Abstract:
A communication terminal using a flat panel speaker outputs a message of warning, in forms of sound or text shown on display, before outputting sound from the flat panel speaker.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a portable communication terminal, a message output method used for the portable communication terminal, and a program therefor, and more particularly to a portable communication terminal having a flat panel speaker. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     An electronic component called a flat panel speaker has been put to practical use. The flat panel speaker is an electronic component in which a display section and a speaker section are integrated. For this reason, the flat panel speaker is effective in downsizing portable electronic devices. 
     Here, the flat panel speaker is an electronic component in which sound is generated by vibrating a cover portion disposed in front of, if the display section is a liquid crystal panel, the liquid crystal panel, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-533957 A. The cover portion is, for example, an acrylic plate or a glass plate. A component called an exciter or an actuator attached to the cover portion vibrates the cover portion. The exciter and the actuator are components corresponding to a voice coil and a magnet in a conventional cone speaker. 
     Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-164977 A proposes a portable communications terminal such as a cellular phone as an electronic device to be downsized with use of the flat panel speaker. 
     In a cellular phone, a speaker function of the flat panel speaker is used as a speaker for reproducing a ringing tone or music, an ear receiver, or a speaker for hands free communications in which the ear receiver does not need to be put on the user&#39;s ear during conversations. 
     A sound vibrating area of the flat panel speaker, on which the user puts his/her ear to hear sound is larger as compared with an ear receiver of a usual speaker. Thus, it is possible for users, from children to adults, having various distances between the ear and the mouth to use cellular phones having the same size in a natural holding posture. This characteristic of the flat panel speaker is a further advantage in addition to a contribution to downsizing of cellular phones. 
     In some cellular phones, a speaker for the ear receiver is provided separately from the flat panel speaker, and thus the flat panel speaker is not used for the ear receiver but used mainly as a speaker for reproducing a ringtone or music. Alternatively, only the flat panel speaker is disposed without providing the speaker for the ear receiver in other cases. 
     In the latter case, the flat panel speaker serves both as the ear receiver and as the speaker for ringing tone or music. The flat panel speaker outputs sound at low volume level when the flat panel speaker serves as the ear receiver for usual phone call. The flat panel speaker outputs ringing tone or music at higher volume level than that for ear receiver use. Further, when the flat panel speaker serves as a speaker for hands free communication, the flat panel speaker also outputs sound at higher volume level than that for usual ear receiver in a phone call. 
     When the flat panel speaker is used as the ear receiver, the user of the cellular phone hears sound by putting his/her ear against a display also serving as a speaker section. In a state where the user puts his/her ear against the display, when sound is output from the flat panel speaker at a higher volume level than that obtained in a case where the flat panel speaker is used as the ear receiver, the user may be surprised at the loud sound and the ear of the user may be temporarily disabled to hear sound. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems inherent in a portable communications terminal using a flat panel speaker as an ear receiver. An object of the present invention is to provide a portable communications terminal capable of outputting to a user a message indicating that sound is output from a flat panel, speaker, a message output method used for the portable communications terminal, and a program therefor. 
     To aim to above object, control section of communications terminal using a flat panel speaker outputs a message of warning before outputting sound from the flat panel speaker. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a configuration of a cellular phone according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart of an operation of reproducing a moving image or sound in the embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of an operation of reading out an email message or a chat mail message in the embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a configuration of a cellular phone according to an embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 1 , a cellular phone  1  includes an antenna  11 , a transmission and reception section  12 , a radio section  13 , an input operation section  14 , a state monitoring section  15 , a read only memory (ROM)  16 , a random access memory (RAM)  17 , a control section  18 , and a speaker-integrated display section  19 . 
     An operation example of the cellular phone  1  shown in  FIG. 1  will be described. When the cellular phone  1  receives an incoming sound signal from the antenna  11 , it transmits the signal to the transmission and reception section  12  and the radio section  13 . Then, the cellular phone  1  transmits the signal to the state monitoring section  15  and further to the control section  18 , and enters a communications mode of phone call through some steps. When the cellular phone  1  enters a sound communications mode of phone call, the control section  18  transmits the sound signal to the speaker-integrated display section  19 . The speaker-integrated display section  19  has both a speaker function and a display function. The speaker-integrated display section  19  outputs the sound signal transmitted from the control section  18  in the form of sound, generating the sound by vibrating a screen portion of the display section. The user of the cellular phone  1  can hear the sound by putting his/her ear against a vibrating area of the screen portion of the speaker-integrated display section  19 . 
     A case of reproducing, for example, a moving image with sound will be described. The control section  18  reads data of a moving image stored in the ROM  16  or the RAM  17 . The control section  18  applies reproduction processing to the data read from the ROM  16  or the RAM  17 , displays the moving image on the display screen of the speaker-integrated display section  19 , and outputs the sound stored with the moving image by using the speaker function of the speaker-integrated display section  19 . 
     At this time, the speaker-integrated display section  19  outputs the sound at such a volume level that the user can sufficiently hear from a position where the user views the moving image reproduced on the display section of the speaker-integrated display section  19 . Such a volume level is higher than that of sound the user hears with his/her ear put against an ear receiver section during usual communications. 
     In the cellular phone  1 , an operation for a case of reproducing recorded voice data or using an email message or other text data reading-out function is similar to that for the case of reproducing moving image data stored in the RAM  17  or the ROM  16 . The control section  18  displays information about recorded voice data or an email message or other text data to be read out, on the display screen of the speaker-integrated display section  19 , and outputs the reproduction sound of the voice data or the email message body reading-out sound, from the speaker section of the speaker-integrated display section  19 . The user of the cellular phone  1  hears the sound output from the speaker section of the speaker-integrated display section  19  while viewing the display screen of the speaker-integrated display section  19 . Thus, the sound should be output at a reasonable volume level from the speaker section of the speaker-integrated display section  19  for a user who is in some position apart from the cellular phone  1  to view the display screen of the speaker-integrated display section  19 . 
     In this embodiment, when outputting sound from the speaker-integrated display section  19 , the cellular phone  1  displays a message on the display section and requests an input operation from the user for confirming the message. In this embodiment, when sound is output from the speaker-integrated display section  19 , a message indicating that “keep your ear away from the screen because loud sound is output” is displayed on the display section of the speaker-integrated display section  19 . 
     The user of the cellular phone  1  inputs a response to the displayed message by operating the input operation section  14 . Upon reception of the response from the user, the state monitoring section  15  judges the operation and transmits the result of the judgment to the control section  18 . The control section  18  switches operations whether or not reproducing data with loud sound from the speaker-integrated display section  19  according to the received judgment result. 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart of an operation of reproducing a moving image or sound in the cellular phone  1  of  FIG. 1 . Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the operation of reproducing a moving image or sound in the cellular phone  1  will be described. The processing shown in  FIG. 2  is stored in the ROM  16  as a program and is executed by the control section  18 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a case in which the user performs an operation of reproducing a moving image or sound data with respect to the cellular phone  1  in its standby mode. The user operates the cellular phone  1  to select a moving image or sound data stored in the ROM  16  or the RAM  17  to thereby perform a reproduction operation. Upon reception of the reproduction operation performed by the user (step S 2  of  FIG. 2 ), the control section  18  enters a reproduction operation of the selected data. The control section  18  displays, at the time of data reproduction, a message indicating that “is it acceptable to output sound at a high volume level from the speaker-integrated display section?” is displayed on the speaker-integrated display section  19  (step S 3  of  FIG. 2 ). 
     When the user inputs to the cellular phone  1  a response indicating that “output the sound at a high volume level” in response to the message displayed on the speaker-integrated display section  19 , the control section  18  starts to reproduce the selected data. When the data is reproduced, sound is output from the speaker-integrated display section  19  (step S 5  of  FIG. 2 ). On the other hand, when the user inputs to the cellular phone  1  a response indicating that “do not output the sound at a high volume level”, the control section  18  ends the processing without entering a flow of reproducing the selected data. 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart of an operation of reading out an email message or a chat mail message or other text data in the cellular phone  1  of  FIG. 1 . Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the operation of reading out an email message or a chat mail message in the cellular phone  1  will be described. The processing shown in  FIG. 3  is stored in the ROM  16  as a program and is executed by the control section  18 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a case in which an email message or a chat mail message arrives at the cellular phone  1  in its standby mode. 
     When an email message or a chat mail message arrives at the cellular phone  1  (step S 12  of  FIG. 3 ), the control section  18  receives it. When the reception is completed (step S 13  of  FIG. 3 ), the control section  18  may display “message(s) arrived” on the speaker-integrated display section  19 . The control section  18  may also display a message on the screen which indicates that the user can open messages arrived. If the user requests to open messages, the state monitoring section  15  switches the operation mode not for phone call, but for data stored in the ROM  16  or RAM  17 . Changing the operation mode for monitoring, the state monitoring section  15  judges a response from the user based on corresponding operation mode. The state monitoring section  15  sends the control section a signal of starting a notifying sequence for the operation mode of data stored in ROM  16  or RAM  17 . Receiving the signal, the control section  18  inquires to the user as to whether or not the received message is read out (step S 14  of  FIG. 3 ). The state monitoring section  15  judges a response from the user. When the user inputs a response indicating that “do not read out the received message(s)”, the control section  18  displays the contents of the received email message without reading out the email message (step S 17  of  FIG. 3 ). 
     On the other hand, when the user inputs a response indicating that “read out the received message(s)”, the control section  18  proceeds to processing of reading out the received email message. The control section  18  further displays an inquiry to the user as to whether it is acceptable to output sound of reading out the message body at a high volume level from the speaker-integrated display section  19  (step S 15  of  FIG. 3 ). The state monitoring section  15  judges the user&#39;s input to the inquiry based on the corresponding operation mode. If the response from the user indicates that “do not read out message(s) at a high volume level”, the control section  18  outputs the sound of reading out the message at such a low volume level that the user can hear by putting his/her ear against the ear receiver (step S 18  of  FIG. 3 ). 
     On the other hand, if the response from the user indicates that “read out at a high volume level”, the control section  18  displays the email message on the screen and outputs the reading-out sound. At this time, the control section  18  outputs the sound at such a reasonable volume level that the user can hear the reading-out sound without putting his/her ear against the speaker-integrated display section  19  of the cellular phone  1  while viewing the email message displayed on the screen (step S 16  of  FIG. 3 ). 
     As described above, in this embodiment, when sound is output from the speaker-integrated display section  19 , a message regarding a terminal operation is displayed on the speaker-integrated display section  19 . This message serves as a warning to call the user&#39;s attention. In this way, it is possible to avoid such a situation that sound is suddenly output from the speaker-integrated display section  19  and the ear of the user is disabled to hear for a while because of its volume level, or the user is surprised at the volume level of the sound. 
     In this embodiment, it is also possible to just display a message on the screen without requesting the user to operate the terminal for confirmation. In this case, a message indicating that “keep your ear away from the screen because loud sound is output from the speaker-integrated display section” is displayed for a period of time (2 to 3 seconds) during which the user can read the message, and then deleted. After the message is displayed, sound is output from the speaker-integrated display section  19 . In this case, it is possible to display the message on the screen of the speaker-integrated display section  19  without a user&#39;s input operation for confirmation, to call the user&#39;s attention. 
     Further, a message is displayed on the screen in this embodiment, but a massage may be output in the form of sound. The sound message is output at a low volume level. This makes it possible to deal with a case in which at a time of message output, the user has already put his/her ear against the speaker-integrated display section  19  so as to use the ear receiver. In this case, the user, who has already put his/her ear against the speaker-integrated display section  19 , cannot view the display section of the speaker-integrated display section  19 . However, it is possible to safely call attention to the user under such a circumstance by using the sound output at a low volume level. The sound message may be combined with the message displayed on the screen. 
     The present invention can be applied to the above-described cellular phone irrespective of its shape such as a straight type, a folding type, or a slide type. Further, the present invention can also be applied to, in addition to cellular phones, portable communications terminals, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), when they have a function to allow the user to hear a voice or sound by putting the user&#39;s ear against a vicinity of the screen. 
     While this invention has been described in connection with a certain exemplary embodiment, it is to be understood that the subject matter encompassed by way of this invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended for the subject matter of the invention to include all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be included within the spirit and scope of the following claims. 
     Further, it is the inventor&#39;s intent to retain all equivalents of the claimed invention even if the claims are amended during prosecution.