JP4583353B2 - Mobile device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable terminal having two housings that can be opened and closed with respect to each other.

  Currently, there is known a portable terminal in which two casings are connected to each other by a hinge mechanism so as to be opened and closed. Examples of such portable terminals include portable terminals such as personal computers and cellular phones. In addition, such a portable terminal is provided with an operation unit that is exposed to the outside when the two housings are closed.

Conventionally, in order to prevent an erroneous input due to an operation not intended by the user with respect to the operation unit exposed to the outside, a lock key for invalidating the key operation on the operation unit is provided, or a predetermined key is provided. A setting method for invalidating key operation by an operation is set (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2004-128850 A

  However, in the conventional key operation invalidation setting method, the input from the operation unit is uniformly validated or invalidated regardless of the open / closed state of the mobile terminal. For this reason, the user has to perform operations such as changing the setting of the lock key in order to change whether the input of the operation unit is valid or invalid, and there is a problem in operability.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a mobile terminal capable of improving operability.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, a mobile terminal according to the present invention is a mobile terminal including two casings that can be freely opened and closed. When the two casings are closed, the two casings face each other. The first input unit, the second input unit, and the opening and closing of the two casings are detected on the surface opposite to the surface on which the display unit for displaying one of the images is provided. When it is detected that the detection unit, the setting unit for setting the input of the first input unit and the second input unit to be valid or invalid, and the two cases are closed, the setting unit When the input by the first input unit is enabled or disabled based on the setting and it is detected that the two cases are open, the input by the first input unit is detected regardless of the setting of the setting unit. Is disabled and the two cases are detected to be open, Regardless, if the input by the second input unit is validated and the two cases are detected to be closed, the input by the second input unit is validated or invalidated based on the setting of the setting unit And a control unit.

  Thus, according to the mobile terminal of the present invention, the opposite side of the surface on which the display unit provided on one surface of the two housings facing each other is provided according to the open / closed state of the housing. Since the input to the first input unit provided on the surface of the front panel can be invalidated and the input to the second input unit is invalidated or valid according to the open / closed state of the housing, the user can The operability can be improved.

  Next, an embodiment of a mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mobile phone which is an embodiment of a mobile terminal according to the present invention. The mobile phone shown in FIG. 1 is a closed mobile phone.

  The mobile phone 1 shown in FIG. 1 listens to a radio switch which is a mode for listening to radio, and a slide switch 11 for setting enable / disable of input of touch sensors and side keys, which will be described later, and a mode of the mobile phone 1. A mode key 14a for changing to a music mode, which is a mode, a manner key 14b for setting the cellular phone 1 to a manner mode, a touch sensor 170 for detecting contact with a finger and performing input by the contact, and imaging A camera 180 and a light 190. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the mobile phone 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a switch that receives an input from the user when pressed. This switch may be provided at the lower part of the panel of the touch sensor 170, for example.

  Next, a state where the two housings of the mobile phone shown in FIG. 1 are opened will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mobile phone shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows the mobile phone with the housing open.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile phone 1 includes a display-side housing 2 and a character-side housing 3, and the display-side housing 2 and the character-side housing 3 can be opened and closed with each other via a hinge 9. It is connected.

  The display-side housing 2 includes a front case 2a and a rear case 2b. The display-side housing 2 has a circuit board (not shown) on which a circuit board such as a speaker is mounted. The display-side housing 2 includes a liquid crystal display unit 61a in the front case 2a.

  The character side housing 3 includes a front case 3a and a rear case 3b. Further, operation keys 5 are provided on the front case 3a. The operation keys 5 include a key for inputting numbers, a key for controlling on / off of the power supply, a key for determining an operation, and the like. Of course, the keys included in the operation keys 5 in the portable terminal of the present invention are not limited to these keys, and other keys may be included. When the two casings are closed (FIG. 1), the operation key 5 is not exposed from the outside. The rear case 3b is provided with a mode key 14a and a manner key 14b.

  Next, functions of the mobile phone shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of functions of the mobile phone shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, in the mobile phone of this embodiment, the hardware 300 and software 310 cooperate to realize the function.

  However, the separation between the hardware 300 and the software 310 shown in FIG. 3 is not absolute, and an arbitrary function of the functions of the hardware 300 and the software 310 can be changed between the hardware 300 and the software 310. It is possible to interchange between them appropriately.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the mobile phone hardware 300 according to this embodiment includes an operation input unit 10, a storage unit 30, and an output unit 80.

  The operation input unit 10 receives input from the user. The output unit 80 outputs various types of information such as images and sounds from the mobile phone to the user. The storage unit 30 stores information input from the user, information processed by the mobile phone, and the like. The storage unit 30 is composed of, for example, a RAM.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the operation input unit 10 includes a slide switch 11, a housing state detection unit 12, a back key 13, and a side key 14. The slide switch 11 is a switch for setting the input of the back key 13 and the side key 14 to be valid or invalid. The operation of the slide switch 11 will be described later.

  The case state detection unit 12 detects the open / closed state of the case of the mobile phone. The housing state detection unit 12 is not illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, but includes, for example, a magnet provided at an end of the display side housing 2 and the character side housing 3 opposite to the hinge 9. Realized by a magnetic sensor. In the mobile phone of the present embodiment, for example, a magnet is provided at the end opposite to the hinge 9 of the display-side housing 2, and a magnet is provided at the end opposite to the hinge 9 of the character-side housing 3. A sensor is provided. Of course, the positions of the magnet and the magnetic sensor may be reversed.

  Furthermore, in the portable terminal of the present invention, the casing state detection unit 12 is not limited to the one having such a configuration, and an apparatus that detects opening / closing of an arbitrary casing without departing from the gist of the present invention. Can be used.

  The back key 13 is a key that is exposed to the outside when the mobile phone is closed, and is a key that is provided on the outer surface of the casing that contacts the back of the liquid crystal display unit 61a on the casing. That is, when the user opens the casing and looks at the liquid crystal display unit 61a, the back key 13 is arranged on the outer surface of the casing that hits the back of the liquid crystal display unit 61a and cannot be viewed by the user. That means.

  Such a back key 13 includes, for example, a touch sensor 170 that detects a change in capacitance, a switch that detects pressing, and the like. Of course, the portable terminal of the present invention is not limited to such a back key, and any other back key can be provided without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  The side key 14 is a key other than the back key 13. The side key 14 corresponds to, for example, a key provided at a position other than the back surface of the liquid crystal display unit 61a on the housing. However, the key provided on the same surface as the back key 13 on the outer surface of the housing may be included in the side key 14.

  For example, the side key 14 includes a mode key 14a and a manner key 14b. Of course, the portable terminal of the present invention is not limited to such a side key, and any other type of side key can be provided without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  The output unit 80 includes a front display 61, a back display 62, a light emitting diode (LED) 63, a speaker 71, a vibrator 72, an earphone 73, a display unit 60, and a ringing unit 70.

  The front display 61 is a display provided on a surface facing when two housings are closed, and is a display visually recognized by the user in a state where the mobile phone is opened. The front display 61 corresponds to the liquid crystal display 61a shown in FIG. However, the front display 61 of the present invention is not limited to a liquid crystal display, and any other front display can be provided without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  The rear display 62 is a display disposed on the back side of the housing of the front display 61, and is configured by, for example, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. However, the rear display 62 of the present invention is not limited to an organic EL display, and any other rear display can be provided without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  The LED 63 notifies the user of various information by emitting light. The LED 63 is disposed, for example, around the touch sensor 170 constituting the back key 13. But in the portable terminal of this invention, the position where LED is arrange | positioned is not limited to the circumference | surroundings of a back key, The position can be changed in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention.

  The operations of the front display 61, the rear display 62, and the LEDs 63 are controlled by the display unit 60. The display unit 60 controls the operations of the front display 61, the rear display 62, and the LEDs 63 based on instructions from the execution unit 50 described later.

  The speaker 71 emits a predetermined sound. The vibrator 72 generates a predetermined vibration in the mobile phone by the rotation of the motor. The earphone 73 emits a predetermined sound from a mounting portion mounted on the user's ear.

  The operations of the speaker 71, vibrator 72, and earphone 73 are controlled by the sounding unit 70. The ringing unit 70 controls the operations of the speaker 71, vibrator 72, and earphone 73 based on instructions from the execution unit 50 described later.

  As illustrated in FIG. 3, the software 310 includes a control unit 20, a determination unit 40, and an execution unit 50. The control unit 20 controls the overall operation of the mobile phone. The control unit 20 is configured as software. For example, the function may be realized by the CPU cooperating with a program stored in the memory.

  The determination unit 40 performs a predetermined determination under the control of the control unit 20. The determination unit 40 is configured as software. For example, the function may be realized by the CPU cooperating with a program stored in the memory.

  The execution unit 50 instructs the display unit 60 and the ringing unit 70 to operate based on an instruction from the control unit 20. The execution unit 50 is configured as software. For example, the function may be realized by the CPU cooperating with a program stored in the memory.

  Next, the operation of each unit shown in FIG. 3 will be described in more detail. The slide switch 11 detects whether the slide switch 11 is turned on or off by the user, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 20 as a detection signal. In the mobile phone of this embodiment, the key operation is disabled when the slide switch 11 is on, and the key operation is enabled when the slide switch 11 is off.

  The housing state detection unit 12 detects the open / closed state of the housing and transmits the detection result to the control unit 20. Further, the back key 13 detects an input state to the back key 13 and transmits the detection result to the control unit 20. Further, the side key 14 detects an input state to the side key 14 and transmits the detection result to the control unit 20.

  The control unit 20 outputs an instruction signal to the execution unit 50 based on signals output from each unit constituting the operation input unit 10. In addition, the control unit 20 causes the determination unit 40 to determine whether the user's key operation is valid or invalid based on signals output from each unit constituting the operation input unit 10. The determination unit 40 determines whether the user's key operation is valid or invalid based on an instruction from the control unit 20. Details of the determination operation in the determination unit 40 will be described later.

  The control unit 20 outputs an instruction signal to the execution unit 50 based on the determination result of the determination unit 40 indicating whether the key operation by the user is valid or invalid. Further, the control unit 20 causes the storage unit 30 to store information on the state of the slide switch 11 and information on the open / close state of the housing.

  Further, the execution unit 50 controls the display unit 60 and the ringing unit 70 based on instructions from the control unit 20. For example, the display unit 60 gives an instruction to the front display 61, the rear display 62, and the LED 63 to display a result indicating that the key operation is invalid or a display indicating that the key operation is invalid. For example, when the slide switch 11 is operated, the front display 61 displays that the key operation is enabled or disabled.

  The sounding unit 70 informs the user of the result of key operation or the fact that the key operation is enabled or disabled by sound or vibration output from the speaker 71, vibrator 72, or earphone 73. For example, when the slide switch 11 is operated, the speaker 71 notifies the user that the key operation has been enabled or disabled by a sound to be emitted.

  Next, the operation of the mobile phone of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the operation of the mobile phone shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, first, the control unit 20 detects that there is a key input to each unit constituting the operation input unit 10 and the operation key 5 (S401). And the determination part 40 determines whether the key input based on the signal output from the control part 20 is the back key 13 (S402). When the input key is the back key 13 (S402, YES), the process proceeds to S409.

  In S409, the determination unit 40 determines whether the casing of the mobile phone is open or closed based on a signal output from the control unit 20 based on the detection result of the casing state detection unit 12. If the determination unit 40 determines in S409 that the casing of the mobile phone is open, the control unit 20 invalidates the input to the back key 13 (S409, S410) and ends the process.

  If the determination unit 40 determines in S409 that the mobile phone housing is closed, the process proceeds to S411. In S411, the determination unit 40 determines whether the slide switch 11 is on or off based on the signal output from the control unit 20. When the slide switch 11 is on, the control unit 20 invalidates the input to the back key 13 (S410), and when the slide switch is off, the control unit 20 validates the input to the back switch (S412). Finish the process.

  Next, when it is determined in S402 that the input key is not a back key (No), the process proceeds to S403. In S <b> 403, the determination unit 40 determines whether the input key is the side key 14 based on the signal output from the control unit 20. If the input key is not the side key 14 as a result of determination by the determination unit 40 (No), the control unit 20 validates the input key (S413) and ends the process. Here, the case where the input key is not the back key 13 or the side key 14 may be, for example, the case where the input key is the operation key 5, but the portable terminal of the present invention is in such a case. The key that is valid in S413 may be a key other than the back key 13 and the side key 14.

  If it is determined in S403 that the input key is the side key 14 (Yes), the process proceeds to S404. In S <b> 404, the determination unit 40 determines the open / close state of the housing based on the signal output from the control unit 20.

  Then, when the determination result of the determination unit 40 in S404 indicates that the housing is open, the control unit 20 validates the input to the side key 14 (S405) and ends the process. Here, in S405, the control unit 20 validates the input of the side key regardless of whether the state of the slide switch 11 is on or off.

  If the determination result of the determination unit 40 in S404 indicates that the housing is closed, the process proceeds to S406. In S406, the determination unit 40 determines the state of the slide switch based on the signal output from the control unit 20.

  Then, when the determination result of the determination unit 40 in S406 is a determination result indicating that the slide switch is in the ON state, the control unit 20 invalidates the input to the side key 14 (S407), and the slide switch 11 is in the OFF state. When the determination result indicates that the input to the side key 14 is valid (S408), the process ends.

  Thus, according to one embodiment of the portable terminal of the present invention, when an input to the back key 13 is made, the open / close state of the housing is determined, and if the housing is open, the back key 13 can be opened. If the input is invalidated and the case is closed, then the input of the rear key 13 is invalidated or valid based on whether the slide switch 11 is turned on or off. If there is, the back key 13 is not normally used. Therefore, regardless of whether the slide switch 11 is off or on, the input to the back key 13 is invalidated by invalidating the input of the back key 13 in this state. The operation of the slide switch 11 is not necessary, and the operability for the user can be improved.

  Furthermore, in one embodiment of the portable terminal of the present invention, when an input to the side key 14 is made, the open / close state of the housing is determined, and if the housing is closed, the slide switch is Since the input to the side key 14 is invalidated or validated based on the on / off state of the switch 11 and the casing is open, the input to the side key 14 is usually required. Regardless of the state, since the input to the side key 14 is validated, the user does not need to operate the slide switch 11 to validate the input to the side key 14 in this state, and the user operability is improved. Can be made.

It is a perspective view of the mobile telephone which is one Embodiment of the portable terminal which concerns on this invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mobile phone shown in FIG. 1. It is a block diagram of the function of the mobile phone shown in FIG. It is a flowchart of operation | movement of the mobile telephone shown by FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile phone 2 Display side case 2a Front case 2b Rear case 3 Character side case 3a Front case 3b Rear case 5 Operation key 9 Hinge 10 Operation input part 11 Slide switch (setting part)
12 Case state detector (detector)
13 Back key (first input part)
14 Side key (second input section)
14a Mode key (second input section)
14b Manner key (second input section)
20 control unit 30 storage unit 40 determination unit 50 execution unit 60 display unit 61 front display 61a liquid crystal display unit 62 rear display 63 LED
70 Sounding unit 71 Speaker 72 Vibrator 73 Earphone 80 Output unit 170 Touch sensor (first input unit)
180 Camera 190 Light 300 Hardware 310 Software

Claims (1)

A portable terminal comprising two housings that can be freely opened and closed,
When the two housings are closed, a first surface provided on the surface opposite to the surface provided with the display unit for displaying one of the surfaces facing each other of the two housings. An input section;
A second input unit;
A detector for detecting opening and closing of the two housings;
A setting unit for setting validity or invalidity of input of the first input unit and the second input unit;
When it is detected that the two housings are closed, the input by the first input unit is enabled or disabled based on the setting of the setting unit,
If it is detected that the two housings are open, the input by the first input unit is invalidated regardless of the setting of the setting unit,
When it is detected that the two housings are open, the input by the second input unit is validated regardless of the setting of the setting unit,
And a control unit configured to enable or disable the input by the second input unit based on the setting of the setting unit when it is detected that the two casings are closed.

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