JP4095231B2 - Mobile phone with motion sensor - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technique for expanding the functions of a mobile phone. The present invention also relates to an applied technology of a motion sensor that measures acceleration or angular velocity.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, mobile phones have become very popular, and the functions they possess have become increasingly sophisticated. However, when looking at the relationship with the person, the user hears and sends and listens, visually confirms the display, and operates the switch group such as buttons by tactile sense. He keeps his attitude to be in a relationship. In other words, a slightly large local movement (for example, shaking an arm) of the user's body has conventionally been unrelated to a mobile phone.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, considering that the mobile phone is an electronic device that can be operated with one hand, that the attitude during operation is fixed, and the degree of its spread, it is considered that the prior art has not fully utilized its potential. . That is, if a function for detecting a user's movement, which has not been related to the mobile phone, is added and utilized, the mobile phone can be used as a more useful portable electronic device.
[0004]
An object of the present invention is to provide a new function to a mobile phone and expand its usefulness. More specifically, the mobile phone is provided with a function of detecting acceleration or angular velocity and displaying the output, or further using the output to provide a new information display and processing function such as game, control, or mutual communication. In other words, it is possible to provide a configuration of a mobile phone that can have a higher utility value as an information device or an information terminal device.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the mobile phone with motion sensor of the present invention has the following features.
(1) An acceleration sensor or angular velocity sensor, switch means for controlling the sensor, and a display device are mounted, and a predetermined direction and intensity that a user of the mobile phone performs during transmission by the acceleration sensor or angular velocity sensor And transmitting a signal that is a combination of an arm swinging motion or rotational motion having a sequence and the number of times and a signal by a button operation, causes a transmission destination device to perform a predetermined operation, and if the button operation is different, the transmission It has a function in which at least one of the predetermined direction, strength, order, and number of the arm swinging motion or the rotational motion for causing the previous device to perform a predetermined motion is different .
[0006]
The mobile phone with motion sensor of the present invention may further include at least one of the following features.
(2) In the above (1), the direction of at least one detection axis of the acceleration sensor or the angular velocity sensor is parallel to the major axis direction, the left-right direction, or the direction perpendicular to the screen of the display device. There is .
[0007]
(3) above (1) further Oite, direction of at least one detection axis of the acceleration sensor or angular velocity sensor, it is parallel to one side of the screen of the portable phone of the display device.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1A, 1B, and 1C are front views or partial front views of a mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention, each of which has a different motion display form. Further, (d) shows six components of motion common to the other drawings using coordinate axes. ω represents the angular velocity.
(A) In the figure, 1 is a mobile phone in a case, and 2 is a group of a number of operation switches arranged on the surface or side thereof. Reference numeral 3 denotes a display device such as a liquid crystal display, which normally displays telephone information such as the incoming or transmitted telephone number of the telephone, the name of the other party, and a message. Reference numeral 10 denotes a motion sensor, which is an angular velocity sensor and an acceleration sensor housed in a flat package, which is mounted on a circuit board (not shown) inside the mobile phone 1 and is orthogonal to the three directions (( It is possible to detect a total of 5 to 6 components including the linear acceleration 3 components in the motion to (d) and the angular acceleration 2 to 3 components of rotation about each axis. This movement of the aircraft is usually given by the user.
[0013]
The internal structure of the sensor is not shown because it has been proposed by a number of patent applications. For example, the motion sensor is a disc-shaped vibrating body having a mass biased to one side (Z-axis direction) of the plate surface, and acceleration The sensor uses this vibrating body without vibrating, and piezoelectrically detects the deformation of the disc in the three axes (X and Y axes in the plate surface, Z axis perpendicular to the plate surface) due to the inertial force acting on the mass. To do. The angular velocity sensor uses a biaxial sensor that piezoelectrically detects the deformation of the disk due to the Coriolis force generated when the vibrating body is excited in the Z-axis direction and rotates around the X-axis or the Y-axis.
[0014]
The display device 3 in FIG. 1A displays acceleration components in three axis directions. The display screen displays an X axis in the horizontal direction of the mobile phone 1, a Y axis in the long axis direction, and a Z axis perpendicular to the display surface (the Z axis is shown in a perspective view using an inclined straight line. ), The size of each measured component is displayed as the length of the thick line that overlaps each axis from the origin O. In order to switch the display to the angular velocity, or to return to the acceleration display again, one of the switch groups 2 (for example, the one on the side of the aircraft) is operated.
[0015]
The display device 3 in FIG. 1B is a display device 3 that is a liquid crystal display unit that mainly displays telephone information, and an LED display dedicated to exercise display, arranged in the X and Y directions along two sides on the outside thereof. The display device 3a is a unit. The magnitudes of the X and Y components of acceleration or angular velocity are indicated by the number or lighting position of LEDs in each axis direction, and the sign of the vector direction is, for example, the LED (the rightmost and uppermost) sign display element 34 ( The light emission color should be different from the others). The Z component is displayed using a part near the lower side of the display device 3, with the center of the straight line 31 set to 0, and the size and direction are indicated by the position of the black dot 32 displayed on either the left or right side of the center. The mark 33 indicates the magnitude of a predetermined acceleration Z component. When the black dot 32 is outside the mark 33, the generated acceleration is greater than that.
[0016]
FIG. 1C illustrates still another display form. The display device 3 shows the direction and magnitude of the three components of acceleration using arrows and numbers (magnification based on gravitational acceleration) using the lower three steps of the left half of the screen instead of the phone-related display that has been erased. ing. The three components of the angular velocity are indicated by an arrow figure and a number (rotation angle per second) indicating the rotation direction using the lower three steps of the right half of the screen. The upper part of the screen (the part surrounded by a thin frame) shows the magnitude and approximate direction of the synthesized acceleration and angular velocity. In this way, all necessary exercise information can be displayed together.
[0017]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an internal circuit in an example of the embodiment of the cellular phone of the present invention. Various functions other than those described in FIG. 1 are included in the basic form. 4 is a transmission / reception circuit, 5 is a telephone circuit, which has almost existing functions, and controls the operations of the buzzer 6, the transmitter 7, the receiver 8 and the like that perform an incoming call notification while the operation is defined by the switch group 2. Further, display data is supplied to a display signal creation / holding circuit 9 that causes the display device 3 to display various characters and numbers. In addition, the switch group 2 regulates not only the telephone connection but also the operation of all the movement related functional circuits (including those not including signal lines).
[0018]
Reference numeral 10 denotes a motion sensor, and 11 an excitation detection circuit which excites a sensor vibrating body (in the case of an angular velocity sensor), detects acceleration or angular velocity, and outputs data of detection results thereof. The output is selected by the communication control circuit 12 either by itself or by the communication data transmitted by the communication partner and received by the transmission / reception circuit 4, and is output to each subsequent circuit. The level determination circuit 13 determines whether or not the detected exercise data exceeds a predetermined value. This is effective for outputting a control signal when the motion output exceeds this threshold. The maximum value holding circuit 14 stores the maximum value within a certain trial period (for example, the maximum acceleration output when the arm holding the mobile phone is shaken strongly). This is used, for example, to evaluate athletic ability.
[0019]
When the control signal generation circuit 15 is intended to quickly control the power on / off of the telephone function and some functions by operations such as swinging the arm or lightly hitting the body without using a push button. This is a circuit for controlling the telephone circuit 5 by generating a control output instead of the push button output from the detection output such as acceleration. The control target of this circuit is not limited to the telephone function, and may be any motion data processing circuit (including itself).
[0020]
The time interval measurement circuit 16 has a function of measuring an elapsed time from a reference point having time to a specific point during exercise. This circuit habituates the buzzer 6 at an unexpected moment, for example. A short time interval is measured from the time of the sound until the user swings his / her arm in response to the acceleration reaching a predetermined value. This will allow users to evaluate their ability to reflect and check their physical condition. Alternatively, a game in which the communication partner and the reaction speed of the reflexes compete is possible.
[0021]
The time integration circuits 17 and 18 have a function of integrating data on acceleration and angular velocity to calculate data such as the speed (distance of the user), distance, and rotation angle. Note that the output of each circuit from the excitation detection circuit 11 to the time integration circuit 18 is input to the display signal generation / holding circuit 9 as shown by signal lines, and converted into appropriate symbols, numbers, and figures, respectively, and displayed on the display device. 3 (or 3a) is displayed.
[0022]
Although the basic functions of the present invention have been illustrated by the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the present invention is not limited to these. For example, the type of motion data (for example, only a specific limited direction is measured), the processing method (not a component, but weighted by some scale for comprehensive display), or the evaluation method (in the above-described embodiment) Exemplifies the evaluation of the user's reflexes, but conversely, it can also test the ability to maintain a stationary state for a long time in a space that is not supported by the arm, etc.), display form (changing the figure and its area, Aircraft vibrations, etc.), display location (for example, to obtain a large display area using the LED light-emitting display that transmits through the translucent airframe case, etc.), control applications (games and other software by movement) By pursuing changes such as how to apply motion to the mobile phone, and organic coupling with sound and audio signals In which it can realize the information device which is more sophisticated.
[0023]
Another application example of the present invention will be described. For example, a sick user wears a mobile phone and transmits acceleration data and acceleration data of angular velocity from his home to a rehabilitation center or from a hospital bed to a nurse station. It is also possible to send a predetermined signal by moving the telephone. The receiving side can grasp the movement state without interviewing the patient, can give advice on the telephone, and there is an abnormality in the movement data (for example, the stationary state is maintained for a long time, or the movement is too rapid. Can be treated without delay.
[0024]
Further, since it is possible to transmit exercise data together with transmission using voice or push button signals, it is also possible to send one type of encryption by exercising data alone or in combination with other signals. For example, while transmitting to the home security system, a specific arm swinging motion (for example, an acceleration of a certain level or more in the X-axis direction 5 times, and subsequently a rotation around the Y-axis that gives an angular velocity of a certain level or more (or less)) 3 times), you can open your home key.
[0025]
The code of this movement is not fixed, and it is easy to make it difficult for a third party to eavesdrop by making the number of movements complicated according to the number of push buttons operated simultaneously. Thus, the application range of the present invention is extremely wide. In the case of transmission to another person, the motion data is not raw acceleration or angular velocity, but may be information obtained by processing them, or may be further combined with a voice signal or a button operation signal. .
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
(1) By adding a motion detection function to a mobile phone, which is a small device that is carried by many people, an information processing function and a transmission function relating to a motion performed by a person are added, and an encryption transmission function of the mobile phone is included. The usefulness and applicability could be expanded. In addition, the encryption of exercise information could be improved by adding a function to change the information processing function by button operation.
[0027]
(2) In addition, when a function for controlling a mobile phone is exercised, a part of the control operation is more intuitive and simplified, and the usefulness can be increased.
(3) In addition, when an intercommunication function for exercise information is added, the mobile phone user's exercises are compared and competitions, the exercise status is notified to others, and the exercises themselves are sent as cues and data. It becomes possible to do.
(4) When the function display and the movement display of the telephone are performed on a common display device, the function can be increased without excessively increasing the volume of the mobile phone and the complexity of the internal mechanism.
[0028]
(5) Further, when the function control of the mobile phone is performed when the amount of exercise of the user is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, there is an effect that it is possible to easily know whether or not the amount of exercise has reached that level.
(6) Further, when the maximum value of the user's exercise amount is held and displayed, there is an effect that information on the user's exercise ability and the like can be easily obtained.
(7) When the acceleration and angular velocity are integrated to obtain and display information such as the velocity, distance, and rotation angle, the usefulness of the mobile phone can be further increased.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C are front views or partial front views of an embodiment of a mobile phone according to the present invention, and show examples of different display forms. Further, (d) is a coordinate system indicating a component in the direction of motion.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an internal circuit in an example of an embodiment of a mobile phone of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cellular phone 2 Switch group 3, 3a Display device 31 Straight line 32 Black dot 33 Mark 34 Code display element 4 Transmission / reception circuit 5 Telephone circuit 6 Buzzer 7 Transmitter 8 Receiver 9 Display signal creation circuit 10 Motion sensor 11 Excitation detection circuit 12 Switching circuit 13 Level determination circuit 14 Maximum value holding circuit 15 Control signal generation circuit 16 Time interval measurement circuit 17, 18 Time integration circuit

Claims (3)

An acceleration sensor or angular velocity sensor, switch means for controlling the sensor, and a display device are mounted, and a predetermined direction, intensity, and sequence performed by a user of the mobile phone during transmission by the acceleration sensor or angular velocity sensor. The transmission destination device is caused to perform a predetermined operation by transmitting a signal obtained by combining the arm swing motion or rotation motion having the number of times and the signal by the button operation, and when the button operation is different, the transmission destination device A mobile phone with a motion sensor , having a function in which at least one of a predetermined direction, intensity, order, and number of the arm swinging motion or rotational motion for causing the robot to perform a predetermined motion is different . Direction of the at least one detection axis of the acceleration sensor or angular velocity sensor, the long axis direction of the portable phone, to claim 1, the left-right direction or being a parallel to a direction perpendicular to the screen of the display device, The mobile phone with a motion sensor as described. At least one direction of the detection axis, the cellular telephone with the motion sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that parallel to one side of the screen of the portable phone of the display device of the acceleration sensor or an angular velocity sensor.

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