to the antenna head 1a and can be expanded and contracted, and a protrusion 1b provided on at least a part of the antenna expansion / contraction portion 1c. ing. The wall surface of the antenna storage unit 20 is provided with three or more operation buttons 21 in accordance with the arrangement of the protrusions 1b, and when the antenna unit 1 rotates in any of the directions (clockwise or counterclockwise), The projection 1b rotates in accordance with the rotation, and any one of the operation buttons 21 is pushed down by the projection 1b. In this example, the operation button 21 on the right side in the drawing is shown pressed down by the protrusion 1b.

  FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an outline of a cross section when the peripheral structure of the antenna unit 1 shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from above. In this example, four operation buttons 21 are arranged at positions of 0 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees, and 270 degrees on the wall surface of the antenna housing section 20 facing the protrusion 1b of the antenna section 1. The four operation buttons 21 are respectively urged in the direction of the antenna unit 1 by an elastic member 24 such as a spring, and any one of the operation buttons 21 is pressed by the rotation of the projection 1b of the antenna unit 1. The

  Further, the pressed operation button 21 (in this example, the operation button 21 on the right side in the drawing) deforms the metal dome 22 provided in the housing portion 2, and the deformed metal dome 22 contacts the circuit board 23. Thus, it is recognized that the operation button 21 is actually pressed. At this time, the position information of the operation button 21 pressed by the protrusion 1b is stored in the data storage unit 11 as the position information of the protrusion 1b. Accordingly, when the rotation operation of the antenna unit 1 is performed next, the rotation detection unit 11 is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise as viewed from the previous position, and the rotation direction thereof. Can be determined.

  That is, the rotation detection unit 11 is configured such that when the antenna unit 1 rotates, any one of the operation buttons 21 is pressed by the projection 1b, and the position information of the pressed operation button 21 is set as the previous position information of the projection 1b. When the antenna unit 1 is rotated, the position information of the other operation buttons 21 pressed by the protrusion 1b is used as the next position information of the protrusion 1b, and the antenna housing part of the antenna unit 1 is determined from the previous position information and the next position information. The direction of rotation with respect to 20 is detected. Thereby, the function previously linked | related with the detected rotation direction becomes executable.

  Here, in order to detect the rotation direction of the antenna unit 1, it is sufficient that at least three operation buttons 21 are arranged, and this arrangement can be arbitrarily determined. Also, a function is associated in advance with the rotation direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) of the antenna unit 1. For example, a function for selecting a channel in the upward direction (descending order) for the program list in the clockwise direction and a function for selecting a channel in the downward direction (ascending order) for the program in the counterclockwise direction is set. Specifically, when receiving the 8ch with the television reception function, if the antenna unit 1 is rotated and it is determined to be clockwise, the channel number is selected in descending order (for example, 6ch → 4ch), and left When it is determined that the channel is around, the channel numbers are selected in ascending order (for example, in order of 10 ch → 12 ch).

  Further, the functions that can be associated with the rotation direction of the antenna unit 1 are not limited to the channel switching function, but are applied to all functions that are executed by continuously pressing an operation key, such as a page switching function and a scroll function. For example, in the case where the mobile phone 10 has a built-in digital camera function, the present invention can also be applied to a case where the photographed image data is viewed one by one by switching pages.

  In this way, the user can continuously press the operation button with the protrusion by rotating the antenna unit, so that the function similar to the function conventionally executed by continuously pressing the operation key is used. Can be executed only by rotating the antenna unit. Also, when the user rotates the antenna part and presses the operation button with the protrusion, the user can feel the repulsive force from the operation button as a sense of resistance. It becomes easy to grasp the operation.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing another cross-sectional outline when the peripheral structure of the antenna unit 1 shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from above. In this example, four distance sensors 25 are arranged at positions of 0 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees, and 270 degrees on the wall surface of the antenna housing section 20 that faces the protrusion 1b of the antenna section 1. The four distance sensors 25 are respectively connected to the circuit board 23, and the projection 1b of the antenna unit 1 rotates, and any one of the distance sensors 25 detects the projection 1b, whereby the operation shown in FIG. The same recognition as when the button 21 is pressed is performed.

  More specifically, when the projection 1b of the antenna unit 1 rotates and the projection 1b comes to the front of any distance sensor 25 or passes through the front, the corresponding distance sensor 25 (in this example, FIG. The middle right distance sensor 25) and the circuit board 23 detect a change in the distance from the antenna unit 1 (that is, the measurement distance changes short when the protrusion 1b comes close to the distance sensor 25), and FIG. The same recognition as when the indicated operation button 21 is pressed is performed. At this time, the position information of the distance sensor 25 that has detected the protrusion 1b is stored in the data storage unit 11 as the position information of the protrusion 1b. Accordingly, when the rotation operation of the antenna unit 1 is performed next, the rotation detection unit 11 is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise as viewed from the previous position, and the rotation direction thereof. Can be determined.

  That is, when the antenna unit 1 rotates, the rotation detection unit 11 detects any one of the projections 1b by the distance sensor 25, and uses the detected position information of the distance sensor 25 as the previous position information of the projection 1b. When the portion 1 is rotated, the position information of the other distance sensor 25 that has detected the protrusion 1b is used as the next position information of the protrusion 1b, and the antenna position of the antenna unit 1 with respect to the antenna housing 20 is determined from the previous position information and the next position information. Detect the direction of rotation. Thereby, the function previously linked | related with the detected rotation direction becomes executable.

  Here, similarly to the first embodiment described above, in this embodiment as well, at least three distance sensors 25 only need to be arranged in order to detect the rotation direction of the antenna unit 1, and this arrangement is arbitrary. Can be determined.

  In this way, the user can rotate the antenna part and detect the protrusion by the distance sensor, and conventionally press the operation key continuously in the same way as pressing the operation button continuously with the protrusion. A function similar to the function that has been executed can be executed only by rotating the antenna unit.

  As a detection means for detecting the position of the protrusion 1b when the antenna unit 1 is rotated, an operation button (first embodiment) and a distance sensor (second embodiment) will be described as representative examples. However, the detection means is not limited to these, and any detection means can be used as long as it can detect the position of the protruding portion 1b in contact or non-contact. For example, a piezoelectric element can be preferably used.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an operation example when the antenna unit 1 shown in FIG. 4 rotates. Note that this example is based on the configuration of the mobile phone 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, and the operation of the mobile phone 10 when the user switches channels while viewing a television broadcast using the television reception function. A method will be described.
First, the user rotates the antenna unit 1 clockwise. The mobile phone 10 determines whether or not the pressing of the operation button 21 by the protrusion 1b is detected (step S1), and when the pressing of the operation button 21 is detected (in the case of YES), the position information of the operation button 21 is obtained. The data is stored in the data storage unit 12 (step S2). In step S1, when pressing of the operation button 21 is not detected (in the case of NO), the operation button 21 is waited for input.

  Next, the cellular phone 10 starts a timer for setting an arbitrary input waiting time (step S3), enters a state waiting for input of the next operation button 21, and determines occurrence of timeout of the input waiting time ( Step S4). If a timeout has occurred (in the case of YES), the process ends. Further, within the input waiting time set in the above step S4 (in the case of NO), it is determined whether or not the pressing of another operation button 21 other than the previously pressed operation button 21 is detected (step S5). If the pressing of the operation button 21 is not detected (in the case of NO), the process returns to step S4 and waits for input.

  If the cellular phone 10 detects that the other operation button 21 has been pressed in step S5 (YES), the cellular phone 10 restarts the timer activated in step S3 (step S6) and stores the data in the data storage unit 12. The antenna unit 1 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise from the stored position information of the operation button 21 pressed last time on the protrusion 1b and the position information of other operation buttons 21 pressed this time on the protrusion 1b. It is determined whether it has been done (step S7).

  For example, if the clockwise direction is set to the function of selecting the program list in the upward direction (descending order) and the counterclockwise direction is set to the function of selecting the channel downward (ascending order), the mobile phone 10 performs the above steps. If it is determined in S7 that the rotation is clockwise (in the case of YES), a channel selection process is performed for the channel one channel higher than the currently selected channel on the program list as a right rotation operation (step S8). If it is determined in S7 that the counterclockwise direction is left (in the case of NO), a channel selection process that is one channel lower than the currently selected channel is performed on the program list as a left rotation operation (step S9). Further, the process returns to step S4 and waits for input of the operation button 21 by the rotation of the antenna unit 1 until the timeout set in step S3 occurs.

It is a front view which shows an example of the external appearance of the portable terminal device which is one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration example of the mobile terminal device illustrated in FIG. 1. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the cross-sectional outline | summary when the surrounding structure of the antenna part shown in FIG. 1 is seen from the front. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the cross-sectional outline | summary when the surrounding structure of the antenna part shown in FIG. 1 is seen from an upper surface. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the other cross-sectional outline | summary when the surrounding structure of the antenna part shown in FIG. 1 is seen from an upper surface. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the operation example when the antenna part shown in FIG. 4 rotates.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Antenna part, 1a ... Antenna head part, 1b ... Projection part, 1c ... Antenna expansion-contraction part, 2 ... Case part, 3 ... Speaker, 4 ... Display part, 5 ... Key operation input part, 6 ... Microphone, 7 ... Radio unit, 8 ... main control unit, 9 ... call control unit, 10 ... mobile terminal device (mobile phone), 11 ... rotation detection unit, 12 ... data storage unit, 20 ... antenna storage unit, 21 ... operation button, 22 ... Metal dome, 23 ... circuit board, 24 ... elastic member, 25 ... distance sensor.

Claims (8)

  In a portable terminal device having a plurality of functions, an antenna unit provided with a projection on at least a part of an antenna shaft, an antenna storage unit for rotatably storing the antenna unit, and the antenna based on position information of the projection A mobile terminal device comprising: a rotation detecting unit that detects a rotation direction of the unit with respect to the antenna storage unit, and capable of executing a function associated with the detected rotation direction in advance.   2. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna housing portion is provided with three or more detection means for detecting the position of the protrusion when the antenna portion is rotated. Terminal device.   3. The portable terminal device according to claim 2, wherein three or more operation buttons that can be pressed by the protrusions are provided as the detection unit in the antenna housing unit, and the rotation detection unit is configured to perform the operation when the antenna unit rotates. One of the operation buttons is pressed by the protrusion, the position information of the pressed operation button is set as the first position information of the protrusion, and further, the protrusion is pressed by the protrusion when the antenna portion is rotated. The position information of the other operation button thus made is used as the second position information of the protrusion, and the rotation direction of the antenna section relative to the antenna housing section is detected from the first position information and the second position information. A portable terminal device.   3. The portable terminal device according to claim 2, wherein three or more sensors capable of detecting the protrusion are provided in the antenna housing portion as the detection unit, and the rotation detection unit is configured to detect the protrusion when the antenna unit is rotated. Any sensor detects the position, and the position information of the detected sensor is used as the first position information of the protrusion, and when the antenna is rotated, the other sensor detects the protrusion. The position information of the projecting portion is used as the second position information of the protrusion, and the rotation direction of the antenna portion with respect to the antenna housing portion is detected from the first position information and the second position information. .   5. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising a television receiving unit, wherein a channel switching function of the television receiving unit is associated with the rotation direction detected by the rotation detecting unit. The portable terminal device characterized by the above-mentioned.   In order to detect the position of the projecting part when the antenna part is rotated, comprising an antenna part provided with a projecting part on at least a part of the antenna shaft and an antenna housing part for housing the antenna part rotatably In the operation method of the mobile terminal device in which three or more detection means are provided in the antenna housing part, when the antenna part rotates, any one of the detection means detects the protrusion, and the position information of the detection means is The first position information of the protrusion is used, and the position information of the other detection means that detects the protrusion when the antenna portion is rotated is the second position information of the protrusion. The rotation direction of the antenna unit with respect to the antenna storage unit is detected from the position information and the second position information, and a function previously associated with the detected rotation direction can be executed. Method of operating a mobile terminal device that.   As the detection means, three or more operation buttons that can be pressed by the protrusions are provided in the antenna housing part, and when the antenna part is rotated, any one of the operation buttons is pressed by the protrusions and the pressed operation is performed. The position information of the button is set as the first position information of the protrusion, and the position information of the other operation button pressed by the protrusion when the antenna portion is rotated is the second position information of the protrusion. Rotation direction of the antenna unit with respect to the antenna storage unit is detected from the first position information and the second position information as position information, and a function previously associated with the detected rotation direction can be executed. The method of operating a portable terminal device according to claim 6.   As the detection means, three or more sensors capable of detecting the protrusion are provided in the antenna housing, and when the antenna is rotated, any one of the sensors detects the protrusion, and the position information of the detected sensor is detected. Is the first position information of the protrusion, and when the antenna is rotated, the position information of another sensor that has detected the protrusion is the second position information of the protrusion, and the first The rotation direction of the antenna unit with respect to the antenna housing unit is detected from the position information of 1 and the second position information, and a function previously associated with the detected rotation direction can be executed. 7. A method for operating the mobile terminal device according to 6.

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