JP2006237914A - Mobile terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

When a user makes a call using the videophone function, the user's eyes can be matched so that the user can have a natural conversation as if the users are actually meeting each other. Provided is a communication terminal device that can be used.
Illumination control means and display information control means 44 are a first state in which the illumination means 30 and 27 are activated and information is displayed on the liquid crystal panel, and the illumination means is deactivated and the liquid crystal panel is displayed. The illumination unit and the liquid crystal panel are controlled so that the second state in which information is not displayed is alternately performed, and the image capturing control unit 40 performs the image capturing operation so as to perform an image capturing operation in the second state. The means 32 is controlled.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a mobile terminal device such as a mobile phone in which image capturing means such as an electronic camera is integrally provided.

  In recent years, mobile terminal devices such as mobile phones have become more and more multifunctional, so that not only audio data but also image data can be transmitted and received, such as a mobile phone having a function as a so-called videophone. Realization and improvement have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Such a mobile terminal device having a function as a video phone is provided with image capturing means such as an electronic camera integrally, and image data of each user's face captured by the electronic camera is stored in the mobile terminal device. By being transmitted and received to / from the communication device of the other party together with the voice data, it is possible to realize a function as a videophone that can make a call while looking at each other's face.
JP 2002-16896

  However, in the mobile terminal device having the videophone function as described above, when used as a videophone, the user can make a call while looking at the other party's face. The electronic camera that captures the user's face is placed outside the outline of the display screen so that it does not get in the way when viewing the display screen. On the display screen of the communication device, the face of the user who looks away from the electronic camera is displayed.

  For this reason, when a user of a mobile terminal device makes a call using the videophone function, the user cannot talk with the same line of sight, so the user can only talk in an unnatural state in which the lines of sight are diverted. There was a problem that this phenomenon would occur.

  To solve such problems, the electronic camera supported by the tip of the arm is placed in the center of the display screen, so that the user's line of sight matches with the display screen of the other communication device. In some cases, there is an electronic camera in front of the center of the opponent's face that appears on the display screen. The phenomenon that you can only talk on the phone will occur.

  Therefore, in view of the above problems, the present invention is a portable terminal device in which image capturing means such as an electronic camera is integrally provided, and the portable terminal device has a videophone function. When a user makes a call with another communication device using the videophone function, it is possible to make a call by matching each other's line of sight, just like a user actually meeting and talking It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable terminal device that enables conversation in a natural state.

In order to solve the above problems, a mobile terminal device according to the present invention provides:
In a mobile terminal device having a liquid crystal panel capable of displaying various types of information, and display information control means for controlling display of the information on the liquid crystal panel,
Illumination means capable of illuminating the back side of the liquid crystal panel;
Illumination control means for controlling the illumination means;
An image capturing means disposed opposite to the back surface of the liquid crystal panel and capturing an image of an external subject through the liquid crystal panel;
An image capture control unit that controls the image capture unit and performs image processing of the captured image;
The liquid crystal panel is in a display state in which the information can be displayed on the front side when the illumination unit is in an activated state and the back side is illuminated, and the illumination unit is in an inoperative state and the back side is not illuminated. Sometimes it is configured to be in a light transmissive state where light can be transmitted from the front side to the back side,
The illumination control unit and the display information control unit are a first state in which the illumination unit is activated and the information is displayed on the liquid crystal panel, and the illumination unit is deactivated and the liquid crystal panel is Controlling the illumination means and the liquid crystal panel so that the second state in which information is not displayed is alternately performed,
The display information control means controls information to be displayed on the liquid crystal panel in the first state according to a set display mode,
The image capture control means controls the image capture means to perform an image capture operation in the second state.

The portable terminal device according to the present invention is
The display information control means stops supplying the information signal to the liquid crystal panel in the second state.

The portable terminal device according to the present invention is
The image capture control means prohibits the image capture operation of the image capture means in the first state.

The portable terminal device according to the present invention is
Having communication means capable of communicating with other communication devices;
The display mode has a videophone mode for transmitting and receiving images to and from the other communication device via the communication means,
When the videophone mode is selected as the display mode, the display information control means causes the liquid crystal panel to display an image transmitted from the other communication device as the information in the first state. ,
The image capture control means outputs an image captured by the image capture means in the second state to the communication means,
The communication means transmits the image output from the image capture control means to the other communication device side.

The portable terminal device according to the present invention is
The display mode has a self-photographing mode,
The display information control means, when the self-photographing mode is selected as the display mode, when the image captured by the image capture means in the second state is in the first state The information is displayed on the liquid crystal panel as the information.

The portable terminal device according to the present invention is
The illumination means includes
A light guide plate that is arranged to face the back side of the liquid crystal panel and guides incident light from its side surface to the back side of the liquid crystal panel;
And a light source that is provided on a side portion of the light guide plate and receives the incident light from the side surface side of the light guide plate.

The portable terminal device according to the present invention is
A light guide hole through which light of a subject image captured by the image capturing unit is formed is formed in a portion of the liquid crystal panel facing the photographing unit.

  According to such a portable terminal device, when the portable terminal device is integrally provided with an image capturing means such as an electronic camera and the portable terminal device has a videophone function, When using the videophone function to talk to other communication devices, it is possible to talk with each other with the same line of sight. You can talk in a simple state.

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.
1 to 6 are diagrams which are referred to for explaining a mobile phone 10 according to a first embodiment of a mobile terminal device according to the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a mobile phone 10 (mobile terminal device) according to the present embodiment, and this mobile phone 10 is provided with an operation unit 14 in which a plurality of keys 16 can be operated and a microphone 38. The first case 11 and the second case 21 provided with the display unit 17 and the speaker 36 are provided.

  A hinge 18 is provided between the first case 11 and the second case 21, and the first case 11 and the second case 21 are opened via the hinge 18 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the second case 21 can be put in a closed state by being overlapped with the first case 11 so as to cover the operation unit 14 by rotating.

  An LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel 25 (Liquid Crystal Panel) capable of displaying various types of information as shown in FIG. ) Is provided in such a manner that its plane is arranged in parallel with the plane of the surface plate member.

A prism 27 (light guide plate) that is used to reflect illumination light L1 (incident light) from a backlight 30 described later is provided inside the LCD panel 25 of the case 21. On the side of the prism 27 (upper part in FIG. 2), a backlight 30 (light source) that emits the illumination light L1 reflected by the reflecting surface 27a of the prism 27 is provided.
The backlight 30 and the prism 27 constitute an illuminating unit capable of illuminating the back side of the LCD panel 25 as a whole.

  An electronic camera 32 (image) which is disposed on the opposite side of the prism 27 in the case 21 from the LCD panel 25 and opposite the back side of the LCD panel 25 and captures an external subject image through the LCD panel 25 and the prism 27. Capture means) is provided. For such an electronic camera 32, an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) can be used.

  When the illumination light L1 incident from the side surface of the prism 27 by the light emission of the backlight 30 and reflected by the reflection surface 27a of the prism 27 illuminates the back side of the LCD panel 25 (the operating state of the illumination means) ), A state (display state) in which various types of information can be displayed.

  On the other hand, when the backlight 30 does not emit light and the back side of the LCD panel 25 is not illuminated (when the illumination means is inactive), light can be transmitted from the front side to the back side (light transmission). State). At this time, the LCD panel 25 and the prism 27 become a simple transparent body, and have the property that the light L2 of the subject image from the outside of the display unit 17 can be transmitted toward the camera 32. Used for the LCD panel 25 and the prism 27.

  Therefore, when the LCD panel 25 and the prism 27 are in a light transmission state capable of transmitting the light L2 of the subject image from the outside of the display unit 17, the camera 32 captures and captures the image of the subject. Be able to.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the mobile phone 10. In addition to the operation unit 14, the display unit 17 (LCD panel 25), the backlight 30, the electronic camera 32, the speaker 36, and the microphone 38, the mobile phone 10 includes a wireless communication unit 33 (communication means) and a storage unit 34. These are controlled by the control unit 42 to operate.

  Here, the operation unit 14, the display unit 17 (LCD panel 25), the wireless communication unit 33, the storage unit 34, the control unit 42, the speaker 36, and the microphone 38 operate in the same manner as a conventional general mobile phone. is there.

  The electronic camera 32 captures a subject image from the light L2 from the outside of the display unit 17. The electronic camera 32 captures an image of a subject photographed by the camera 32, converts the image into an electric signal, and outputs it to the control unit 42 (performs an image capturing operation). Control means) is connected. When the electronic camera 32 performs a shooting operation, the camera control unit 40 controls ON / OFF of the image capturing operation as described above.

  Each of the backlight 30 and the LCD panel 25 of the display unit 17 is connected with a liquid crystal control unit 44 (illumination control means, display information control means) for controlling the illumination operation and the display operation.

  The camera control unit 40 and the liquid crystal control unit 44 are connected to a display switching control unit 42a configured by a part of the control unit 42, and are controlled by the display switching control unit 42a. .

  The operation of the mobile phone 10 having such a configuration will be described below based on the flowchart of FIG. 4 and the time charts of FIGS.

  First, various types of input information are acquired, and the function mode in the mobile phone 10 is detected from the input information (step S1). First, in step S2, whether the mobile phone 10 is in a shooting mode, that is, an electronic camera. The camera control unit 40 performs an image capturing operation of the image of the subject photographed by the camera 32, and detects whether the function mode is set so that the liquid crystal control unit 44 displays the photographed subject image on the LCD panel 25.

  If YES in step S2, the electronic camera 32 performs the shooting operation, and the camera control unit 40 performs the image capturing operation (step S3). Here, when the image capturing operation is performed, the display switching control unit 42a of the control unit 42 controls the camera control unit 40 and the liquid crystal control unit 44 in parallel, and at this time, the camera control is performed at a minimum time interval. The display switching control unit 42 a controls the timing via the camera control unit 40 and the liquid crystal control unit 44 so that the image capturing operation of the unit 40 and the image display operation of the LCD panel 25 are switched alternately.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 5C, the camera control unit 40 captures an image of the subject photographed by the electronic camera 32 at a minimum time interval, converts the image into an electric signal, and sends it to the control unit 42. Control is performed so as to repeat a state in which an output image capturing operation is performed (image capturing ON) and a state in which such an image capturing operation is not performed (image capturing OFF).

  Further, the liquid crystal control unit 44 also controls the illumination operation of the backlight 30 and the display operation of the LCD panel 25 at the same time. At this time, as shown in FIG. Then, the backlight ON state to be turned on and the backlight OFF state to be turned off are repeated, and as shown in FIG. 5A, the LCD panel 25 is capable of displaying an image, and from the front side to the back side. The light transmission state in which light passes through (a state in which it is simply transparent) is repeated.

  That is, as described above, when the backlight 30 in FIG. 2 is energized to perform the light emission operation, the LCD panel 25 is illuminated from the back surface and can display a predetermined image, and the backlight 30 is not energized. In some cases, the light emission operation is not performed and the back surface of the LCD panel 25 is not illuminated, so that the LCD panel 25 becomes transparent and does not display an image, and these two states are alternately repeated every minimum time. Yes.

  Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the liquid crystal control unit 44 controls ON / OFF of the backlight 30, and moves to the LCD panel 25 in accordance with the illumination operation of the backlight 30. The output of information such as images (display operation of the LCD panel 25) is turned on and off, that is, when the backlight 30 is turned on (operating state) and the LCD panel 25 is in the display state, the LCD panel 25 When the information such as an image is output to the LCD panel 25 and the information is displayed (first state), the backlight 30 is turned off (non-operating state), and the LCD panel 25 is not displayed. The backlight 30 and the LCD panel 25 are controlled in synchronization so that the state (second state) is alternately performed.

  When the backlight 30 is turned off and the LCD panel 25 is in a light transmitting state, the liquid crystal control unit 44 turns off the display operation of the LCD panel 25, that is, does not output information (image) signals to the LCD panel 25. Transparency of the LCD panel 25 can be increased by entering a state where the supply of information signals to the liquid crystal panel is stopped.

  Further, regarding the relationship between the ON / OFF state of the backlight 30 and the image capturing operation state from the electronic camera 32, when the backlight 30 is OFF, that is, the backlight 30 does not emit light and the LCD panel 25 When the prism 27 is in a transparent state, the display switching control unit 42a controls the camera control unit 40 and the liquid crystal control unit 44 in synchronism so as to enter an image capturing state in which an image captured by the electronic camera 32 is captured. It is like that. When the LCD panel 25 is in the display state, the camera control unit 40 can be suppressed from capturing an image other than the subject by turning off the image capture operation by the camera control unit 40 (prohibiting the image capture operation). .

  When the backlight 30 is turned on and the LCD panel 25 is ready to display an image, the LCD panel 25 displays an image of the subject captured by the electronic camera 32 and captured by the camera control unit 40. It has become so. The displayed image is repeatedly displayed at a minimum time interval, for example, at a frequency of about 120 times per second, so that the display is continued for human eyes. appear.

  When the display unit 17 of the mobile phone 10 faces the user's face, the user's face is displayed on the LCD panel 25 as a viewfinder, and the lines of sight of each other completely coincide with each other. The part 17 looks like a mirror (self-photographing mode).

  When the function mode is set to the shooting mode, if the camera control unit 40 controls the shutter switch of the electronic camera 32 to be turned on by pressing a predetermined operation key by the user, the shooting is performed by the electronic camera 32. The captured still image of the subject, such as the user's face, can be stored in the storage unit 34, and can also be later printed on paper as a still photo and saved.

  Next, in step S2 of the flowchart of FIG. 4 again, when it is determined that the function mode of the mobile phone 10 is not the shooting mode (in the case of NO), the video phone mode is set next. (Step S4). In the case of YES in step S4, as in step S3, the image capturing operation from the electronic camera 32 and the image display operation of the LCD panel 25 are switched every minimal time. However, in the next point, step S3 This is not the case.

  That is, when the LCD panel 25 is in a displayable state, the image of the user's face (subject) captured from the electronic camera 32 is not displayed on the display unit 17 of the user's mobile phone 10 but the user's face. The face image is converted into a signal and the signal is transmitted from the wireless communication unit 33 to the telephone (communication device) of the other party of the videophone, and the other party's face image transmitted from the other party's telephone and received by the wireless communication unit 33 The control unit 42 controls the wireless communication unit 33 and the display switching control unit 42a so as to display on the display unit 17 of the mobile phone 10. In this way, the videophone function of the mobile phone 10 can be used.

  Next, in step S4 of the flowchart of FIG. 4, when it is determined that the function mode of the mobile phone 10 is not in the videophone mode (in the case of NO), the electronic camera 32 is in an OFF state. As shown in FIG. 6C, the electronic camera 32 does not perform an image capturing operation (image capturing OFF).

  Therefore, the electronic camera 32 and the camera control unit 40 do not output a finder image to be displayed on the LCD panel 25, and the LCD panel 25 does not repeat ON / OFF of the display operation at intervals of a minimum time.

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the control unit 42 is configured so that the LCD panel 25 continues the display operation (liquid crystal image display) in a normal state when the backlight 30 is kept on. The display switching control unit 42 a controls the liquid crystal control unit 44. At this time, since the electronic camera 32 and the camera control unit 40 do not perform the image capturing operation, the image captured by the electronic camera 32 is not displayed on the LCD panel 25, and another image (information) is displayed. become.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, when the videophone function of the mobile phone 10 is used, the electronic camera 32 is viewed from the back side of the LCD panel 25, that is, the user's face is directly from the front. Because they can shoot, users can match each other's line of sight when talking on a videophone, and they can talk naturally as if they were actually meeting and talking. can do.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram referred to for explaining the second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the illumination light L1 from the backlight 30 is reflected by the reflecting surface 27a of the prism 27 to illuminate the LCD panel 25 from the back surface. In the second embodiment, instead of the backlight 30 and the prism 27, a backlight 37 (light source) capable of illuminating from the back surface of the LCD panel 25 is used. A light guide hole 37 a through which the light L 2 of the subject image from the outside of the display unit 17 to the electronic camera 32 passes is formed in 37.

  That is, unlike the first embodiment, the backlight 37 reflects the illumination light L1 from the backlight 30 by the reflecting surface 27a of the prism 27 to illuminate the LCD panel 25, unlike the first embodiment. The light 37 itself emits illumination light L3 that illuminates the back surface of the LCD panel 25 uniformly over the entire surface.

  In the first embodiment, if the prism 27 does not become transparent when the backlight 30 does not emit light, the light L2 of the subject image from the outside cannot pass to the electronic camera 32. However, in the second embodiment, since the light guide hole 37a through which the light L2 of the subject image from the outside passes is formed in the backlight 37, this is itself when the backlight 37 does not emit light. It does not have to be transparent.

  In the second embodiment of the present invention as well, as shown in FIG. 5 used in the description of the first embodiment, ON / OFF of the backlight 37 is changed every minimum time. In addition, the image capturing operation of the electronic camera 32 and the camera control unit 40 is controlled to be turned on and off every minimum time. Also according to the second embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the mobile phone 10 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the mobile phone 10 and can be installed in a home, a company, an office, or the like. The present invention may be applied to a fixed telephone, or may be applied to any other portable terminal device such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant).

  In the above-described embodiment, the display switching control unit 42 a controls the liquid crystal control unit 44 so that the LCD panel 25 can be displayed, that is, the back surface of the LCD panel 25 is illuminated by the illumination light L 1 from the backlight 30. The information (image) to be displayed on the LCD panel 25 is output to the LCD panel 25 only when the LCD panel 25 is in a state in which the LCD panel 25 is in this state. Information (images) may be output to the LCD panel 25 even when there is no state.

Further, instead of the ON / OFF control of the image capturing operation by the camera control unit 40, the camera control unit 40 may be configured to perform ON / OFF control of the operation of the electronic camera 32.
Further, the camera control unit 40 is configured to perform the image capturing operation only when the LCD panel 25 is in a light transmission state, that is, when the back surface of the LCD panel 25 is not illuminated. Regardless of the 30 operating states (lighting state of the LCD panel), the image capturing operation may always be performed.

  Further, the illumination means and the display means may have any configuration, and the display means can be configured to display information (image) and to a light transmission state by ON / OFF control of the illumination operation of the LCD panel 25. Any configuration that can be switched is acceptable.

1 is a perspective view showing a mobile phone 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic sectional side view showing a main part of a mobile phone 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the circuit structure of the mobile telephone 10 in FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining an operation procedure of a main part of the mobile phone 10 in FIG. 1. 3 is a time chart for explaining the operation of the main part of the mobile phone 10 in FIG. 6 is a time chart for explaining another operation of the main part of the mobile phone 10 in FIG. 1. It is a schematic sectional side view which shows the principal part of the mobile telephone which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Mobile phone 11 1st case 14 Operation part 16 Key 17 Display part 18 Hinge 21 2nd case 25 LCD panel 27 Prism 27a Reflecting surface 30 Backlight 32 Electronic camera 33 Wireless communication part 34 Memory | storage part 36 Speaker 37 Backlight 37a Light guide Hole 38 Microphone 40 Camera control unit 42 Control unit 42a Display switching control unit 44 Liquid crystal control unit L1 Illumination light L2 Light of subject image L3 Illumination light

Claims (7)

In a mobile terminal device having a liquid crystal panel capable of displaying various types of information, and display information control means for controlling display of the information on the liquid crystal panel,
Illumination means capable of illuminating the back side of the liquid crystal panel;
Illumination control means for controlling the illumination means;
An image capturing means disposed opposite to the back surface of the liquid crystal panel and capturing an image of an external subject through the liquid crystal panel;
An image capture control unit that controls the image capture unit and performs image processing of the captured image;
The liquid crystal panel is in a display state in which the information can be displayed on the front side when the illumination unit is in an activated state and the back side is illuminated, and the illumination unit is in an inoperative state and the back side is not illuminated. Sometimes it is configured to be in a light transmissive state where light can be transmitted from the front side to the back side,
The illumination control unit and the display information control unit are a first state in which the illumination unit is activated and the information is displayed on the liquid crystal panel, and the illumination unit is deactivated and the liquid crystal panel is Controlling the illumination means and the liquid crystal panel so that the second state in which information is not displayed is alternately performed,
The display information control means controls information to be displayed on the liquid crystal panel in the first state according to a set display mode,
The mobile terminal device, wherein the image capture control means controls the image capture means to perform an image capture operation in the second state. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the display information control unit stops supplying the information signal to the liquid crystal panel in the second state. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the image capture control unit prohibits an image capture operation of the image capture unit in the first state. Having communication means capable of communicating with other communication devices;
The display mode has a videophone mode for transmitting and receiving images to and from the other communication device via the communication means,
When the videophone mode is selected as the display mode, the display information control means causes the liquid crystal panel to display an image transmitted from the other communication device as the information in the first state. ,
The image capture control means outputs an image captured by the image capture means in the second state to the communication means,
The portable terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the communication unit transmits an image output from the image capture control unit to the other communication device. The display mode has a self-photographing mode,
The display information control means, when the self-photographing mode is selected as the display mode, when the image captured by the image capture means in the second state is in the first state The portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the information is displayed on the liquid crystal panel as the information. The illumination means includes
A light guide plate that is arranged to face the back side of the liquid crystal panel and guides incident light from its side surface to the back side of the liquid crystal panel;
The portable terminal according to claim 1, further comprising: a light source that is provided on a side portion of the light guide plate and receives the incident light from a side surface side of the light guide plate. apparatus. The light guide hole through which the light of the subject image captured by the image capturing unit is formed in a portion of the liquid crystal panel facing the photographing unit. Mobile terminal device.

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