JP2005094721A - Communication apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To use a portable telephone set made in user's country as usually by solving problems such that a conventional portable telephone set can not be used in such an area with no services because of a difference of a portable telephone system or of a frequency as abroad, a portable telephone set in the specification of a country where a user stays, may be rented for use, but its operation manual can not be displayed in user's mother language on a liquid crystal display part but in a language in the country where the user stays, and the different arrangement of an operating part. <P>SOLUTION: In the communication apparatus, a means for transmitting/receiving input/output information relating to a result of operation by using any circuitry means other than a radio transmitting/receiving circuit is added to a portable telephone set, and the communication apparatus is combined with an additional device including a means for mutually converting the input/output information into the other portable telephone system. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to the communication field, and more particularly to a mobile phone.

In conventional mobile phones, data such as key numbers used for outgoing calls or telephone numbers obtained by registration are transmitted to the outside via a wireless circuit.
In addition, when the country is different, the mobile phone system may be different between countries or the frequency may be different.

  FIG. 2 is a basic block diagram of a conventional mobile phone, wherein 1 is an antenna, 2 is a mobile phone casing, 3 is a radio unit, 4 is a display unit, 5 is a control unit, 6 is a memory unit, and 7 is a key. An operation unit 8 is a human interface (speaker, microphone, etc.). The arrows in the figure represent the flow of signals and data between the parts.

  The antenna 1 receives a radio wave emitted from a radio base station and transmits a radio wave from the mobile phone. The mobile phone housing 2 stores each element. The wireless unit 3 performs high-frequency transmission / reception processing via the antenna 1. The display unit 4 is composed of a liquid crystal display device or the like, and displays visual information (Internet connection service) and the like as well as a display that is essential for a call such as a telephone number and a received electric field strength.

  The control unit 5 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that controls the entire mobile phone, and is linked to the memory unit 6 to perform protocol processing at the time of calling / calling, A / D / D / A conversion of communication data Various operations such as baseband processing, driving of the display unit 4 and the human interface 8, and signal reception from the key operation unit 7 are performed. The memory unit 6 is composed of RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc., which can be arbitrarily written / read, and various programs for operating the mobile phone and user IDs. In addition to storing information unique to mobile phones such as telephone numbers, it also stores information on a plurality of types of incoming call notification methods, data such as melody and images downloaded by the user, and the like.

  The key operation unit 7 is a means for performing various operations such as inputting characters and selecting items according to user operations. The human interface 8 performs ringing of sounds and interpersonal transmission / reception of voice information based on the voice data processed by the control unit 5. Since the configuration of the conventional mobile phone is well known, it will not be described in detail. Such a mobile phone cannot be used in an area where there is no service of the mobile phone system such as outside the country.

Today's mobile phones are not just for voice calls, they are equipped with visual information display means such as liquid crystal displays, and the phone's dictionary function, phone book function, data communication function, mail storage function, ringtone function, incoming call screen function In addition, it has various functions and is used as a personal information terminal for storing various essential information. Therefore, for example, it is possible for a mobile phone user to rent a mobile phone with specifications for the country of stay or travel from his / her home country while traveling abroad,
Usually, such mobile phones are inconvenient because their operations are displayed only in the language of the country they are staying in, and the arrangement of the operation unit is different, especially the big problem that the native language cannot be displayed on the liquid crystal display unit There is.

  In addition, when making a call to your home country, you usually have to manually enter the number of the other party's phone number that you can easily use for storing and calling in your mobile phone. This is extremely inconvenient.

In addition, at present, even if a mobile terminal in the home country is brought outside the country, there are many cases where communication is not possible due to differences in mobile phone systems or frequencies between countries. For this reason, there are cases where it is necessary to use a composite-type mobile phone (hereinafter referred to as a “multi-function machine”, so-called dual mode machines and triple-mode machines belong to this category) in which a plurality of mobile phone systems are combined into one unit.
However, there are various types of mobile phone communication systems, and even if the mobile phone communication system is the same, frequency allocation varies from country to country, so there are a wide variety of combinations of modes in your home country and modes in other countries you visit. When sequentially visiting a plurality of countries adopting a telephone communication system (hereinafter referred to as a heterogeneous communication system), it is inconvenient because it is necessary to prepare the same number of multifunction peripherals.

In addition, as described above, it is inconvenient because it is necessary to port data functioning as a personal information terminal for storing various kinds of information necessary for daily use to all machines.
Also, the continuous use of a multifunction device in the home country is inconvenient in terms of the cost of equipment and increase in size as compared with a normal mobile phone in that country.

The present invention arises as a result of the mother device operating the mother device and a means for recognizing a connection to an additional device, which will be described later, with respect to a cellular phone (hereinafter referred to as a mother device) that is normally used by a user in his home country. Means for transmitting and receiving the output by circuit means other than the original radio transmission / reception circuit of the mother unit are provided.
As a result, the mother machine has information input / output means other than wireless. (Hereafter, this mother machine is called a new mobile phone).
Then, the transmission information is combined with an additional device (hereinafter referred to as an additional device) having means for mutually converting the base communication system and the heterogeneous communication system to solve the above-mentioned problem.

  As a result of the above, the user can enjoy a telephone call and various communication services in the same operation as in the home country using the new mobile phone that is regularly used in the home country from the country of stay in the country.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention, and a broken line in the figure indicates a boundary between a new mobile phone terminal unit and an additional device unit. 1 is an antenna, 2 is a mobile phone case, 3 is a wireless unit, 4 is a display unit, 5 is a control unit, 6 is a memory unit, 7 is a key operation unit, 8 is a human interface (speaker, microphone, etc.), 9 A new mobile phone, in particular, a connection unit for connecting the control unit 5 and an attaching device according to the present invention, which will be described later, as a characteristic element of the new mobile phone according to the present invention, such as electromagnetic, optical, and acoustic physical Means are used. The above are the components of the new mobile phone.
The arrows in the figure represent the flow of signals and data between the parts.

  11 is an antenna, 12 is a housing of the additional device, 13 is a wireless unit of the additional device, 15 is a control unit of the additional device, 16 is a memory unit of the additional device, 19 is an additional device, particularly its control unit, and the above-described present invention. It is a connection part that couples with a mobile phone, and uses any physical means such as electromagnetic, optical, and acoustic. Reference numeral 20 denotes a connection detection unit with the mobile phone, and the connection recognition is performed by physical means such as mechanical, electromagnetic, optical, and acoustic. The above are the components of the additional device. The arrows in the figure represent the flow of signals and data between the parts. In other words, the additional device conforms to a legal system and a standard related to a mobile phone in a country where the user is used, that is, a country other than the home country where the user stays (hereinafter referred to as a staying country).

  When the new mobile phone and the additional device are combined as shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 15 recognizes the connection detection by the connection detection unit 20, and requests the control unit 5 of the new mobile phone to start communication. The control unit 5 of the mobile phone changes the communication information supply destination for the wireless unit 3 to the control unit 15. Alternatively, the control unit 15 of the additional device requests the start of communication from the control unit 5 of the new mobile phone, or the control unit 5 of the new mobile phone periodically checks whether communication with the additional device is possible or not. By recognizing that, the control unit 5 of the new mobile phone may change the communication information supply destination for the wireless unit 3 to the control unit 15.

  With the above configuration, when a user makes a call in the country where he / she is staying, the data required for the call is sent to the control unit 5 by inputting the other party number by operating the key 7 of the new mobile phone as in the home country. Send it. In this case, it is natural that the number stored in the memory unit 6 can be called and used as in the home country. Data necessary for making a call is sent from the control unit 5 to the control unit 15 of the additional device via the connection unit 9 and the connection unit 19, and the control unit 15 further transmits the mobile phone call in the country of stay recorded in the memory 16. Data necessary for a call and data for international roaming are added and sent to the radio unit 13.

  As a result of the above, the user can call the home country from the staying country with the same operation as the home country. Once the connection is established, it is natural that the user can enjoy mobile phone service in the home country, visual information (Internet connection service) by liquid crystal display, and the like. If there is a difference in data handling between the mobile phone systems in the home country and the country of stay, it can be handled by system conversion by the control unit 15 and the memory unit 16, and furthermore, by installing an electronic dictionary in the memory unit 16, it can be handled between different languages. Can spread applications such as translation.

A form of the second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
In the present embodiment, the function of the memory unit 16 of the additional device in the first embodiment is complemented by the SIM card 17 for the mobile phone, and thus, for example, when there are a plurality of staying countries and the communication method is different. Can also handle cases.
is there. Thereby, for example, even when there are a plurality of staying countries, it is possible to cope with the exchange of the SIM card.

1st Embodiment by this invention Conventional mobile phone Second embodiment according to the present invention

Explanation of symbols

1: Antenna 2: Mobile phone casing 3: Radio unit 4: Display unit 5: Control unit 6: Memory unit 7: Key operation unit 8: Human interface 9: Coupling connection unit between new mobile phone and additional device 11: Addition Device antenna 12: Additional device housing 13: Additional device wireless unit 15: Additional device control unit 16: Additional device memory unit 17: SIM card 19: Joint connection part between new mobile phone and additional device

Claims (5)

  One or more means for digitally exchanging information by connecting to an additional device, means for inputting an electrical audio signal, and means for outputting an electrical audio signal, specified by the information exchange means The function of recognizing that the additional device of the type is connected, and while the additional device is connected, the key operation signal is output from the information exchange means to the additional device, and the audio signal from the additional device is received. A mobile phone terminal device having a function of inputting by the input means and outputting to a built-in speaker and outputting a user's voice signal input by a built-in microphone to the additional device by the output means   The communication terminal device and device according to claim 1, wherein while the additional device is connected, the communication information input / output function to the outside inherent in the communication terminal device is stopped and the additional device is replaced. A communication terminal device and an additional device, wherein the communication information is input / output to / from the device, and the additional device performs input / output of communication information to the outside by a communication function of the additional device.   One or a plurality of means for digitally exchanging information by connecting to the mobile phone terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, and an electrical voice signal connected to the output means of the mobile phone terminal device Means for inputting, means for connecting to the input means of the mobile phone terminal device and outputting an electrical audio signal, and communication means different from the communication means inherent to the mobile phone terminal device, The key operation signal output from the mobile phone terminal device has a function of recognizing by the information exchanging means that the additional device is the specific type of additional device described in claim 1. A mobile phone having a function of controlling the communication means by connecting the input means and the output means to the communication means and enabling communication by the mobile phone terminal device via the communication means End additional device.   A mobile phone terminal device comprising the mobile phone terminal device according to claim 1 and the mobile phone terminal addition device according to claim 3, wherein a communication means of the mobile phone terminal addition device is controlled by a key operation of the mobile phone terminal device. Communication device characterized in that communication is possible from communication device via communication means of additional device   A mobile phone terminal device comprising the mobile phone terminal device according to claim 2 and the mobile phone terminal addition device according to claim 3, wherein the communication means of the mobile phone terminal addition device is controlled by key operation of the mobile phone terminal device. Communication apparatus characterized by enabling communication through communication means of apparatus

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