JP4394544B2 - Portable information equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable information device, and more particularly, to a portable information device having a mechanism that can be opened and closed and capable of talking and communicating, or having a lid and a main body.

Conventionally, small information devices such as mobile phones and PDAs have been developed. In particular, in mobile phones, folding mobile phones have been provided from the viewpoint of preventing unintentional operation key depression when carrying (when not in a call) and carrying convenience (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). .
In a conventional foldable mobile phone, a lid portion provided with a display and a main body portion provided with operation keys and the like are generally connected to each other so as to be opened and closed by a connecting portion having a hinge mechanism.

FIG. 19 shows a schematic configuration diagram of this conventional folding mobile phone.
The lid 101 can be rotated within a certain angle range around the rotation axis of the hinge mechanism, and cannot be rotated more than a certain angle. The operation of opening the lid from the state in which the lid 101 and the main body 102 are closed is performed manually or automatically by pressing a specific button.
In such a foldable mobile phone, when an incoming call is received in a closed state, a line can be connected immediately by opening the lid 101 to start a call, or the lid 101 is opened. Some devices can connect a line and start a call by depressing a specific call button 151 later.
In addition, today's mobile phones have not only a telephone function, but also an answering machine function, a call waiting function, transmission / reception of e-mail, a function that can transmit / receive and play back image data, and the like, so that it is multi-functional.

For example, the following functions are provided.
(A) Call volume change During a call, the call volume is changed by pressing a specific key (152 in FIG. 19).
(B) Answering Machine Function When a call is not being made, it is set or canceled by pressing and holding a specific key (152 in Fig. 19) for a certain period of time (long press), and when there is an incoming call, a voice response and recorded message memo are recorded Is.
(C) Call waiting function When a call waiting signal is detected from a line during a call, pressing a specific key (151 in FIG. 19) puts the current call on hold and switches to another call.
(D) Mail display function In order to read the received mail, a series of operations for starting the mail software from the normal initial screen is performed, and the received mail is selectively displayed on the display screen.

(E) Image / music activation function In order to view received images and music data, a series of operations are performed to activate software such as an image viewer and a music player.
(F) Alarm function A desired time or event occurrence condition is set, and an alarm is sounded when the time or event condition is satisfied. In order to stop the alarm, generally, after opening the lid, an operation of pressing a specific key (153 in FIG. 19) is performed.
(G) Manner mode function Tells that there is an incoming call by vibrate without ringing a ringtone. The manner mode is set or canceled by pressing and holding a specific key (154 in FIG. 19) after opening the lid.

In addition to this, a mobile phone (see Patent Document 3) that automatically makes a call to a specific destination registered in advance by simply opening the lid, and an incoming call dedicated machine that does not have a call function are provided.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-80188 JP 2001-251398 A Japanese Patent No. 2531436

However, in the conventional foldable mobile phone having the multiple functions as described above, it is necessary for the user to perform a specific key input operation to activate each function in addition to the operation of opening the lid. . Some of these specific operations require a single key input operation, some require a long press operation even once, and some require a series of key input operations.
The user needs to remember the number of operation methods as many as the number of functions, and the more functions there are, the more the operation tends to become complicated, and the burden on the user is large, and operability has become a problem.

For example, if an incoming call is received as soon as the lid is opened (Patent Document 1), the call cannot be answered after confirming the caller. That is, even if the other party does not want to talk on the phone, the phone call starts and the caller cannot be confirmed before the phone call starts.
Also, in the type where the call is started by pressing the call button after opening the lid when receiving a call, even if the caller can be confirmed before the call, the call button must be searched and pressed accurately. Operation is required.

In addition, the above-described functions have the following problems.
(A) During a call, the telephone itself is already applied to the ear. To change the volume, the call is interrupted, the telephone is once removed from the ear, a specific key is visually confirmed, and then the key is pressed. It was necessary to perform a series of operations of pressing and returning the phone close to the ear. That is, to change the volume, it is necessary to interrupt the call and perform a predetermined operation.
(B) When setting or canceling the answering function, it is necessary to visually search for and press a specific key, and it is necessary to perform a specific operation such as a long press.
(C) When a user detects a call waiting signal during a call, it is necessary to look for a specific key for switching the call by moving the phone away from the ear, and a special operation is required.
(D) After confirming the arrival of the received mail, when displaying the received mail and reading it, it is necessary to perform a series of operations predetermined for each model in order to start the mail software, which is complicated. The operation was complicated until it was used.

(E) In order to view received image and audio data, it is necessary to perform a series of operations for selecting the image file and starting dedicated software. However, this series of operations is often complicated and until it is used. The operation was complicated.
In addition, a series of operations that activate specific functions such as e-mail software, image viewer, and audio player are often different, and the user needs to remember the operations that activate those functions. The burden is heavy.
(F) In order to stop the alarm, it is necessary to visually search and press a specific key after opening the lid, and it is necessary to perform a special operation.
(G) In order to set or cancel the manner mode, it is necessary to perform a special operation of opening a lid portion and visually searching for and pressing a specific key.

In order to realize each of the above functions, a specific key input operation is often required, but it is difficult to provide a dedicated key for each function from the viewpoint of miniaturization in a small mobile phone. In many cases, a plurality of functions are assigned to one key.
In this case, it is difficult for the user to remember all of which key corresponds to which function, and a function that is not frequently used cannot be used when the user forgets the input key or operation and wants to use it. In some cases, operability is not good. In addition, when a function is activated by a series of key input operations, there is a similar problem, which places a heavy burden on the user.

  In addition, in the case of automatic transmission to a specific destination registered in advance just by opening the lid, if the user forgets that the setting has been set when automatic transmission is set, Even if a person wants to call other than a specific destination, simply opening the cover part may cause an unexpected unintentional automatic call, and the convenient functions provided may be erroneously operated.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, has two open states, realizes a desired function using the opening and closing operation of the lid, and the operation burden on the user It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable information device capable of reducing the amount of error and preventing erroneous operation and improving operability.

The present invention relates to a main body portion provided with an operation portion, a lid portion, and the lid portion moves relative to the main body portion, and the amount of movement of the lid portion relative to the main body portion differs between the first open state and the second open state. A connecting portion that connects the lid portion and the main body portion, an incoming signal detection portion that detects an incoming signal received through a communication line, and a first opening that detects the first open state. A state detection unit; a second open state detection unit that detects the second open state; and an answering machine response unit that executes an answering machine response process including transmission of a message notifying that there is an absence, the incoming signal detection unit If There it detects an incoming signal, the second open state detection unit detects the second open state, when the first open state detection unit thereafter within the predetermined time has detected the closed state, the previous SL answering unit Providing portable information equipment characterized by answering machine response processing A.

Further, the connecting portion has a slide mechanism capable of sliding the lid portion in a certain direction with respect to the main body portion, the lid portion and the main body portion are connected to be slidable in a certain direction, and the second open state is The present invention provides a slide-type portable information device characterized in that the slide amount from the closed state is larger than that in the first open state.
Further, the present invention provides a portable information device characterized in that the connecting portion is a foldable type in which a lid portion having a display and a main body portion having an operation key are connected by a hinge mechanism.

According to the present invention, two states (first open state and second open state) having different movement amounts are provided as the state in which the lid is moved, and the two states are detected. Is related to the operation of activating various functions of the portable information device of the present invention, the operation burden on the user can be reduced, and erroneous operation can be prevented. The user's operability can be improved.
In particular, when the incoming signal is detected, when the second open state is detected, if a line is captured and incoming processing is performed, there is no need to search for and press a dedicated key for incoming calls, and a series of incoming operations. Since the user can enter a call in the course of the flow, the operation burden on the user is small, erroneous operation can be prevented, and the operability at the time of incoming call can be remarkably improved.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this.
In the following embodiments, a portable information device according to the present invention will be described as a foldable device that includes a lid portion and a main body portion, and in principle the lid portion is rotatable with respect to the main body portion. However, as will be described later, similar operations and functions can be realized even with a slide-type portable information device. Further, the display portion may be shaped so as to rotate with respect to the main body.
<Configuration of portable information device of this invention>
FIG. 1 shows a configuration block diagram of an embodiment of the portable information device of the present invention.
The portable information device according to the present invention includes a display unit 1, an input unit 2, a data storage unit 10, a program storage unit 20, and a control unit 60 as in the case of a conventional information terminal such as a mobile phone or a PDA. In order to do this, a microphone 3, a speaker 4, a ringer 5, and a call control unit 6 are provided.

In addition, a configuration block (31 to 35) for performing a voice call or data communication with an external communication device via the communication line 40 is provided.
Further, the present invention includes a first open state detection unit 51 and a second open state detection unit 52 in order to operate a function such as a telephone call. As will be described later, the present invention has two open states (first open state and second open state), and in particular, a specific function is activated by detecting the second open state. And

The control unit 60 is a part for realizing a large number of functions of the device of the present invention, and is mainly composed of a microcomputer and software for each function. A microcomputer mainly consists of a CPU, ROM, RAM, I / O controller, timer, etc., and operates necessary hardware organically based on software stored in a storage device such as ROM, RAM, or a hard disk. By implementing this, each function is realized. The software is normally provided by being fixedly recorded in a ROM or the like in advance, but may be provided in a form recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk, an IC memory card, or a CD-ROM.
The software can also be obtained by downloading from an external server or the like via the communication line 40.

The display unit 1 is a part that displays visual information such as characters, symbols, and images, and from the viewpoint of portability, an LCD, an EL element, or the like is used. The input unit 2 is a part that performs input for characters, symbols, activation of each function, setting, and the like, and a pointing device such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a pen can be used. The microphone 3 and the speaker 4 are mainly used for telephone calls, but the speaker is also used for outputting a sound when the music player 22 is activated or an alarm sound. The ringer 5 sounds a notification sound when there is an incoming call.
The call control unit 6 is a part that controls the microphone 3, the speaker 4, and the ringer 5, and mainly performs volume, sound quality, AD conversion, DA conversion, and the like during a call.

The data storage unit 10 is a part that stores information that should be stored in a rewritable manner for realizing each function of the apparatus and information that is fixedly recorded so that it cannot be erased in advance. For example, destination information 11, answering machine information 12, and setting information 13 are stored in the data storage unit 10.
As the data storage unit 10, a hard disk, an IC memory card, and the like are used in addition to a semiconductor storage element such as a ROM, a RAM, and a flash memory.

The program storage unit 20 is a part that stores a program that realizes each function of the apparatus of the present invention, and, like the data storage unit 20, a semiconductor storage element, a hard disk, or the like is used. The program is preferably stored in a modularized state for each function.
The program storage unit 20 stores programs such as mail software 21 for sending and receiving e-mail, a music player 22 for playing back music data, and an image viewer 23 for playing back still images and moving images. These programs may be stored in the program storage unit 20 as essential functions in advance or stored as rewritable by a user via a storage medium or a network as needed later. Good.
The communication circuit 40 means any line currently used such as a general subscriber telephone line, ISDN line, ADSL line, FTTH line, wireless communication line, and wireless communication line, and is not particularly limited.
However, since the portable information device of the present invention has portability and is mainly used by moving, it is preferable that the portable information device can be connected to a line capable of wireless communication and wireless communication in the same manner as a mobile phone or PHS.

Therefore, the device of the present invention has a line connection function for calling and communicating. Mainly, the incoming mail detection unit 31, the call waiting signal detection unit 32, the incoming signal detection unit 33, the line as shown in FIG. A closing unit 34 and a line switching unit 35 are provided.
The incoming mail detection unit 31 is a part for detecting an incoming mail signal transmitted via the communication line 40. When it is detected that an incoming mail has been received, the mail software 21 or the like is subsequently started. The content of the email is downloaded.
The incoming signal detection unit 33 is a part that detects a signal indicating an incoming call transmitted via the communication line 40. For example, when this incoming signal is detected, the call control unit 6 causes the ringer 5 to ring. Is done.
The line closing unit 34 is a part for connecting so as to be able to make a call or communication with another information device via the communication line 40, so-called line connection according to a specific operation of the user. This is a part that performs an off-hook operation corresponding to, and an on-hook operation corresponding to line disconnection.

The call waiting signal detection unit 32 is a part that detects a call waiting signal transmitted via the communication line 40, and the line switching unit 35 is a line that is currently in a call (previous call line) and a newly received call waiting line. This is a part where the connection is switched to one for the signal line (later call line).
As described above, the control unit 60 is a part that implements various functions by operating necessary hardware based on a specific program. For example, the control unit 60 includes a large number of function blocks (61 to 61) illustrated in FIG. 72). Each of the functions (61 to 72) is an example and is not limited to these, and may include other necessary functions.
All functions are not essential and can be selected according to design specifications. For example, the transmission control unit 61 is an essential function, but may not be provided if the alarm notification setting unit 68 is not necessary. Furthermore, although all these functions are provided, it may be possible to enable or disable activation for each function.

The transmission control unit 61 is a part that performs an operation (transmission process) to connect to the set, selected, or input destination number. The transmission destination setting unit 62 is a part for specifying one transmission destination to be dialed, and the transmission control unit 61 performs transmission processing on the specified transmission destination.
Various methods are conceivable for setting the call destination. For example, as with a normal telephone, the call destination can be set by a user entering a call destination number using a key.

Alternatively, when a plurality of destinations are already stored as the destination information 11, an operation for temporarily displaying a list (phone book) of the destination information 11 and then selecting one destination for the user is performed. Then, the outgoing call processing may be performed.
If one automatic destination is already set in a fixed manner, the automatic destination may be set as the destination by performing a specific operation.
As an example of the specific operation, as will be described later, when an operation of opening the lid to the second open state is detected after the transmission destination is specified by the transmission destination setting unit 62, the user makes a call. The outgoing call processing may be performed on the assumption that the intended instruction has been issued.

The speaker volume control unit 63 is a part that increases or decreases the volume output from the speaker 4 based on a specific operation, and is specifically a part that controls the call control unit 6.
Here, as with a conventional music player, a rotary volume controller is provided, a slide controller for increasing or decreasing the volume is provided, and dedicated key switches for increasing and decreasing are provided, so that the user can perform a pressing operation. However, in the present invention, the volume is adjusted by opening and closing a specific lid, as will be described later, without providing a dedicated controller or key switch for adjusting the volume. .

The answering machine response unit 64 is a part that sets and activates a function of recording a message of the other party by sending a predetermined absence message when so-called absence.
In this invention, in order to set and cancel the answering machine response function, a lid opening / closing operation as described later is used.

  The incoming call rejection unit 65 is a part that stops an incoming call based on a specific operation when there is an incoming call for a call purpose. For example, the ringer 5 rings when an incoming call is received, but because the other party does not want to talk, the ringer 5 is stopped, or the line is temporarily connected but the line is disconnected immediately. Here, the specific operation means an operation of closing the lid from the first open state when receiving an incoming call, as will be described later.

  The mail software activation unit 66 is a part that activates the mail software 21 by detecting a specific operation in order to read the received electronic mail. Here, the specific operation means an operation of opening the lid from the first open state to the second open state as will be described later.

The multimedia data discriminating unit 67 is a part for judging the type of data received or downloaded by detecting a specific operation and starting a program related to the data.
Here, as will be described later, the specific operation means an operation of opening the lid to the second open state after receiving the multimedia data.
Multimedia refers to information such as voice, image, and document, for example, but the type is determined by checking the characteristics of the received file format (MP3, JPEG, GIF, TXT, etc.) and its data contents. To do. Further, for example, when it is confirmed that the received data is in the GIF format, the image viewer 23 that can handle the received data is activated.

The alarm notification setting unit 68 is a part for setting a timer for sounding an alarm sound, for sounding an alarm after a predetermined time elapses by the timer, or for stopping the sounded alarm sound.
In the present invention, in order to stop the alarm sound, instead of searching for a specific key and inputting it, the alarm is stopped by opening the lid to the second open state while the alarm is sounding, as will be described later.

  The manner mode switching unit 69 is a part for setting and canceling the manner mode by detecting a specific operation. The manner mode is a mode in which an incoming call is made without sounding a ring tone, similar to that adopted for a normal mobile phone, and instead of making a ring tone, an incoming call may be notified by vibration. Here, the specific operation means a series of operations of opening the lid to the second open state and then closing the lid as will be described later.

  The automatic destination registration unit 70 is a part for registering a destination to which a call is to be made and automatically performing a calling process on the registered destination when a specific operation is performed. Here, the specific operation means, for example, an operation of opening the lid to the second open state when neither a call nor an incoming call state is set as will be described later.

  The automatic destination fixing unit 71 is a part that allows only a specific destination among the destinations registered by the automatic destination registration unit 70 to be transmitted and prevents other destinations from being transmitted. For example, the destination may be fixed and released by inputting a preset password.

The phone book function starting unit 72 is a part for starting a program for creating, editing, deleting, and displaying a phone book. The telephone book records personal information such as a telephone number, a mail number, and a name of a destination.
In the present invention, in order to activate a function such as editing the telephone directory, a specific key input operation is not performed, but an operation of opening the lid to the second open state as described later is performed.

What is shown as the function of the control unit 60 is mainly performed by an operation including an operation of opening the lid part to the second open state, which has been conventionally performed by inputting a specific key or a series of key input operations. Is.
By performing an operation including the operation of opening the lid portion to such a second open state, it is possible to reduce the burden on the user's operation, prevent an erroneous operation, and improve the operability.
For example, you can't see the key operation part directly during a call because the device itself is already in your ear. To perform any key entry in this state, temporarily disconnect the device from your ear and interrupt the call. In some cases, it is necessary to perform a predetermined function (for example, speaker volume adjustment) by performing a predetermined opening / closing operation (for example, an operation for setting the second open state) of the lid while being applied to the ear during a call. If it can be operated, the user-friendliness can be remarkably improved without interrupting the call.
Although it has been described that it is not necessary to provide all the functions (61 to 72) of the control unit, conversely, when all functions are provided, a function to be activated and a function not to be activated may be set in advance. Good.

In addition, activation of a plurality of functions may be set in association with one operation. However, it is necessary to clearly set in advance which function is to be activated when what condition is satisfied.
For example, for the operation from the closed state of the lid portion to the second open state, it is possible to associate the activation of the transmission function with the activation of the reception function, but this operation is performed while receiving the incoming signal. When the call is made, the incoming call function is activated and the outgoing call function is not activated.
That is, even if two functions are associated with the operation to open to the same second open state, it should be activated by setting or fixedly recording conditions for activating that function in addition to the operation. The function can be clearly determined.

<Description of lid opening / closing operation>
Next, the opening / closing operation of the lid portion of the portable information device of the present invention will be described. As described above, various functions are realized by opening and closing the lid.
FIG. 2 shows a schematic structural diagram of one embodiment of the portable information device of the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows a so-called folding portable information device as an embodiment.
The portable information device according to the present invention mainly includes a lid 101, a main body 102, and a connecting portion 103. The lid 101 includes a display unit 1 and a speaker 4 for displaying various information such as LCD and EL.
The main body unit 102 includes an operation unit. For example, the input unit 2 and the microphone 3 including a plurality of keys are included. The connecting portion 103 is a portion that connects the lid portion 101 and the main body portion 102 so as not to be completely separated from each other, and includes a so-called hinge mechanism.

In the case of FIG. 2, the lid 101 can be rotated by a certain angle with respect to the main body 102 with the connecting portion 103 as a rotation axis.
That is, the lid portion 101 and the main body portion 102 are assembled at one end portion (connecting portion 103) so that they can be opened and closed at that end portion.
The openable / closable configuration itself can be the same as that of a conventional folding mobile phone. However, the present invention is characterized in that the lid is opened so as to realize the following two open states.

FIG. 2A shows a state where the lid 101 is closed.
2 (b) and 2 (c) both show a state in which the lid portion 101 is opened, FIG. 2 (b) is referred to as a first open state, and FIG. 2 (c) is in a second open state. Call it.
The first open state in FIG. 2B shows one state where the lid 101 is stably fixed when the lid 101 is opened. An angle formed by the lid portion 101 in the first open state and the main body portion 102 is referred to as a first rotation angle θ ₁ .
In the first open state, key input operations of the input unit 2, viewing mails and images displayed on the display unit 1, and mail creation are generally performed.

The second open state in FIG. 2C is a state in which the lid 101 is further opened compared to the first open state in FIG. An angle formed between the lid portion 101 and the main body portion 102 in the second open state is referred to as a second rotation angle θ _2, and θ ₂ > θ ₁ . Further, it is assumed that the lid portion cannot be opened further than in the second open state.
In this invention, when the cover part 101 is opened, it is stably fixed. In order to realize such two open states, the connecting portion 103 may be provided with a latch mechanism. As you open the lid 101 from the closed state, the latch mechanism works when opened to the first rotation angle theta _1, once stably to be fixed as the first open state. Further, in the first open state, the user further rotates the lid 101 in the opening direction, and when the user opens the second rotation angle θ ₂ , the second open state is stably fixed.

Further, when the user releases the opening operation after opening the lid portion to the second open state, the lid portion 101 is not stably fixed in the second open state, but the lid portion 101 is in the first open state. You may make it return to. That is, the second open state is temporarily maintained only when the user applies a force to open the lid, and automatically returns from the second open state to the first open state when the user stops applying the force. You may do it.
Thus, in order to automatically return from the second open state to the first open state, the connecting portion 103 may be provided with a return mechanism including a spring, a coil, or the like.
Moreover, it is preferable to provide a latch mechanism in the connection part 103 so that it cannot open further than the 2nd open state.

As shown in FIG. 2, the relative positional relationship between the lid portion 101 and the main body portion 102 includes a closed state (FIG. 2 (a)), a first open state (FIG. 2 (b)), and a second open state. There are three states (FIG. 2 (c)).
In the present invention, a mechanism for distinguishing and detecting these three states is provided. For example, in order to detect a closed state and a first open state, a first open state detection unit 51 including a pair of magnets and a Hall element is provided. This Hall element has a property of generating a constant voltage when a magnetic field is generated. The first open state detection unit 51 is provided on the end of the lid unit 101 and the main body unit 102 on the side without the connection unit 103.

For example, when the magnet is disposed on the lid portion 101 and the Hall element is disposed on the main body portion 102 and the lid portion 101 is closed, the magnet and the Hall element are configured to face each other within a distance of several millimeters.
That is, when the lid 101 is closed, the magnet and the Hall element are close to each other, and a magnetic field enters the Hall element to generate a constant voltage. By detecting that this voltage is generated, the closed state is detected. The magnet and the hall element correspond to the magnet 121 and the hall element 122 in FIG. 4, respectively. Although not shown in the first open state, a protrusion that interlocks with the connecting portion 103 and a fixed switch that receives the protrusion are provided, and the protrusion is arranged so as to press the switch in the first open state. Detected.

In order to detect the second open state, for example, a second open state detection unit 52 including a switch and a protrusion for turning the switch ON / OFF may be provided in the vicinity of the connecting unit 103.
In FIG. 3, the schematic block diagram of one Example of the 2nd open state detection part 52 is shown.
FIG. 3A shows the configuration of the lid 101, the main body 102, and the second open state detector 51 in the first open state.
The second open state detection unit 51 includes a switch 104 and a protrusion 105. In FIG. 3, the protrusion 105 is provided on the surface of the main body 102 at the end near the connecting portion 103, and the switch 104 is provided at the end near the connecting portion 103 of the lid 101. In the first open state, the switch 104 and the protrusion 105 are separated from each other, and the switch 104 has not been pushed yet.

The switch 104 may be provided on the surface of the lid 101, but a recess is provided in a part of the lid 101 so that the projection 105 can be received, and the switch is pushed when the projection 105 is inserted into the recess. You may provide in the bottom of the recessed part.
FIG. 3B shows a case where the lid 101 is further opened to be in the second open state. At this time, the protrusion 105 is inserted into the recess, the switch 104 is pushed, and the switch contact is closed. That is, the switch 104 is turned on. The second open state detection unit 52 detects whether the switch 104 is ON or OFF. When the switch is in the ON state, the second open state detection unit 52 detects that the switch is in the second open state, and when in the OFF state, the second open state is detected. Judge that it is not.

Although the second open state is detected by providing a mechanism as shown in FIG. 3, the movement of the lid 101 from the first open state to the second open state is performed by a user's intentional operation. The user's intentional operation can be performed while the user holds the device in one hand while looking at the display unit 1, but the change in the rotation angle from θ ₁ to θ ₂ is slight. Since the force to press the switch 104 may be small, even when the device is in contact with the ear, such as during a call, the user can simply press the device against the ear or the side of the face to open the second open state. Easy to open up to.
That is, since the operation from the first open state to the second open state can be performed without looking at the display surface of the lid part or the operation part of the main body part, it is possible to provide good operability for the user.

  Therefore, if the opening operation to the second open state is associated with the operation for executing a specific function, the operability can be improved and the burden on the user can be reduced. For example, if the opening operation to the second open state performed during a call is associated with the speaker volume increase / decrease function, the volume can be adjusted while the device is in a call state with the ear placed on the ear. Can be improved.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic configuration diagram of another embodiment of the second open state detector 52 of the present invention. Here, the second open state detection unit 52 includes a pair of magnets 123 and a hall element 124.
The pair of magnets 123 and the hall element 124 are provided in the vicinity of the connecting portion 103. For example, when the magnet 123 is provided on the lid 101, the hall element 124 is provided on the main body 102, the lid 101 in FIG. 4A is closed, and the first open state in FIG. 4B. The magnet 123 and the Hall element 124 maintain a state where they are separated from each other by a certain distance, and in the second open state of FIG. 4C, both come close to each other and can generate a predetermined voltage. Place it in a proper position.

In the case of the configuration of FIG. 4, the case where the magnet 123 and the hall element 124 approach each other and the occurrence of a predetermined voltage is detected is determined as the second open state, and the case where no voltage is generated is determined. 2 Judged not open.
In FIG. 4, the magnet 121 and the Hall element 122 constitute the first open state detection unit 51 as described above, and when the predetermined voltage is not generated, it is determined as the first open state, and the voltage is generated. If it is, it is determined to be closed.

<Example 1: Incoming call function and outgoing call function>
Here, the incoming call processing and outgoing call processing of the present invention will be described. In particular, the incoming call process or the outgoing call process is started by performing an operation of opening the lid portion to the second open state as shown in FIG. 2 instead of performing a specific key input operation as in the prior art. And
FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of the incoming and outgoing functions of the portable information device of the present invention.
First, in step S1, it is checked whether an incoming signal is detected by the incoming signal detector 33. When the incoming signal is detected, the process proceeds to step S2, and it is checked whether or not the second open state is detected by the second open state detector 52.

When the second open state is detected, it is considered that the user has intentionally received an operation to enter a call, and the incoming call process of step S3 is executed. The incoming call processing includes capturing the line by the line closing unit 34 and setting the call control unit 6 in a state where a call can be made with a microphone and a speaker.
If the second open state is not detected in step S2, the process returns to step S1.

The above is the incoming call processing of the present invention. When the user intentionally opens the lid 101 to the second open state, the line is captured and the telephone can be communicated.
Further, in the state where the lid is closed or the lid is opened to the first open state, even if an incoming signal is detected, the ringer 5 is only ringing, and a call cannot be made.

Therefore, when an incoming call is received, when the lid is opened to the first open state, the name or number of the caller of the incoming call is displayed. The person can be confirmed, and if the other party does not want to answer, the call can be rejected.
Further, for example, after opening the lid to the first open state, the device is applied to the ear, and the lid 101 of the device is pressed against the side of the ear or the face while being applied to the ear, By doing so, it is possible to immediately make a call possible state.

  In the foldable portable information device as shown in FIG. 2, the speaker 4 is disposed at the tip of the lid portion 101, and says “open the lid portion, place the lid portion of the device on the ear, and make a call”. Since a series of operations are natural when an incoming call is received, after the lid is placed on the ear, the operation of pressing the lid against the ear to the second open state can be easily performed without placing a burden on the user. Conceivable. That is, the series of incoming calls according to the present invention has better operability than the operation of visually searching for and pressing a dedicated key for incoming calls.

  Further, when the user pushes the lid 101 into the second open state, the lid 101 may be stably fixed in the second open state. However, as described above, By providing a mechanism for returning to the open state, once the second open state is established, when the pressing is stopped, the first open state may be restored.

  Further, when the call is terminated and the line is disconnected, an operation of closing the lid may be performed. However, when a mechanism for returning to the first open state is provided, the first open state is changed to the first open state after the call ends. (2) The line may be disconnected when an operation for opening to the open state is performed. In this case, although not in the flow of FIG. 5, a process of disconnecting the line when the second open state is detected during a call may be added.

Next, the calling process will be described.
If no incoming signal is detected in step S1, the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, it is checked whether or not a subscriber number specifying a call destination has been input. If it has not been input, the process returns to step S1, and if it has been input, the process proceeds to step S5.

  Here, the subscriber number can be entered directly by the user, or the phonebook can be displayed to select the other party to call or to recognize the voice that identifies the other party. It may be done by doing. That is, various methods conventionally used can be used for inputting the subscriber number.

In step S5, it is checked whether or not the second open state is detected. If the second open state is not detected, the process returns to step S4. If it is detected, the process proceeds to step S6 to perform a calling process.
The calling process includes line acquisition by the line closing unit 34 and transmission of the inputted subscriber number information to the communication line 40.
With a foldable portable information device, when calling the other party, "Open the cover, enter the other party's subscriber number, press the key for starting the call, and place the cover on the ear." A conventional general flow is to perform a series of operations and wait for the other party to answer the call.

On the other hand, in the case of the present invention, the operation of “pressing the key for starting transmission” is not necessary, and “opening the cover to the first open state, inputting the partner number of the other party, and listening to the cover of the device. The other party is called by performing a series of operations such as “opening the lid to the second open state by pressing the lid against the side of the ear or face”.
In this case, after placing the device on your ear, you can make a call as it is, wait for the other party to answer the call, and make a series of operations easy without burdening the user. it can. That is, after entering the subscriber number, there is no need to visually search for a call activation key, and the user can make a call with a smooth operation, and the operability at the time of outgoing call is improved.

<Example 2: Speaker volume control>
Here, the processing for adjusting the volume of the speaker during a call according to the present invention will be described.
As an operation for changing the volume of the speaker, an operation for opening the lid as shown in FIG. 2 to the second open state is used. The volume adjustment of the speaker is performed during a normal call, and the speaker volume adjustment unit 63 is controlled by controlling the call control unit 6.

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of the speaker volume adjustment function of the present invention.
First, in step S11, it is checked whether a call is currently being made. For example, when the line closing unit 34 captures the line and the other party answers or the self performs incoming call processing, information indicating that the call is currently being stored is stored. By checking this stored information, it may be checked whether or not a call is in progress. If the call is in progress, the process proceeds to step S12. If the call is not in progress, the process ends. Assume that the lid 101 is open to the first open state during a call.

If the call is in progress, in step S12, it is checked whether or not the second open state is detected by the second open state detector 52. If the second open state is not detected, the process returns to step S11, and if it is detected, the process proceeds to step S13.
If the user wants to change the volume of the speaker while talking with the device in his / her ear with the lid 101 open to the first open state, the lid 101 is placed on the side of the ear or face. To the second open state. Moreover, when performing the apparatus of this Example, it is preferable to provide the return mechanism in which a cover part returns automatically to a 1st open state, when pushing to an ear is stopped.

In step S13, it is checked whether or not the current call volume is already set to the maximum volume. If it is already the maximum volume, the process proceeds to step S14, and the call volume is changed to the lowest level (= 0). On the other hand, if the maximum volume is not reached, the process proceeds to step S15 and the call volume is increased by a predetermined level.
In the case of this flowchart, the speaker volume is increased by one step when the user performs an operation of opening the lid portion to the second open state once during a call. That is, every time the lid is opened to the second open state, the sound volume is increased step by step by a certain level. When the maximum volume is reached, the volume is changed to the minimum volume and is cyclically changed by the next opening operation to the second open state.

  In the second embodiment, the volume of the speaker can be adjusted while the device is kept on the ear without taking the device away from the ear during the call. Therefore, it is not necessary to interrupt the call for adjusting the volume. The change can be made with an easy operation, and a smooth call is possible.

In the above description, the volume is increased stepwise by a certain level every time the opening operation is performed to the second open state. However, when the return mechanism is provided, the lid 101 is opened to the second open state. You may make it measure time and change the increase amount of a sound volume corresponding to the maintenance time (long press time) of the 2nd open state.
For example, if the long press time is within 1 second, the volume is increased by one level, and if the long press time is 2 seconds, the volume may be increased by two levels.

Further, when the second open state is maintained for a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) or longer, the long press operation may be a switching operation of the direction of increasing or decreasing the volume. For example, when the volume is increased stepwise, if the second open state is maintained for a predetermined time (5 seconds) or longer, the volume is increased stepwise from the next opening operation. Decrease operation.
When the volume is decreased step by step, it is checked whether or not the volume is minimum in step S13 and the call volume is changed to the maximum in step S14.

Further, an upper limit may be set for the maximum volume when the volume is increased stepwise.
This is to prevent the volume from becoming excessively high due to an erroneous operation.
In this case, since the desired maximum volume differs depending on the user, the maximum volume set as the upper limit may be set by the user.
For example, the upper limit is set to level 7 in advance when the hardware can change the sound volume in 10 steps from level 0 to level 10. If the operation to open the second open state is performed in the level 7 volume state, the volume is not increased to level 8 but is changed to level 0 in step S14.

Further, when an operation for opening to the second open state is performed with a specific key pressed, the volume may be decreased by one level.
In this case, the volume is increased by one level by opening the specific key without pressing down the specific key, and the operation of opening the second key in the second open state while holding down the specific key. To reduce the volume by one level.
In this way, by combining with the pressing operation of a specific key, not only cyclic volume change but also volume increase / decrease based on the user's intention can be achieved.

<Example 3: Answering machine answering function>
Here, the setting and cancellation of the answering machine response function and the incoming call rejection function of the present invention will be described.
Conventionally, in order to set and cancel the answering machine response function, a specific key pressing operation is often performed. In the present invention, an operation of opening and closing the lid portion to the second open state is used.
FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of activation processing of the answering machine response function according to the present invention.
Here, a case will be described in which, when an incoming signal is detected, an answering machine response function is activated to respond by sending an answering message instead of making a call by itself.
First, in step S21, it is checked whether an incoming signal is detected by the incoming signal detector 33. If an incoming signal is detected, the process proceeds to step S22, and if not, the process ends.

In step S22, it is checked whether or not the first open state detection unit 51 has detected the first open state. When the first open state is detected, that is, when the user notices that there is an incoming call and opens the lid 101 to the first open state, the process proceeds to step S23, and otherwise the process returns to step S21.
However, the determination in step S22 is not essential, and when an incoming signal is detected in step S21, the process may proceed to step S23.

In step S23, it is checked whether the second open state is detected. If the user intentionally opens the lid to the second open state, the process proceeds to step S24, and if not, the process ends.
In step S24, a timer is started, the elapsed time is counted, and it is checked whether or not the lid is closed within a predetermined time (for example, 1 second).
The first open state detection unit 51 detects the closed state.

If the user opens the lid part until it is in the second open state and then closes the lid part within a predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S25 to activate the answering machine function.
Here, the answering machine response function includes sending a message notifying that the user is not at home or not being able to answer the call, recording the voice of the other party, and receiving the telephone number information of the other party.
On the other hand, if the lid is not closed within a predetermined time even if the second open state is once established, it is assumed that the answering function has not been started, and the process is terminated or the incoming call process is performed. You may do it.

By answering an incoming call by such an operation, an answering can be made by opening and closing the lid similar to the general flow operation at the time of an incoming call. It is possible to make an absence response.
In the above description, the answering response is entered by two series of operations of opening and closing the lid. However, in addition to this, the time of the second open state is measured, and a longer time (for example, When an operation for maintaining the second open state of the lid (2 seconds) is performed (long press operation), an absence response may be started.

In step S22, after detecting the first open state, if the closed state of the lid is detected without detecting the second open state, it is regarded as an operation intended for “reject incoming call” and is temporarily received. After connecting the line after processing, the line may be disconnected immediately. Thus, when the caller is confirmed in the first open state at the time of an incoming call, if the other party does not want to talk, the line can be forcibly disconnected without answering anything.
In addition, when it is considered that the “reject incoming call” operation has been performed, only the ring tone may be stopped instead of forcibly disconnecting the line. In this case, the other party remains ringing, but the incoming side is almost the same for the user as no incoming call.
The activation of the answering machine function is not limited to when an incoming call is received as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7, and may be performed by performing a similar series of opening / closing operations of the lid even in a state other than the time of incoming call.
Further, in the state where the answering response is activated, the answering function may be canceled by performing an operation of opening the lid portion to the second open state and then an operation of closing within a predetermined time (for example, 1 second).

<Example 4: Call waiting setting function>
Here, a process of switching a call line to another line when a call waiting signal is received during a call will be described. During a call, the device is placed on the ear, but in this embodiment, the operation of setting the device to the ear by pressing the lid portion of the device against the ear so that the device is still placed on the ear. To switch the line.
It is assumed that the call is performed with the lid opened to the first open state. The call waiting signal is detected by the call waiting signal detection unit 32. When the call waiting signal is detected, the control unit 60 instructs the line switching unit 35 to switch the line. The line switching unit 35 holds the current captured line (previous call line) via the line closing unit 34 and connects another line (later call line).

FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of the call waiting setting function.
In FIG. 8, first, in step S31, it is checked whether a call is in progress. Whether or not a call is in progress may be confirmed by the presence or absence of call information stored in the data storage unit 10 when the line closing unit 34 captures the line.
If the call is in progress, the process proceeds to step S32. If not, the process ends.
In step S32, it is checked whether or not the call waiting signal detection unit 32 has detected a call waiting signal. If it is detected, the process proceeds to step S33, and if not, the process returns to step S31.
When the call waiting signal is detected, the user is also informed through the speaker that the call waiting signal has been detected, so that the user can know that there is another incoming call. Therefore, in this embodiment, when switching the line to another incoming call, the user intentionally opens the lid 101 to the second open state with the device kept on the ear.

In step S33, it is checked whether or not the second open state is detected by the second open state detector 52.
If the second open state is not detected, the process is terminated. If the second open state is detected, the process proceeds to step S34 to perform a call waiting switching process.
In this embodiment, the line can be easily switched in response to the reception of the call waiting signal while the device is kept in contact with the ear.
In addition, after the current call line is switched to another incoming line (later call line) and the user further opens to the second open state, the other incoming line is put on hold and the current call is held. Processing to switch to the line (the previous call line). That is, when a call waiting signal is received during a call, the previous call line and the subsequent call line may be alternately switched every time the opening operation is performed to the second open state. However, in this case, it is preferable to provide a mechanism for returning to the first open state.

  In this embodiment, since the operation of opening the lid portion to the second open state is used to switch the line of the call waiting signal, the line can be switched quickly and easily without taking the device away from the ear during a call. it can.

<Example 5: E-mail receiving function>
Here, a process will be described in which, when it is detected that an incoming e-mail has been received, the mail software 21 is activated by a predetermined operation so that the received mail can be read.
As a predetermined operation for starting the mail software of this embodiment, an operation of opening the lid to the second open state is used.
When there is an incoming mail, the incoming mail detection unit 31 analyzes the incoming call signal data and detects the incoming mail by detecting the mail identification information in the header of the incoming call signal data. it can.

FIG. 9 shows a flowchart until the mail software is activated when an e-mail is received.
First, in step S41, it is checked whether or not an incoming mail has been detected by the incoming mail detector 31. If detected, the process proceeds to step S42, and if not, the process ends.

In step S42, it is checked whether the second open state is detected.
When an incoming mail is detected, although not shown, the user is notified that the incoming mail has been received by ringing the ringer 5 in the same manner as the incoming call. When the user knows that an incoming mail has been received by this notification, the user has conventionally performed an operation of opening the lid.
Therefore, in the present invention, in consideration of the consistency of this conventional operation, after the user knows that an incoming mail has been received, the lid is opened to the first open state, and then the intention is further changed. 2. By setting it to the open state, the mail software is automatically started.

That is, if the second open state is detected in step S42, the process proceeds to step S43, and the mail software 21 is activated.
When the mail software is activated, the contents of the incoming mail are immediately displayed on the display unit 1. According to this, the content of the incoming mail can be read quickly and easily only by performing an operation of opening the lid portion to the second open state.

If there are multiple incoming mails, or if two or more unread mails remain, the contents of the latest received mail are displayed by, for example, the first opening operation to the second open state, and then the lid May be displayed next, the contents of a new received mail or unread mail may be displayed.
That is, when there are a plurality of incoming unread mails, the received mails may be displayed in order each time the lid is opened to the second open state.

  In addition, in a state where the mail software 21 is activated by the above-described operation, the mail software 21 is terminated when a long press operation of opening the lid portion to the second open state for a predetermined time (for example, 2 seconds) is performed. You may do it. In this way, if the e-mail software activation process and termination process are performed in an operation related to the operation of opening the lid to the second open state, the burden on the user can be reduced and erroneous operations can be prevented. it can.

<Example 6: Multimedia discrimination start function>
Here, a process of starting software associated with the multimedia information by a predetermined operation after receiving (downloading) the multimedia information will be described.
Here, as a predetermined operation for starting the software, an operation of opening the lid to the second open state is used.
There are various types of multimedia information such as characters, figures, symbols, images, music, etc., and the multimedia data discriminating unit 67 discriminates the type of received multimedia information.
This determination can be made by confirming the file format (JPEG, MP3, TXT, etc.) of the received data, as conventionally performed.
FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of the multimedia discrimination activation process. Here, a flow for discriminating only two types of multimedia information, ie, image and music, is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this.

In step S51, the multimedia information transmitted via the communication line 40 by the incoming call is downloaded and stored in the data storage unit 10. The storage process may be performed according to a user instruction or may be performed automatically.
In this embodiment, after the user knows that the received multimedia information has been saved by display or the like, the user performs an operation of opening the lid to the second open state in order to view the multimedia information.
In step S52, it is checked whether the second open state is detected.
When the second open state is detected, the process proceeds to step S53. Otherwise, the process ends.

In step S53, it is checked whether or not the downloaded multimedia information is image data.
In the case of image data, the process proceeds to step S55, and the image viewer 23 is activated.
If it is not image data, the process proceeds to step S54 to check whether it is music data. In the case of music data, the process proceeds to step S56, and the music player 22 is activated.

After the image viewer 23 or the music player 22 is activated, the automatically downloaded multimedia information may be immediately reproduced.
Alternatively, the multimedia information may be reproduced when an operation for further opening the lid portion to the second open state is performed after activation.
In addition, when the image viewer or the music player is activated and a long press operation is performed to open the lid for a predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds) or longer, the activated software is terminated. May be.
In this embodiment, a large number of key input operations are not required, and the multimedia information can be viewed immediately after storing the downloaded information by simply opening the lid to the second open state. Software can be started.
In addition, since both the startup process and the end process are performed by an operation related to the operation of opening the lid portion to the second open state, the burden on the user can be reduced and an erroneous operation can be prevented.

<Example 7: Alarm sound stop function>
Here, the function of stopping the alarm sound by performing an operation of opening the lid portion to the second open state when the alarm sound is sounding will be described.
The alarm notification setting unit 68 sets the alarm sounding time and the occurrence event. For example, the user inputs the time for the alarm to sound from the input unit 2, stores the time in the data storage unit 10, and starts alarm sound monitoring. The stored alarm ringing time and the current time are always compared, and if they match, an alarm sound is generated using the speaker 4 or the ringer 5.

FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of the alarm sound stop function of the present invention.
First, in step S61, it is checked whether an alarm sound is currently sounding. Whether or not it is ringing can be checked by checking the stored time or the like.
If the alarm is not sounding, the process is terminated. If the alarm is sounding, the process proceeds to step S62.
In step S62, it is checked whether or not it is in the second open state. If the second open state detection unit 51 detects that the second open state is detected, the process proceeds to step S63. If not, the process returns to step S61. In step S63, an alarm sound stop process is performed to stop the alarm sound.
Normally, when an alarm sound is sounded, the user either listens to the sound and tries to stop the alarm sound or confirms why the sound is sounding.

In order to stop the alarm sound, the user performs an operation to stop the sound by opening the lid, but in this embodiment, if the user opens the lid to the second open state, the alarm sound is generated. It can be stopped.
In addition, when there is only one condition setting for sounding an alarm sound, it may not be necessary to inform the user of the reason for the sounding. However, when an alarm sound is sounded or when an operation to stop the sounding is performed, The reason for ringing (such as when a set time has come) or a message preset by the user may be displayed on the display unit 1. This display can alert the user.

Furthermore, if two or more ringing conditions are set, the reason for ringing can be notified to the user by changing the alarm sound. However, the ringing reason set in advance for each alarm is the same as above. Or a message may be displayed.
In addition, when the reason for sounding is displayed after the sounding is stopped, when the user performs an operation to open the lid part to the second open state, the display may be turned off. Alternatively, the display may be turned off when a long press for maintaining the second open state for a certain time is performed.

  According to this embodiment, it is only necessary to open the lid to the second open state to stop the alarm, and it is not necessary to press a specific ringing stop key, so that the burden on the user can be reduced and erroneous operation can be prevented.

<Example 8: manner mode setting function>
Here, a case will be described in which the manner mode in which a ring tone or the like does not sound is set and released by opening and closing the lid.
The manner mode is set and released by the manner mode switching unit 69 between the second open state detected by the second open state detecting unit 52 and the closed state of the lid detected by the first open state detecting unit 51. Do by monitoring.
In this embodiment, when a call is not being made and no incoming signal is being detected, an operation of opening the lid to the second open state is detected, and then it is detected that the lid has been closed within a predetermined time. In this case, the manner mode is switched.

That is, when the manner mode is canceled and the lid is closed within a predetermined time after the opening operation to the second open state, the manner mode is activated.
When the same series of operations as described above is performed while the manner mode is set, the manner mode is canceled.
FIG. 12 shows a flowchart of the manner mode switching process.
In step S71, it is checked whether or not the second open state is detected by the second open state detector 52. If it is not detected, the process ends. If it is detected, the process proceeds to step S72.
In step S72, it is checked whether a call is not being made and an incoming signal is not being detected.

If the call is not being made and the incoming signal is not being detected, the process proceeds to step S73, and if the communication is being performed or if the incoming signal is being detected, the process is terminated.
In step S73, a monitoring timer is started, and it is checked whether or not the lid is closed within a set time (for example, 1 second) of the timer. Whether it is closed or not is checked by a detection signal from the first open state detection unit 51.
If it is detected that it has been closed within the set time, the process proceeds to step S74, and if not, the process ends.
In step S74, it is checked whether the current manner mode setting state is activated (ON) or released (OFF). This check can be performed by confirming the manner mode setting information stored in the data storage unit 10.
If it is currently in the activated (ON) state, the process proceeds to step S76, and the manner mode is set to release (OFF). If it is in the released (OFF) state, the process proceeds to step S75, and the manner mode is set to activated (ON).

Whether the manner mode is currently in the present state may be indicated on the display unit 1 as in the conventional manner.
As described above, since the manner mode can be activated and canceled by the same series of operations, the burden on the user can be reduced and erroneous operations can be prevented.
Further, instead of opening and closing the lid as described above, the manner mode may be switched when the lid is in the second open state for a predetermined time (for example, 2 seconds) or longer. In this case, it is preferable to provide a return mechanism to the first open state.
In the above description, the manner mode is not switched during a call or during detection of an incoming signal, but the present invention is not limited to this.

<Ninth Embodiment: Automatic Calling Function to Specific Destination>
Here, a description will be given of a process of automatically transmitting to one destination among one or a plurality of destinations registered in advance when a predetermined operation is performed.
As the predetermined operation, a series of operations including an operation of opening the lid portion to the first open state and an operation of opening the lid portion to the second open state within a certain time thereafter are used.

FIG. 13 shows a flowchart of the automatic transmission process to a specific destination according to the present invention.
In step S81, it is checked whether an incoming signal is detected. If no incoming signal has been detected, the process proceeds to step S82, and if not, the process ends.
In step S82, it is checked whether a call is in progress. If not, the process proceeds to step S83. If not, the process ends.
In step S83, it is checked whether the first open state is detected. That is, it is checked whether or not the user has opened the lid to enter the first open state when neither a call nor an incoming signal is being detected. If the first open state is detected, the process proceeds to step S84, and if not, the process ends.
In step S84, it is checked whether or not the current destination limited mode is activated. The transmission destination limited mode is a mode in which transmission is limited to only registered automatic transmission destinations and no transmission operation is performed for other transmission destinations. The transmission destination limitation mode is preset and registered and stored in the data storage unit 10. If it is currently in the destination limited mode, the process proceeds to step S85, and if not, the process ends.

In step S85, it is checked whether or not the automatic transmission destination is set and registered. If one or more automatic destinations are registered, the process proceeds to step S86, and if not, the process proceeds to step S89.
In step S86, the outgoing message is displayed. When there is one registered automatic destination, a display for specifying the automatic destination and a message for automatic transmission to the automatic destination are displayed.
In addition, when there are a plurality of registered automatic destinations, a part or all of the registered automatic destinations are displayed, and a display requesting that the user select a destination is displayed.
Here, if only the first open state is detected in step S83, the automatic call is not immediately sent to the automatic call destination, but the process waits with the message in step S86 displayed.
When two or more automatic destinations are registered, although not shown in the figure, a process of monitoring whether or not a destination selection input is made after step S86 is added.

On the other hand, in step S89, it is displayed that the current destination is limited to registered destinations and that there is no registered destination, so that it is easy to register a new automatic destination. In order to make a call, the outgoing call history or the incoming call history is displayed. Instead of the outgoing call history or the like, a list of registered phone books may be displayed.
After step S86, in step S87, it is checked whether or not the second open state is detected. If the second open state is detected, the process proceeds to step S88, and if not detected, the process proceeds to step S89.
When the process proceeds from step S87 to step S89, it is only necessary to display that the outgoing call is limited only to registered destinations and the outgoing call history. Further, instead of displaying the outgoing call history or the like, the display of step S86 may be kept. Or you may display to the effect of inquiring about registering a new automatic transmission destination.

In step S87, if the second open state is detected, that is, the user may confirm the display in step S86 and automatically make a call to the destination, and open the lid to the second open state. If the operation is performed, the operation is regarded as an instruction for automatic transmission, the process proceeds to step S88, and automatic transmission is made to the automatic transmission destination set and registered.
In step S87, the second open state is checked only for a certain time (for example, 10 seconds). If the second open state is not detected within that time, the process does not proceed to step S89, but other functions (for example, a call) The processing may be terminated so that the mail transmission function or camera function can be executed.

According to this embodiment, when the automatic transmission mode to the registered automatic transmission destination (transmission destination limited mode) is set, the automatic transmission is performed only by opening the lid from the closed state to the first open state. Since it does not enter into operation, it is possible to prevent outgoing calls to unintended automatic destinations.
Further, since the outgoing call processing can be performed after confirming the registered automatic destination and message displayed in the first open state, it is possible to make a phone call to the other party intended by the user safely and reliably. It is possible to prevent the so-called “kake mistake”.
Furthermore, since the operation of opening the lid portion after the confirmation of the display message to the second open state can be performed after the operation of “applying the lid portion of the device to the ear” included as a part of the operation of making a normal phone call, The operational burden on the user is small and erroneous operation can be prevented.

Next, in this embodiment, a process for registering an automatic destination and setting and canceling the destination limited mode will be described.
FIG. 14 shows a flowchart of the automatic destination registration and destination limit mode setting processing of the present invention. Here, the setting of the destination limited mode shows an example that requires the input of a password.
First, in step S91, it is checked whether or not the automatic destination registration process is to be terminated. If there is an input that does not end, the process proceeds to step S92. If there is an input that ends the process, the process ends.
In step S92, an automatic call destination is registered. In other words, when the user directly inputs the number of the automatic callee, or selects the callee number registered in the phone book and then enters the registration instruction, the callee number is automatically sent. The data is stored in the data storage unit 10 as a destination number.

Next, in step S93, a password set in advance is input. In step S94, it is confirmed whether or not the input password and the set password are the same. If they are the same, the process proceeds to step S95, and the destination restriction mode for restricting the destination is set. If it is determined in step S94 that the input password is not the same as the set password, the process proceeds to step S96 to set the destination non-restricting mode in which the destination is not limited.
The destination non-restricted mode is a mode in which a call can be made to an arbitrary destination input according to the intention of the user.
If two or more automatic destinations are set, a plurality of destinations may be registered in step S92. Further, when a password is set, a display requesting input of the password may be made in the display process of step S86 in FIG. 13, for example.
By performing the processing as described above, when the “destination limited mode” is set, the destination can be fixed only to the registered destination.
In addition, by inputting a password, the person who can change the destination can be limited to only a specific person who knows the password.

<Example 10: Phonebook activation function>
Here, a description will be given of a process for enabling the phone book to be displayed and edited when an operation of opening the lid to the second open state when the specific condition is satisfied.
Here, the program for displaying and editing the phone book is one embodiment of the application program. That is, the process to be activated when the operation of opening to the second open state is performed under specific conditions is not limited to the phone book program, and can be any application program set in advance.
The specific condition for starting up the telephone directory program described here is a case where both conditions of not being in a call and not detecting an incoming signal are satisfied. Such specific conditions may also be set for each application program to be activated.

FIG. 15 shows a flowchart of the phone book activation process.
First, in step S101, it is checked whether or not the lid 101 has been opened to the second open state. If the second open state is detected, the process proceeds to step S102, and if not, the process ends.
In step S102, it is checked whether a call is currently being made. If the call is not in progress, the process proceeds to step S103. If the call is in progress, the process is terminated.
In step S103, it is checked whether an incoming signal is currently being detected. If the incoming signal is not being detected, the process proceeds to step S104, and application software that can display and edit the phone book is activated. On the other hand, if the incoming signal is being detected, the process is terminated.
In this embodiment, in step S104, for example, a phone book is read from the data storage unit 10 and a list of phone books is displayed. Alternatively, a display for searching the phone book or a display for editing may be displayed.

When equipped with a function for executing such processing, the phone book can be displayed simply by opening the lid to the second open state when the user is neither receiving nor talking. The
That is, it is not necessary to visually search for and input a specific key in order to display the phone book, so that erroneous input can be prevented and operability for displaying the phone book can be improved.
Here, the phone book function is taken as an example of application software. However, in order to start up other application software that is frequently used by users, an operation to open the lid to the second open state is supported. If attached, operability can be further improved in actual use situations.

<Example 11: Configuration of sliding device>
The above embodiments have all been described for the folding portable information device shown in FIG. However, the portable information device of the present invention is not limited to the “folding type”, and may be a slide type portable information device as described below.
17 and 18 are schematic configuration diagrams of an embodiment of the sliding portable information device according to the present invention. This slide-type device has a mechanism capable of sliding the lid 101 in a fixed direction with respect to the main body 102.
This sliding type is also composed of a lid part 101, a main body part 102, and a connecting part 103. The connecting part 103 has a slide mechanism made up of, for example, a groove and a convex part of a rail structure. A long and narrow groove is provided on both sides of the main body 102, and a long and narrow protrusion is provided on both sides of the lid 101. The protrusion is inserted into the groove so that it can move in the groove direction. In addition, a semi-fixing mechanism is provided so that the lid part is temporarily fixed at three places, the state where the lid part 101 is closed, and the first open state and the second open state. A return mechanism that always returns to the first open state after the second open state may be provided.

17 (a) and 18 (a) show a state where the lid portion 101 is closed, and FIGS. 17 (b) and 18 (b) show a state where the lid portion 101 is opened to the first open state. 17 (c) and FIG. 18 (c) show a state where the lid 101 is opened to the second open state.
Here, it is assumed that the slide amount opened to the second open state is larger than the slide amount opened from the closed state to the first open state.

In the case of this slide type, for example, one magnet J1 and three Hall elements (H1, H2, H3) are provided as shown in order to detect a closed state or the like.
As shown in FIG. 17, the magnet J <b> 1 is provided at the lower right end portion of the lid portion 101. Further, the Hall element H1 is provided at the lower right end of the main body 102 in order to detect the closed state of the lid.
As shown in FIG. 18A, in the closed state, the magnet J1 and the Hall element H1 are close to each other and a predetermined voltage is generated. By measuring this voltage, it can be seen that it is in a closed state.

In addition, in order to detect the first open state of FIGS. 17B and 18B, the Hall element H2 is provided in the main body portion directly below the magnet J1 located in the first open state.
Further, in order to detect the second open state of FIGS. 17C and 18C, a Hall element H3 is provided in the main body portion directly below the magnet J1 located in the second open state.
In such a configuration, the magnet J1 and the Hall element H2 serve as the first open state detection unit 51, and the magnet J1 and the Hall element H3 serve as the second open state detection unit 52.
In the slide type apparatus of FIGS. 17 and 18, each operation described in the above embodiment is mainly performed by opening the lid part from the state of FIG. 17B to the second open state of FIG. 17C. Function can be realized. For example, when an incoming call is received, the incoming call can be received by opening the lid 101 to the second open state shown in FIG.

<Example 12: Detection of pseudo second open state>
In the above embodiments, the portable information device of the present invention has been described as performing an operation of physically forming a state of “second open state” and opening the lid 101 to the second open state. That is, the first open state and the second open state with different rotation angles or slide amounts are provided as the state in which the lid portion is opened.
Here, an embodiment will be described in which a specific opening / closing operation of the lid 101 is regarded as the second open state, instead of physically forming the second open state.
In this embodiment, there are two states, a closed state and an open state (referred to as a first open state), as in a conventional folding mobile phone, as shown in FIG. No second open state is provided.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the second open state detection unit 52 of FIG. 1 is not provided. That is, the switch 104 and the protrusion 105 in FIG. 3 need not be provided.
Although not shown, the first open state detection unit 51 is provided with a protrusion that interlocks with the connecting portion 103 and a fixed switch that receives the protrusion, and the protrusion presses the switch in the first open state. By doing so, the first open state of FIG. 2B is detected. Under such a configuration, when the following series of information obtained from the first open state detection unit 51 is detected, the control unit 60 considers that the second open state has been detected.
(1) The first open state of the lid 101 is detected.
(2) Next, the angle formed by the lid 101 and the main body 102 is smaller than the first open state, and the first open state is not detected.
(3) Next, the first open state of the lid is detected within a predetermined time (for example, 1 second).
Assume that the second open state is detected when the states (1) to (3) are detected corresponds to the process of the pseudo second open state detection unit.

For example, when a call is started in response to an incoming call, the user performs the following operation. Here, when the series of states (1) to (3) is detected, it is assumed that the operation corresponding to the second open state has been performed, and the incoming call process (step S3 in FIG. 5) is entered. .
The user who has confirmed the ringer ringing by the incoming call operates to open the lid 101 to the first open state, and confirms information such as the displayed destination. Next, after the lid 101 is not in the first open state, an operation of opening the lid 101 to the first open state is performed within 1 second, and the device is placed on the ear. After this, the call is started. Here, in order to make the lid 101 not in the first open state, it is only necessary to rotate the lid 101 slightly in the closing direction. Or you may close the cover part 101 once.

FIG. 16 shows a flowchart of the pseudo second open state detection process of this embodiment.
First, in step S111, it is checked whether or not the first open state detection unit 51 has detected the first open state. If the first open state is detected, the process proceeds to step S112, and if not, the process ends.

After the first open state is once detected by the first open state detector 51, it is checked in step S112 whether it is detected that the lid portion is not in the first open state.
If it is detected that it is not in the first open state, the process proceeds to step S113, and if not, step S112 is looped.
In step S113, the timer is initialized and started. For example, a timer that counts one second is started.
In step S114, the timer is counted up, and in step S115, it is checked whether or not a predetermined time (for example, 1 second) has elapsed. If the predetermined time has not yet elapsed, the process proceeds to step S116, and if it has elapsed, the process ends.
In step S116, it is checked whether the first open state is detected. If the first open state is not detected, the process returns to step S114.
On the other hand, if it is detected, it is considered that the second open state has been detected, and the process proceeds to step S117.

  In step S117, processing corresponding to the detection of the second open state is executed. For example, information indicating that the second open state is detected is temporarily stored in the data storage unit 10. Further, if necessary, a process for activating a function previously associated with the second open state is performed.

By performing the processing as described above, it is possible to detect that an operation corresponding to the state of the “second open state” is performed in a pseudo manner.
If the second open state is detected in this way, it is necessary to perform a more complicated operation than the operations of the first to tenth embodiments described above, but it is necessary to provide a configuration including a switch and a protrusion as shown in FIG. As the number of parts decreases, the manufacturing cost can be reduced and the manufacturing process can be facilitated.

1 is a configuration block diagram of an embodiment of a portable information device of the present invention. It is a schematic structure figure of one example of portable information equipment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of one Example of the 2nd open state detection part of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the other Example of the 2nd open state detection part of this invention. It is a flowchart of the incoming and outgoing call processing of the portable information device of this invention. It is a flowchart of the adjustment function of the speaker volume of this invention. It is a flowchart of the answering machine response function of this invention. It is a flowchart of the call waiting setting function of this invention. It is a flowchart of the email reception function of this invention. It is a flowchart of the multimedia discrimination | determination starting process of this invention. It is a flowchart of the alarm sound stop function of this invention. It is a flowchart of the manner mode switching process of this invention. It is a flowchart of the automatic transmission function of this invention. 4 is a flowchart of automatic destination registration processing and the like according to the present invention. It is a flowchart of the telephone directory starting process of this invention. It is a flowchart of the detection process of the pseudo 2nd open state of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of one Example of the slide-type portable information device of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of one Example of the slide-type portable information device of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the conventional mobile phone.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Display part 2 Input part 3 Microphone 4 Speaker 5 Ringer 6 Call control part 10 Data storage part 20 Program storage part 31 Mail incoming call detection part 32 Call waiting signal detection part 33 Incoming signal detection part 34 Line closing part 35 Line switching part 40 Communication Line 51 First open state detector 52 Second open state detector 60 Control unit

Claims (3)

A main body with an operation unit, a lid,
Connect the lid to the main body so that the lid can move relative to the main body, and the lid can be moved to the first and second open states with different amounts of movement of the lid relative to the main body. A connecting part to be
An incoming signal detector for detecting an incoming signal received through a communication line;
A first open state detector for detecting the first open state;
A second open state detector for detecting the second open state;
An answering machine response unit that executes answering machine response processing including transmission of a message notifying that the user is away,
When the incoming signal detection unit detects the incoming signal, the second open state detection unit detects the second open state, and when the first open state detection unit detects the closed state within a predetermined time thereafter , A portable information device in which an answering machine response unit performs an answering machine response process. The connecting portion has a slide mechanism that can slide the lid portion in a fixed direction with respect to the main body portion, the lid portion and the main body portion are slidably connected in a fixed direction, and the second open state is the first open state.
The portable information device according to claim 1, wherein the sliding amount from the closed state is larger than the open state.   2. The portable information device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion is a foldable type in which a lid portion having a display and a main body portion having an operation key are connected by a hinge mechanism.

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