JP3813867B2 - Portable device and lighting control method for portable device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a portable device having a display unit and an operation unit, and having a backlight as means for illuminating the display unit and the operation unit, and a lighting control method for the portable device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Generally, a portable device such as a cellular phone has a backlight as a means for illuminating the display unit and the operation unit, and when the user operates the operation unit, the backlight is turned on to illuminate the display unit and the operation unit. I am doing so. Then, the backlight is turned off when a predetermined time elapses after the operation of the operation unit is not performed.
[0003]
That is, in the conventional portable device, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3, first, the presence / absence of a key input operation on the operation unit is determined in step S21. When the key input operation is performed, the backlight is turned on in step S22. In step S23, a timer for a predetermined time is started and started.
[0004]
Here, when the key input operation of the operation unit is performed again within the predetermined time of the timer and the determination of “key input?” In step S24 becomes “Y”, the timer is reset in step S25 and step S26. Then start the timer for a certain time again. Further, when the timer is not operated within the predetermined time of the timer and the timer is timed up and the determination of “timer complete?” In step S27 becomes “Y”, the backlight is turned off in step S28. .
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The conventional mobile phone turns off the backlight and automatically turns off the display after a certain period of time (specifically several seconds) after the last key operation. There was a problem that characters could not be read while checking the contents of. In particular, recent mobile phones have a larger display and the amount of information that can be displayed on a single screen is increasing. Therefore, when content such as an email screen or news is displayed, the user reads the content on the single screen. There is a problem that the illumination of the display part is turned off before the process ends.
[0006]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to make it possible for a user to sufficiently check the display contents of a display unit in a portable device having a backlight that illuminates the display unit and the operation unit.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve such a problem, the present invention has a display unit, an operation unit, a timer, and a backlight for illuminating the display unit and the operation unit, and starts the timer according to the operation of the operation unit. In the portable device having a mail communication function and an internet connection function, the detection means for detecting the vibration of the portable device and the mail information based on the mail communication or the content via the Internet A determination unit that determines that a large amount of information is displayed on the display unit when the information is displayed on the display unit, and a determination when vibration of the portable device is detected by the detection unit during the backlight lighting period If a large amount of information is determined to be displayed on the display unit by means extending the lighting period of the backlight, Do not see the large amount of information on the display unit If it is determined to be provided and control means for turning off the backlight.
[0008]
Also, in the case of a portable device having a foldable structure that allows the lid to be folded with respect to the main body, the control means detects the folding of the lid with respect to the main body so as not to extend the backlight lighting period. It is something to control.
[0009]
The present invention also includes a first step of activating a timer in response to an operation of the operation unit of the mobile device and turning on a backlight for illuminating the display unit and the operation unit of the mobile device for a predetermined time of the timer; A second step of detecting vibration of the mobile device, and a step of determining that a large amount of information is displayed on the display unit when mail information based on mail communication or content information via the Internet is displayed on the display unit If the vibration of the portable device is detected based on the process of the second step during the backlight lighting period based on the process of the third step and the process of the first step, a large amount is displayed on the display unit based on the process of the third step. the case where if the information is determined to be displayed by extending the lighting period of the backlight, is determined not to be displayed a large amount of information on the display unit turns off the backlight A lighting control method and a step.
[0010]
The process in the fourth step does not extend the lighting period of the backlight when detecting the folding of the lid with respect to the main body of the portable device having a foldable structure that allows the lid to be folded with respect to the main body. Including a fifth step of controlling.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile device according to the present invention, and shows an example of a mobile phone terminal as a mobile device. As shown in FIG. 1, this mobile phone terminal controls an antenna 1, a radio unit 2, a modulation / demodulation unit 3, an audio processing unit 4, a speaker 5, a microphone 6, and the entire mobile phone terminal. The control unit 7 includes a display unit 8, a key operation unit 9, a backlight 10 that illuminates the display unit 8 and the key operation unit 9, an acceleration sensor 11 that detects vibration, and a timer 12.
[0012]
An outline of the operation of the mobile phone terminal configured as described above will be described. The radio signal to the mobile phone terminal is received by the antenna 1, amplified and frequency-converted by the radio unit 2, and output to the modem unit 3. The modem 3 demodulates this signal and outputs it to the audio processor 4. The demodulated signal of the modulation / demodulation unit 3 is decoded into an audio signal by the audio processing unit 4 and then reproduced by the speaker 5. On the other hand, the audio signal input from the microphone 6 follows the reverse route (that is, encoded by the audio processing unit 4 and modulated by the modulation / demodulation unit 3, and then via the radio unit 2) as a radio signal from the antenna 1. Sent.
[0013]
Here, the control unit 7 performs radio channel control, received data processing, audio processing unit 4 control, signal processing from the key operation unit 9, display content control on the display unit 8, and the like. The display unit 8 and the key operation unit 9 are provided with the backlight 10 as illumination means as described above, and can operate the mobile phone terminal in a dark place. In this case, in order to reduce the power consumption of the mobile phone terminal, the control unit 7 turns on the backlight 10 when the key input operation of the key operation unit 9 is performed, and simultaneously activates the timer 12 to set a predetermined constant. Allow time (eg, a few seconds) to be counted.
[0014]
When a predetermined time has elapsed, the timer 12 sends a signal notifying the elapse of the set time to the control unit 7 and causes the control unit 7 to turn off the backlight 10. Here, when the key input operation of the key operation unit 9 is continuously performed before the predetermined time elapses, the control unit 7 resets the timer 12 and causes the timer 12 to start counting the predetermined time again. On the other hand, even if the key input operation of the key operation unit 9 is not performed before the predetermined time elapses while the backlight 10 is lit, the vibration detection signal is transmitted from the acceleration sensor 11 that detects the vibration of the mobile phone terminal. Is output, the control unit 7 performs control to increase the lighting time of the backlight 10.
[0015]
Thus, in this mobile phone terminal, the acceleration sensor 11 is used when controlling the lighting time of the backlight 10 that illuminates the display unit 8 and the operation unit 9, and the user holds the mobile phone terminal in his / her hand. When the acceleration sensor 10 detects that the mobile phone terminal vibrates, control for extending the lighting time of the backlight 10 is performed. Thereby, when the user is viewing content display via the mail screen or the Internet in a dark place, the problem that the backlight 10 is turned off against the user's will can be avoided. In addition, when illumination is unnecessary, it is also possible to expect an effect that the backlight 10 is turned off and wasteful power consumption can be suppressed.
[0016]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mobile phone terminal. The operation of the main part of the present invention will be described in detail based on this flowchart.
First, the control unit 7 determines whether or not the user has performed a key input operation on the operation unit 9 in step S1, and when the user performs a key input operation, the backlight 10 is turned on in step S2 and in step S3. The timer 12 for a certain time is started and started.
[0017]
Here, if the user again performs a key input operation of the operation unit 9 within the predetermined time of the timer 12 and the determination of “key input?” In step S4 becomes “Y”, the timer 12 is set in step S5. In step S6, the timer 12 is activated and started again for a predetermined time.
[0018]
Further, when the timer 12 is timed up without the user performing a key input operation of the operation unit 12 within a predetermined time of the timer 12 and the determination of “timer completion?” In step S7 becomes “Y”, the control unit 7 determines in step S28 whether mail information or content information via the Internet is being displayed on the display unit 8. Here, the control unit 7 performs the mail communication in the mobile phone terminal and the information of the transmitted mail and the received mail is displayed on the display unit 8, or the mobile phone terminal receives the content information via the Internet. Recognizing that the mail is displayed on the display unit 8 and determining that the mail information and the content information are not displayed on the display unit 8, the backlight 10 is turned off in step S10, and the process ends.
[0019]
On the other hand, when the timer 12 times out, the mail information and the content information are displayed on the display unit 8, and if “mail or content display in progress” in step S8 is determined as “Y”, then the control unit 7 In step S9, the presence or absence of a vibration detection signal from the acceleration sensor 11 is determined. If no vibration is detected by the acceleration sensor 11, the backlight 10 is turned off in step S10. However, if vibration is detected by the acceleration sensor 11 and "vibration?" In step S5, the timer 12 is reset, and the timer 12 is started again in step S6, and then the process returns to step S4 to maintain the lighting state of the backlight 10.
[0020]
In this manner, after the backlight 10 is turned on, the mobile phone terminal displays a mail or content on the display unit 8 when the timer 12 times out without a user's key input operation for a certain time, and at this time the acceleration When vibration is detected by the sensor 11, the lighting state of the backlight 10 is maintained.
On the other hand, when the timer 12 times out, a display other than the mail screen or the content display screen is performed on the display unit 8, and “mail or content display in progress” in step S8 becomes “N” (for example, a standby screen, In the case of a function setting screen, the backlight 10 is turned off. That is, when the amount of information on the display screen is small and it is not necessary to extend the illumination lighting time, the backlight 10 is turned off even if vibration is detected by the acceleration sensor 11. As a result, it is possible to suppress the consumption of the battery used as the power source of the mobile phone terminal.
[0021]
Further, when the timer 12 times out, the backlight 10 is turned off when vibration is not detected by the acceleration sensor 11 even if a mail screen or a content display screen is displayed on the display unit 8. Therefore, even when a large amount of information is displayed on the display unit 8, when the user is not using (not holding it in hand), it is determined that it is not necessary to extend the lighting time, and the backlight 10 is turned off to reduce battery consumption.
[0022]
Thus, in the present embodiment, the mobile phone terminal is provided with the acceleration sensor 11, and when the backlight 10 is lit, the acceleration sensor 11 detects that the user is holding the mobile phone terminal, and At this time, when a large amount of information is displayed on the display unit 8, the preset illumination lighting time can be extended without any further key input. As a result, the user can check the display content of the display unit 8 without frequently performing key operations even in a situation where the periphery of the mobile phone terminal is dark and the display content of the display unit 8 cannot be confirmed.
[0023]
On the other hand, there may be a case where a user does not look at the display unit 8 with a mobile phone terminal placed on a desk or the like, although a large amount of information is displayed on the display unit 8. In such a case, since the vibration is not detected by the acceleration sensor 11, the control unit 7 automatically turns off the backlight 10 after a predetermined time has elapsed. Thereby, useless consumption of the battery of the mobile phone terminal can be prevented.
In addition, when the amount of information displayed on one screen is not large, such as a standby screen or a function setting screen, the control unit 7 does not extend the illumination lighting time even if vibration is detected by the acceleration sensor 11. Control. Thereby, it becomes possible to suppress the wasteful consumption of a battery similarly.
In addition, since the mobile phone terminal can be configured only by adding the acceleration sensor 11 to the conventional mobile phone terminal, the device can be expected to be reduced in size, weight, and cost.
[0024]
(Other embodiments)
Next, as another embodiment of the present invention, an example of a mobile phone terminal that has a main body portion and a lid portion and has a foldable structure in which the lid portion can be folded with respect to the main body portion will be described. In the case of this type of foldable mobile phone terminal, it is not necessary to look at the display unit 8 or the key operation unit 9 when the lid is folded with respect to the main body, so that the lid is not folded (the lid Control is performed to lengthen the lighting time of the backlight 10 only in the state of (opening).
[0025]
In this type of foldable mobile phone terminal, for example, it has a small window display portion that can confirm simple information even when the lid portion is closed (the lid portion is folded), and an operable key. When the key is operated, the backlight of the small window display unit is turned on for a certain period of time. However, even if the backlight is lit and vibration is detected in such a foldable mobile phone terminal, the control unit 7 does not need to extend the backlight lighting time as long as the lid is closed. Therefore, the control for extending the lighting time of the backlight is not performed. That is, when the control unit 7 inputs the output of a switch (not shown) that detects whether or not the cellular phone terminal is in a folded state and detects that the cellular phone terminal is in a folded state (closed state), Even when the telephone terminal is in a folded state and the backlight is lit, control for extending the backlight lighting time is not performed. As a result, the battery consumption of the mobile phone terminal can be similarly suppressed.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the display unit, the operation unit, the timer, and the backlight that illuminates the display unit and the operation unit are provided, and the timer is activated according to the operation of the operation unit. In the portable device that turns on the backlight for a certain period of time, detection means for detecting the vibration of the portable device is provided, and when the vibration of the portable device is detected by the detection means during the backlight lighting period, the backlight is turned on. Since the period is extended, it is detected by the detection means that the user is holding the portable device as vibration of the portable device, and if the backlight is turned on at this time, a new key input operation is performed. Even if there is no screen, the lighting time will be extended, so even if the user is unable to check the display content on the display unit because the surroundings of the mobile device are dark, the display unit will not operate frequently. The display contents can be sufficiently confirmed.
[0027]
In addition, a determination unit that determines the amount of display information on the display unit is provided, and when the determination unit determines that a large amount of information is displayed on the display unit when vibration of the mobile device is detected, Since the backlight lighting period has been extended, the amount of information displayed on the display is large, and the information cannot be confirmed due to the backlight turning off while the information on the display is being checked. It can be avoided in advance.
[0028]
Further, the determination means determines that a large amount of information is displayed on the display unit when mail information based on mail communication or content information via the Internet is displayed on the display unit. It is possible to accurately determine the amount of display information, and when a content such as an e-mail screen or news is displayed as one screen of the display unit, it is displayed before the user finishes reading the content of one screen Similarly, it is possible to avoid the situation where the lighting of the part goes out. In addition, when the amount of information to be displayed on one screen is not large, such as a standby screen or function setting screen, the lighting time is not extended even if vibration is detected by the detecting means. It becomes possible to suppress the wasteful consumption of a certain battery.
[0029]
Further, in the case of a portable device having a foldable structure that allows the lid to be folded with respect to the main body, even if the foldable portable device is in a folded state, a small window display unit that can confirm simple information and an operable key Even if it is a device that can turn on the backlight of the small window display unit for a certain period of time when the key is operated, if the folding of the lid with respect to the main unit is detected, the lighting period of the backlight is extended As a result, the wasteful consumption of the battery can be similarly suppressed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation of a main part of the portable device.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of a conventional portable device.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Antenna, 2 ... Radio | wireless part, 3 ... Modulation / demodulation part, 4 ... Sound processing part, 5 ... Speaker, 6 ... Microphone, 7 ... Control part, 8 ... Display part, 9 ... Operation part, 10 ... Back light, 11 ... Accelerometer, 12 ... timer.

Claims (4)

A display unit; an operation unit; a timer; and a backlight for illuminating the display unit and the operation unit. The timer is activated in response to an operation of the operation unit, and the backlight is operated for a predetermined time of the timer. In a portable device that turns on the light and has a mail communication function and an Internet connection function ,
Detecting means for detecting vibration of the portable device;
A determination unit that determines that a large amount of information is displayed on the display unit when mail information based on the mail communication or content information via the Internet is displayed on the display unit;
When the vibration of the portable device is detected by said detecting means during the lighting period of the backlight, when a large amount of information on the display unit by the determination means determines that displayed the lighting of the backlight A portable device comprising: a control unit that extends a period and turns off the backlight when it is determined that a large amount of information is not displayed on the display unit . In claim 1 ,
The portable device has a main body and a lid, and has a foldable structure that allows the lid to be folded with respect to the main body.
The portable device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit does not perform extension control of a lighting period of the backlight when detecting the folding of the lid with respect to the main body. A first step of activating a timer in response to an operation of the operation unit of the mobile device and turning on a backlight for illuminating the display unit and the operation unit of the mobile device for a predetermined time of the timer;
A second step of detecting vibrations of the portable device;
A third step of determining that a large amount of information is displayed on the display unit when mail information based on mail communication or content information via the Internet is displayed on the display unit ;
When vibration of the portable device is detected based on the process of the second step during the lighting period of the backlight based on the process of the first step, the display unit is controlled based on the process of the third step. If a large amount of information is determined to be displayed, by extending the lighting period of the backlight, when a large amount of information on the display unit is determined not to be displayed, turns off the backlight A lighting control method for a portable device, comprising: a fourth step. In claim 3 ,
In the process in the fourth step, when the folding of the lid with respect to the main body of the portable device having a foldable structure capable of folding the lid with respect to the main body is detected, the lighting period of the backlight is extended. A lighting control method for a portable device, comprising a fifth step in which control is not performed.

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