JP2007221228A - Mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a means of suppressing consumption of its battery due to application software termination processing to be executed by a virtual machine function but left unprocessed. <P>SOLUTION: The mobile terminal 20 such as a mobile phone is provided with a touch sensor section 22 capable of sensing a contact of a user with the terminal, when a contact signal from the touch sensor section 22 is outputted to a control section 21, it is discriminated that the mobile terminal 20 is used by the user, and when a non-contact signal is outputted, it is discriminated that the mobile terminal 20 is not used at present. When an application software program is executed on the mobile terminal 20 and the non-contact signal is outputted from the touch sensor section 22, the control section 21 temporarily interrupts execution of the application software program during the execution so as to suppress the power consumption of the mobile terminal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a mobile terminal device such as a mobile phone having a function of executing various application programs downloaded from an IP server or the like on a terminal by implementing a virtual machine function.

  In recent mobile terminal devices such as mobile phones, in addition to functions normally provided as mobile phones such as a telephone function or a mail function, Java (registered trademark of Sun Microsystems) or BREW (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless) Increasingly, virtual machine functions are implemented and various application programs written in Java or BREW, which are not directly related to the mobile phone function, are stored and can be executed on a terminal (Patent Document 1). . By executing this application program, it is possible to display a standby screen composed of a three-dimensional video, play a game, or play music on the display of the mobile terminal device.

JP 2003-101628 A

  While a Java phone or BREW application is being executed by a mobile phone capable of executing such an application program, for example, when getting off a train, the mobile terminal is closed as it is and put in a bag or pocket, If you leave the Java or BREW application as it is without ending it, the Java or BREW application may continue to start up and consume the battery of the terminal. There was a problem that the mobile terminal could not be used.

  Mobile phones and mobile terminals have a limited amount of time that can be used with a single charge, so when considering improving battery maintenance time, the execution time of application programs written in Java or BREW, which consumes a large amount of power, is slightly reduced. But it is necessary to shorten it.

  In view of the above problems, the object of the present invention is to control the software in some way even when the user forgets the application software termination processing described in Java or BREW, thereby reducing the software driving time and maintaining the battery. The object is to provide a means capable of improving the time.

  The present invention relates to a mobile terminal device in which a virtual machine function and an application program executed by the virtual machine function are mounted in addition to the mobile phone function. Non-use detection means and application program execution for performing control to interrupt execution of the application program when the use state detection means detects the non-use state of the portable terminal device in a state where the application program is activated And a control means.

  Various means can be adopted as means for detecting the use state and the non-use state of the mobile terminal device. For example, a touch sensor is arranged on the side surface of the casing where the keyboard of the mobile terminal is arranged, and the user can Uses a configuration that detects the user's contact status when the handheld terminal case is held by hand and determines that it is in use, and detects non-contact status away from the hand and determines that it is not in use can do. Then, the Java or BREW application running on the mobile terminal is activated only when the touch of the user is detected by the touch sensor, and the execution of the Java application is temporarily suspended when the non-contact is detected. Thus, the current consumption of the portable terminal is suppressed.

  Alternatively, in the case where the mobile terminal device is configured by two housings configured to be foldable by the hinge portion, means for detecting whether the two housings are opened by the hinge portion and folded. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which it is determined that it is in a used state when it is in an open state and is determined as a non-use state when it is in a folded state.

  Further, the application program execution control means is configured to detect the use state of the suspended application program when the use / non-use detection means detects the use state of the portable terminal device in a state where the execution of the application program is interrupted. A function of performing control to automatically resume execution can be provided.

  In addition, the present invention provides a control program executed by a computer used in a control unit provided in a mobile terminal device in which an application program executed by a mobile phone function and a virtual machine function is installed, to a user's mobile terminal device. During the execution of the application program and the first process for determining the contact state, the execution of the application program being executed is temporarily suspended when it is determined by the first process 1 that the user's contact state has been released. In a state where execution of the application program is interrupted by the second process and the second process, the process is interrupted when it is determined that a contact state with respect to the mobile terminal device is detected by the first process Including a third process for resuming the execution of the application program It is characterized by a door.

  In the present invention, the mobile terminal device is provided with means for detecting whether or not the mobile terminal device is being used by the user, and is activated when it is detected that the mobile terminal device is not being used. The execution of the Java or BREW application program can be automatically suspended to suppress the battery consumption of the terminal, and the battery maintenance time can be improved.

  Therefore, for example, in a train, when getting off the train while the Java or BREW application is being executed on the mobile phone, the mobile phone is closed as it is, so that the Java or BREW application is not terminated and is left as it is. If you leave it in your bag or pocket, the Java or BREW application will continue to run, your phone ’s battery will be consumed, and you will be unable to use your mobile device when trying to send voice or mail. It is possible to solve the problem that it was.

  FIG. 1 is an overview of a mobile terminal device such as a mobile phone showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention. The mobile terminal device 11 includes a first housing in which a keyboard is disposed and a second housing in which a display unit is disposed, and is configured to be foldable by a hinge portion. The touch sensor 12 is arranged on the side surface of the first housing where the keyboard is arranged, and detects when the user holds the first housing with the hand and is in contact with the touch sensor 12. To output a contact signal.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating an outline of the internal configuration of the mobile terminal device 11 illustrated in FIG. In FIG. 2, the mobile terminal device 11 of FIG. 1 is described as a mobile terminal 20 for convenience.

  The mobile terminal 20 includes a control unit 21 that executes a program for controlling each device mounted in the mobile terminal 20 and a touch sensor unit that can detect that the user is touching the mobile terminal 20. 22, an input unit 23 such as a key button mounted on the portable terminal 20, and a drawing or sound reproduction requested by a program that is mounted on the portable terminal 20 and runs on the control unit 21. An output unit 24 for processing, a power source unit 25 for processing power from a battery or the like mounted on the mobile terminal 20, and a call control program operating on the control unit 21 mounted on the mobile terminal 20 The wireless unit 26 performs wireless communication according to an instruction.

  Although not shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 21 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a nonvolatile memory, and the like, and the CPU is in accordance with a control program or application stored in the ROM or the nonvolatile memory. Each part of the portable terminal 20 is controlled. The RAM is used as a work area, and temporarily stores various applications executed by the CPU and various data used when executing the applications.

  In addition to various control information and control programs, the ROM stores, for example, various applications executed by the CPU, software for constructing an execution environment for Java applications, and the non-volatile memory includes a telephone book and received electronic Stores mail, Java applications downloaded from the IP server, and the like. Software for constructing a Java application execution environment may be installed from a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, or downloaded from an IP server and stored in a non-volatile memory or the like.

  FIG. 3 is a program configuration diagram showing a configuration of a program operating in the control unit 21 in the mobile terminal 20. Note that the program configuration diagram illustrated in FIG. 3 is illustrated by limiting only the relevant portions for explaining the present embodiment, and does not describe all the program configurations of the mobile phone and the mobile terminal. In addition, this program configuration diagram assumes a Java application for convenience of explanation.

  In the program configuration diagram 30 shown in FIG. 3, the touch sensor driver 31 is a program for controlling the touch sensor unit 22 in FIG. 2, and the contact detection processing unit 32 is used to apply the touch sensor 12 to the touch sensor 12. This is a program for detecting a contact when an interruption for detecting a user's contact is given. The contact state monitoring unit 33 monitors the user's contact state processed by the contact detection processing unit 32 and holds the state. It is a program.

  The System-AM 34 is an application management program for managing applications of the entire system, the Java-AM 35 is a management program for Java applications, and the Java-VM 36 is a virtual machine program for executing Java applications, and is on standby. The screen display APL 37 is a default window screen application that is displayed after the mobile phone or mobile terminal is turned on. The display output control unit 38 receives a screen output request from the Java-AM 35, the Java-VM 36, the standby screen APL 37, or the like. This is a screen output control program for execution control.

  4 to 6 are flowcharts showing the operation of this embodiment. Hereinafter, the operation of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  In the mobile phone and the mobile terminal of the present embodiment, the procedure for detecting that the user is in contact with the terminal is as follows. First, when the user's hand or the like touches the touch sensor 12, as shown in FIG. A touch detection signal is output from the sensor 12, and the touch sensor unit 22 receives the touch detection signal from the touch sensor 12, and outputs an interrupt signal indicating that the user has touched the mobile terminal to the control unit 21 ( Step 41).

  When the control unit 21 receives this interrupt signal, the touch sensor driver 31 detects an interrupt. The touch sensor driver 31 executes processing for notifying the upper program that the interrupt has been detected based on the detected interrupt (step 42).

  The contact detection processing unit 32 notified of the detection of the user's contact from the touch sensor driver 31 performs a process for maintaining a state flag indicating the user's contact state (step 43). The contact state monitoring unit 33 monitors the state of the state flag indicating the contact state of the user of the contact detection processing unit 32, and if there is a request for a higher-level program, the state is changed. A change event is notified (step 44).

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the Java application activation status control procedure in the present embodiment is as follows. First, when the Java application is activated, the Java-AM 35 starts the Java application according to the contact detection state with respect to the System-AM 34. Control is requested (step 51). At this time, it may be determined whether or not the Java application to be started is an application to be continuously started even when the contact state of the user is released, and a request may be made to the System-AM 34. .

  When the user releases his / her hand from the portable terminal 11 during execution of the Java application, the touch sensor 12 detects a change in the contact state, and the touch sensor unit 22 notifies the control unit 21 that the user's contact state has changed. Notification is made as an interrupt signal (step 52). The interrupt signal raised to the control unit 21 is detected by the touch sensor driver 31, the touch sensor driver 31 processes the detected interrupt, and the interrupt is detected by the touch detection processing unit 32. (Step 53).

  The contact detection processing unit 32 performs a process of setting in the state flag that the user's contact state has been released (step 54). The contact state monitoring unit 33 confirms the state flag of the contact detection processing unit 32 and notifies a contact state change event to the System-AM 34. It is assumed that the event content at this time indicates that the user's contact has been released (step 55). Based on the received contact state cancellation event, the System-AM 34 requests the Java-AM 35 to temporarily stop processing of the Java application in accordance with the Java application activation control policy at the time of canceling the contact state set by the Java-AM 35 when the Java application is activated. (Step 56).

  The Java-AM 35 executes the Java application temporary suspension processing instructed by the System-AM 34 to the Java-VM 36, and the Java-VM 36 stops the drawing request to the display output control unit 38 and executes the Java application. And the completion of the application stop process is notified to the Java-AM 35 (step 57).

  The Java-AM 35 that has received the notification of the completion of the application stop process notifies the System-AM 34 that the execution of the Java application has been temporarily stopped (step 58). The System-AM 34 issues a startup request to the standby screen display APL 37 to perform startup processing of the standby screen display APL 37 and display a default window screen (step 59).

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the return control procedure of the Java application during the primary interruption in the present embodiment is first when the user touches the touch sensor 12 of the mobile terminal 11 again during the Java application interruption. The touch sensor unit 22 notifies the control unit 21 that the user's contact state has changed (step 61). The interrupt given to the control unit 21 is detected by the touch sensor driver 31, the touch sensor driver 31 processes the detected interrupt, and the touch detection processing unit 32 detects that the interrupt has been detected. Inform (step 62).

  The contact detection processing unit 32 performs a process of setting a state flag that the user's contact state has been restored (step 63). The contact state monitoring unit 33 confirms the state flag of the contact detection processing unit 32 and notifies a contact state change event to the System-AM 34. It is assumed that the event content at this time informs that the user's contact has been restored (step 64). The System-AM 34 notifies the standby screen display APL 37 of a default window screen stop request based on the received contact state return event (step 65).

  The standby screen display APL 37 executes a stop process in response to a stop request from the System-AM 34, and when the process is completed, notifies the System-AM 34 of the completion of the process (Step 66). Upon receiving this processing completion, the System-AM 34 makes a Java application restart processing request to the Java-AM 35 (step 67).

  The Java-AM 35 that has received the Java application restart processing request executes the Java application restart processing instructed by the System-AM 34 to the Java-VM 36, and the Java-VM 36 restarts the execution of the Java application and the application. The completion of the restart process is notified to the Java-AM 35 (step 68). The Java-AM 35 notifies the System-AM 34 that the execution of the Java application has been resumed (step 69).

  As described above, in this embodiment, when the touch sensor 12 provided in the mobile terminal device 11 detects that the mobile terminal is not being used by the user, the execution of the Java or BREW application program started at that time is executed. When the touch sensor 12 detects that the mobile terminal has been resumed by the user, the execution of the suspended application program can be automatically resumed. Or the BREW application, even if it is left in a bag or pocket without being terminated, the Java or BREW application is automatically suspended. So you can reduce wasteful battery consumption. .

  In the above embodiment, in order to detect the use state of the mobile terminal device by the user, a touch sensor that detects the contact state of the user is provided, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Appropriate means capable of detecting the use state of the mobile terminal device by the user, such as capacitance detection that can detect the contact state in a pseudo manner even in the non-contact state, can be employed.

  In addition, when the mobile terminal device has two housings that are configured to be foldable by the hinge portion, the state that the two housings are opened by the hinge portion and the folded state are detected. Means may be provided to control the operation of the application program by determining that it is in the open state when it is open and determining that it is not in use when it is folded.

It is a general-view figure of the portable terminal device which shows the example of embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram which shows the outline of the internal structure in the portable terminal device of this embodiment. It is a program block diagram which shows the structure of the program which operate | moves in the control part 21 in the portable terminal of this embodiment. In this embodiment, it is a flowchart which shows the procedure which detects that the user is contacting the terminal. It is a flowchart which shows the starting condition control procedure of the Java application in this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the return control procedure of the Java application in the primary interruption in this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Portable terminal device 12 Touch sensor 20 Portable terminal 21 Control part 22 Touch sensor signal determination part 23 Input part 24 Output part 25 Power supply part 26 Radio | wireless part 30 Program block diagram 31 Touch sensor driver 32 Contact detection process part 33 Contact state monitoring part 34 System-AM
35 Java-AM
36 Java-VM
37 APL screen display APL
38 Display output controller

Claims (6)

In addition to the mobile phone function, in a mobile terminal device in which an application program executed by the virtual machine function and the virtual machine function is mounted,
Use / non-use detection means for detecting a use state and a non-use state of the mobile terminal device;
Application program execution control means for performing control to interrupt the execution of the application program when the use state detection means detects a non-use state of the portable terminal device in a state where the application program is activated;
A portable terminal device comprising:   The application program execution control means resumes execution of the suspended application program when the use state detecting means detects the use state of the portable terminal device in a state where the execution of the application program is suspended. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, having a function of performing control.   While the application program is activated, while the non-use state of the mobile terminal device is detected by the use state detection unit, a process of displaying a default screen on the display unit of the mobile terminal device is executed, Having a means for executing a process of stopping the display of the default screen when the use state of the portable terminal device is detected by the use state detection means in a state where the execution of the application program is interrupted. The portable terminal device according to claim 2, wherein   The touch panel is disposed on a side surface of a casing in which the keyboard of the mobile terminal device is disposed, and includes a touch sensor that detects a user's contact state, and the use / non-use detection unit is configured to detect the use of the user by the touch sensor. 4. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a function of determining a use state when a contact state is detected, and determining a non-use state when the contact state of the user is not detected. 2. A mobile terminal device according to item 1.   The portable terminal device has two housings configured to be foldable by a hinge portion, and the use / non-use detection means is folded when the two housings are opened by the hinge portion. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a function of determining a use state when the cover is in an open state, and determining a non-use state when the cover is in a folded state. The mobile terminal device according to any one of the above. A control program executed by a computer used in a control unit provided in a mobile terminal device in which an application program executed by a mobile phone function and a virtual machine function is mounted,
A first process for determining a user's contact state with the mobile terminal device and the execution of the application program when the first process 1 determines that the user's contact state has been released. In the second process for temporarily suspending the execution of the application program and the state in which the execution of the application program is suspended by the second process, the contact state with the portable terminal device is detected by the first process. A program for causing the computer to execute a third process for resuming execution of the suspended application program when it is determined that the computer program has been interrupted.

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