JP2009260511A - External circuit connection detector, electronic device and external circuit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To judge the connection/non-connection of an external circuit and also to prevent erroneous judgement by waterdrops or the like. <P>SOLUTION: The external circuit connection detector has a connection part of the external circuit provided in a body part, and a detection part for detecting that the external circuit is connected to the connection part. The connection part comprises a signal transmission contact (contact d) for the external circuit, a first connection contact (contact a) positioned near the signal transmission contact for the external circuit to give a prescribed potential to the external circuit, a second connection contact (contact c) positioned near the signal transmission contact for the external circuit to be a prescribed potential when the external circuit is connected, and a contact (contact b) for attachment judgement positioned between the first and second contacts and insulated from the signal transmission contact, the first connection contact and the second connection contact. The detection part detects the connection of the external circuit on the basis of the potential relation of the second connection contact and the contact for attachment judgement. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an external circuit connection detection device, an electronic device, and an external circuit, and more particularly to an external circuit connection detection device that detects connection of an external circuit to an electronic device.

  Among various electronic devices, there are those in which a required external circuit can be connected as necessary in order to enhance the performance of the electronic device, increase its functions, or meet the specifications. As such an external circuit, for example, an earphone, an external amplifier, a speaker, or an external microphone is typical, but today, an external antenna used for a portable one-segment receiver is also an example. This is because the portable 1Seg receiver has a small housing size and it is difficult to incorporate a high-sensitivity antenna. Use it with a high-sensitivity external antenna when using it in places with poor radio wave environment such as indoors. This is because it can be done.

  Now, in an electronic device that selectively uses an internal / external circuit such as the above-mentioned internal / external antenna, such as a one-segment receiver, the electronic device main body has a connection portion of the external antenna, and the external antenna is connected. When this occurs, the connection is detected and the internal antenna is automatically switched to the external antenna.

As a prior art regarding such a mechanism, for example, the one described in Patent Document 1 below is known.
FIG. 23 is a block diagram of the prior art. In this figure, an antenna jack 101 is provided in the main body 100 of the one-segment receiver, and an antenna plug 103 of an external antenna 102 can be connected to the antenna jack 101. The antenna jack 101 and the antenna plug 103 have three opposing contact pairs indicated by reference signs a to c, and the contact pair having the same reference sign is in electrical contact when the antenna jack 101 and the antenna plug 103 are connected. It has become. Specifically, the contact a of the antenna jack 101 and the contact a of the antenna plug 103 are in contact, the contact b of the antenna jack 101 and the contact b of the antenna plug 103 are in contact, and the contact c of the antenna jack 101 and the contact of the antenna plug 103. The c contact comes into contact.

  The a contact and the b contact of the antenna plug 103 are jumpered by a conducting wire 104, and a conducting wire 106 from an external circuit (external antenna element here) 105 is connected to the c contact.

  On the other hand, the contact “a” of the antenna jack 101 is connected to the detection circuit 108 via a conducting wire 107, and the contact “b” is dropped to the ground potential (0 V) via the conducting wire 109. Further, the contact c is connected to a switching circuit 111 via a conducting wire 110, and a conducting wire 112 from a detection circuit 108 and a conducting wire 114 from an internal circuit (in this case, an internal antenna element) 113 are connected to the switching circuit 111. ing.

  In such a configuration, the operation when the external antenna 102 is connected to the main body 100, that is, the operation of detecting the connection of the external antenna 102 and automatically switching from the internal antenna to the external antenna is as follows.

  First, when the external antenna 102 is not connected to the main body 100, the contact a of the antenna jack 101 is in an open state (also referred to as a floating state). For this reason, the input potential of the detection circuit 108 connected to the contact a is not a definite potential such as a ground potential but a non-deterministic potential (so-called undefined potential).

  When the antenna plug 103 is inserted into the antenna jack 101 in such a state, the ground potential → the conductive wire 109 → the b contact of the antenna jack 101 → the b contact of the antenna plug 103 → the conductive wire 104 → the a contact of the antenna plug 103 → the antenna jack 101. The path of the contact a → the conductive wire 107 → the detection circuit 108 is formed, and the ground potential is input to the detection circuit 108.

  When detecting the input of “ground potential”, the detection circuit 108 determines that the antenna plug 103 is inserted into the antenna jack 101 (detects connection of an external circuit), and outputs a required switching signal to the switching circuit 111. . The switching circuit 111 switches the signal path from the internal circuit (internal antenna element) 113 to the external circuit (external antenna element) 105 in response to the switching signal.

JP-A-11-239070

  As described above, in the prior art, when the antenna plug 103 is inserted into the antenna jack 101, a required switching signal is output from the detection circuit 108 to the switching circuit 111, and the switching circuit 111 is internally connected in response to this switching signal. Since the signal path is switched from the circuit (internal antenna element) 113 to the external circuit (external antenna element) 105, there is an advantage that the internal and external circuits can be switched without requiring a manual operation such as a switch. There was an inconvenience.

  For example, a portable one-segment receiver may be used in a bathroom. When an internal antenna is used in such a use environment, water droplets may be applied to the unused antenna jack 101. However, since this water droplet can be regarded as an “electrical conductor”, the antenna jack 101 is temporarily assumed. When water droplets are applied to the a contact and the b contact, the a-b contacts are short-circuited by the water droplets. As a result, the ground potential is supplied to the detection circuit 108 via the water droplet, and a necessary switching signal is erroneously output from the detection circuit 108 to the switching circuit 111 unintentionally. That is, in such a case, although the external antenna 102 is not connected, switching from the internal circuit to the external circuit is executed, and there is a problem in that reception becomes impossible.

Incidentally, as a countermeasure, there is a method of attaching a waterproof cap to the antenna jack 101, but this causes an increase in cost and a new inconvenience that the removal and installation of the waterproof cap is troublesome.
Also, in the case of an external antenna connection method (so-called plug / jack method) as in the prior art, each time an external antenna is forced to be used, the plug must be inserted into the jack, and vice versa. Each time there is no need to use the antenna, the plug must be pulled out from the jack, which is troublesome and cumbersome.

Therefore, the present invention is to provide an external circuit connection detection device, an electronic device, and an external circuit that do not cause erroneous determination due to water droplets.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronic device and an external circuit that can detect connection of an external circuit without taking time and effort.

  An external circuit connection detection apparatus according to the present invention includes an external circuit connection detection unit provided in a main body unit, and an external circuit connection detection unit that detects that the external circuit is connected to the connection unit. In the apparatus, the connection portion includes a signal transmission contact for the external circuit, a first connection contact that is positioned in the vicinity of the signal transmission contact for the external circuit and applies a predetermined potential to the external circuit, Between the second connection contact and the first connection contact and the second connection contact, which are located in the vicinity of the signal transmission contact for the external circuit and become a predetermined potential when the external circuit is connected. And the signal transmission contact, the first connection contact, and the second connection contact are insulated from the adhering matter judgment contact, and the detection unit includes the second connection contact and the adhering matter judgment contact. The connection of the external circuit is detected based on the potential relationship with It is characterized by (the invention according to claim 1).

The invention described in claim 1 described above may be as follows.
The distance between the first connection contact, the second connection contact, and the deposit determination contact is equivalent to or smaller than the size of the deposit that may cause a short circuit (claim 2). Described invention).
A switching unit that switches between an internal circuit and the external circuit based on a detection result of the detection unit is further provided (the invention according to claim 3).

  An electronic apparatus according to the present invention is an electronic apparatus having a connection part for connecting a removable external circuit and a detection part for detecting that the external circuit is connected to the connection part, wherein the connection And a first contact region electrically insulated from the common contact region, the first contact region insulated from the common contact region, and the common contact region and the first contact region. And a second contact region located between the common contact region and the first contact region, and the detection unit is configured to connect the external circuit when the external circuit is connected to the connection unit. It is detected that the connection relationship of the first contact region to the common contact region and the connection relationship of the second contact region to the common contact region are changed by the connection structure of the connected portion. (Claim 4) Akira).

The invention described in claim 4 described above may be as follows.
A switching unit for enabling the function of the external circuit based on a detection result of the detection unit is further provided (the invention according to claim 5).
The detection unit includes a pull-up resistor or a pull-down resistor, and a logic circuit that determines a combination of the connection relations (the invention according to claim 6).
The common contact region has an annular shape or a polygonal shape (invention according to claim 7).
The first contact region has an annular shape or a polygonal shape (the invention according to claim 8).
The second contact region has an annular shape or a polygonal shape (the invention according to claim 9).
The external circuit is an external antenna (invention according to claim 10).
The external circuit is an earphone, an external amplifier, a speaker, or an external microphone (the invention according to claim 11).

  The electronic apparatus according to the present invention includes a main body, an upper lid connected to the main body so as to be displaceable, a predetermined potential electrode provided on one of the main body and the upper lid, and the main body. And an external signal capturing electrode and an external circuit connection detection electrode provided on the other of the upper lid part, and when the upper lid part is closed by displacing the upper lid part with respect to the main body part, the predetermined potential The electrode, the external signal capturing electrode, and the external circuit connection detecting electrode are in a positional relationship facing each other with a predetermined interval, and the predetermined potential electrode, the external signal capturing electrode, and the external circuit in the facing positional relationship An external circuit is sandwiched and held between the connection detection electrode, and in the sandwiched and held state, the signal extraction electrode provided in the external circuit and the external signal capture electrode are in contact with each other, and Outside Each of a pair of electrically connected electrodes provided in the circuit is configured to be in contact with the predetermined potential electrode and the external circuit connection detection electrode (claim 12). Invention).

The invention described in claim 12 described above may be as follows.
The upper lid part is connected to the main body part so as to be foldable (the invention according to claim 13).
The upper lid part is connected to the main body part in a biaxial hinge manner so as to be relatively rotatable (invention according to claim 14).
The upper lid portion is connected to the main body portion so as to be relatively movable in a sliding manner (invention according to claim 15).

  An external circuit according to the present invention is an external circuit having a connected portion connectable to a connecting portion of an electronic device, and the connected portion is connected to the electronic device from the electronic device with a predetermined potential. A common contact region to be supplied; a first contact region electrically connected to the common contact region; and the common contact region insulated from both the common contact region and the first contact region And a second contact region located between the first contact region and the first contact region.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an internal / external circuit switching device, an electronic device, and an external circuit that do not cause an erroneous determination due to water droplets as well as determination of connection / disconnection of an external circuit.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
(1) First Embodiment FIG. 1 is an external view of an electronic device according to a first embodiment. In this figure, the electronic device 10 is, for example, a portable one-segment receiver, but is not limited thereto. In short, any circuit that can be used by switching the internal and external circuits as necessary is acceptable. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the electronic device 10 is a portable one-segment receiver, one of the internal and external circuits (internal circuit) is the internal antenna 11, and the other (external circuit) is the external antenna 12.

  Here, the main body 13 of the electronic device 10 is assumed to be a straight-type housing for the sake of convenience. A groove 16 for mounting the root 15 of the external antenna 12 and a recess 17 formed by digging down the bottom of the groove 16 are formed on one side upper portion of the main body 13, and the root of the external antenna 12 is formed. A convex portion 18 that can be engaged with the concave portion 17 of the main body 13 is formed at 15.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the electronic device 10 on which the external antenna 12 is mounted in the first embodiment. As shown in this figure, the high-sensitivity external antenna 12 mounted on one side upper part of the main body 13 of the electronic device 10 protrudes upward from one side surface of the main body 13, and in this state, the internal antenna 11 of the electronic device 10 Instead, it receives radio waves (however, in the case of a dedicated reception device such as One Seg. In the case of a transmitter or a transmitting / receiving device, it becomes a transmitting antenna or a transmitting / receiving antenna).

  3 is a detailed view of a connection portion of the external antenna 12 in the first embodiment, FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a connection portion (concave portion 17) on the main body 13 side, and FIG. 5 is a connection on the external antenna 12 side. It is detail drawing of a part (convex part 18). In these figures, four contacts (ad contacts) that are parallel to each other with a minute interval are attached to the bottom of the concave portion 17 of the main body 13, and similarly, the surface of the convex portion 18 of the external antenna 12. In addition, four contact points (ad contacts) that are parallel to each other with a fine interval are attached. These contact points are configured such that contacts having the same reference sign come into contact with each other, and for convenience of explanation, a-d ′ is used to identify the contact points a to d of the convex portion 18. Each contact of bb ', cc', and dd 'comes into contact.

  Here, “fine” means that it is equivalent to or smaller than the size of the deposit (typically water droplets) 19 that may cause an unintentional short circuit. For example, when the size of the deposit 19 is X mm, the “fine interval” is a size of X mm or less. By setting the dimensions as described above, it is possible to detect the deposits (typically water droplets) 19 that may cause an unintentional short circuit due to the electrical connection between the b contact and the c contact.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an electrical configuration in the first embodiment. In this figure, the external antenna 12 has four contacts (a ′ to d ′ contacts), and the internal circuit (internal antenna element) 20 and the d ′ contact are connected by a conductive wire 21, and the a ′ contact And the c ′ contact next to the a ′ contact are connected by a conductive wire 22. Note that the b ′ contact located between the a ′ contact and the c ′ contact is a floating contact that is not connected anywhere.

  On the other hand, the main body 13 also has four contacts (ad contacts), and the contact a is connected to a predetermined potential (determined potential, which is referred to as a ground potential here) through the conductive wire 23, and b. The contact and the c contact are connected to the detection circuit 26 via conductors 24 and 25, respectively, and the remaining d contact is connected to the switching circuit 28 via the conductor 27.

  Here, the detection circuit 26 determines whether the external antenna 12 is connected or not based on the potential relationship between the b contact and the c contact, and outputs a predetermined switching signal to the switching circuit 28 when determining the connection. The switching circuit 28 normally selects a signal from the internal circuit (internal antenna element) 29. On the other hand, when a predetermined switching signal is inputted from the detection circuit 26, the external antenna taken in through the d-contact is provided. This is for switching to 12 signals (exactly, the signal of the external antenna element 20). With this switching circuit 28, switching from the internal circuit 29 to the external circuit (external antenna 12) or vice versa can be automated.

  The determination operation of the detection circuit 26 is as follows. (1) When the external antenna 12 is not connected, both the b-contact and the c-contact become a floating potential (undefined potential), but (2) when the external antenna 12 is connected. , B contact is a floating potential, and the c contact is ground potential (determined potential) in the path of c ′ contact → conductor 22 → a ′ contact → a contact → conductor 23. That is, the detection circuit 26 determines “no connection of the external antenna 12” if both of the inputs are at the floating potential, and if one input is the floating potential and the other input is the ground potential, The connection of the antenna 12 is determined.

  In addition, the detection circuit 26 avoids erroneous determination due to deposits such as water droplets (see reference numeral 19 in FIG. 4) that may cause a short circuit.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for avoiding erroneous determination when the external antenna 12 is connected in the first embodiment. As shown in this figure, when the external antenna 12 is connected, the path of ground potential → conductive wire 23 → a contact → a ′ contact → conductive wire 22 → c ′ contact → c contact → conductive wire 25 → detection circuit 26 Therefore, the ground potential is supplied to one input of the detection circuit 26, and the floating potential is supplied to the other input of the detection circuit 26 because the b ′ contact that contacts the b contact is in a floating state. Therefore, in this case, the detection circuit 26 determines “connection of the external antenna 12” as described above.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for avoiding erroneous determination when the external antenna 12 in the first embodiment is not connected and there is a “small deposit”, and FIG. 9 is an external antenna 12 in the first embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of misjudgment avoidance when there is no big connection and there exists "a big deposit".

  A case is assumed where water droplets adhere to the contact portions (ad contact portions) of the main body 13 when the external antenna 12 is not connected. FIGS. 8 and 9 are diagrams showing the attached state. FIG. 8 shows a small deposit (hereinafter referred to as a small deposit) 30, and FIG. 9 shows a large deposit (hereinafter referred to as a large deposit) 31. FIG. Of course, even if such deposits are water droplets, their sizes vary and cannot be defined in general. However, for convenience of explanation, the small deposit 30 bridges the a contact and the b contact. It is assumed that the large deposit 31 is of a size that bridges the a contact, the b contact, and the c contact.

  8 and 9, since the external antenna 12 is not connected, the b contact and the c contact are in a floating state. Therefore, both the one input and the other input of the detection circuit 26 are both in the floating state. A floating potential should be applied. However, as shown in FIG. 8, when there is a small deposit 30 that bridges the a contact and the b contact, the ground potential → the conductive wire 23 → the a contact → the small contact 30 → the b contact → the conductive wire 24 → the detection circuit 26. Therefore, the ground potential is supplied to the other input of the detection circuit 26.

  Similarly, as shown in FIG. 9, even when there is a large deposit 31 that bridges the ac contacts, ground potential → conductor 23 → a contact → large deposit 31 → b contact → conductor 24 → detection circuit 26. And a path of ground potential → conductive wire 23 → a contact → large deposit 31 → c contact → conductive wire 25 → detection circuit 26 are formed. A ground potential is supplied.

In summary, the following combinations are obtained.
<When external antenna 12 is connected>
One input of detection circuit 26: ground potential The other input of detection circuit 26: floating potential <When external antenna 12 is not connected / no deposit>
One input of the detection circuit 26: floating potential The other input of the detection circuit 26: floating potential <When the external antenna 12 is not connected / There is a deposit (small deposit 30)>
One input of the detection circuit 26: floating potential The other input of the detection circuit 26: ground potential <When the external antenna 12 is not connected / There is a deposit (large deposit 31)>
One input of detection circuit 26: ground potential The other input of detection circuit 26: ground potential

  Here, the term “floating” generally means an electrically floating state (open state), and the potential in that state (floating potential) is not a definite potential but an indefinite potential that is at least not fixed to the ground potential. Therefore, in the technology of the present application, in principle, the detection circuit 26 follows the combination of the four, “when the external antenna 12 is connected”, “when the external antenna 12 is not connected / no deposit”, and “external antenna 12”. Can be discriminated when the external antenna 12 is not connected / there is a small deposit 30) and “when the external antenna 12 is not connected / there is a large deposit 31”. Thus, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience of the conventional technique (incorrect determination of external antenna connection when used in a bathroom or the like).

  This is because the connection portion (recess 17 of the main body 13) is insulated from both the common contact region (a contact) and the first contact region (c contact) and has a common contact in the geometrical phase relationship. This is because a second contact region (b contact) is provided between the region (a contact) and the first contact region (c contact). By doing so, the (electrical) connection relationship of the first contact region (c contact) to the common contact region (a contact) and the common contact region (a contact) of the second contact region (b contact) Appropriately distinguish (discriminate) whether the change in the (electrical) connection relationship with the) is due to normal connection of an external circuit (external antenna, etc.) or due to external factors such as water droplets or dust In addition, the internal circuit and the external circuit can be appropriately switched based on the determination result.

(2) Second Embodiment However, since the floating potential is not a “determined potential” as described above, in practice, the floating potential is defined as a predetermined potential by using a pull-up resistor or a pull-down resistor (determined) It is desirable to use a potential.

  For example, when the floating potential is defined as a high potential corresponding to the H level using a pull-up resistor, the above four combinations are as follows. However, in the following combinations, the ground potential is written as the L level in correspondence with the H level.

<When external antenna 12 is connected>
One input of detection circuit 26: L level The other input of detection circuit 26: H level <When external antenna 12 is not connected / no deposit>
One input of the detection circuit 26: H level The other input of the detection circuit 26: H level <When the external antenna 12 is not connected / There is a deposit (small deposit 30)>
One input of the detection circuit 26: H level The other input of the detection circuit 26: L level <When the external antenna 12 is not connected / There is a deposit (large deposit 31)>
One input of detection circuit 26: L level The other input of detection circuit 26: L level

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the detection circuit 26 and the switching circuit 28 in the second embodiment. In this figure, the detection circuit 26 has two inputs (one input 32 and the other input 33), and a first pull-up resistor 34 inserted between the one input 32 and a high potential Vp corresponding to the H level. And a second pull-up resistor 35 inserted between the other input 33 and the high potential Vp, as well as a single inverter gate 36 and an AND gate 37. The inverter gate 36 outputs a logic inversion signal of one input 32, and the AND gate 37 has a logic of one input 32 when the logic of the other input 33 is H level and the output logic of the inverter gate 36 is H level. Is switched to an L level and the logic of the other input 33 is at an H level, a switching signal that becomes an H level is output to the switching circuit 28.

  Here, the pull-up resistors (the first pull-up resistor 34 and the second pull-up resistor 35) are used, but this is an example in which the floating potential is defined as a fixed potential (Vp) corresponding to the H level. It only shows. When the fixed potential (ground potential) corresponding to the L level is specified, the first pull-up resistor 34 and the second pull-up resistor 35 may be replaced with pull-down resistors, and Vp may be set to the ground potential.

  The switching circuit 28 is depicted as a switch symbol in this figure, but is not limited to this. In short, when the switching signal from the detection circuit 26 is other than H level, the signal of the internal circuit (internal antenna element) 29 is selected and output to the required circuit (reception circuit 38 in the figure) as shown in the figure. When the switching signal from the circuit 26 is at the H level, a signal from an external circuit (not shown) (see reference numeral 20 in FIG. 6) input via the d contact is selected and a required circuit (reception circuit 38 in the figure) is selected. It is only necessary to have a function of outputting to the function, and the implementation mode of the function is not specified.

  If the detection circuit 26 is configured in this manner, it is possible to determine whether the external antenna 12 is connected or not from the combination of the logics described above, and also due to adhesion of water droplets or the like when the external antenna 12 is not connected. It is also possible to reliably avoid erroneous determination (determining disconnection as erroneous connection).

  Specifically, if one input 32 of the detection circuit 26 is at L level and the other input 33 is at H level, “when the external antenna 12 is connected” can be determined, and the one input 32 of the detection circuit 26 can be determined. On the other hand, if both inputs 33 are at the H level, it is possible to determine “when the external antenna 12 is not connected / no deposit”. Further, if the one input 32 of the detection circuit 26 is at the H level and the other input 33 is at the L level, it is possible to determine “when the external antenna 12 is not connected / there is a deposit (small deposit 30)”, or If both the one input 32 and the other input 33 of the detection circuit 26 are at the L level, it can be determined that the external antenna 12 is not connected / there is a deposit (large deposit 31).

  As described above, also in the second embodiment, the connection portion (the recessed portion 17 of the main body 13) is insulated from both the a-contact and the c-contact, and the a-contact and c in the geometrical phase relationship. Since the b contact between the contact and the contact is provided, the change between the (electrical) connection relationship of the c contact to the a contact and the (electrical) connection relationship of the b contact to the a contact is caused by an external circuit (external It is possible to properly distinguish (discriminate) whether it is due to the normal connection of the antenna, etc., or due to external factors such as water drops or dust, and in addition, based on the discrimination result The internal circuit and the external circuit can be switched. That is, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and furthermore, the pull-up resistors 34 and 35 can set the potentials of the b contact and the c contact when they are in an open state to a predetermined potential (a power source corresponding to H level). Therefore, the detection circuit 26 can be configured by a combination of one inverter gate 36 and AND gate 37, and the configuration of the detection circuit 26 can be simplified.

  In addition, the technique of this application is not limited to the above embodiment, Of course, various modifications and development examples are included within the scope of the idea. For example, the following may be used.

(3) Third Embodiment FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a modification of the contact shape in the third embodiment. In the first embodiment, four contact points (ad contacts and a ′ to a ′ to d) are provided on the bottom of the concave portion 17 of the main body 13 and the surface of the convex portion 18 of the external antenna 12 with a small distance between them. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, one central contact 39 and three concentric annular contacts 40 to 42 surrounding the central contact 39 may be used. Good. The center contact 39 is replaced with the d contact (d ′ contact) of the above embodiment, and the three annular contacts 40 to 42 are respectively replaced with the a to c contacts (a ′ to c ′ contacts) of the above embodiment. However, the one located between the three annular contacts 40 to 42 (annular contact 41) must be used as the b contact (b ′ contact) in the above embodiment. The contact distance, in particular, the distance between the three annular contacts 40 to 42 corresponds to the size of the “fine interval” in the above-described embodiment, that is, the size of the deposit (typically a water droplet) that causes an unintentional short circuit. Smaller than.

  Also in this modified example, similar to the first embodiment, the common contact region (annular contact 40 or 42) and the first contact region (annular contact 42 or 40) are insulated from each other with a simple shape. And a second contact region (annular contact 41) between the common contact region and the first contact region in a geometrical phase relationship can be provided.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram showing another modification of the contact shape in the third embodiment. In this modified example, one central contact 43 and three similar B-shaped contacts 44 to 46 surrounding the central contact 43 are provided, and the central contact 43 is the d contact (d ′ contact) of the above embodiment. The three square contacts 44 to 46 are respectively replaced with the a to c contacts (a ′ to c ′ contacts) of the above-described embodiment. However, among the three square-shaped contacts 44 to 46, the one located in the middle (the square-shaped contact 45) must be used as the b-contact (b′-contact) in the above embodiment. In this example as well, the distance between the contacts, in particular the distance between the three square contacts 44 to 46, is the “fine distance” in the above-described embodiment, that is, the deposit (typically a water droplet) that causes an unintentional short circuit. Should be equivalent to or smaller than

In this modified example, similarly to the first embodiment, the common contact region (annular contact 44 or 46) and the first contact region (annular contact 46 or 44) are insulated from each other with a simple shape. And a second contact region (annular contact 45) between the common contact region and the first contact region in a geometrical phase relationship can be provided.
Note that the “B”, which is the prefix of the three B-shaped contacts 44 to 46, is merely a convenient expression meaning a polygon. That is, the three square-shaped contacts 44 to 46 may have a shape having four corners as shown in the figure, or may have a shape having three or four or more corners. . In short, any polygonal shape may be used.

In addition, various other contact shapes are possible. Although not shown here, in short, the following points may be provided.
(A) A signal transmission contact for an external circuit is provided. Specifically, what corresponds to the d contact (d ′ contact) and the center contacts 39 and 43 of the embodiment is provided.
(B) A predetermined potential (a ground potential corresponding to the L level in the embodiment, but may be a potential corresponding to the H level) with respect to the external circuit in the vicinity of the signal transmission contact for the external circuit. Provide a contact for the first connection. Specifically, it is provided with a device corresponding to the a contact (a ′ contact) and the annular contacts 42 and 46 (or the annular contacts 40 and 44) of the embodiment.
(C) A second connection contact that has a predetermined potential (eg, ground potential) when the external circuit is connected is provided near the signal transmission contact for the external circuit. Specifically, what corresponds to the c contact (c ′ contact) and the annular contacts 40 and 44 (or the annular contacts 42 and 46) of the embodiment is provided.
(D) A contact for judging attached matter in a floating state is provided between the first connection contact and the second connection contact. Specifically, what corresponds to the b contact (b ′ contact) and the annular contacts 41 and 45 of the embodiment is provided.
(E) The distance between the first connection contact, the second connection contact, and the deposit determination contact is equivalent to or smaller than the size of the deposit that may cause an unintentional short circuit.
As long as these points (A) to (E) are satisfied, any type of contact may be used.

(4) Fourth Embodiment Alternatively, it may be in the form of a plug / jack instead of a contact.
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a plug / jack in the fourth embodiment. In this figure, the jack 47 is provided with three contacts (first contact 48, second contact 49 and third contact 50) having a spring property and an insertion port 51 made of a conductor. A ground potential is applied. On the other hand, if necessary, the plug 52 inserted from the insertion port 51 is provided between, for example, a tip conductor (also referred to as a tip) 53, an intermediate conductor 54 (also referred to as a ring), and a root conductor 55 (also referred to as a sleeve). Insulators 56 and 57 (also referred to as insulating rings) are sandwiched between the intermediate conductor 54 and the root conductor 55, and the tip conductor 53 is connected to an external circuit (not shown). (See the external antenna element 20 in FIG. 6).

  In such a configuration, as shown in the figure, when the plug 52 is completely inserted into the jack 47, the tip conductor 53 of the plug 52 and the first contact 48 of the jack 47 are in contact with each other, and the intermediate conductor 54 of the plug 52 and the jack are connected. 47, the second contact 49 comes into contact, and the base conductor 55 of the plug 52 and the insertion port 51 of the jack 47 come into contact. Therefore, in this case, a path of the ground potential (L level) → the insertion port 51 → the root conductor 55 → the intermediate conductor 54 → the second contact 49 → the conductive wire 25 → the one input 32 of the detection circuit 26 is formed. On the other hand, the L level is supplied to the input 32. At this time, since the third contact 50 and the insulator 57 are in contact with each other, the H level is supplied to the other input 33 of the detection circuit 26 through the path Vp → pull-up resistor 35. As a result, from the combination of the above logics, since one input of the detection circuit 26 → L level and the other input of the detection circuit 26 → H level, it is possible to determine “when the external antenna 12 is connected”. .

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a jack when a plug is not inserted in the fourth embodiment.
As shown in this figure, it is assumed that the plug 52 is not inserted into the jack 47 and that the insertion port 51 and the third contact 50 are bridged by the deposit 58 such as water droplets. In this state, since the path of ground potential → insertion port 51 → attachment 58 → third contact 50 → lead wire 24 → other input 33 of the detection circuit 26 is formed, the other input 33 of the detection circuit 26 is at the L level. Supplied. Therefore, from the combination of the above logics, the condition for “the other input of the detection circuit 26 → L level” is “when the external antenna 12 is not connected / there is a deposit (small deposit 30)” “When not connected / with attached matter (large attached matter 31)”, even in the case of such a plug / jack system, “when the external antenna 12 is not connected” can be determined without hindrance. There is no misjudgment as in the prior art.

  The plug 52 of FIG. 13 has a special structure in which insulators 56 and 57 are sandwiched between the tip conductor 53, the intermediate conductor 54, and the root conductor 55, but is not limited thereto. A general-purpose four-pole plug may be used.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a case where a general-purpose four-pole plug is applied to the fourth embodiment. In this figure, a general-purpose four-pole plug includes a tip (T), a first insulating ring (ZR1), a first ring (R1), a second insulating ring (ZR2), a second ring (R2), and a sleeve in order from the tip. (S) are arranged on the same axis, and a unique terminal number is assigned to each of T, R1, R2, and S. Circled numbers in the figure represent terminal numbers. Specifically, terminal numbers of T → 1, R1 → 2, R2 → 3, and S → 4 are assigned.

  When the four-pole plug having such a configuration is inserted into the jack 47, the plug T and the first contact 48 of the jack 47 are in contact, the plug R1 and the second contact 49 of the jack 47 are in contact, and the plug R2 and the jack 47 are in contact. 47, the third contact 50 of the plug 47 is in contact with the plug 51 and the jack 51 of the jack 47, so that the T of the plug is connected to an external circuit and the R1 and S of the plug are connected internally. R2 may be set in an unused state (a state where no connection is made anywhere).

  In the above description, a portable one-seg receiver having a straight type casing is illustrated as an application example of an electronic device, but it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to this. In short, any electronic device that uses an internal circuit and an external circuit by switching between them appropriately may be used. Electronic devices other than one-seg receivers, such as mobile phones, audio terminals, recorders, radios, etc. Also good. Furthermore, the example of the internal / external circuit is not limited to the antenna, and may be, for example, an earphone, an external amplifier, a speaker, or an external microphone that is appropriately selected and used based on functions and specifications.

(5) Fifth Embodiment Next, another preferred example will be disclosed regarding the form of mounting an external circuit (in the above description, the external antenna 12) to the electronic device body.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a first attachment example in the fifth embodiment. Here, the electronic device 59 is a foldable mobile phone (with a one-segment broadcasting reception function). In other words, the electronic device 59 is connected by a hinge mechanism 60 and has a foldable upper lid portion 61 and a main body portion 62. The electronic device 59 is located at a predetermined position of the upper lid portion 61 and the main body portion 62 facing each other in a folded state. Grooves 64 and 65 for attaching the external antenna 63 are formed, respectively, and a ground electrode (here, a ground electrode is used as an example in one groove 64, but this is an example. An electrode having a predetermined potential may be used. ) 64a, and an external antenna connection detecting electrode 65a and an external signal capturing electrode 65b are provided inside the other groove 65. Note that either one of the grooves may be a shallow groove or a flat surface.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the external antenna 63. A first electrode 63a is disposed on one side surface of the base portion of the external antenna 63, and a second electrode 63b and a third electrode 63c are disposed on the opposite side surface of the one side surface. The first electrode 63a and the second electrode 63b are electrically connected inside the antenna, and further, the third electrode 63c and the antenna element 63d are connected. In this figure, the antenna element 63d is represented by an “antenna symbol”, but this is for convenience. Any type of antenna element 63d may be used as long as it can receive, transmit, or transmit / receive radio waves, and the type, form, or structure of the antenna element 63d is not particularly limited.

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the electronic device 59 in a state where the external antenna 63 is connected and folded (closed style state).
As shown in the figure, when the base of the external antenna 63 is fitted into one of the grooves 64 and 65 formed in the upper lid 61 and the main body 62 of the electronic device 59 and the upper lid 61 is closed (closed), The base of the external antenna 63 is firmly held by the pair of grooves 64 and 65. At this time, the ground electrode 64a of one groove 64 and the first electrode 63a of the external antenna 63 are in contact with each other, and the external antenna connection detection electrode 65a of the other groove 65 and the second electrode 63b of the external antenna 63 are in contact with each other. Furthermore, the external signal capturing electrode 65b in the other groove 65 and the third electrode 63c of the external antenna 63 are in contact with each other.

  Therefore, on the electronic device 59 side, for example, by using the technique of Patent Document 1 cited at the beginning, it is determined whether or not the “ground potential” is applied to the external antenna connection detection electrode 65a. It becomes possible to determine whether the external antenna 63 is connected / connected. In addition, according to this configuration, when the electronic device 59 is folded (closed), the connection of the external antenna 63 is detected only by sandwiching the external antenna 63 between the pair of grooves 64, 65, and the external antenna 63 is connected to the external from the internal antenna. Since switching to the antenna 63 can be performed automatically, there is an advantage that it can be applied to a folding type electronic device without any trouble.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a second attachment form example in the fifth embodiment. Here, the electronic device 64 is a two-axis hinge type mobile phone (with one-segment broadcasting reception function). That is, the electronic device 64 is connected by a biaxial hinge mechanism 65, and has an upper lid portion 68 and a main body portion 69 that can be folded and rotated (see arrow 66) and horizontally rotated (see arrow 67). In addition, grooves 71 and 72 for attaching the external antenna 70 are formed at predetermined positions of the upper lid portion 68 and the main body portion 69 that face each other in an inverted state, and a ground electrode 71a is formed in one groove 71, and the other An external antenna connection detection electrode 72a and an external signal capturing electrode 72b are provided inside the groove 72. The external antenna 70 corresponds to the external antenna 12 of the above-described embodiment, and is the same as the external antenna 63 of FIG. Note that either one of the grooves may be a shallow groove or a flat surface.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the electronic device 64 in a state where the external antenna 63 is connected and folded and rotated.
As shown in the drawing, the base of the external antenna 63 is fitted into a groove 72 formed in the main body 69 of the electronic device 64, and the upper lid 61 is folded and rotated to close (the display unit is exposed and closed; so-called view). The base of the external antenna 63 is firmly held by the pair of grooves 71 and 72. At this time, the ground electrode 71a of one groove 71 and the first electrode 63a of the external antenna 63 are in contact with each other, and the external antenna connection detection electrode 72a of the other groove 72 and the second electrode 63b of the external antenna 63 are in contact with each other. Furthermore, the external signal capturing electrode 72b in the other groove 72 and the third electrode 63c of the external antenna 63 are in contact with each other.

  Therefore, on the electronic device 64 side, for example, by using the technique of Patent Document 1 cited at the beginning, it is determined whether or not the “ground potential” is applied to the external antenna connection detection electrode 72a. It becomes possible to determine whether the external antenna 63 is connected / connected. In addition, also in this configuration, when the electronic device 64 is folded and rotated, the connection of the external antenna 63 is detected only by sandwiching the external antenna 63 between the pair of grooves 71 and 72, and the internal antenna is connected to the external antenna 63. Switching can be automatically performed, so that there is an advantage that it can be applied to a biaxial hinge mechanism type electronic device without any trouble. In particular, in an electronic device of the biaxial hinge mechanism type, the upper lid 61 is rotated, and the upper lid 61 is closed with the liquid crystal panel of the upper lid 61 being exposed. The so-called “view style” can be used to view the video, so when applied to electronic devices of this biaxial hinge mechanism type, when changing the style from the closed style to the view style or vice versa In addition, it is possible to obtain a special effect that the internal / external circuit can be switched reliably.

  FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a third attachment configuration example according to the fifth embodiment. Here, the electronic device 73 is a slide-type mobile phone (with a one-segment broadcasting reception function). That is, the electronic device 73 includes an upper lid portion 76 and a main body portion 77 that are connected by a slide mechanism 74 and are slidable in the front-rear direction (see arrow 75). A flat portion 79 and a groove 80 for attaching the external antenna 78 are formed at predetermined positions of the portion 77, a ground electrode 79a is formed in the flat portion 79, and an external antenna connection detection electrode 80a and an external portion are formed in the groove 80. A signal capturing electrode 80 is provided.

FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating the electronic device 73 in a state where the external antenna 63 is connected and closed (closed state).
As shown in the figure, when the base of the external antenna 63 is fitted into a groove 80 formed in one of the upper cover 76 and the main body 77 of the electronic device 73 and the upper cover 76 is slid and closed, the base of the external antenna 63 is moved. The flat part 79 and the groove 80 are firmly held. At this time, the ground electrode 79a of the flat portion 79 and the first electrode 63a of the external antenna 63 are in contact, the external antenna connection detection electrode 80a of the groove 80 and the second electrode 63b of the external antenna 63 are in contact, The external signal capturing electrode 80b of the groove 80 and the third electrode 63c of the external antenna 63 are in contact with each other.

  Therefore, on the electronic device 73 side, for example, by using the technique of Patent Document 1 cited at the beginning, by determining whether or not the “ground potential” is applied to the external antenna connection detection electrode 80a, It becomes possible to determine whether the external antenna 63 is connected / connected. In addition, according to this configuration, when the electronic device 73 is slid and closed, the external antenna 63 is detected only by sandwiching the external antenna 63 in the flat portion 79 and the groove 80, and the external antenna 63 is detected from the internal antenna. Since switching to 63 can be performed automatically, there is an advantage that it can be applied to slide-type electronic devices without any trouble.

  According to the fifth embodiment described above, the electronic device can be applied to a folding type electronic device, a biaxial hinge mechanism type electronic device, a slide type electronic device, or the like. The special effect that the connection of the external circuit can be surely detected without trouble is obtained. In addition, there is no need for jacks or plugs, and the structure can be simplified. In addition, the external antenna can be securely held, and maintenance (electrode cleaning) can be facilitated. In particular, in the case where there are grooves on both the main body and the upper lid, each groove can be made shallow, so that the maintainability can be improved accordingly. In addition, the degree of freedom in selecting an external circuit is increased, and the degree of freedom in design is improved.

  In the three modified examples (first to third modified examples) of the fifth embodiment, a ground electrode is provided on the upper lid part, and an external antenna connection detection electrode and an external signal capturing electrode are provided on the main body part. However, the reverse is also possible. That is, an external antenna connection detection electrode and an external signal capturing electrode may be provided on the upper lid portion, and a ground electrode may be provided on the main body portion.

  Further, the technical ideas (having the electrodes a to d) in the first to third embodiments may be used in combination, and by using this combination, it is possible to avoid erroneous determination due to adhered matter such as water droplets.

It is an external view of the electronic device in 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows the electronic device 10 equipped with the external antenna 12 in 1st embodiment. It is detail drawing of the connection part of the external antenna 12 in 1st embodiment. It is detail drawing of the connection part (recessed part 17) by the side of the main body 13 in 1st embodiment. It is detail drawing of the connection part (convex part 18) by the side of the external antenna 12 in 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows the electric constitution in 1st embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of misjudgment avoidance in case the external antenna 12 in 1st embodiment is connected. It is explanatory drawing of misjudgment avoidance when the external antenna 12 in 1st embodiment is not connected and there exists a "small deposit". It is explanatory drawing of misjudgment avoidance when the external antenna 12 in 1st embodiment is not connected and there exists a "large deposit | attachment". It is a figure which shows the structural example of the detection circuit 26 and switching circuit 28 in 2nd embodiment. It is a figure which shows the modification of the contact shape in 3rd embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other modification of the contact shape in 3rd embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the plug / jack in 4th embodiment. It is a figure which shows a jack when not inserting the plug in 4th embodiment. It is a figure which shows the case where a general purpose 4 pole plug is applied to 4th embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the 1st attachment form in 5th embodiment. It is a figure which shows the external antenna 63 in 5th embodiment. It is a figure which shows the electronic device 59 of the state which connected and folded the external antenna 63. FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of the 2nd attachment form in 5th embodiment. It is a figure which shows the electronic device 64 of the state which connected the external antenna 63 and was rotated. It is a figure which shows the 3rd example of attachment form in 5th embodiment. It is a figure which shows the electronic device 59 of the state which connected the external antenna 63 and closed (non-sliding state). It is a block diagram of a prior art.

Explanation of symbols

a Contact (first connection contact, common contact area)
b Contact (contact for judgment of deposit, second contact area)
c Contacts (second connection contact, first contact area)
d contact (signal transmission contact)
10 Electronic Device 13 Body 17 Recess (Connection)
18 Convex part (connected part)
19 Deposits 20 External antenna element (external circuit)
26 Detection circuit (detection unit)
28 Switching circuit (switching unit)
30 Deposits 31 Deposits 34 Pull-up resistor 35 Pull-up resistor 36 Inverter gate (logic circuit)
37 AND GATE (logic circuit)
39 contacts (signal transmission contacts)
40 contacts (second connection contact, first contact area)
41 contacts (contacts for deposit determination, second contact area)
42 contacts (first connection contact, common contact area)
43 contacts (signal transmission contacts)
44 contacts (second connection contact, first contact area)
45 contacts (adhesion judgment contact, second contact area)
46 contacts (first connection contact, common contact area)
61 Upper lid 62 Main body 63 External antenna (external circuit)
64 groove 65 groove 68 upper lid 69 main body 71 groove 72 groove 76 upper lid 77 main body 79 groove 80 groove

Claims (16)

A connection part of an external circuit provided in the main body part;
In the external circuit connection detection device comprising a detection unit that detects that the external circuit is connected to the connection unit,
The connecting portion is
A signal transmission contact for the external circuit;
A first connection contact that is positioned in the vicinity of the signal transmission contact for the external circuit and applies a predetermined potential to the external circuit;
A second connection contact which is located in the vicinity of the signal transmission contact for the external circuit and has a predetermined potential when the external circuit is connected;
An adhesion determining contact located between the first connection contact and the second connection contact and insulated from the signal transmission contact, the first connection contact, and the second connection contact;
The detector is
An external circuit connection detection device, wherein the connection of the external circuit is detected based on a potential relationship between the second connection contact and the deposit determination contact.   The distance between the first connection contact, the second connection contact, and the deposit determination contact is equivalent to or smaller than the size of the deposit that may cause a short circuit. External circuit connection detection device.   The external circuit connection detection device according to claim 1, further comprising a switching unit that switches between an internal circuit and the external circuit based on a detection result of the detection unit. A connection for connecting a removable external circuit;
An electronic device having a detection unit for detecting that the external circuit is connected to the connection unit;
The connecting portion is
A common contact region electrically connected to a predetermined potential power source;
A first contact region that is insulated from the common contact region;
A second contact region that is insulated from both the common contact region and the first contact region and located between the common contact region and the first contact region;
The detector is
When the external circuit is connected to the connection portion, the connection structure of the first contact region to the common contact region and the second contact region are connected by the connection structure of the connected portion of the external circuit. An electronic device that detects a change in a connection relationship with respect to a common contact region.   The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a switching unit that enables the function of the external circuit based on a detection result of the detection unit. The detector is
A pull-up or pull-down resistor;
The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a logic circuit that determines a combination of the connection relations.   The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the common contact region has an annular shape or a polygonal shape.   The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the first contact region has an annular shape or a polygonal shape.   The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the second contact region has an annular shape or a polygonal shape.   The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the external circuit is an external antenna.   The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the external circuit is an earphone, an external amplifier, a speaker, or an external microphone. The main body,
An upper lid portion movably connected to the main body portion;
A predetermined potential electrode provided on one of the main body and the upper lid,
An external signal capturing electrode and an external circuit connection detection electrode provided on the other of the main body and the upper lid,
When the upper lid is closed by displacing the upper lid with respect to the main body,
The predetermined potential electrode and the external signal capturing electrode and the external circuit connection detection electrode are in a positional relationship facing each other with a predetermined interval,
An external circuit is sandwiched and held between the predetermined potential electrode and the external signal capturing electrode and the external circuit connection detection electrode when in the opposing positional relationship,
And, with the sandwiched and held state,
The signal extraction electrode provided in the external circuit and the external signal capturing electrode are in contact with each other,
Furthermore, each of the pair of electrically connected electrodes provided in the external circuit is configured to be in contact with the predetermined potential electrode and the external circuit connection detection electrode. machine.   The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the upper lid portion is foldably connected to the main body portion.   13. The electronic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the upper lid portion is connected to the main body portion so as to be relatively rotatable by a biaxial hinge method.   13. The electronic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the upper lid portion is connected to the main body portion so as to be relatively movable in a sliding manner. An external circuit having a connected part connectable to a connecting part of an electronic device,
The connected part is
A common contact region to which a predetermined potential is supplied from the electronic device when connected to the electronic device;
A first contact region electrically connected to the common contact region;
An external circuit comprising a second contact region that is insulated from both the common contact region and the first contact region and is located between the common contact region and the first contact region.

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