JP4181400B2 - Mobile terminal device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal device, and more particularly to an open / close type mobile terminal device in which upper and lower casings are rotatably connected.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, folding type portable terminals (such as cellular phones) have been widely used, but portable terminals that are opened and closed by rotating the upper and lower casings are also proposed (see Patent Document 1). ).
[0003]
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the appearance of this open / close type mobile terminal in a form that is compared with a widely used bar-type mobile terminal.
[0004]
FIG. 11A is a front view of a rod-shaped mobile terminal, FIG. 11B shows a closed state of the open / close type mobile terminal, FIG. 11C shows a state where the upper housing is rotated by 90 °, (D) shows a state in which the upper housing is rotated 180 ° and the upper and lower housings are linear.
[0005]
As shown in FIG. 11B, in the closed state, the open / close type portable terminal has the minimum horizontal width and vertical length (the horizontal width “M” and the vertical length “S”). And as shown in (c), when the upper casing is rotated by 90 °, the vertical length is not changed, but the horizontal width is W (= M + N) and becomes the maximum. And as shown in (d), in the state where the upper casing is rotated 180 ° and the upper and lower casings are linear, the horizontal width is the same as that in the closed state (= M). Is the maximum (= L). In FIG. 11, in the state of (d), the external appearance is almost the same as that of the rod-shaped mobile terminal shown in (a).
[0006]
In this way, the open / close type mobile terminal has a feature on the external shape that is not found in conventional mobile terminals (bar-shaped mobile terminals or folding-type mobile terminals) in which both the horizontal width and the vertical width change according to the open / close state. It has.
[0007]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-158758 A
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In recent years, foldable mobile phone terminals equipped with a camera for taking images have been gaining popularity. Also for the above-described openable portable terminal, mounting a camera capable of high-accuracy imaging is an important issue in practical use.
[0009]
However, trying to capture images with high accuracy results in an increase in the size of the apparatus. That is, if a high resolution lens is adopted by increasing the number of lenses, the total thickness of the lens group increases, resulting in an increase in the size of the apparatus.
[0010]
Also, in an open / close type mobile terminal, the upper and lower casings rotate clockwise, for example, so that there are innumerable open states with different angles formed by the casings. The problem is whether to detect the state and display an appropriate image.
[0011]
In addition, there is a basic problem of how to make a communication mode only for voice and a mode involving imaging by a camera and display of a captured image compatible in an open / close type portable terminal.
[0012]
The present invention has been made on the basis of such examination results, and an object of the present invention is to prevent downsizing of a portable terminal device in an open / close type portable terminal device in which upper and lower casings rotate. Enables high-quality image capture, enables effective signal processing for image information usage, such as image capture and display of captured images, and allows users to comfortably capture and display captured images Is to make it available to you.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The portable terminal device according to the present invention includes a first casing having a display unit provided on a surface thereof, a second casing having an operation unit provided on a surface thereof, and the second casing fixed to the first casing. A connecting portion that is rotatably connected to the imaging device, and an imaging portion that is disposed in the connecting portion and images the front surface of the first housing. The connecting portion is integrated with the first housing, and a part of the connecting portion is accommodated in the second housing, so that the first housing and the second housing are connected, The first casing and the second casing rotate around the connecting portion as a rotation axis while maintaining a part of the back surface of the first casing and a part of the surface of the second casing. From the closed state in which the first housing and the second housing overlap and the back surface of the first housing covers the surface of the second housing, the first housing and the second housing A first open state in which the body is substantially perpendicular and the operation portion of the second casing is exposed, and the first casing and the second casing are substantially linear. Thus, a configuration is adopted in which it is rotated so as to reach the second open state.
[0014]
Since the image pickup unit is provided in the connecting portion, no extra space is required, and the space in the longitudinal direction of the connecting portion can be used effectively. Therefore, even if a thick lens (optical system) is used for high image quality, The problem of enlargement does not occur. Furthermore, since the imaging unit and the display unit can be used in either an open or closed state, it is possible to always handle an image comfortably.
[0015]
Further, in one aspect of the portable terminal device of the present invention, the connecting portion is configured to rotate in the same manner as the first casing rotates.
[0016]
Thereby, the rotation angle of the first housing and the rotation angle of the connecting portion (that is, the imaging unit) always coincide. That is, for example, up, down, left, and right with respect to the imaging unit coincide with up, down, left, and right in the first housing. Therefore, when the image picked up by the image pickup unit is displayed on the display unit, the rotation angle of the first housing does not cause any problem. Therefore, the means for performing the image display process does not need to perform the process of rotating and displaying the captured image. For example, the image display process only needs to perform a process such as a left-right reversal process such as a mirror image reversal. It is reduced. This leads to simplification of the image processing means and contributes to cost reduction and LSI chip size reduction.
[0017]
In another aspect of the portable terminal device of the present invention, the connecting portion has a structure integrated with the first casing, and the connecting portion is inserted into the second casing. The first housing and the second housing are connected.
[0018]
With this configuration, for example, each housing can be rotatably connected by fixing the connecting portion to the first housing and inserting the connecting portion into the second housing so that the housing can be rotated. The process can be simplified.
[0019]
In another aspect of the portable terminal device of the present invention, a display unit is also provided on the back surface of the first housing, and is provided on the front and back surfaces of the first housing in the first and second open states. It is possible to display an image on each of the display units.
[0020]
As a result, in the open state, it is possible to perform processing such as simultaneous display of the same image on each display unit provided on the front and back surfaces, and display of an image only on one of the display units. improves.
[0021]
In another aspect of the portable terminal device of the present invention, in the second open state, operations of the imaging unit and the display unit are prohibited.
[0022]
Although the portable terminal of the present invention has a configuration capable of imaging and displaying an image in any state of opening and closing, imaging or the like is not necessary in the case of communication using only voice. And in the case of the opening-and-closing type portable terminal which this invention makes object, it becomes the form similar to a normal rod-shaped portable terminal in the 2nd open state where each of the 1st and 2nd housings becomes straight. The earphone and the mouth are brought close to the mobile terminal, which is most suitable for voice conversation. In this case, if the imaging unit is operating, a part of the face (such as the chin) is imaged, resulting in inconvenience. Therefore, in the second open state, imaging and image display are prohibited so that inconvenience and useless operation do not occur.
[0023]
In another aspect of the portable terminal device of the present invention, in consideration of the convenience of the user when performing only voice communication in the second open state, the second surface of the first housing is further provided. A receiving portion is provided in a portion located near the top in the open state of the second housing, and when a person approaches his ear to the receiving portion in the second open state of the surface of the second housing, Provide a microphone near the mouth.
[0024]
Thereby, it is possible to comfortably perform reception and transmission without difficulty.
[0025]
In another aspect of the portable terminal device of the present invention, a speaker for outputting a ringtone and a voice is provided near the lowermost part of the surface of the second casing, and in the first open state, And the voice is output from the speaker, and in the second open state, the receiver is operated to output the voice, and the speaker receives the ringtone. Only output.
[0026]
In the first open state (a state in which the first housing and the second housing are substantially perpendicular), the user's face is positioned in front of the display unit of the first housing, and the user looks at the display unit. At the same time, since a videophone is used while viewing an image, or voice communication is performed in a hands-free mode using a speaker, the sound is also output from the speaker. On the other hand, in the second open state (a state where the first housing and the second housing are in a straight line), the ear and mouth are brought close to each other to perform voice-only communication. To do. Thereby, it is suitable for each of two types of open states (a first open state in which the mobile terminal is used in front of the user's face and a second open state in which voice communication is performed with the ear and mouth close to each other). A communication mode can be realized.
[0027]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0028]
In the following description, an openable mobile phone that can be used as a videophone will be described. However, the mobile phone is not limited to a mobile phone, and other types such as a camera, a video camera, and a personal digital assistant (PDA) can be used. The present invention can be similarly applied to a portable device.
[0029]
(Embodiment 1)
1 is a front view showing a closed state of the mobile terminal device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view showing a first open state of the mobile terminal device, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view showing a second open state of the portable terminal device. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the mobile terminal device in the second open state (the state of FIG. 3), and FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the mobile terminal device.
[0030]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the openable portable terminal device according to the present embodiment includes a housing 101, a rotating shaft unit 102, an antenna 103, a vibrator unit 104, an operation unit 105, and a receiver unit. (Receiver) 106, speaker 107, transmitter (microphone) 108, camera unit 109, first hall element 110, second hall element 111, display 112, permanent magnet 113, and printed circuit board 114.
[0031]
The printed circuit board 114 includes the transmission / reception unit 115, the data conversion unit 116, the sound processing unit 117, the image processing unit 118, the information recording unit 119, and the control unit 120 shown in FIG.
[0032]
Hereinafter, each component which the communication terminal of this embodiment has is demonstrated.
[0033]
First, the housing 101 will be described.
[0034]
The casing 101 includes a first casing member 101a and a second casing member 101b.
[0035]
The second housing member 101b is formed with a pivot shaft portion 102 that rotatably supports the first housing member 101a, and the first housing member 101a and the second housing member 101b are overlapped with each other. One housing member 101a is rotatable about 180 degrees around the axis of the rotation shaft portion 102 in the S direction (or the second housing member 101b is opposite to the S direction).
[0036]
In the following description, as shown in FIG. 1, a state in which the first housing member 101a is completely overlapped with the second housing member 101b is referred to as a “closed state”. The state in which the member 101a is superimposed is indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG.
[0037]
Further, a state in which the first casing member 101a is rotated in the S direction with respect to the second casing member 101b from the closed state is referred to as an “open state”. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, a state in which the angle between the first housing member 101a and the second housing member 101b is approximately 90 degrees is referred to as a “first open state”, and FIG. As shown, a state in which the angle between the first housing member 101a and the second housing member 101b is approximately 180 degrees (or a state in which the first housing member 101a is opened linearly) is referred to as a “second open state”.
[0038]
Usually, the portable terminal device is used in a closed state when it is carried and in an open state when used.
[0039]
In the present embodiment, the protrusion 121 is formed on the surface of the second casing member 101b that comes into contact with the first casing member 101a in the closed state.
[0040]
For this reason, a clearance 121a is formed between the first casing member 101a and the second casing member 101b in the closed state.
[0041]
As shown in FIG. 5, the transmission / reception unit 115 is connected to the antenna 103, and processes data received by the antenna 103 and transmits it to the data conversion unit 116.
[0042]
The data converter 116 converts the received data into audio data and transmits it to the audio processor 117.
[0043]
The audio processing unit 117 generates audio signals by decoding audio data, and then transmits the audio signals to the receiver 106 and the speaker 107. The receiver 106 and the speaker 107 output sound corresponding to the sound signal transmitted from the sound processing unit 117.
[0044]
The audio processing unit 117 encodes the audio received by the microphone 108 to generate audio data, and then transmits the audio data to the data conversion unit 116.
[0045]
The data conversion unit 116 converts the transmitted audio data into communication data, and then transmits the communication data to the transmission / reception unit 115. The transmission / reception unit 115 processes the received communication data and transmits it as a radio wave from the antenna 103.
[0046]
As shown in FIG. 5, the camera unit 109 and the display unit 112 are connected to an image processing unit 118.
[0047]
The receiver 106, the speaker 107, and the microphone 108 are connected to the sound processing unit 117, and the sound processing unit 117 is connected to the data conversion unit 116.
[0048]
The control unit 120 is connected to the vibrator unit 104, the operation unit 105, the first Hall element 110, the second Hall element 111, the transmission / reception unit 115, the data conversion unit 116, and the information recording unit 119, and controls these components. I do.
[0049]
Further, the control unit 120 is connected to the battery 122, and power is supplied from the battery 122.
[0050]
The first casing member 101a accommodates a receiver 106, a camera unit 109, a display unit 112, and a permanent magnet 113. The second casing member 101b includes an antenna 103, a vibrator unit 104, an operation unit 105, a speaker 107, a transmitter (microphone) 108, a first hall element 110, and a second hall element 111. The printed circuit board 114 is accommodated.
[0051]
The antenna 103 is disposed on the side opposite to the sound output side in the vicinity of the rotation shaft portion 102 of the second casing member 101b.
[0052]
The vibrator unit 104 notifies the incoming call by vibration by oscillating the incoming call.
[0053]
The operation unit 105 includes a first operation unit 105a, a second operation unit 105b, and a third operation unit 105c. The first operation unit 105a is provided on the opposing side surface 101c (the main surface of the second casing member) of the second casing member 101b that faces the first casing member 101a in the closed state. The operation unit 105b is provided on the front surface 101d of the first housing member 101a (the back surface of the opposite surface facing the second housing member), and the third operation unit 105c is on the right side surface 101e of the first housing member ( It is provided on the right side surface of the first casing member.
[0054]
The user can operate the first operation unit 105a to perform operations such as receiving and ending calls, adjusting the volume output from the receiver 106 and the speaker 107, and inputting characters, symbols, and numbers. The second operation unit 105b is operated and used as a direction key.
[0055]
The direction key moves a cursor displayed when inputting characters in an arbitrary direction. For example, when the map is displayed on the display unit 112 using the GPS function and the displayed map is moved in an arbitrary direction, the moving direction is instructed.
[0056]
For example, in FIG. 2, when the cursor 112c is displayed on the first display unit 112a, when the operation button 105d of the second operation unit 105b is pressed, the cursor 112c moves in the arrow A direction. When the user presses 105e, the cursor 112c moves in the direction of the arrow B. For example, when the right operation button 105d is pressed with the camera unit 109 at the center (the state shown in FIG. 2), the cursor 112c also moves in the second direction (right). When the operation button 105e is pressed, the cursor 112c is also moved in the same direction (second).
[0057]
This function is used when editing characters or playing a downloaded game. By operating the third operation unit 105c, the camera unit 109 can be operated (still image shooting, moving image shooting start and end).
[0058]
The speaker 107 is disposed below the first operation unit 105a and outputs sound from the main surface 101c of the second casing member 101b.
[0059]
The speaker 107 outputs a ring tone when an incoming call is received, thereby notifying the user of the incoming call, or outputting a sound having a volume higher than that of the receiver 106 during a hands-free operation or a videophone call. In the present embodiment, a component having a sound pressure level difference of about 20 dB (A) at 1 KHz is selected.
[0060]
The camera unit 109 is provided in the vicinity of the rotation center of the first casing member 101a inside the second operation unit 105b, and can capture a subject in the forward direction of the display unit 112.
[0061]
Incident light from the subject captured by the camera unit 109 passes through the lens group 109a and is converted from an optical signal to an electrical signal by a photoelectric conversion element 109b such as a CCD (charge coupled device), thereby generating image information.
[0062]
The image information is processed by the image processing unit 118 and then displayed on the first and second display units 112a and 112b.
[0063]
In addition, the camera unit 109 can obtain a good image with less aberration by using a plurality of lenses.
[0064]
The reduction lens system that forms an image on the photoelectric conversion element has a variety of features such as distortion, coma, and astigmatism by combining multiple concave and convex lenses compared to a single lens. Aberration can be reduced.
[0065]
Also, the larger the aperture diameter (smaller F number) or the smaller the focal length f, the brighter the image created by the lens.
[0066]
On the other hand, the thickness of the entire lens system increases, leading to an increase in the thickness of the camera unit 109. Therefore, by providing the camera unit 109 on the rotating shaft unit 102 where the first and second housing members 101a and 101b overlap each other regardless of whether the housing 101 is opened or closed as in the present embodiment, A camera unit 109 that can obtain high image quality while avoiding thickening of the casing members 101a and 101b is provided.
[0067]
In FIG. 4, the camera unit 109 is illustrated as an optical system composed of three lenses. In the design, conditions are determined by the size of the imaged pixel, the degree of aberration removal, etc., and the optical system is determined by the combination of several positive and negative lenses. It is shown. In particular, in order to remove the curvature of field, it is better to use a negative lens having a low refractive index, and for that purpose, a plurality of lenses are essential.
[0068]
If the camera unit 109 is to be housed in addition to the rotating shaft part 102, either one of the housing members to be housed will be thick, and therefore it will be thick even in the closed state, which is suitable for carrying, so it is not suitable for portability. It becomes.
[0069]
Image information captured by the camera unit 109 is recorded in the information recording unit 119 when a predetermined operation is performed.
[0070]
In addition, the information recording unit 119 may record telephone number information, voice information, image information other than the image information of the captured image (received image information, etc.), and character information such as mail being created or transmitted / received. it can.
[0071]
The display unit 112 includes a first display unit 112a and a second display unit 112b, and can be configured by a liquid crystal display or the like, and displays characters, symbols, numbers, images, maps, and the like. . The first display unit 112a is provided on the front surface 101d of the first housing member 101a and adjacent to the camera unit 109.
[0072]
The direction of arrow C taken by the camera unit 109 is displayed toward the direction of arrow D of the first display unit 112a.
[0073]
The second display unit 112b is provided on the back surface of the first display unit 112a. When the first operation unit 105a is operated, a captured image captured by the camera unit 109 is displayed on the second display unit 112b.
[0074]
When the user wants to photograph a person in front, the camera unit 109 may be directed toward the person in front. In this case, a captured image is not generated on the first display unit 112a and is displayed only on the second display unit 112b. It is like that. The user can take a picture while confirming the image displayed on the second display unit 112b.
[0075]
The receiver 106 is provided on the front surface 101d of the first casing member 101a and adjacent to the display unit 112, and outputs sound when the mobile terminal device of the present embodiment is used as a normal mobile phone. It is.
[0076]
The sound output from the receiver 106 is provided so as to be output toward the front of the display unit 112 together with the speaker 107. When receiving a voice communication, the user opens the casing 101 in the second open state, and after receiving a predetermined receiving operation, the user touches the receiver 106 and listens to the voice.
[0077]
When making a videophone call or making a hands-free call, it is used as the first open state, and the communication partner's voice is not output from the receiver 106 but is output from the speaker 107. The microphone 108 is provided in the vicinity of the rotation shaft portion 102 of the main surface 101c of the second casing member.
[0078]
The permanent magnet 113 is provided in the vicinity of the camera unit 109 of the first casing member 101a.
[0079]
The first hall element 110 is provided on the second casing member 101b so as to face the permanent magnet 113 when the casing 101 is in the closed state.
[0080]
The second hall element 111 is provided on the second casing member 101b so as to face the permanent magnet 113 when the casing 101 is in the second open state.
[0081]
When the housing 101 is in the closed state, the permanent magnet 113 is close to the first Hall element 110, so that the first Hall element 110 detects the permanent magnet 113 and gives a detection signal to the control unit 120.
[0082]
Further, if the casing 101 is not in a closed state, that is, if it is in an open state, the permanent magnet 113 is separated from the first Hall element 110. Since the first Hall element 110 cannot detect the permanent magnet 113, the first Hall element 110 does not generate a detection signal.
[0083]
When the housing 101 is in the second open state, the permanent magnet 113 is close to the second Hall element 111. The second hall element 111 detects the permanent magnet 113 and sends a detection signal to the control unit 120.
[0084]
That is, when the first hall element 110 detects the permanent magnet 113, the housing 101 is in a closed state, and when it cannot be detected, it is in an open state.
[0085]
When the housing 101 is in the open state, the second Hall element 111 is in the second open state when the permanent magnet 113 is detected. If the second Hall element 111 does not detect the permanent magnet 113, the first opening is performed. State.
[0086]
Therefore, the control unit 120 recognizes the open / closed state of the first housing member 101a and the second housing member 101b depending on whether or not the detection signals from the first and second Hall elements 110 and 111 are received. Can do.
[0087]
In the mobile terminal device according to the present embodiment configured as described above, the user puts his / her ear on the receiver 106 in the second open state.
[0088]
In the first open state, it is used when holding a hand to make a videophone or handsfree call, reading a mail, or inputting a character to create a mail. Therefore, in the closed state, the projected area of the housing 101 is minimized, which is suitable for portability.
[0089]
In the first open state, the first display unit 112a is in the landscape orientation, which is suitable for displaying a VGA size image. For this reason, it is possible to display a larger image than when the display unit 112a having the same size is set in the vertical direction.
[0090]
In the second open state, since the distance between the receiver 106 and the microphone 108 is the maximum, the microphone 108 comes close to the mouth when talking with the case 101 held in hand and the vicinity of the receiver 106 placed on the head. You can listen to the voice and send the voice.
[0091]
Next, with reference to FIGS. 1-7, operation | movement of the portable terminal device of this embodiment is demonstrated.
[0092]
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the function of each mode of the mobile terminal device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a correspondence relationship between the function of the mobile terminal device and the state of each casing. FIG.
[0093]
In FIG. 1 to FIG. 6, in a state where the mobile terminal device according to the present embodiment is powered on, the voice communication mode is started, mode switching is performed by operating the operation unit 105, and the non-voice communication mode or Each function can be operated in camera mode.
[0094]
In the voice communication mode, a reception standby operation for voice and non-voice communication is started, and a call can be made with a communication partner by performing an incoming call operation or a outgoing call operation.
[0095]
In the reception standby state, when the casing 101 is closed, the time and the like are displayed on the first display portion 112a, and when the incoming call is received, the display of the time and the like disappears and the other party's transmission number is displayed.
[0096]
If the other party's calling number is registered in the phone book in advance together with the name, the other party's name is displayed. When a voice-only communication is received, the first casing member 101a is swung in the S direction to receive a voice. In the first open state, a voice is output from the speaker 107 and can be performed hands-free.
[0097]
Audio is output from the receiver 106 in the second open state.
[0098]
When a so-called videophone call with a moving image with sound is received, when the first open state is set, an image (for example, a face image of the other party) transmitted from the communication partner is displayed on the first display unit 112a. Sound is output from the speaker 107. When it is desired to end the conversation, the first operation section is operated in a predetermined state while the casing 101 is in the open state, or is closed when the first or second open state is closed.
[0099]
In the non-voice communication mode, the character information input from the operation unit 105 is displayed on the first display unit 112a while maintaining the reception standby state, and the character information or information recording unit 121 is transmitted to the other party using the transmission function. Audio and non-speech (image etc.) information stored in can be transmitted.
[0100]
When non-voice information such as mail is received, a message for notifying the incoming call is displayed on the first display portion 112a regardless of whether the housing 101 is in the open or closed state.
[0101]
In the open state, incoming character information and image information can be displayed on the first display unit 112a by a predetermined operation by the user.
[0102]
Further, when performing voice or non-voice communication, a telephone directory function can be used to determine a transmission partner. That is, the case 101 can be opened, the first operation unit 105a can be operated, the name of the other party can be displayed on the first display unit 112a using the telephone directory function, and can be selected and confirmed.
[0103]
In the camera mode, shooting by the camera unit 109 can be performed in the closed state and the first open state.
[0104]
When the camera unit 109 captures images in the closed state and the first open state, a mirror image is displayed on the first display unit 112a. Further, the captured image can be recorded in the information recording unit 119 as a still image or a moving image.
[0105]
When playing back a moving image or a still image recorded in the information recording unit 119, a predetermined operation can be performed to display the captured image on the first display unit 112a for visual observation.
[0106]
This captured image can be stored in the telephone directory in association with the telephone number information. When an incoming call is received from the telephone number associated with the image information, a reverse mirror image of the captured image is displayed on the first display unit 112a. That is, even if a mirror image is displayed at the time of shooting, a reverse mirror image is displayed when a recorded image is read out. In addition, a captured image captured by the camera unit 109 can be transmitted to a communication partner.
[0107]
The relationship between the aspect of the housing 101 and the operation of the receiver 106, the speaker 107, and the camera unit 109 is summarized in FIG.
[0108]
In this embodiment mode, the first housing member 101a is provided with a camera portion 109 and a first display portion 112a. Therefore, the manner in which the camera unit 109 is arranged on one short side of the first display unit 112a does not change regardless of whether the housing 101 is opened or closed.
[0109]
Therefore, when the image captured by the camera unit 109 is generated on the display unit 112, it is not necessary to change the orientation of the displayed image regardless of the open / closed state of the housing.
[0110]
Furthermore, it explains in full detail using a figure. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen displayed on the display unit when the mobile terminal device is closed.
[0111]
FIG. 8A shows a reception standby state, and a mark, a date, a time, and the like indicating an electric field strength and a remaining electric capacity are displayed regardless of whether the housing 101 is opened or closed. In addition, a mark indicating that a mail has arrived or a mark indicating whether or not there is an answering machine may be displayed.
[0112]
FIG. 8B shows an image generated on the first display unit 112a when a subject is imaged, and a mirror image of the subject is displayed.
[0113]
FIG. 8C shows a display screen when the image captured in FIG. 8B is registered in the phone book, and the face image of the other party is displayed together with the phone number and the name of the other party. In addition, a reverse mirror image at the time of shooting is displayed in the telephone directory.
[0114]
That is, at the time of shooting, a mirror image is displayed on the display screen, and an anti-mirror image is displayed when a shot image recorded in the information recording unit 119 is called. This display screen is displayed when a caller is registered in the phone book when an incoming call is received. Display a message to be notified.
[0115]
Therefore, for example, when the subject is imaged with the arrow A direction facing up, the D direction of the first display unit 112a and the C direction of the subject (first head) are either in the open or closed state of the housing. However, since this orientation is universal, it is not necessary to change the orientation of the image displayed on the first display unit 112a, so that the control method can be simplified.
[0116]
In any mode, when an incoming call arrives, a ring tone is output from the speaker 107 in order to notify the incoming call.
[0117]
At this time, even if the housing 101 is in the closed state, the ring tone output from the speaker 107 is guided out of the housing 101 through the clearance 121a, so that the user can hear the ringtone clearly.
[0118]
In addition, when the housing 101 is in the open state, the front of the speaker 107 is open, so that it is not difficult for the user to hear the ring tone.
[0119]
In particular, when making a videophone, since a sound is output toward the user who views the first display portion 112a, a good videophone can be made. When the manner mode is set, the ring tone is not output and only the vibrator unit 104 is operated, and the casing 101 is vibrated for a predetermined time.
[0120]
Note that in this embodiment, when the housing 101 is in the closed state, the protrusion 121 for forming the clearance 121a between the first housing member 101a and the second housing member 101b is provided in the second state. Although formed on the main surface 101c of the casing member 101b, a protrusion having the same function as this may be provided on another part such as the first casing member 101a. That is, in order to be able to guide the sound output from the speaker 107 to the outside of the housing 101 even when the housing 101 is in the closed state, the housing facing the housing member in which the speaker 107 is disposed. What is necessary is just to form the clearance 121a between body members.
[0121]
Next, a usage example will be described.
[0122]
When making a voice-only call, the user puts the second casing member 101b in his hand in the second open state and puts the receiver 106 of the first casing member 101a on his ear to talk. At the time of a video phone call or hands-free operation, the first housing member 101a is separated from the head and used while being held in the hand as shown in FIG.
[0123]
During a videophone call, the camera unit 109 operates to photograph the user himself / herself. When photographing the front of the user, the camera unit 109 is pointed forward, the image is displayed while viewing the image displayed on the second display unit 112b, and in the closed state, the third operation unit faces upward. Use it.
[0124]
In the present embodiment, the second display unit that generates a photographed image of the subject when photographing the front of the user is provided on the back surface of the first display unit, but this is not necessarily limited thereto.
[0125]
For example, the camera is oriented in the direction of photographing the rear of the second display portion 112b, such as being provided on the opposite surface of the second casing member opposite to the main surface 101c so that the photographed image can be photographed even in the closed state. It is sufficient if there is a part. In addition, the camera unit 109 is set in the direction opposite to the direction described in the embodiment so that the camera unit 109 can capture an image on the side opposite to the main surface 101c of the second housing member. It may be arranged according to demand.
[0126]
The main feature points (in each embodiment thereof) of the present invention described above are summarized as shown in FIG.
[0127]
As described above, the present invention takes into account the feature (Fig. 11) of the open / close type portable terminal in which the upper and lower housings are rotated and opened relative to each other, and takes high-quality imaging functions and captured images. From the viewpoint of successfully installing display functions on open / close type mobile terminals and enabling users to use each installed function comfortably, the installation of the imaging unit, the relative arrangement of the imaging unit and the display unit, It is characterized in that it is devised to set an appropriate operation mode corresponding to the open / close state of the housing.
[0128]
In FIG. 9, the feature points in the closed state are described in the left column, the feature points in the first open state are described in the center column, and the second open point is described in the right column. The feature points in the state are described.
[0129]
(1) First, the first feature is that a thick lens (optical system) can be used without difficulty by embedding the imaging unit 109 in a hollow coupling part (with a sufficient margin in the longitudinal direction). It can be done. As a result, high-quality shooting is possible.
[0130]
(2) Next, the imaging unit 109 and the display unit 112 are always exposed on the surface of the upper casing, and the captured image is displayed and the captured image is displayed regardless of the open state or the closed state. It is a point that can be. If a display unit is also provided on the back surface of the upper housing, the X and Y users shown in FIG. 9 can simultaneously view the same image from both sides. In addition, the imaging unit (optical system thereof) can be exposed on the surface of the lower housing so that the user X side can be imaged.
[0131]
{Circle over (3)} Further, as shown in FIG. 9, in the present invention, the display unit 112 is basically used in a horizontally long state, and a wide range display can be performed.
(4) Also, in the example of the present invention, as clearly shown in FIG. 4, since the connecting portion 400 fixed to the upper housing is fitted to the lower housing, the connecting portion 400 (that is, its Both the camera built in and the display unit 112 rotate at the same angle. This means that the vertical direction of each of the camera and the display unit always matches. Thereby, the burden of image display processing is reduced.
[0132]
Since this point is important, it will be specifically described with reference to FIG.
[0133]
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a specific configuration example of a portion related to processing of a captured image of the mobile terminal device of the present invention. The specific configuration of FIG. 10 corresponds to the main electrical configuration of the mobile terminal device shown in FIG.
[0134]
The image processing unit 118 includes an A / D converter 200 that converts detection signals of the first and second Hall elements 110 and 111 into digital signals, and an address control circuit that controls addresses in reading and writing of the image memory 303. 201.
[0135]
The camera unit 109 includes a camera 300 (corresponding to the solid-state imaging element 109b) and an output amplifier 301.
[0136]
The control unit 120 includes an A / D converter 302 that converts an image pickup signal output from the camera unit 109 into a digital signal, an image memory 303, and an address circuit 304. The address circuit 304 is controlled by the address control circuit 201.
[0137]
In an open / close type portable terminal in which the upper and lower casings rotate, the rotation angle of the upper casing when an image is captured by the camera 300 (109b) is not necessarily fixed. Therefore, the upper and lower positions of the camera unit 109, the first display unit 112a (the display unit provided on the surface of the upper housing), and the second display unit 112b (the display unit provided on the back surface of the upper housing). If the directions do not match, when the image is displayed, it is necessary to correct the rotation of the image corresponding to the rotation angle at that time. In this case, a mechanism for accurately detecting the rotation angle is required, resulting in complication of the apparatus, and address control when reading out image data from the image memory 303 for displaying an image becomes complicated. This may cause high costs or increase the size of the LSI.
[0138]
However, if the camera unit 109 and the display unit 112a (112b) are both configured to rotate in the same manner, the vertical direction is always the same, so basically, the captured image may be displayed as it is. If necessary, the mirror image may be displayed with the left and right reversed. Therefore, image processing is simplified.
[0139]
10, the camera unit 109 captures the face of the person Z (frontward), displays a mirror image on the first display unit 112a, and displays a normal image that is not a mirror image on the second display unit 112b. The case of displaying is shown. FIG. 10 illustrates an example in which the display screen is used in a vertically long state in the closed state. The fourth feature point has been described above.
[0140]
(5) Further, as a fifth feature point of the portable terminal device of the present invention, if a display unit is also provided on the back surface of the upper housing, the users X and Y shown in FIG. You can mention seeing the same image. In addition, the imaging unit (optical system thereof) can be exposed on the surface of the lower housing so that the user X side can be imaged.
[0141]
(6) Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, in consideration of comfortable use by the user, the second open state is set to a mode for performing only voice communication, and imaging and display of the captured image are prohibited, while the closed state is set. The first open state is a mode in which imaging and display of the captured image are permitted.
[0142]
That is, as shown in the upper right of FIG. 9, when the housing is in the second open state, it is suitable for the user to conduct a normal conversation with the ear and mouth close to each other. Since the operation is often unnecessary, the imaging and the display of the captured image are not performed in the second open state.
[0143]
From this point of view, consideration is given so that conversation can be performed comfortably using the receiver (receiver) 106 and the microphone 108. That is, the voice of the other party is output from the receiver 106, the microphone 108 is provided at a position where the user's voice can be easily picked up, and only the ring tone is output from the speaker 107.
[0144]
On the other hand, in the first open state, as shown in the upper center of FIG. 9, the user's face usually comes in front (back) of the mobile terminal, and the user's eyes correspond to the display unit. is there. In this state, since the user's face is located in front of the portable terminal, it is preferable to output the voice of the other party from the speaker toward the front (in a slightly increased volume). Therefore, a configuration is adopted in which sound is output from the speaker 107 and the receiver (receiver) 106 is turned off.
[0145]
In addition, since the captured image and the captured image can be displayed even in the closed state, the sound is output from the speaker 107 and the receiver (receiver) 106 is turned off as in the first open state. .
[0146]
In this way, by setting the operation mode in consideration of voice-only communication, it is possible to comfortably use the imaging function and the display function of the captured image in the open / close type mobile terminal device. On the other hand, comfortable voice communication is also possible.
[0147]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, in an open / close type portable terminal device in which the upper and lower casings rotate, it is possible to capture a high-quality image without hindering downsizing of the portable terminal device. In addition, it is possible to effectively perform signal processing for use of image information such as imaging and display of a captured image, and to enable a user to comfortably use the imaging and captured image display functions. Become.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing an external form of an example of a portable terminal device according to the present invention in a closed state;
FIG. 2 is a front view showing an appearance form in the first open state of an example of the mobile terminal device of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a front view showing an appearance form in the second open state of an example of the mobile terminal device of the present invention;
4 is a cross-sectional view of the mobile terminal device in the state of FIG.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an example of the mobile terminal device of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining functions according to modes in an example of the mobile terminal device of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a correspondence relationship between a receiver, a speaker, and a camera unit and an open / closed state of a housing in an example of the mobile terminal device of the present invention.
FIG. 8A is a diagram showing an example of a display screen in a closed state in an example of the mobile terminal device of the present invention.
(B) The figure which shows the other example of the display screen in a closed state in an example of the portable terminal device of this invention.
(C) The figure which shows the other example of the display screen in a closed state in an example of the portable terminal device of this invention.
FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining main feature points in each embodiment of the mobile terminal device of the present invention;
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific configuration example of a portion related to processing of a captured image in the portable terminal device of the invention;
FIG. 11A is a diagram showing an appearance of a rod-shaped mobile terminal as a comparative example.
(B) The figure which shows the external appearance in the closed state of an open / close type portable terminal
(C) The figure which shows the external appearance in the state which the upper side housing | casing rotated 90 degrees of the opening-and-closing type portable terminal.
(D) The figure which shows the external appearance in the state which the upper side housing | casing rotated 180 degrees of the opening-and-closing type portable terminal.
[Explanation of symbols]
101 case
101a first housing member
101b Second housing member
101c Surface of second casing member
101d Front of first housing member
101e Right side surface of the first casing member
102 Rotating shaft
103 Antenna
104 Vibrator
105 Operation unit
105a First operation unit
105b Second operation unit
105c 3rd operation part
105d, 105e, 105f, 105g Operation buttons
106 Receiver
107 Speaker
108 Microphone
109 Camera section
110 First Hall element
111 Second Hall element
112 Display section
112a 1st display part
112b 2nd display part
112c cursor
113 Permanent magnet
114 Printed circuit board
115 transceiver
116 Data converter
117 Voice processing part
118 Image processing unit
119 Information recording section
120 Control unit
121 protrusion
121a clearance
122 battery

Claims (5)

A first housing having a display portion on the surface;
A second housing having an operation portion on the surface;
A connecting portion fixed to the first housing and rotatably connected to the second housing;
An imaging unit that is disposed in the coupling unit and images the front surface of the first housing;
With
The connecting portion is integrated with the first housing, and a part of the connecting portion is accommodated in the second housing, so that the first housing and the second housing are connected,
The first casing and the second casing rotate around the connecting portion as a rotation axis while maintaining a part of the back surface of the first casing and a part of the surface of the second casing. And
From the closed state in which the first casing and the second casing overlap and the back surface of the first casing covers the surface of the second casing, the first casing and the second casing Is in a first open state in which the operation portion of the second casing is exposed, and the first casing and the second casing are substantially straight and are 2. A mobile terminal device that rotates to reach the open state of 2. Oite to claim 1,
A display portion is also provided on the back surface of the first housing, and images can be displayed on the display portions provided on the front and back surfaces of the first housing in the first and second open states. The portable terminal device characterized by the above-mentioned. In either claim 1 or claim 2 ,
In the first open state, the operation of the imaging unit and display of the captured image are permitted,
In the second open state, a setting that prohibits the operation of the imaging unit and the display of the captured image is possible. In claim 3 ,
Furthermore, a receiving part is provided on a portion of the surface of the first housing located near the top in the second open state, and the surface of the second housing is in the second open state. A portable terminal device, characterized in that a microphone is provided in a portion close to a person's mouth when a person approaches his ear. In claim 4 ,
Furthermore, a speaker for outputting a ringtone and voice is provided near the lowermost part of the surface of the second housing,
In the first open state, the operation of the receiving unit is prohibited, and a voice is output from the speaker in addition to the ringing tone,
In the second open state, the portable terminal device is characterized in that the receiving unit is operated to output a sound and only the ring tone is output from the speaker.

Images