JP2014007586A - Electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To unconsciously detect a material contained in the exhalation of a user.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus (portable telephone) 1A is used for a telephone conversation. The electronic apparatus 1A includes: a voice input section 8 for receiving the input of voice during a telephone conversation; and a sensor 4 arranged in the neighborhood of the voice input section 8 and detecting a material contained in gas. By the configuration, when a user utters voice in the neighborhood of the voice input section 8 during a telephone conversation, exhalation generated at the time reaches the sensor 4. Thus, a material contained in the exhalation of a user is detected by the sensor 4 without allowing a user to be conscious of it.

Description

  The present application relates to an electronic device having a function of detecting a substance contained in a gas.

  A technique for detecting a substance contained in human exhalation and utilizing the detection result for health management or the like is known. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an exhalation measuring device for easily collecting a specific gas component contained in a small amount in exhaled air and measuring the concentration of the gas component with high accuracy.

JP 2010-025720 A

  When using the above breath measuring device, the user blows on a predetermined portion of the breath measuring device. Such an operation for detecting a substance contained in exhaled air may be troublesome for the user. For these reasons, there is a need for an electronic device that can unconsciously detect a substance contained in a user's breath.

  An electronic device according to one aspect includes, in an electronic device used for a call, a voice input unit that receives voice during a call, a sensor that is disposed in the vicinity of the voice input unit and detects a substance contained in a gas. Have

FIG. 1 is a front view of the mobile phone according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an AA cross-sectional view of the mobile phone according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the mobile phone according to the first embodiment taken along the line BB. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of the mobile phone according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the mobile phone according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a front view of the mobile phone according to the first modification. FIG. 7 is a front view of a mobile phone according to a second modification. FIG. 8 is a DD cross-sectional view of a mobile phone according to a second modification. FIG. 9 is a front view of the mobile phone according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a rear view of the mobile phone according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is an EE cross-sectional view of the mobile phone according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is an FF cross-sectional view of the mobile phone according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a GG cross-sectional view of the mobile phone according to the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a block diagram of a mobile phone according to the second embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of detection of a certain substance contained in a gas. FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of a substance detection process.

  Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, a mobile phone will be described as an example of an electronic device having a function of detecting a substance contained in a gas.

(Embodiment 1)
The configuration of the mobile phone 1A according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a front view of the mobile phone 1A. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the mobile phone 1A. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of the mobile phone 1A. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of the mobile phone 1A. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the mobile phone 1A.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the mobile phone 1 </ b> A includes a touch screen display 2, a button 3, a sensor 4, a communication unit 6, a receiver 7, a microphone (voice input unit) 8, and a storage 9. The controller 10 and the housing 40 are included. The housing 40 has a plurality of surfaces 41 to 46, and holds various components inside and outside these surfaces.

  The touch screen display 2 is provided on the surface 41 of the housing 40. The touch screen display 2 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD: Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL display (OELD: Organic Electro-Luminescence Display), or an inorganic EL display (IELD: Inorganic Electro-Luminescence Display). The display device displays characters, images, symbols, graphics, and the like.

  The touch screen display 2 further includes a touch screen (touch sensor). The touch screen detects contact. The touch screen is used to detect a user's gesture (contact operation) with a finger, a pen, a stylus pen, or the like. The touch screen detection method may be any method such as a capacitance method, a resistive film method, a surface acoustic wave method (or an ultrasonic method), an infrared method, an electromagnetic induction method, and a load detection method. The touch screen display 2 may be a simple display unit that does not include a touch screen.

  The button 3 receives an operation input from the user. The number of buttons 3 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. The button 3 may include, for example, a numeric keypad or QWERTY button.

  The sensor 4 detects a substance contained in the gas. The sensor 4 may be called an olfactory sensor, an odor sensor, or an expiration sensor. The substance detected by the sensor 4 includes various chemical substances. Substances detected by the sensor 4 include, for example, substances used for determination of the degree of bad breath, determination of drinking, diagnosis of stress, early detection of diseases such as cancer, and the like. The substance detected by the sensor 4 may be a substance that cannot be detected by humans or animals by smell. The sensor 4 may be configured to selectively detect a plurality of substances.

  The sensor 4 may be configured as a surface acoustic wave (SAW) device. The surface acoustic wave device is advantageous for low power and high integration, and is therefore suitable for a mobile phone driven by a battery and required to be downsized.

  The communication unit 6 communicates wirelessly. The communication method supported by the communication unit 6 is a wireless communication standard. Examples of wireless communication standards include cellular phone communication standards such as 2G, 3G, and 4G. As cellular phone communication standards, for example, LTE (Long Term Evolution), W-CDMA (Wideband Code Multiple Access), CDMA2000, PDC (Personal Digital Cellular, GSM (registered trademark) mmloS). (Personal Handy-phone System). As wireless communication standards, for example, there are WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), IEEE802.11, Bluetooth (registered trademark), IrDA (Infrared Data Association), NFC (NearCo), etc. The communication unit 6 may support one or more of the communication standards described above.

  The receiver 7 is an audio output unit. The receiver 7 outputs the audio signal transmitted from the controller 10 as audio. The receiver 7 is used, for example, to output the other party's voice during a call. The microphone 8 is a voice input unit. The microphone 8 converts the input sound into an electric signal. The microphone 8 is used, for example, for inputting a user's voice during a call.

  The storage 9 stores programs and data. The storage 9 is also used as a work area for temporarily storing the processing result of the controller 10. The storage 9 may include any non-transitory storage medium such as a semiconductor storage medium and a magnetic storage medium. The storage 9 may include a plurality of types of storage media. The storage 9 may include a combination of a portable storage medium such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a magneto-optical disk and a storage medium reader. The storage 9 may include a storage device used as a temporary storage area such as a RAM (Random Access Memory).

  The storage 9 stores, for example, a control program 9A, a determination program 9B, and setting data 9Z. The control program 9A provides a function for realizing the basic operation of the mobile phone 1A. The function provided by the control program 9A includes, for example, a function of controlling the sensor 4 and detecting a substance contained in the gas. The determination program 9B includes a function of performing various determination processes based on the substance detected by the sensor 4. The determination processing by the function provided by the determination program 9B includes, for example, processing for determination of the degree of bad breath, determination of drinking, diagnosis of stress, early detection of diseases such as cancer, and the like. The setting data 9Z includes information related to various settings related to the operation of the mobile phone 1A.

  The controller 10 is an arithmetic processing device. The arithmetic processing unit includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an SoC (System-on-a-chip), an MCU (Micro Control Unit), and an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), but is not limited thereto. The controller 10 implements various functions by comprehensively controlling the operation of the mobile phone 1A.

  Specifically, the controller 10 executes instructions included in the program stored in the storage 9 while referring to the data stored in the storage 9 as necessary. And the controller 10 controls a function part according to data and a command, and implement | achieves various functions by it. The functional units include, for example, the touch screen display 2, the communication unit 6, and the receiver 7, but are not limited thereto. The controller 10 may change the control according to the detection result of the detection unit. The detection unit includes, for example, the touch screen display 2, the button 3, the sensor 4, and the microphone 8, but is not limited thereto.

  For example, the controller 10 executes the control program 9A to control the sensor 4 to realize a function of detecting a substance contained in the gas.

  In the present embodiment, the surface 41 has an opening 41a and an opening 41b. The opening 41a is provided to capture the user's voice during a call. The opening 41b is provided for outputting the other party's voice to the outside during a call. For this reason, one of the openings 41a and 41b is one of the surfaces 41 such that the opening 41a is located near the user's mouth and the opening 41b is located near the user's ear during a call. The other end is provided at the other end.

  The receiver 7 is disposed inside the opening 41b. The receiver 7 is arranged in a direction in which sound to be output is emitted from the opening 41b to the outside.

  Inside the opening 41a, the sensor 4 and the microphone 8 are disposed close to each other. The sensor 4 is disposed in a direction in which a substance contained in a gas taken in from the opening 41a is preferably detected. Specifically, the sensor 4 is arranged in a direction in which a substance contained in the gas taken in the direction indicated by the arrow A2 is preferably detected. The microphone 8 is arranged in a direction in which sound transmitted through the opening 41a is preferably detected. Specifically, the microphone 8 is arranged in a direction in which sound transmitted in the direction indicated by the arrow A1 parallel to the arrow A2 is preferably detected.

  Thus, the sensor 4 is disposed in the vicinity of the microphone 8. Furthermore, the sensor 4 and the microphone 8 are disposed at a position facing the opening 41a. For this reason, when the user moves the opening 41a close to the mouth so that the microphone 8 can easily acquire a voice during a call, the user's exhalation reaches not only the microphone 8 but also the sensor 4. As a result, the substance contained in the user's breath is detected by the sensor 4.

  With such a configuration, when a call is made, the mobile phone 1A detects a substance contained in the user's exhalation without performing any operation other than the operation for the call. It can be used for determination. That is, the mobile phone 1A can detect a substance contained in the breath of the user non-invasively and unconsciously.

  The configuration for obtaining the above effects is not limited to the configuration shown in FIGS. More generally, in order to obtain the above effects, the sensor 4 only needs to be disposed in the vicinity of the microphone 8. The microphone 8 is not necessarily arranged on the same surface as the receiver 7.

  A mode in which the sensor 4 is disposed in the vicinity of the microphone 8 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 and FIGS. 6 to 8. FIG. 6 is a front view of the mobile phone 1B according to the first modification. FIG. 7 is a front view of a mobile phone 1C according to the second modification. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD of the mobile phone 1C.

  The mode in which the sensor 4 is disposed in the vicinity of the microphone 8 includes a mode in which the sensor 4 is disposed on any surface of the electronic device on the surface side where the microphone 8 is disposed. . In the aspect in which the sensor 4 is disposed on the surface side on which the microphone 8 is disposed, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the sensor 4 and the microphone 8 are disposed on the inner side of the surface. Is included. Furthermore, in a mode in which the sensor 4 is disposed on the surface side where the microphone 8 is disposed, the sensor 4 and the microphone 8 are disposed outside the surface as in the mobile phone 1B shown in FIG. Embodiments are included.

  The microphone 8 may be disposed on the surface of the substrate accommodated in the housing 40. In this case, in the aspect in which the sensor 4 is disposed on the surface side on which the microphone 8 is disposed, the sensor 4 is disposed on the surface side on which the microphone 8 is disposed on the surface of the substrate. Embodiments are included. When the microphone 8 is disposed on the surface of the substrate accommodated inside the housing 40, the surface of the housing that faces the surface of the base on which the microphone 8 is disposed is opposed to the microphone 8. An opening is formed at the position of the surface of the housing.

  When the sensor 4 is disposed on the surface side where the microphone 8 is disposed, the sensor 4 and the microphone 8 may be disposed adjacent to each other. There may be no gap between the sensor 4 and the microphone 8, or there may be a gap. When a gap is provided between the sensor 4 and the microphone 8, the distance between the sensor 4 and the microphone 8 may be determined according to the sensitivity of the sensor 4.

  As already described, the microphone 8 may be disposed at an end portion away from the receiver 7 in order to facilitate a call. In this case, the mode in which the sensor 4 is disposed in the vicinity of the microphone 8 is a mode in which the sensor 4 is disposed at the end portion where the microphone 8 is disposed, as shown in FIGS. Is included. Further, in this case, the sensor 4 is disposed in the vicinity of the microphone 8. The mobile phone 1 </ b> C shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. The aspect arrange | positioned at the other surface adjacent to is included. The sensor 4 may be disposed inside an opening 43a provided on another surface adjacent to the end where the microphone 8 is disposed.

  In the mobile phone 1 </ b> C, the microphone 8 is disposed at the end of the surface 41, and the sensor 4 is disposed on the surface 43 adjacent to the surface 41 at the end. Even in such a mode, the exhalation of the user during a call reaches not only the microphone 8 but also the sensor 4. In particular, in the case of a relatively small mobile phone, when the user brings the receiver close to the ear in order to listen to the other party's voice, the bottom surface farthest from the receiver, such as the surface 43 among the plurality of surfaces, is the most user's. May be located near the mouth. In such a case, by disposing the sensor 4 on the bottom surface, it is possible to effectively detect a substance contained in the user's breath during a call.

  When the sensor 4 is configured by combining a plurality of different sensors, the sensor 4 may be disposed so as to be closer to the microphone 8 as the sensor has a lower sensitivity. By arranging in this way, each sensor can suitably detect a substance contained in exhaled breath that is generated when the user speaks to the microphone 8.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the sensor 4 that detects the substance contained in the gas is disposed at a position where the exhalation of the user during the call reaches. For this reason, the electronic device according to the present embodiment can detect a substance contained in a user's exhalation non-invasively and unconsciously during a call.

(Embodiment 2)
The configuration of the mobile phone 1D according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 is a front view of the mobile phone 1D. FIG. 10 is a rear view of the mobile phone 1D. FIG. 11 is an EE cross-sectional view of the mobile phone 1D. FIG. 12 is an FF cross-sectional view of the mobile phone 1D. FIG. 13 is a GG sectional view of the mobile phone 1D. FIG. 14 is a block diagram of the mobile phone 1D. In the following description, the same parts as those already described may be denoted by the same reference numerals as those already described. In the following description, descriptions overlapping with those already performed may be omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 to 14, the mobile phone 1D includes a touch screen display 2, a button 3, a sensor 4a, a sensor (second sensor) 4b, a communication unit 6, a receiver 7, and a microphone (audio). An input unit) 8a, a microphone (voice input unit) 8b, a storage 9, a controller 10, and a housing 40;

  The sensors 4 a and 4 b are the same sensors as the sensor 4. That is, the sensors 4a and 4b detect substances contained in the gas. The microphones 8 a and 8 b are voice input units similar to the microphone 8. That is, the microphones 8a and 8b convert the input sound into an electrical signal.

  The surface 41 of the housing 40 has an opening 41a and an opening 41b. The opening 41a is provided to capture the user's voice during a call. The opening 41b is provided for outputting the other party's voice to the outside during a call. For this reason, one of the openings 41a and 41b is one of the surfaces 41 such that the opening 41a is located near the user's mouth and the opening 41b is located near the user's ear during a call. The other end is provided at the other end.

  The receiver 7 is disposed inside the opening 41b. The receiver 7 is arranged in a direction in which sound to be output is emitted from the opening 41b to the outside.

  Inside the opening 41a, the sensor 4a and the microphone 8a are disposed close to each other. The sensor 4a is disposed in a direction in which a substance contained in a gas taken in from the opening 41a is preferably detected. Specifically, the sensor 4a is disposed in a direction in which a substance contained in the gas taken in the direction indicated by the arrow A2 is preferably detected. The microphone 8a is arranged in a direction in which sound transmitted through the opening 41a is preferably detected. Specifically, the microphone 8a is disposed in a direction in which sound transmitted in the direction indicated by the arrow A1 parallel to the arrow A2 is preferably detected.

  The housing 40 has a surface 46 on the opposite side of the surface 41. The surface 46 has an opening 46a. In the following description, the surface 41 may be referred to as a front surface, and the surface 46 may be referred to as a back surface. The opening 46a is provided at a position where the possibility of being covered by the hand holding the mobile phone 1D during a call is low.

  Inside the opening 46a, the sensor 4b and the microphone 8b are disposed close to each other. The sensor 4b is arranged in a direction in which a substance contained in a gas taken in from the opening 46a is preferably detected. Specifically, the sensor 4b is arranged in a direction in which a substance contained in the gas taken in the direction indicated by the arrow A4 is preferably detected. The microphone 8b is disposed in a direction in which sound transmitted through the opening 46a is preferably detected. Specifically, the microphone 8b is arranged in a direction in which sound transmitted in the direction indicated by the arrow A3 parallel to the arrow A4 is preferably detected.

  The microphone 8b is used for acquiring sounds around the mobile phone 1D during a call. The controller 10 uses the sound acquired by the microphone 8b for noise cancellation. Specifically, the controller 10 inverts the audio signal input from the microphone 8b and superimposes it on the audio signal input from the microphone 8a during a call. By such control, it is possible to remove sound components around the mobile phone 1D from the audio signal transmitted to the other party of the call.

  The sensor 4b is used to detect a substance contained in the gas around the mobile phone 1D. The controller 10 uses the detection result of the sensor 4b to remove the influence of the substance contained in the gas around the mobile phone 1D from the detection result of the sensor 4a. Specifically, the controller 10 determines, for example, the concentration of the substance contained in the user's exhalation based on a value obtained by subtracting the detection value of the sensor 4b from the detection value of the sensor 4a during a call.

  The substance detection in the second embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of detection of a certain substance (hereinafter, “substance A”) contained in a gas. When the controller 10 activates the sensor 4a during a call, the detection value of the substance A indicated by the sensor 4a changes, for example, as a line L1. At this time, the controller 10 further activates the sensor 4b. When the substance A is originally contained in the gas around the cellular phone 1D, the detection value of the substance A indicated by the sensor 4b changes as indicated by a line L2, for example.

  The gas that the sensor 4a detects the substance A is a gas in which the user's breath and the gas around the mobile phone 1D are mixed. When the substance A is originally contained in the gas (second gas) around the mobile phone 1D, the detection value of the sensor 4a includes the influence of the gas around the mobile phone 1D. Therefore, the controller 10 subtracts the detection value of the sensor 4b from the detection value of the sensor 4a. For example, the controller 10 uses the detection value V3 obtained by subtracting the detection value V2 of the sensor 4b after activation T0 seconds from the detection value V1 of the sensor 4a after activation T0 seconds as the concentration of the substance A contained in the user's exhalation. Used for various determination processes.

  With reference to FIG. 16, the processing procedure of the substance detection process in the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of a substance detection process. The processing procedure shown in FIG. 16 is executed during a call. Prior to the processing procedure shown in FIG. 16, the sensors 4a and 4b are activated. When the sensors 4a and 4b are used to detect a plurality of substances, the processing procedure shown in FIG. 16 is executed for each substance.

  The controller 10 acquires the detection value of the back side sensor 4b as step S101. The controller 10 acquires the detection value of the front side sensor 4a as step S102. The execution order of steps S101 and S102 may be reversed. Then, the controller 10 subtracts the detection value of the sensor 4b from the detection value of the sensor 4a as step S103.

  Thus, the detection accuracy of the substance contained in the user's exhalation can be improved by detecting the substance contained in the gas around the mobile phone 1D. However, at the time of a call, when the user speaks, a substance contained in the breath of the user diffuses into the gas around the mobile phone 1D. In order to reduce the influence of such diffusion, the sensor for detecting the substance contained in the surrounding gas is disposed on a surface different from the surface on which the sensor for detecting the substance contained in the exhalation is disposed. May be. Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 13, the sensor for detecting the substance contained in the surrounding gas is a surface opposite to the surface on which the sensor for detecting the substance contained in the exhalation is disposed. You may arrange in.

  The arrangement of the sensor 4a and the microphone 8a may be appropriately changed like the arrangement of the sensor 4 and the microphone 8 described above. The sensor 4b may not be disposed so as to be close to the microphone 8b. The mobile phone 1D may not have a noise canceling function during a call. That is, the mobile phone 1D may not include the microphone 8b.

  As described above, by using a plurality of sensors disposed on different surfaces, it is possible to detect a substance contained in a user's breath with higher accuracy while maintaining non-invasiveness and unconsciousness. it can.

  Embodiments disclosed in the present application can include matters that are apparent to those skilled in the art, and can be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiment disclosed in the present application and its modifications can be combined as appropriate. For example, the above embodiment may be modified as follows.

  The sensor 4 may be configured as a part integrated with the microphone 8. The sensor 4a may be configured as a part integrated with the microphone 8a. In this way, by configuring the sensor as a part integrated with the microphone, it is ensured that the sensor is disposed in the vicinity of the microphone. Furthermore, for example, by arranging a plurality of sensors for detecting specific substances around the microphone, it is possible to detect various substances contained in exhalation during a call while saving space.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which a substance contained in a user's exhalation is detected during a call has been described, but the timing for detecting a substance contained in the user's exhalation is not limited to this. The timing for detecting the substance contained in the user's breath using the sensor disposed in the vicinity of the microphone may be the timing at which the user speaks near the microphone. The timing at which the user speaks near the microphone includes, for example, when an instruction is given by voice input and when voice is recorded.

  In the above-described embodiment, a slate type (straight type) mobile phone has been described as an example of a device according to the appended claims, but the device according to the appended claims is not limited thereto. The device according to the appended claims may be, for example, other types of mobile phones such as a folding type and a sliding type. The device according to the appended claims may be an electronic device having a voice input unit other than a mobile phone. Examples of electronic devices having an audio input unit include, but are not limited to, a headset, a tablet, a portable personal computer, a digital camera, a media player, an electronic book reader, a navigator, and a game machine.

  The characterizing embodiments have been described in order to fully and clearly disclose the technology according to the appended claims. However, the appended claims should not be limited to the above-described embodiments, but all modifications and alternatives that can be created by those skilled in the art within the scope of the basic matters shown in this specification. Should be configured to embody such a configuration.

  In the above embodiment, the predetermined surface of the electronic device may be a plurality of surfaces 41 to 46 of the housing 40, or a surface (front surface, back surface) of a substrate accommodated in the housing 40. There may be.

1A to 1D Mobile phone 2 Touch screen display 3 Button 4, 4a, 4b Sensor 6 Communication unit 7 Receiver 8, 8a, 8b Microphone 9 Storage 9A Control program 9B Determination program 9Z Setting data 10 Controller 40 Housings 41a, 41b, 46a Opening Part

Claims (10)

In electronic equipment used for calls,
A voice input unit that receives voice during a call,
An electronic device comprising: a sensor that is disposed in the vicinity of the voice input unit and detects a substance contained in a gas. It further has a housing provided with an opening for capturing audio during a call,
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the voice input unit and the sensor are disposed at positions facing the opening in the housing.   The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the sensor is arranged to detect a substance contained in a gas taken in from the opening.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is disposed adjacent to the voice input unit.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is disposed on a surface side of the predetermined surface of the electronic device where the voice input unit is disposed.   The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the sensor is disposed on an end portion of the electronic device on a surface side on which the voice input unit is disposed.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is disposed on a surface adjacent to a surface on which the voice input unit is disposed, among predetermined surfaces of the electronic device.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is formed as a part integrated with the voice input unit.   2. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a second sensor that is disposed on a surface side different from a surface side on which the sensor is disposed, and detects a substance contained in the second gas. Electronic equipment.   The electronic device according to claim 9, further comprising a controller that removes the influence of the second gas from the detection result of the sensor based on the detection result of the second sensor.

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