JP2006174340A - Portable electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically turn on backlight of a display when a portable electronic apparatus is taken out, and to prevent the backlight from being erroneously turned on in such a case that it is in a car on the move and is subjected to constant vibration. <P>SOLUTION: After the portable electronic apparatus starts clocking (Step "S1"), when an incorporated acceleration sensor detects an acceleration exceeding a threshold value X ("YES" in Step "S3") and the elapsed time does not exceed a predetermined value T ("NO" in Step "S4"), it resets clocking value (Step "S5") and starts clocking again. If the elapsed time exceeds the value T ("YES" in Step "S4") and the backlight is off ("YES" in Step "S6"), it turns the backlight on (Step "S7"). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

The present invention relates to a portable electronic device, and more particularly to a portable electronic device used for illumination control by detecting an applied acceleration.

In portable electronic devices such as a mobile phone and a portable information terminal (PDA), improvement in convenience of operation and promptness of information display is constantly demanded. As an example, a cellular phone having a foldable structure has been provided with a sub display unit positioned on the outside in that state in addition to a main display unit positioned on the inner side with the housing folded. A variety of information can be displayed on the sub display section, but usually the time is displayed in a state where the housing is folded and used in place of a clock in many cases.

When the mobile phone is being used and not being used, it is common to turn off the illumination of the sub display unit to save power. When the user wants to check the time, take out the mobile phone,
The illumination light on the sub display unit is turned on by operating a key or the like. However, such an operation can be unexpectedly troublesome when the user is busy and cannot be released.

A technique is known in which acceleration applied to a mobile phone is detected using an acceleration sensor without key operation or the like, and lighting of an illumination light on a display unit (not necessarily a sub display unit) is controlled. (For example, see Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2).

The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above measures the time during which vibration is continuously applied to a mobile phone by means of an acceleration sensor and a timer provided in the mobile phone, and displays a backlight for display unit illumination or a key for an operation unit. The light emitting diode for illumination is automatically turned on, and the length of lighting time is determined by the length of continuous vibration time.

The technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 described above is automatically turned off when no operation is performed for a certain period of time even when the backlight of the mobile phone is lit, but the acceleration sensor detects vibration during lighting. In some cases, the lighting time is extended.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-163742 (second, third, fifth page, FIG. 3) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-179686 (second and third pages, FIG. 2)

The prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1 above automatically turns on the light of the sub display unit when the mobile phone is taken out by appropriately setting the detection level of acceleration for determining that vibration has been applied. Can be used. However, for example, in a situation where the user is constantly exposed to vibrations that are not intended by the user in a moving vehicle, the light of the sub-display unit may be turned on without taking out the cellular phone.

Further, since the conventional technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 detects acceleration while the light is turned on, it cannot be applied to the purpose of automatically turning on by detecting acceleration while the light is turned off. As described above, in the conventional technology related to the lighting control based on the acceleration detection,
It cannot be applied to the automatic lighting of the sub-display light, or even if it can be applied, another problem may occur depending on the situation.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem. For example, even when the mobile phone is moving, the light of the display unit that requires immediacy is turned on by turning off the mobile phone. An object of the present invention is to provide a portable electronic device that can be quickly controlled and a lighting control method thereof.

In order to achieve the above object, a portable electronic device according to the present invention includes a display means used for displaying information, a light used for illumination of the display means, an acceleration sensor, and the magnitude of acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor. A comparing means for comparing the degree of acceleration with a threshold value, a time measuring means for measuring a time during which the magnitude of the acceleration is continuously below the threshold value, and the threshold value over a predetermined time or more Control means for turning on the light if the light is turned off when the threshold value is exceeded after continuing the following state.

According to the present invention, a predetermined threshold value is set for the magnitude of acceleration, and not only the threshold value is exceeded, but the acceleration state lower than the threshold value is continued immediately before the threshold value. By adding, the light for display illumination can be turned on only when it is truly necessary even under conditions such as moving.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an external view of a foldable mobile phone that is a portable electronic device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is the mobile phone, the left figure is a front view when two housings are opened, and the right figure is a rear view.

The mobile phone 1 is configured by connecting an upper housing 11 and a lower housing 12 via a hinge portion 13 so as to be foldable. A main display unit 14 is provided on the front side (left side figure) of the upper housing 11. On the front side of the lower housing 12, an operation unit 15 (enclosed by an elliptical broken line) including a series of keys and the like is provided.

A sub display unit 16 is provided on the back side (the right side view) of the upper housing 11. Sub display section 16
Can be displayed on the outside with the upper housing 11 and the lower housing 12 folded, for example, as shown in FIG. The other configuration of the mobile phone shown in FIG. 1 is not directly related to the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a main configuration of the mobile phone 1. Reference numerals 15 and 16 denote an operation unit and a sub display unit shown in FIG. 1, respectively, and the sub display unit 16 is illuminated by a backlight 17. The control unit 18 is connected to each component to be described later via a bus 19 and performs respective control and operation monitoring. The acceleration sensor 20 includes an upper housing 11, a lower housing 12, or a hinge portion 13.
The acceleration applied to the mobile phone 1 is output in three dimensions. A commercial product can be used as the acceleration sensor 20 (for example, Patent Document 1 [002
See 5]. ).

The three-dimensional acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 20 is input to the comparison unit 21, and the comparison unit 21 calculates the magnitude and compares it with a threshold value. The timer unit 22 measures the time during which the comparison result is continuously below the threshold value, and the control unit 18 uses the result for lighting control of the backlight 17.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, a lighting control method for the mobile phone 1 according to the first embodiment will be described.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the method. First, the control unit 18 starts processing (“S
TART ") The control unit 18 starts this process when the backlight 17 in the lighting state is extinguished. Then, the time measuring unit 22 starts measuring time (step" S1 ").

It is assumed that the acceleration sensor 20 detects the acceleration at a certain time thereafter (step “S2”). The comparison unit 21 calculates the magnitude of this acceleration and compares it with the threshold value X (step “S3”). If the acceleration exceeding the threshold value is detected, the threshold value X is taken out of the mobile phone 1 for some use, or is in a situation where it is exposed to continuous vibration in a moving car, for example. It shall be set to a value that can be evaluated.

When the detected acceleration magnitude is equal to or less than the threshold value X, the control unit 18 waits for the next acceleration detection event (from “NO” in step “S3” to return to step “S2”). ). This means that it is determined that the mobile phone 1 is not in a situation where it is taken out for some use. The timer unit 22 continues timing.

If the detected acceleration exceeds the threshold value X (“YE” in step “S3”).
S "), the control unit 18 looks at the time measurement result (elapsed time after the start of processing) by the time measurement unit 22. If this time has not reached the predetermined value T (" NO "in step" S4 ") ”)
The control unit 18 once resets the value measured by the time measuring unit 22 until then (step “S
5 "), the process is started again from the beginning (return to step" S1 "). This is because the mobile phone 1 is taken out for some use, or the mobile phone 1 is subjected to no vibration or weak vibration. This is because it is not always appropriate to turn on the backlight 17 immediately because it is impossible to determine whether or not a slightly large acceleration has been detected.

On the other hand, if the elapsed time after the start of processing is equal to or greater than the predetermined value T, the control unit 18 determines that the backlight 1
If 7 is turned off ("YES" in step "S6"), the backlight 17 is turned on (
Step “S7”). In this case, since the magnitude of the detected acceleration was equal to or less than the threshold value X for a time equal to or greater than T, the mobile phone 1 is stationary, carried in a daily sense, or in a moving vehicle It can be evaluated that it was placed in a steady state that is not used. Based on the detection of the acceleration exceeding the threshold value X under the conditions, it is determined that the mobile phone 1 has been taken out for some use.

According to the first embodiment of the present invention, when an acceleration exceeding a threshold value is detected, whether the low acceleration state has continued for a certain period of time or not immediately before is detected. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unnecessary lighting of the backlight in a moving vehicle or the like.

Hereinafter, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Since the portable electronic device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is the same mobile phone 1 as that of the first embodiment, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are also referred to. However, the comparison unit 21 shown in FIG. 2 compares the magnitude of acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 20 with two threshold values described later. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a lighting control method for the mobile phone 1 according to the second embodiment. First, the control unit 18 starts processing (“START”). The control unit 18 starts this process when the backlight 17 that has been turned on is turned off. Then, the time measuring unit 22 starts measuring time (step “S11”).

It is assumed that the acceleration sensor 20 detects the acceleration at a certain time thereafter (step “S12”). The comparison unit 21 calculates the magnitude of this acceleration and first compares it with the threshold value A (step “S13”). It is assumed that the threshold A is set to such a value that it can be evaluated that the mobile phone 1 has been taken out for some use if an acceleration exceeding that value is detected.

The magnitude of the detected acceleration is equal to or less than the threshold value A (“NO” in step “S13”).
In this case, the comparison unit 21 compares the magnitude of the acceleration with the threshold value B (step “S1
4 ″). The threshold value B is such that if an acceleration exceeding that value is detected, the mobile phone 1 has been taken out for some use, or is subject to continuous vibration, for example in a moving car. It shall be set to a value that can be evaluated as being in the situation.

When the detected acceleration magnitude is equal to or smaller than the threshold value B, the control unit 18 waits for the next acceleration detection event (from “NO” in step “S14” to the previous step “S12”). ). This means that it is determined that the mobile phone 1 is not in a situation where it is taken out for some use. The timer unit 22 continues timing.

If the detected acceleration exceeds the threshold value B (“Y” in step “S14”)
ES "), the control unit 18 looks at the time measurement result (elapsed time after the start of processing) by the time measurement unit 22. If this time has not reached the predetermined value T (" NO "in step" S15 ")
"), The controller 18 once resets the value counted by the timer 22 (step" S16 "), and starts the process from the beginning again (returns to the step before" S11 "). Since it is not possible to determine whether the telephone 1 has been taken out for some use or whether the mobile telephone 1 has been subjected to no vibration or weak vibration and has detected a slightly large acceleration, the backlight 17 is immediately turned on. This is not always appropriate.

On the other hand, if the elapsed time after the start of processing is equal to or greater than the predetermined value T, the control unit 18 determines that the backlight 1
If 7 is turned off (“YES” in step “S17”), the backlight 17 is turned on (step “S18”). In this case, since the magnitude of the detected acceleration was equal to or less than the threshold value B for a time equal to or greater than T, the mobile phone 1 is stationary, carried in a daily sense, or in a moving vehicle It can be evaluated that it was placed in a steady state that is not used. Based on the fact that the acceleration exceeding the threshold value B is detected under the condition, it is determined that the mobile phone 1 has been taken out for some use.

Similarly, when an acceleration exceeding the threshold A is detected in step “S13” (“YES” in step “S13”), the control unit 18 similarly turns off the backlight 17 if the backlight 17 is turned off. Light up. In this case, as described above, it can be evaluated that the mobile phone 1 is taken out for some use.

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, when the acceleration exceeding the higher value is detected by setting a two-stage threshold value, the backlight operation is always turned on, thereby more reliably detecting the take-out operation. The additional effect that it can be obtained.

1 is an external view of a mobile phone that is a portable electronic device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram of a mobile phone according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an illumination control method according to the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart of an illumination control method according to the second embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cellular phone 11 Upper housing | casing 12 Lower housing | casing 13 Hinge part 14 Main display part 15 Operation part 16 Sub display part 17 Backlight 18 Control part 19 Bus 20 Acceleration sensor 21 Comparison part 22 Timekeeping part

Claims (3)

Display means for displaying information;
A light for illuminating the display means;
An acceleration sensor;
Comparison means for comparing the magnitude of acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor with a threshold value;
Time measuring means for measuring a time during which the magnitude of the acceleration is continuously below the threshold;
Control means for turning on the light if the light is extinguished when the threshold is exceeded after continuing the state where the magnitude of the acceleration is not more than the threshold for a predetermined time or more. A portable electronic device characterized by that. Display means for displaying information;
A light for illuminating the display means;
An acceleration sensor;
Comparing means for comparing the magnitude of acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor with a first threshold value and a second threshold value greater than the first threshold value;
Time measuring means for measuring a time during which the magnitude of the acceleration continues to be equal to or less than the first threshold value;
If the light is extinguished when the first threshold value is exceeded after continuing the state where the magnitude of the acceleration is not more than the first threshold value for a predetermined time or more, the light is turned on. And a control means for turning on the light if the light is extinguished when the magnitude of the acceleration exceeds the second threshold value. . An operation means for performing an input operation and an operation light for illuminating the operation means are further provided, and the control means controls turning on or off of the operation light in accordance with turning on or off of the light. The portable electronic device according to claim 1 or 2.

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