JPH08237053A - Controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To execute two state changes opposite to each other by means of a control switch by discriminating whether or not the control switch is depressed for a predetermined time and executing a 1st state change or a 2nd state change. CONSTITUTION: A control switch input time discrimination means 201 in a state controller 20 counts the input time (depression time) of the control switch 10 to select control state of either of two states, 1st and 2nd states opposite to each other. For example, let the 1st state be volume increase and the 2nd state be volume decrease. Furthermore, a state comparison control means 202 discriminates whether or not state control is to be changed. Then a state revision means 203 changes the state control when the state comparison control means 202 discriminates the state control change to be available. A controller 30 to be controlled is, e.g. a variable volume for an audio equipment or the like and has a volume circuit 301, an amplifier 302 and a speaker 303. Then the volume circuit 301 is controlled by an output signal of a state revision means 203.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a controller for changing two contradictory states, and more particularly to a controller for controlling two contradictory states with a single control switch.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, two contradictory state controls (control modes), such as volume up / down of an audio device,
A control device for performing down control with a single push button switch is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-97711.

The control device described in this publication controls the volume up or down depending on whether or not the push button switch is pressed within a predetermined time after the counter starts counting. In other words, if the push button switch is pressed (turned on) within the predetermined time after the counter starts counting, the volume up is executed while the push button switch is being pressed, and after the preset time has elapsed from the start of the counter When the button switch is pressed, volume down is executed until the switch is released.

The counter starts counting when the power is first turned on, and next time when the push button switch is released.

[0005]

As described above, in the conventional control device, after the power is turned on, if the push button switch is operated for more than the predetermined time, the volume is lowered, and if it is operated within the predetermined time, the volume is controlled. . Therefore, the volume down cannot be performed within a predetermined time after the power is turned on, and in order to increase the volume after a predetermined time after the power is turned on, it is necessary to perform the volume down operation once and then perform the volume up operation.

Furthermore, once the push button switch has been operated, the volume cannot be reduced within a predetermined time, and the volume down control must be performed by pushing the push button switch again after a while. .

Moreover, whether or not the state control desired by the user is being performed depends on the volume.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the control device of the present invention comprises a control switch, a judgment means for judging whether or not the control switch has been pressed for a predetermined time, and State changing means for executing the first state change or the second state change opposite to the first state change based on the determination result of the determining means.

[0009]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. The first embodiment of the present invention includes a control switch 10 such as a push button switch, a state control device 20, and a controlled device 30 such as a volume device in an audio system.

In the state control device 20, the control switch input time judging means 201 measures the input time (pressing time) of the control switch 10 to determine whether the first state or the second state is opposite to each other. Select one of the controls. The first state can be, for example, volume up, and the second state can be volume down. The state comparison control means 202 determines whether the state control can be changed or not. The state changing unit 203 changes the state control when the state comparison control unit 202 can change the state.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of the state control device 20 of FIG. The operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

The control switch 10 is pressed (S21)
Then, the control switch input time determination means 201 starts counting the pressing time (t). When the control switch 10 is pressed even after the elapse of a predetermined time (T) (S
22) keeps outputting the first state change request, for example, the volume up request, to the state comparison control means 202 until the pressing of the control switch 10 is released.

The timing of sending the first state change request to the state comparison control means 202 is as follows: the first time is the first time after the predetermined time has elapsed, and the second and subsequent times are, for example, the predetermined time. The timing may be half the time. In this case, when the control switch 10 is pressed for a predetermined time, a volume up request signal is sent to the state comparison control means. Further, if the button is continuously pressed after that, the volume is turned up at the timing of half the predetermined time. This continues until the control switch 10 is released. At this time, various time intervals may be selected without being limited to half of the predetermined time. Further, the volume up request signal may be always output.

On the other hand, when the depression of the control switch 10 is released within a predetermined time (T) (S22), a second state change request, for example, a volume down request is output to the state comparison control means 202.

The state comparison control means 202 determines whether or not the state can be changed from the current state (S23, S25), and if possible, outputs a state change request to the state change means 203. If it cannot be changed, the change request is not output to the state changing unit 203.

The state change means 203 controls the state change only when the state comparison control means 202 makes a request,
(S24, S26) If there is no request, no change is made.

That is, in the state comparison control means 202,
It is determined whether or not the volume can be increased or decreased further, and if possible, the state changing unit 203 changes the volume. Volume up,
The control switch 10 is continuously pressed, and the volume is lowered by repeating a short-time pressing operation of the control switch 10.

Although the state comparison control means 202 is provided in the above embodiment, it is not always necessary to provide the state comparison control means 202, and the output signal of the control switch input time determination means 201 may be input to the state change means 203.

Returning to FIG. 1, the controlled device 30 is, for example, a volume device such as an audio device, and has a volume circuit 301 for actually changing the volume, an amplifier 302 for outputting sound, and a speaker 303. There is.
The volume circuit 301 is controlled by the output signal of the state changing means 203.

FIG. 3 shows another operation flowchart of the state control device 20.

When the control switch 10 is pressed for a predetermined time (T) or longer (S41), it is determined whether or not the current volume level is the maximum level (S42). If the current volume level is the maximum level, the volume does not change. On the other hand, if the current volume level is not the maximum level, volume up processing is performed (S43). This volume up process is executed until the control switch 10 is released (S44). For example, the predetermined volume level changes at each timing described above.

If the control switch 10 is not pressed for a predetermined time (T) (S41), it is judged whether or not the current volume level is the minimum (S45),
If it is at the minimum, the volume will not change. However, if the current volume level is not the minimum, the volume down process is executed (S46). Then, in order to continuously execute the volume down process, step S
41, 45 and S46 are repeated. In a single volume down process, a process of lowering a predetermined volume level is performed.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the operation in the state control device 40 shown in FIG. Hereinafter, FIGS. 4 and 5
Another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. However, in order to avoid duplication, description of the same parts as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 is omitted.

The state comparison control means 202 outputs a confirmation sound output request signal to the confirmation sound output means when supplying the state change request signal to the state change means 203. When the state change request signal is not output, the confirmation sound output request signal is also not output.

The state comparison control means 202 also sends a switching signal to a switch (not shown) provided in the volume circuit 301. Normally, the volume circuit 301 changes the volume by the control signal from the state changing means 203, but when the switching signal from the state comparison control means 201 is inputted, the confirmation sound is outputted by the control signal from the confirmation sound output means 204.

The confirmation sound output means 204 outputs the confirmation sound to the controlled device 50 only when the state comparison control means 202 issues a confirmation sound output request. If there is no request, the confirmation sound is not output to the controlled device 50.

The confirmation sound may be output at the timing of the above-mentioned state change request. A switching signal to the volume circuit 301 is also supplied at this timing.

That is, if the control switch 10 is pressed for a predetermined time, for example, 1 second or longer, and the volume level is maximum, the volume level does not change. And there is no confirmation sound. However, when the volume level is other than the maximum, the volume is raised, and a confirmation sound is output every time the volume is raised. When the volume level is other than the maximum and the control switch 10 is continuously input, the volume is raised while emitting a confirmation sound every half of the specified time, that is, every 00.5 seconds. Here, one stage of the volume is a predetermined volume level.

The volume level does not change when the control switch 10 is pressed for less than 1 second. And there is no confirmation sound. However, when the volume level is other than the minimum, volume down is performed, and a confirmation sound is output every time the volume is down by one step.

For example, assume that the current volume value is at the minimum level. Here, if the control switch 10 is pressed for less than 1 second, no change is made. In this state, when the control switch 10 is pressed for 1 second or more and less than 1.5 seconds, the volume level is increased by one step and the confirmation sound is output once. When this volume level goes up by one step,
When the control switch 10 is pressed down for a further 3 seconds, the confirmation sound is output 5 times and the volume level is increased by 5 steps.
When the control switch 10 is kept pressed for a few more seconds and the volume reaches the maximum level, the volume level-up operation and the confirmation sound are stopped.

At the maximum level of this volume value, 1
When the control switch 10 is pressed for less than a second, the volume level is lowered by one step and the confirmation sound is output once.

In this way, the user can know by the confirmation sound whether or not the volume changing process is being performed.

In the above-described embodiment, the confirmation sound is generated from the volume circuit 301, but a confirmation sound generating means dedicated to generation of the confirmation sound may be provided separately. In this case, the state comparison control means 202 does not need to output the switching signal.

Further, the control switch input time judging means 20
1 may output the confirmation sound request signal and the switching signal.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the volume up process is performed according to the time when the control switch is pressed, and the volume down process is performed by pressing the control switch for a short time. .

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of still another operation of the control device of the present invention.

In FIG. 6, when the control switch 10 is pressed and the control switch 10 is released when the pressing time (t) is longer than a predetermined time (T) (S61), the volume up process is started ( S62). Then, this volume-up processing is continued until the control switch is pressed again (S63).

On the other hand, if the pressing of the control switch is released within a predetermined time (T) (S61), the volume down process is executed (S64). Then, the volume down process is executed until the control switch 10 is pressed again (S65). When the control switch 10 is pressed (S63, S65), the volume up or volume down process is stopped (S66).

As described above, in this embodiment, one of the two state changes that are contradictory to each other depending on the time from the depression of the control switch to the release thereof is selected and executed. Then, when the control switch is pressed again, the state change is stopped.

Therefore, it is possible to more easily control the two opposite state changes.

Also in this embodiment, the above-described state comparison control or confirmation sound output control can be performed.

[0042]

As described above, in the control device according to the present invention, one control switch can execute two conflicting state changes by a simple operation when necessary.

Therefore, further miniaturization can be achieved by using the present invention in a portable telephone having a small mounting area and a small number of parts in the operating portion and other small portable communication devices.

Further, since the confirmation sound is output every time the state changes, it is possible to reduce operation mistakes.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is another operation flowchart of the state control device 20 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is another operation flowchart of the state control device 20 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

5 is an operation flow chart of the state control device 40 of FIG.

6 is a flowchart showing still another operation of the state control device of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Control Switch 20 State Control Device 30 Controlled Device 301 Volume Circuit 302 Amplifier 303 Speaker

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A control switch, first determining means for determining whether or not the control switch has been pressed for a predetermined time, and a first judgment means when the control switch has been pressed for the predetermined time. A state changing means for executing a state change and executing a second state change opposite to the first state change unless the control switch is pressed for the predetermined time. Control device. 2. After the judgment by the first judging means, it is judged whether or not the first or second state change is possible, and when it is possible, the state changing means makes the first or second state change. 2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a second determination means for executing the state change of. 3. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising means for outputting a voice indicating that the state change means is executing the first or second state change. 4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the state changing means is a volume adjusting device, and the first and second state changes are volume up and volume down, respectively.