JPH0879343A - Carrying case that houses transmitter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a case for portable telephone set kit which can be housed in an automatic portable telephone set lending device. CONSTITUTION: A portable telephone set kit 26 is constituted of a portable telephone set 38, a battery pack 36, a battery substituting pack (a connection cable 52 and a plug 54 inserted into the cigarette lighter of a car), and a built-in battery charger 48 (a connection cable 56 and a plug 58). In addition, the kit 26 is provided with an electrical connection terminal so that the kit 25 may be connected to the main body of a lending device while the kit 26 is housed in a specially ordered plastic case.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine for goods and a vending machine for services. That is, more specifically, a mobile mobile phone and an automatic lending device used for lending a small communication device for a wireless telephone or other personal communication system,
And a case with a charging function for housing the communication device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Vending machines for selling various kinds of goods have been developed for decades and are in widespread use. And those automated machines became increasingly complex,
For example, a range of banking operations are commonly performed by these automated machines.

In addition to the automatic vending machines for those goods and services, the technology is also advancing for automatic machines for lending goods such as video tapes. Usually, these automatic machines are equipped with a microprocessor and controlled by software. At the same time, it has built-in input / output devices such as credit card readers and printers. The user who rents the video tape sees the title of the video cassette on the display on the front of the device and selects the video to be borrowed. Then, the user makes his credit card read by a card reader and makes a credit inquiry. The microprocessor built into the device is either a self-supporting type with internal memory, or connected to a computer center where you can make a credit inquiry via a regular telephone line with a modem. When the credit inquiry is OK,
The selected tape is mechanically ejected from the main body. Then, the loan record is printed as a receipt, and a receipt is issued. The credit card will be returned when the receipt is issued.

Thereafter, the user returns the borrowed video to the main body of the lending machine, and the main body recognizes the video and then stores it in the storage section in the main body. At that time, the rental fee is charged and the final receipt is issued. In general, rental fees vary depending on how long you rent the video and also on the day of the week.

[0005]

However, although the prior art is a flexible system and technology for lending an article, the process itself is merely a simple process of lending an article. For example, charges for usage during the rental period are not calculated. In the case of a personal communication device such as a mobile phone, the usage fee during the period in which the device is lent must be calculated according to the device usage amount during the period. Further, after the device is returned, the device must be subjected to maintenance processing, and the usage amount must be reset to zero for the next user. For example, there are charging of the battery of the telephone and initialization of the internal memory.

[0006] Further, the decisive difference between the rental mobile phone and the conventional rental video tape is that the phone is returned at a place away from the original automatic lending machine, although the phone may not be thousands of kilometers. It may be.
Furthermore, all of these, such as the ability to process telephone calls both inside and outside Japan, require more complicated processing capabilities and are qualitatively different from the conventional ones.

The Bishop patent in US Pat. No. 4,951,308 discloses an automatic lending machine for mobile telephones. It consists of a microprocessor, bus lines, and memory. It has a mechatronics mechanism that houses a plurality of mobile phones. The ejection mechanism is electrically connected to the bus line and then to the memory. The input / output circuit is connected to the bus line and interacts with the microprocessor interactively to control the circuit for the emission mechanism. The bus connection circuit is electrically connected to the plurality of mobile phones in the storage section. The bus connection circuit is connected to the bus line,
This allows communication between a plurality of mobile phones and the microprocessor, which allows confirmation of the items and usage of the mobile phones. As a result, mobile phones can be automatically rented and billed automatically.

In the automatic lending machine of this Bishop patent, a plurality of mobile telephones are housed in a housing mechanism section. It also has a recharge circuit that recharges the power source of each mobile telephone in the storage mechanism.

Further, it has a detection circuit, and it is possible to grasp the present device state of the mobile telephone rented out by this detection circuit. For example, the state of charge of the power battery, telephone number (MID), electrical serial number (ESN), ID number (SID) assigned to each telephone, number memory, timer of accumulated time and reset time, etc. The data.

The input / output circuit is composed of an input / output interface connected to the bus line, a card reader connected to the input / output interface, and a keyboard. The input / output circuit further has a printer connected to the input / output interface, and the printer prints the amount charged to the credit card on the bill. This charge is calculated by the microprocessor according to the usage of the returned mobile phone.
The input / output circuit also has a video monitor.

The bishop patent on the device is used in combination with a computer center. That is, the modem circuit enables communication with the center, and this modem communication is performed by an ordinary telephone line. In another embodiment, a modem and a central control unit in a built-in mobile phone communicate with the center.

The Bishop patent also has various features as a mechanism for lending a mobile telephone.
That is, a storage unit for storing a plurality of telephones, a discharge mechanism for discharging the telephones one by one, and a return unit for receiving a rented telephone when it is returned. When the telephone is returned, the return unit issues a device-specific question to the telephone in order to identify the telephone itself, and also issues a question regarding the usage amount. The charging circuit charges the customer specified by the account number for the telephone charge according to the telephone usage amount. As a result, the mobile telephone service can be automatically provided.

The Bishop patent also discloses a method patent for an automatic lending method for mobile phones. That is, the method comprises first storing a plurality of mobile phones,
Steps for setting up multiple phones for operation,
According to a user's instruction, a step of setting one of the stored telephones to an operable state is performed. In this case, the user's instruction is input of the user's credit number. For the user's credit card,
Credit authentication is given, but lending of these mobile phones is performed to users who have been credit-authenticated.

The Bishop patent also features a method of lending a mobile phone. The lending method includes the steps of returning the telephone to a device accommodating a plurality of telephones, the step of specifying the returned telephone, and the step of calculating the usage fee of the telephone.

The bishop patent has various advantages as described above, and is patented based on the following patents as conventional examples. That is, U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,986 (Yots
Utani patent, issued February 3, 1987), 4,80
3,348 (Lohrey patent, issued February 7, 1989), 4,881,254 (Hollowed patent, 1
Published November 14, 989), 4,896,024 (M
orello patent, issued January 23, 1990), 5,
028,766 (Shah patent, issued July 2, 1991).

However, the conventional rental mobile phone has a great limitation in its usage period in that it can be used only for a period less than a full day, which is the maximum capacity used by the power pack. For this reason, when the power is consumed, the user has to take the telephone and its source pack together with the storage case back for maintenance and recharge them, which is very troublesome. Therefore, the lender had to have a kit containing a spare phone and a power pack for maintenance. That is, the lender has to stock a large number of spare packs for frequently replacing these power packs, which is very inconvenient.

In general, business lasts 5 days a week,
It is convenient for rental mobile phones to be made so that they can be used for at least 5 days without being returned to the lender. An object of the present invention is to provide a user with a carrying case for a mobile phone having an alternative power source in order to eliminate the above inconvenience.

[0018]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention, the rental mobile phone user does not have to go to a rental company or rental shop every day to replace the phone for maintenance. I have a mobile phone kit (a mobile phone storage box) instead of my phone. In addition to conventional phones, this phone kit can be plugged into at least two power supply battery packs, a first adapter that can connect to a car cigarette lighter socket, and a regular 100 volt AC power supply or the required voltage power supply. It consists of a second adapter with a plug.

The telephone kit (mobile phone storage box) has a switch mechanism so that individual power sources such as a battery pack and first and second adapters can be electrically connected through the lending machine body and the telephone kit. It has become. When the phone kit is returned, it will be connected to the lender itself, and the internal components will be checked to see if it actually is inside and the battery charge. If there is a defect, internal components will be added,
It will also be recharged as needed and prepared for the next user.

In the telephone kit, original software records call data for the entire period after the telephone kit is taken out from the main body of the lending machine in which the telephone kit is stored. When the telephone kit is returned to the telephone kit housing, data exchange between the telephone body and the rental machine body is started. By exchanging this data, the usage status data during the usage period is transferred to the lending machine body side.
Therefore, the lending machine body can issue a bill to the user depending on the period of use and the individual call volume.

[0021]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention; However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions and the like of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention thereto, but are merely examples, unless otherwise specified. Not too much.

The mobile phone lending machine 10 is an intelligent terminal for unmanned renting and returning mobile phones. As a general component, it is configured by a user interface unit, a device lending / storing mechanism unit 10, and one or a plurality of enclosures 11 for accommodating the same. The user interface has a video monitor 12
And a keypad 13, and the user can interact with the lending machine by pressing the key. Further, there is a card reader 14 so that information for billing can be read from a credit card or an ATM card. A receipt is printed by the printer 16. The device lending / storing mechanism section 10 has a plurality of small chambers 28 having the same structure, and these are provided with a door 30 of a shaft support structure that can be electrically opened and closed, from which a mobile phone kit 26 for lending can be provided. Are taken in and out. Each small chamber has a guide rod 29 (FIG. 2) in the longitudinal direction so that the mobile phone kit 26 can be smoothly inserted.

A specially made metal cabinet 20 is used for the mobile phone lending machine 10. The upper half 2 of the cabinet 20 accommodates a color matrix display 67, a backlight display 68, and various electric members, and its front portion is pivotally supported by a hinge 69 for maintenance. It is covered by the front panel. The user interface unit such as the video monitor 12 and the keypad 13 and the card reader 14 are arranged in the approximate center of the front panel so that the user can easily operate them. Body 10
The lower half portion 24 has a hinge 69 that can be opened and closed, and has a shelf structure that accommodates 12 mobile phone kits 26. Internal alarm system (not shown)
When there is a mischief from outside, the switch 66 is activated to give an alarm.

The cell phone kit 26 has a groove 31 for accommodating a battery and a pair of battery contacts 32 (FIG. 4) therein. There is a similar contact 32 in the other groove 32. Each of the mobile phone kits 26 has a groove 35 for guiding in the longitudinal direction.
It can be accommodated inside the small chamber 28 of the cabinet 20 along the line 9.

In this embodiment, a plurality of small chambers 28 having the same shape are provided on the front panel which can be opened during maintenance.
There are two, each covered by a small door 30. The door 30 is an electrical hook (not shown)
You can open it with. Further, these doors are provided with sensors (not shown) so that the control unit can know the open / closed state of the doors. Further, an alarm system is connected to this control unit to activate the switch 66. A vibration sensor (not shown) is attached to the alarm system to detect tampering. An electrical contact (not shown) corresponding to the contact 49 (FIG. 5) of the mobile phone kit is provided at the innermost part of the small chamber 28 for housing the mobile phone. These contacts are adapted to be connected when the mobile phone kit is housed in the small chamber 28 and the door 30 is closed.

The contact 49 is for electrically connecting the control board 34 and a board (not shown) in each mobile phone kit. The groove 31 and the groove 33 are also
It has a pair of electrical contacts. Contact 3
2. The data contact 43 to the telephone and the power contact 45 are all connected to the contact 49 to the outside of the mobile phone kit so that control can be exchanged between the CPU 40 and the mobile phone kit 26. There is.

Each battery 36 also has a pair of electrical contacts (not shown) for connection with the cell phone 38, and likewise when the battery 36 is housed in the groove 31. , The contacts 32 (FIG. 4) provided in the groove are also connected. There is a light 64 near the groove 31 to indicate whether the battery is being charged. The other groove 33 contains a battery-shaped housing 37, which is supplied with power from a cigarette adapter of the vehicle. Here too, the contact 32 is provided.

The telephone main body 38 is accommodated in the telephone accommodating portion 65 and comprises a microphone 39, a speaker 41, a number and function key 61, and a display portion 62. Further, the telephone body 38 has electrical contacts (not shown), and the data contacts 43,
It is adapted to be connected to the power contact 45. The switch 63 works in conjunction with an internal ON / OFF switch and operates when the telephone body 38 is placed in the storage section 65. The removable battery-shaped housing 37 is a battery substitute and is connected to a vehicle cigarette lighter socket with a plug 54 attached at the tip through a first cable 52 for supplying a first power source. A second power supply 48 supplies electricity to the battery 36 through the battery charger, which is connected to a conventional 100 volt AC power supply.

At the time of actual operation, the mobile phone kit 26 is housed in the small room 28. Between the mobile phone kit 26 and the CPU 40, various checking processes are performed while the kit is stored. That is, the state of the battery 36 is monitored by the CPU 40, and is fully charged by the charging device contained in the kit from the power source in the main body.

When the mobile phone kit is rented out, the printer 16 first issues a rental receipt to the user. The mobile phone 38 sets the battery 36 or the battery-shaped housing 37 (power is supplied from the cigarette lighter of the car via the plug 54) to be in a callable state. If the potential of the battery 36 begins to drop and becomes lower than the minimum operating potential of the telephone 38,
It is stored in the groove 31 and recharged. This mobile phone kit has a power supply circuit for charging inside. The charging circuit is connected to a normal 100-volt AC power source via a cord 58, and is connected to a battery 36 housed in the groove 31 via a contact 32. The light 64 is turned on during charging.

When the mobile phone kit 26 is returned, C
The PU 40 checks via the data contact 43 whether the telephone 38 is really stowed, likewise the battery 36 at the contact 32 in the groove 31 and the battery adapter housing 37 connected to the cigarette adapter in the groove 33. At 32, each check is performed. Further, the CPU 40 makes an inquiry to the mobile phone stored in the kit, and the printer 16
The receipt is printed with and issued to the user.

When the telephone 38 is placed in the telephone housing portion 65, the switch 63 is mechanically pressed to turn the telephone 38 O off.
The N / OFF switch automatically turns on. When the mobile phone kit 26 is returned to the small chamber 28, it is automatically charged through the contacts 45 and 49. As a result, the CPU of the telephone 38, internal circuits such as a storage device, and the main body CPU
49 is connected through the contact 49, and an ON line connection is established. Hereinafter, each part of the mobile phone lending machine will be described in detail.

(CPU 40) This device is all CP
It is controlled by U40. As shown in FIG. 1, the CPU 40 has an IBM compatible control board 3
4. Disk drive for storing programs and data 4
2. A video display unit 12 for the user to visually confirm, a keypad 13 for the user to input information, etc. are connected. Furthermore, a card reader 14 for reading a credit card or the like and confirming an account number for billing is also attached. Further, a printer 16 for printing a receipt as a hard copy to the user, a modem 44 for transferring data to the central monitoring center or conversely for exchanging data from the center, etc. are also connected.

(Control Board 34) The control board 34 is C
It is an interface between the PU and various mechatronic components. The control board 34 has the following roles under the supervision of the CPU 40. * When putting the cell phone kit in and out of the small room 28,
Control the solenoid that opens and closes the door. * Check the open / closed status of the door. * Check the battery potential of the mobile phone kit stored in the main unit. This is necessary to check the charge status of the battery and to detect if all the accessories are included in the returned kit, that is, if there is no missing item. * Check if the battery-shaped housing 37 is returned in the kit when powered by the car's cigarette adapter. * Turn on and off individual telephones. To finish the process of charging the battery, turn off the switch. * Partially discharge the battery for regular maintenance. * Data exchange with individual telephones.

(Explanation of Operation) When the power supply of the mobile phone lending machine 10 is turned on, the software is automatically loaded, and the machine is in a standby state. In this mode, the display screen is temporarily erased and awaiting input from the user. Even in this case, the back software is running inside the machine, and maintenance programs such as self-diagnosis program and battery check are running. In the case of battery check, each battery potential is checked regularly. If necessary, for example, charging termination processing, recharging of a battery that has not been used for a certain period of time, or the like is performed.

(Lending Procedure) When the user starts the operation, the system first checks whether or not there is a lendable mobile phone. If all phones have been rented out or have just been returned and the battery charging is not yet complete, the system will issue an appropriate message to the user to indicate the end of operation. If there is a phone available for lending, it will prompt the user to insert a credit card. As a result, data of the user's name and account number can be obtained. Next, detailed information such as rental fees and other terms will be displayed to the user,
In response, the user responds with YES or NO. If the user actually wants to rent a phone, they will be asked for the zip code of the credit card. If it is an ATM card, it may be a code number. Information about these accounts is transferred to the credit clearing house via the modem 44 for authentication. During the verification process, the entered zip code is checked against the account number for confirmation. Upon successful completion up to this point, approval of the deposit amount will be received from the center and the system will continue with the lending procedure.
That is, the initialization of the phone, and the mobile phone kit 26
The door 30 is opened so that the door can be taken out. Before ending the lending procedure, the system verifies that the kit has been removed and the door closed.

(Return Procedure) When the user starts the return procedure, the system gives an instruction to insert the same credit card as in the lending procedure. Then check that the name and account number match the data at the time of lending. The door 30 opens and the user inserts the mobile phone kit into it. Then, when the door is closed, the system checks whether the returned kit 26 contains the required accessories. If something is missing, the door 30 will be reopened and the user will fix the problem. If there is no problem, the system reads the call volume data from the telephone 38 and prints the billing amount.
All the read data is stored in memory and sent to the credit clearing house to charge the final charge to that account number. If there is something wrong with the returned device,
The kit 26 is processed for cancellation of lending, and at the same time as it is recorded, it is notified to the staff to respond. If everything is ok, the system will condition the battery and recharge it for the next loan if needed.

(Mobile Phone Kit 26) The mobile phone kit is a portable pack in which a set of equipment to be rented to the user is stored. In a normal combination,
A mobile phone 38, two battery packs 36, a battery substitute pack 46 (with a first connecting cable 52 and a plug 54 to be inserted into a cigarette lighter of a car), and a built-in battery charger 48 (a second connecting cable 56 and a plug 58). Included). All of these accessories are housed in a custom-made plastic case and have electrical contact terminals for connecting to the lender body.

(Mechanical structure) The plastic case is
It is composed of two exteriors 70, 70 'and an interior 72. The outer casings 70 and 70 'have a hinge structure at one end and a stopper structure at the other end when the case is closed. At the other end there are handles 27, 27 ',
On the opposite side, a contact corresponding to a contact for electrical connection provided in a small chamber of the main body is arranged. The interior is structured so that the phone and other accessories can be firmly sandwiched. The interior is provided with two battery packs, an opening for a battery substitute pack (which will definitely store it in place), and a storage for the phone itself. This storage section has contacts that can be electrically connected to the main body of the lending machine, so that data can be directly exchanged with the internal circuit of the telephone. With this structure, the phone can be initialized before it is rented out, and the call charge data can be read when the phone is returned.

(Electrical Structure) The mobile phone kit is provided with circuits having the following functions. * Charging circuit that uses the power supplied from the lending machine. * A charging circuit that uses a power supply supplied from a normal 100 volt AC power supply. * A connection circuit that connects between the telephone and the main unit of the rental machine. * A circuit that detects the presence or absence of a battery substitute pack. * A circuit that terminates the charging process under the supervision of the lending machine. * A circuit that sends a signal to the lending machine to check the battery potential.

(Operation Method) First, the user causes the card reader to read the credit card. And as an option, a personal identification number may be entered. The credit card is then verified or rejected. Once authenticated, one of the doors containing the mobile phone kit is opened and the user takes out the plastic kit inside that contains the phone and accessories. Twelve kits are stored in one main unit. To return the kit, the user must use the same credit card used at the time of loan. Each telephone has an internal memory for storing the call history and has software for reading the data. This allows users to create a call charge bill in real time for each call category. Inside the kit, there is a sensor that detects the presence of the returned telephone and its accessories. If something is missing, prompt the user to check the item. If you still do not return it, the fee will be charged. Finally, the lender body keeps the cell phone kit disabled until the battery is recharged. This waiting period minimizes accidental phone calls to previous users.

The mobile phone kit 26 according to the present invention has a plurality of power supplies so that the mobile phone 38 housed therein can be talked for a long time. That is, there are three types of batteries: two batteries, a first electric circuit that receives power from a cigarette lighter socket of an automobile, and a second electric circuit that receives power from a normal 100-volt AC power supply. Therefore, the user is relieved from the inconvenience of having to return the telephone because the internal voltage of the telephone is lowered and the telephone cannot be called. When the battery voltage drops, the user will be able to continue the call with these options. That is, a battery with insufficient voltage should be replaced with a spare battery housed inside, be supplied with power from a cigarette lighter plug in the car, or be supplied with 100 volt AC power. You can do it.

The invention disclosed above is merely an example, and other various forms having the same technical idea are conceivable. All of these forms are covered within the scope of the claims.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the present invention, which clearly shows the relevance of each component.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the main body of the lending machine of the mobile phone, in which only one of a plurality of phone kits (mobile phone storage boxes) is shown in a pulled-out state, and for the sake of explanation, the storage part thereof is shown. The door is removed.

FIG. 3 shows the internal configuration of the telephone kit (mobile phone storage case) in an open state.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which a cover is omitted from FIG. 3 and a part thereof is omitted to show an additional part.

5 is a right side view of FIG. 4, showing a state in which some components are added.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Mobile Phone Rental Machine 16 Printer 20 Metal Cabinet 26 Mobile Phone Kit 30 Door 32 Battery Contact 34 Control Board 36 Battery 38 Phone 40 CPU 49 Contact 65 Phone Storage

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location H04M 1/11 Z

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A portable case for accommodating a communication device, comprising a substitute power supply for the communication device in the case. 2. The carrying case according to claim 1, wherein the alternative power source is one or more accessory batteries. 3. The carrying case according to claim 1, wherein the alternative power supply is drawn from a power supply outside the case. 4. The carrying case according to claim 2, wherein the attached battery is charged by a charging function provided in the case. 5. The carrying case according to claim 4, wherein the power supply for the charging function is an AC power supply outside the case. 6. The carrying case according to claim 1, wherein the supply destination of the alternative power source is obtained from a socket of a DC power source provided inside the automobile. 7. The carrying case according to claim 6, wherein the socket for the DC power source is a socket for a cigarette lighter. 8. The carrying case according to claim 1, wherein the alternative power source is obtained from an AC power source. 9. The carrying case according to claim 8, wherein the AC power supply is 100 V. 10. The carrying case according to claim 1, wherein the alternative power source can be arbitrarily selected from the three types: an attached battery, an external DC power source as a supply destination, and an AC power source as a supply destination. 11. A portable case for accommodating a communication device, characterized in that one or more connectors for exchanging data with the communication device are provided inside the case. Carrying case. 12. A carrying case for accommodating a communication device, comprising one or more connectors for exchanging data with the outside on the outside of the case. 13. An automatic lending device for a communication device, comprising: a plurality of carrying cases; and a plurality of compartments for accommodating the cases, and an alternative power source for the communication device in the carrying case. Carrying case that is characterized by