JP2012199891A - Portable terminal and vibration function control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform notification by vibration so as to allow a user to sense more easily.SOLUTION: A mobile phone 10 comprises a vibration part 11 that performs notification to a user by vibrating the phone 10 while periodically inserting a period which being not vibrated, an acceleration detection part 12 that detects a fluctuation cycle with which a magnitude of an acceleration applied to the phone 10 is changed, a vibration cycle setting part 13 that sets a cycle of a period while being vibrated by the vibration part 11 depending on the fluctuation cycle of the detected acceleration, and a vibration start control part 14 that controls the vibration part 11 to start vibration so that the vibration 11 vibrates at a timing when the acceleration is minimum in the fluctuation cycle of the acceleration.

Description

  The present invention relates to a mobile terminal that notifies a user by vibrating its own terminal, and a vibration function control method using the mobile terminal.

  In a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, a vibration that vibrates the mobile terminal is used as means for notifying a user that an incoming call has been received. In order to make it easy for the user to notice the vibration notification according to the status of the mobile terminal, Patent Literature 1 proposes a technique for determining the magnitude of vibration according to the orientation of the mobile terminal.

JP 2009-206857 A

  However, when the user is walking with the mobile terminal in his / her clothes, the user himself / herself moves at a certain rhythm, so it may be difficult to notice the vibration of the mobile terminal simply by increasing the magnitude of the vibration. .

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal and a vibration function control method capable of making notification by vibration more easily understandable to the user.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the portable terminal according to the present invention includes a vibration unit that vibrates its own terminal while not periodically vibrating and notifies the user, and a magnitude of acceleration applied to the own terminal. Detection means for detecting the fluctuation period of the motor, vibration period setting means for setting the period of the period to be vibrated by the vibration means in accordance with the fluctuation period detected by the acceleration detection means, and timing at which the acceleration is minimized in the fluctuation period And vibration start control means for starting vibration by the vibration means so that vibration by the vibration means is performed.

  In the mobile terminal according to the present invention, the vibration for notification is performed at the timing when the acceleration applied to the terminal is minimized. The timing at which the acceleration is minimized is a timing at which vibration is easily noticed by a user carrying the mobile terminal. Therefore, according to the mobile terminal according to the present invention, notification by vibration can be performed more easily by the user.

  It is desirable that the acceleration detection means detects acceleration applied in a plurality of directions of the terminal itself, and detects a fluctuation cycle in a direction in which the acceleration is the largest among the detected accelerations. The portable terminal can be held in any orientation when being carried by the user. According to the configuration of the mobile terminal described above, it is possible to reliably detect the acceleration applied to the mobile terminal regardless of the orientation of the mobile terminal carried by the user, and to reliably implement the present invention.

  By the way, the present invention can be described as an invention of a mobile terminal as described above, and can also be described as an invention of a vibration function control method by a mobile terminal as follows. This is substantially the same invention only in different categories, and has the same operations and effects.

  That is, the vibration function control method according to the present invention is a vibration function control method by a portable terminal including a vibration unit that vibrates the terminal and notifies the user while sandwiching a period in which the vibration is not periodically performed. An acceleration detection step for detecting a fluctuation cycle of the magnitude of acceleration applied to the vibration, a vibration cycle setting step for setting a period of a period to be vibrated by the vibration means in accordance with the fluctuation cycle detected in the acceleration detection step, And a vibration start control step of starting the vibration by the vibration means so that the vibration by the vibration means is performed at a timing at which the acceleration becomes minimum.

  In the present invention, the vibration for notification is performed at the timing when the acceleration applied to the terminal is minimized. The timing at which the acceleration is minimized is a timing at which vibration is easily noticed by a user carrying the mobile terminal. Therefore, according to the present invention, notification by vibration can be performed more easily for the user.

It is a figure which shows the function structure of the mobile telephone which is a portable terminal which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of the mobile telephone which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the fluctuation | variation of the acceleration added to a mobile telephone, and the timing to vibrate. It is a flowchart which shows the process (vibration function control method) performed with the mobile telephone which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a mobile terminal and a vibration function control method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  FIG. 1 shows a mobile phone 10 which is a mobile terminal according to the present embodiment. The mobile phone 10 is a device that is carried (possessed) by a user and has a communication function such as mobile communication. The mobile phone 10 has a function (vibration function) for notifying a user by vibrating its own terminal when receiving an incoming call or mail. The present invention controls the vibration function.

  FIG. 2 shows a hardware configuration of the mobile phone 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile phone 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 102 and a ROM 103 (Read Only Memory) that are main storage devices, an operation unit 104, a wireless communication unit 105, and a display 106. And hardware such as the antenna 107. In addition to the hardware described above, the mobile phone 10 includes hardware such as a vibration motor 108 and a three-axis acceleration sensor 109.

The vibration motor 108 is a motor that vibrates the mobile phone 10 in small increments in order to perform the above-described notification. The triaxial acceleration sensor 109 is a sensor that detects acceleration in the three directions of the XYZ axes (unit: m / sec ² ) applied to the mobile phone 10. The triaxial acceleration sensor 109 outputs detected acceleration information for each XYZ axis. As the vibration motor 108 and the three-axis acceleration sensor 109, those conventionally known can be used. By operating these components, each function of the cellular phone 10 described later is exhibited.

  Subsequently, functions of the mobile phone 10 according to the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile phone 10 includes a vibration unit 11, an acceleration detection unit 12, a vibration cycle setting unit 13, and a vibration start control unit 14. In addition to the above, the mobile phone 10 has functions as a normal mobile phone such as a call function, a mail function, and a Web browsing function (not shown).

  The vibration unit 11 is a vibration unit that vibrates the terminal 10 and notifies the user. This vibration is performed by a vibration motor 108 provided in the mobile phone 10. The vibration unit 11 vibrates to notify the user of the mobile phone 10 when an incoming call or mail is received at the mobile phone 10. The vibration unit 11 vibrates while sandwiching a period during which it is not periodically vibrated. That is, the vibration unit 11 performs notification by repeating a period during which vibration is performed and a period during which vibration is not performed. For example, the notification is made repeatedly by vibrating for 1 second and not for 1.5 seconds. When the user makes an input to the mobile phone 10 for responding to an incoming call (for stopping the vibration), or for a predetermined period (for example, about several seconds to several tens of seconds) If not, the vibration notification is terminated.

  The vibration unit 11 is controlled by the vibration cycle setting unit 13 in a repetition cycle of the above-described vibrating period and the non-vibrating period. The change of the cycle is performed, for example, by adjusting the length of the period during which no vibration is caused. The vibration unit 11 is controlled by the vibration start control unit 14 at the timing of starting vibration at the time of notification.

  The acceleration detection unit 12 is an acceleration detection unit that detects a fluctuation cycle of the magnitude of acceleration applied to the terminal 10 itself. The acceleration applied to the terminal 10 is due to an external factor, and is caused, for example, when a user carrying the mobile phone 10 walks (moves). The detection of the magnitude of the acceleration itself is performed by the triaxial acceleration sensor 109. The acceleration detection unit 12 inputs the magnitude of acceleration in the three directions of the XYZ axes detected by the three-axis acceleration sensor 109. The detection of acceleration by the triaxial acceleration sensor 109 is continuously performed in time. FIG. 3 shows a time change of the detected acceleration in any one direction of the XYZ axes. In the graph of FIG. 3, the horizontal axis indicates the elapsed time, and the vertical axis indicates the magnitude of acceleration.

  The acceleration detection unit 12 detects the fluctuation cycle for the acceleration in the direction in which the acceleration is the largest among the detected accelerations in the three directions. Specifically, the fluctuation period is detected for the acceleration in the direction in which the acceleration takes the maximum value at regular time intervals (for example, every 10 seconds).

  The graph shown in FIG. 3 shows the acceleration applied to the mobile phone 10 when the user carrying the mobile phone 10 is walking. As shown in FIG. 3, the acceleration increases in one direction from the zero acceleration state (point A1 in the figure), takes a local maximum point, and then decreases to zero (point A2 in the figure). ), And then increases in the opposite direction, takes a local maximum point, decreases, and becomes zero (point A3 in the figure), and then repeats the same cycle. Here, the state in which the acceleration indicated by the point A1 in the drawing is zero to the state in which the acceleration indicated by the point A3 in the drawing is zero corresponds to a state where the user takes one step. Here, when the acceleration indicated by the point A2 is zero, the user has fully lifted one foot (timing), and when the acceleration indicated by the points A1 and A3 is zero, the user places one foot on the ground. This is the returned state (timing). In the example of this embodiment, the minimum value taken by the acceleration is zero, but it does not necessarily have to be zero.

  The notification by vibration while the user is walking is likely to be noticed by the user when the acceleration applied to the mobile phone 10 is zero. That is, it is easy for the user to notice vibrations when the user performs a state (timing) in which one foot is fully raised and a state in which the user returns one foot to the ground (timing).

  The acceleration detection unit 12 specifies the timing at which the acceleration is minimized (in the example of FIG. 3, the timing at which the acceleration is zero) from the detected variation in acceleration as the variation cycle of the magnitude of the acceleration, The timing interval is calculated. In the example of FIG. 3, the time interval between the points A1 and A2 and the time interval between the points A2 and A3 are shown. The interval is calculated, for example, as an average value of intervals detected continuously for a certain time (for example, about 10 seconds).

  The acceleration detection unit 12 notifies the vibration cycle setting unit 13 of information indicating the fluctuation cycle of the magnitude of the acceleration applied to the detected own terminal 10. Specifically, information indicating the timing interval at which the acceleration calculated as described above is minimized is output to the vibration cycle setting unit 13. Further, the acceleration detection unit 12 outputs a history of information indicating the time at which the acceleration is minimized to the vibration start control unit 14.

  The acceleration detection by the acceleration detection unit 12 is always performed when there is a possibility of notification due to the vibration of the vibration unit 11, for example, in a standby state.

  The vibration cycle setting unit 13 is a vibration cycle setting unit that sets a cycle of a period during which the vibration unit 11 vibrates in accordance with the fluctuation cycle detected by the acceleration detection unit 12. Specifically, for example, the vibration unit 11 causes the fluctuation period of acceleration indicated by the information notified from the acceleration detection unit 12 to match the period in which the vibration unit 11 vibrates and the period in which the vibration unit 11 does not vibrate. Set the period of vibration period. This setting is performed, for example, by adjusting a period during which no vibration is caused. If the acceleration fluctuation period is 2 seconds and the preset vibration period is 1 second, the period during which no vibration is caused is set to 1 second as the fluctuation period-vibration period.

  The vibration cycle setting unit 13 notifies the vibration unit 11 of the set information indicating the period of the period of vibration caused by the vibration unit 11 (for example, the vibration period of 1 second and the period of no vibration in the above example). Information indicating the cycle is stored in the vibration unit 11, and the control is performed so that the cycle is repeated at the time of notification.

  The vibration start control unit 14 is a vibration start control unit that starts the vibration by the vibration unit 11 so that the vibration by the vibration unit 11 is performed at a timing at which the acceleration is minimized in the acceleration fluctuation period. Here, the acceleration fluctuation cycle is not a past fluctuation cycle detected by the acceleration detector 12 but a future fluctuation cycle predicted as described later. For example, in the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the vibration start control unit 14 controls the vibration start timing so that the vibration is performed when the acceleration becomes zero. With the control by the vibration cycle setting unit 13 and the control by the vibration start control unit 14, vibration for notification is made when the acceleration is appropriately zero.

  Specifically, the vibration start control unit 14 minimizes the acceleration input from the acceleration detection unit 12 when the mobile phone 10 receives an incoming call or a mail, and that effect is input. Based on the history of the information indicating the time, which is the timing, the next timing when the acceleration becomes zero is predicted, and the vibration unit 11 is controlled to start the vibration at that timing. In order to vibrate at a timing when the acceleration becomes zero more reliably, the vibration start control unit 14 vibrates slightly before the predicted timing (for example, about half of the vibration period, 0.5 seconds in the above example). Let it begin. Note that the prediction of the timing at which the acceleration becomes zero is not performed after the notification that the notification is necessary, but may be always performed in the same manner as the cycle setting by the vibration cycle setting unit 13 (notification). Is used in the case where it is necessary). The above is the function of the mobile phone 10 according to the present invention.

  Subsequently, processing (vibration function control method) executed by the mobile phone 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the mobile phone 10, the acceleration detection unit 12 detects a fluctuation cycle of the magnitude of the acceleration of the mobile phone 10 (S 01, acceleration detection step). Note that the process of S01 is always performed when there is a possibility of notification due to vibration of the vibration unit 11, for example, in a standby state. Information indicating a timing interval at which the detected acceleration of the fluctuation cycle is minimized is output from the acceleration detection unit 12 to the vibration cycle setting unit 13. Also, a history of information indicating the time at which the acceleration is minimized is output from the acceleration detection unit 12 to the vibration start control unit 14.

  Subsequently, the vibration period setting unit 13 sets the period of the vibration period by the vibration unit 11 based on the information input from the acceleration detection unit 12 (S02, vibration period setting step). Information indicating the set cycle is notified from the vibration cycle setting unit 13 to the vibration unit 11 and controlled so that vibration is performed in the cycle. Similarly to the process of S01, the process of S02 is also performed at any time (for example, every fixed period such as every minute) when there is a possibility of notification by vibration of the vibration unit 11.

  Subsequently, when a call is made to the mobile phone 10 or an e-mail is transmitted, an incoming call process or an e-mail receiving process is performed (S03). These need to be notified from the mobile phone 10 to the user, and are not limited to incoming calls or emails as long as notification is required.

  For those notifications, the fact that notification is required is input to the vibration start control unit 14. When there is an input to that effect in the vibration start control unit 14, the vibration start control unit 14 predicts the timing at which the acceleration becomes zero, and the vibration starts so that the vibration starts at the timing at which the acceleration becomes minimum based on the timing. The start timing is determined (S04, vibration start control step). Subsequently, the vibration from the vibration unit 11 is started at the determined timing by the control from the vibration start control unit 14, and the user is notified of an incoming call or an email by the vibration (S05, vibration start). Control step, vibration step).

  By the control by the vibration cycle setting unit 13 and the control by the vibration start control unit 14, the vibration is performed at timings (points A1, A2, A3) at which the acceleration is zero as shown in FIG. The notification by vibration ends when the user inputs to the mobile phone 10 for responding to an incoming call or when there is no input for a predetermined period (for example, about several seconds to several tens of seconds). . Further, other notification means such as ringing sound may be used in accordance with the notification by vibration.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the vibration for notification is performed at the timing when the acceleration applied to the mobile phone 10 is minimized. The timing at which the acceleration is minimized (in particular, the timing at which the acceleration is zero as shown in FIG. 3) is a timing at which vibration is easily noticed by the user carrying the mobile phone 10. For example, even when a user who is carrying the mobile phone 10 is walking and the user is moving and is usually hard to notice the vibration of the mobile phone 10, the user can easily notice the vibration. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, notification by vibration can be performed more easily for the user.

  Moreover, it is desirable to detect accelerations in a plurality of directions and use the accelerations in any direction as in the triaxial acceleration sensor 109 of the present embodiment. According to this configuration, the acceleration applied to the mobile phone 10 can be reliably detected regardless of the orientation of the mobile phone 10 carried by the user, and the present invention can be reliably implemented.

  In the present embodiment, the mobile terminal according to the present invention is the mobile phone 10 having a communication function, and the notification by vibration is also an incoming call related to the communication function, but such a configuration is not necessarily required. For example, in a mobile terminal that does not have a communication function, the function of the present invention may be used for notification of an alarm at a set time.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Mobile phone, 11 ... Vibration part, 12 ... Acceleration detection part, 13 ... Vibration period setting part, 14 ... Vibration start control part, 101 ... CPU, 102 ... RAM, 103 ... ROM, 104 ... Operation part, 105 ... Wireless Communication unit 106... Display 107 107 Antenna 108 Vibration motor 109 Axial acceleration sensor

Claims (3)

A vibration means for vibrating the terminal while notifying the user periodically and notifying the user;
Acceleration detecting means for detecting a fluctuation period of the magnitude of acceleration applied to the terminal;
Vibration period setting means for setting a period of a period to be vibrated by the vibration means according to the variation period detected by the acceleration detection means;
Vibration start control means for starting vibration by the vibration means so that vibration by the vibration means is performed at a timing at which the acceleration becomes minimum in the fluctuation period;
A mobile terminal comprising:   2. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the acceleration detection unit detects acceleration applied in a plurality of directions of the terminal, and detects the fluctuation period in a direction in which the acceleration is the largest among the detected accelerations. Terminal. It is a vibration function control method by a portable terminal including a vibration unit that vibrates its own terminal and notifies a user while sandwiching a period that does not vibrate periodically,
An acceleration detection step for detecting a fluctuation cycle of the magnitude of acceleration applied to the terminal;
A vibration period setting step for setting a period of a period during which the vibration means vibrates according to the fluctuation period detected in the acceleration detection step;
A vibration start control step for starting the vibration by the vibration means so that the vibration by the vibration means is performed at a timing at which the acceleration is minimized in the fluctuation period;
A vibration function control method including:

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